Background Information for the Radiation Advisory Committee of the Epa Science Advisory Board

By Environmental Protection Agency

Book Id: WPLBN0000029373
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.4 MB
Reproduction Date: 2007

Title:	Background Information for the Radiation Advisory Committee of the Epa Science Advisory Board
Author:	Environmental Protection Agency
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Ecology, Natural resource issues, Environemtal protection
Collections:	Environmental Awareness Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	United States Environmental Protection Agency


Citation APA MLA Chicago Protection Agency, B. E. (n.d.). Background Information for the Radiation Advisory Committee of the Epa Science Advisory Board. Retrieved from http://www.self.gutenberg.org/

Description
Excerpt: The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) is updating and expanding the air portion of its national radiation monitoring system. When the new air network is fully operational, data on ionizing radiation in air will be available in almost real-time from fixed monitors in 180 highly populated metropolitan areas, resulting in coverage of approximately 70% of the U.S. population. In addition to the fixed monitors, 40 deployable monitors will be available to support the system during emergency conditions. The updated system will identify radioactive environmental contaminants and their concentrations so that early protective action decisions can be implemented to protect the public health. Data from all collection sites will be sent electronically to a central EPA database and made available to federal, state, and local decision makers and the public.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents Section 1: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.1 Project Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.2 Description of Existing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.3 Mission and Objectives of ERAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1.4 How ERAMS Fits into National Government Monitoring . . . . . 3 1.5 Evolution of EPA’s Radiological Air Monitoring Program . . . . . 4 Section 2: ERAMS Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.1 Measurement Method and General Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.2 Response During Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Testing Era . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.3 Response to Reactor Accidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2.4 Response to Nuclear Facility Incidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2.5 Response to 9/11/2001 Terrorist Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Section 3: System Redesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 3.1 Monitoring Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 3.2 System Design Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 3.3 Potential Data Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 3.4 Criteria for Locations of Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19