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<br /> <br />Health clll'els which m;l)' rc~uh from e.\posure <br />to rdatively lar~e dml'S of iUllii'ing r;Jdialiul1 arc <br />wdl known: kukernb and other Iypes of cancer, <br />rt."duCliun in knility. calaract'. ;and other cye <br />dallla~e, ;u;cekratioll uf thl' aging proce.;s, and <br />d,lIl1agl' 10 rl'prudu\:ll\'l' cl'lh. Thne i... !illle ulllkr. <br />slandin~. 11\1\\ieVCr, of thc long-tt."rm clfel'ts fWIll <br />repeated npo...ure to all forms of r;ldiation at <br />low-kvd.... A major pllkl1lial hal,lrd is damagl' <br />In, or alteration of, human gl'nes, sincl' na(ur;ll <br />had,!:rouml radial ion i\ hdil'\'l'J to he lint." or thl' <br />..'ausl'\ of nalural nllHation. It t1lll~t be rl'cngnii'.ed. <br />(lwrcl'lre, Ih;1l the prntractcd rdl.'a...e of even very <br />Inw kvcls {If long-I;L\ting radioaclivity from an <br />increasing lIumher of man-made SOUrl'I'S has 1m- <br />plica(ions fllT hum;m health which scil.'nee has <br />hardy bl'!::ull to explllTc. <br />Ihe hal,lrd\ :1\s(x:i;lted with radiation, unlike <br />(hose nf 0111l.'r envirollllll'ntal pnllutams, Wl're <br />dr,II11;[(ically illustratnl hlflg bclore widl'srread <br />c\1l1lll1l'rcial appliCalillf! of radi;llioll-pmducing <br />technology !llok plact.". Strict ~(l\Icnlll1l'ntal con- <br />troh Wl're ill1posl.'d l'arly, (herdl1rc, and Ihe <br />fllrntal prol'cI!tlrl's and '\l'ientilic basl'''' for l'...tah- <br />li...hing ami enforcing standards for protection <br />a~ainsl ionizing radiatilln h:l\'\.' hl'cn the most <br />..'omprdlCnsi\'C of ;toy applied to environmental <br />strl'SS~'S. Even so, rt."cent f.:lkral aClions have heen <br />ainu'd al making doubly sure thai the utmost pre- <br />cautions arc ohscrvcd: <br />. LJnJl'r lhe reor~anii'ation plan l"qablishing <br />the Unitl'd Stales Environmental Protection <br />l\gel1cy" EPA a!\surncu federal authority tn set <br />gelll.'rally ;lpplieablc ellvironmental radiation <br /> <br />standards. The Alomic Energy Commision (AEC) <br />retains authority to implcllll.'nt and enforce EPA <br />slandards in the regulation of radioactive ma~ <br />teri;lls and nuclear facilities, <br />. \\hl'n I.I'A was l'slatJlish~'d a comprehl'nsive <br />rcvil"w of ex.i..ting radiation standards was under~ <br />way (Il del~'rrninc their adetjuacy, EPA. in coop- <br />eration with lhe U.S, Dl.'p,lfllllent of Health, Edu- <br />cation, and \\'dfare, Ihe Atomic Energy Com- <br />mission and othcr F~'dcral :lgl'llcie~" has continued <br />lilt." review. and it is scheduled for completion in <br />1972" <br />. Ibdio,lctiw emissions from nuelear power <br />rl'aCWrs have: cl1nstituteu only a small fraction <br />(If tlw limits pcrmitll'd under lhe radiation con- <br />trol ...tamlards which, as mentioned, are currently <br />h~'in~ rcvkwed. In 1971. in ordl'r to hold such <br />l'IlIis~illns tn thl" '"lowest practieahle levels," the <br />I\EC propl)sed new Ill'sign and oJX'rating guide- <br />lines aiml'd at limiting cmissillns to 1II00th of <br />th... levds permilled und...r tht." standards. <br />. Under thl' provisions of the National En- <br />\iwnml'ntal Pnlky Al-t, J:I>A rl"vicws all pro- <br />posals nf Ihe Atomic Enl.'Tgy Commission which <br />ill\'\Jlve thc siting, construction, and operation of <br />nuck'ar facilitics. <br />. ErA conducts rcseareh on the health impact <br />of ral.tialilln from ..II ~(lUrccS, and monitors <br />radiation in the environment. <br />Federal aUlhoritil.'s have developed amI have in <br />panial operation an impro.....ed state-fcderal-indus~ <br />try ~ystl.'l11 for monitoring environmental radiation <br />sourccs 10 provide improved surveillance capabil- <br />ity ;IS the nuclear power industry expands" <br /> <br />Q <br />~172 <br /> <br />r~ dlatlcn <br /> <br />::-> <br /> <br /> <br />=., <br /> <br />tv <br />0<' <br />"" <br /> <br />21 <br />