Robert J. Catlin 1, ~2- September 30, 1971 There have been working groups on Pu standards in the past and our files show numerous meetinas and deliberations. Cespite a nobel effort on the part of at least one ir Headquarters staff, we have little in the way of criterion for Pu ir soil. To aet numbers (if they can be aot at all) from an interagency group, would prnbahly take a year or more (the FRC PAG for 1311 took that Tnna as JT recall). And would it really have the force of an agency yike EPA behind fit or would they ianore the guide when in their best interest to do so? Sut, if we were on record with numuers, at Teast we woulc have some point to work from. A large AEC/Contractor-based comiittee would probably fair no better than a interagency coamittee. 5. In mv view interim quides for Pu in soll, cnuld be develoned by a small group within DOS, possibly three or four members, reporting directly to you. The key cuesticn te be answered by this sroup woulc be: Is there a level of Pu in soil above present world-wide levels that vou would be willing te Jive with alana with vour Famiiv? If so. what level or Tevelis? Tra deliberations coule nroceed from that noinrt. Toe sotrit of these deliberations would likely be auite different from that in the Fer warking arnup wheres there vors alpays tue factions commeting cesviach one another qne chayte tne number unthe other dow. Thus the sunther would Cfnetty east at or near a noint where the forces upor Tt were about equal. The number sometimes ended up where no one tried to put it. Pather than finishing this work with aqency ctaff ip complete or near complete accord, these working group people ended off at a poipt of maximum antac- onism. i sometimes fh that the greatest haalt® rish from 131] was to those who were trvind te set cha suide, ‘hat T have suqnested is different. Set Tt could hardly be vorse than in the past. The approach relys on ietenrity and corsciance rather than on halancina forces of rersonality and persuasiveness. OW dr oe aed be a BL Mic, “ Distribution: Tomay F. McCraw, NEES Reading Nuclear Explesives Environmental ies Subject Physicist-General OS Reading OS :NEES TFMcCraw: bm X5581 9/30/71 Safety @ranch Division of Crerational Safety OS :HEES PDMaxwel] O/39/71