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RADIATION STANDARDS, INCLUDING FALLOUT
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Representative Price. I understand you are going to be on one of
our panels, because you could have someof that material ready to present in an open hearing.
Dr. CHapwicx. I will be glad to do that,sir.
Chairman Hotirtevp. I would like to ask a question.
;
Assuming that you would detect a level in range III of radioactivity in milk, say, in July, August, or some other month, how many
months would you allow this to go before you exercised controls to
keep it from going above the annual RPG?
Dr. Cuapwick. That is a very difficult question, as I am sure you
are aware. It would have to depend upon two things. Three things,
really. What had been happening in the immediate past: In other
words, was there a prolonged period of no detectable iodine as was
the situation last fall. Secondly, what would be the projections of
what was going to happen in the future. In other words, was the
situation one which appeared to be temporary. Did it look as if this
was one intrusion and there was not going to be any more, or did it
look like a situation in which there would be more iodine.
Finally, it would depend upon what measures were available as
countermeasures. This is a subject that I plan to discuss in a little
more detail in my testimony on Thursday. In other words, what are
the kinds of decisions involved in the situation where you apply environmental controls versus the situation where you have source control as your majortool.
Chairman Hotirtrip. Maybe my question could be phrased in a
different. way, then.
If at any time there did seem to be a definite burden of radiation
to the point where it would be damaging to human beings, it would
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be the policy of the Public Health Service to make this information
known to the public and to take such control measures as the law
allows.
Dr. Cuyapwick. Yes, sir, it would, in general. I think. though, if
one looks back at the concepts underlving radiation protection standards, as described in the Federal Radiation Council, it is pointed out
that anything you do in terms of radiation protection standards, any
of the decisions involve some kind of balance between the risk from
the radiation that you are attempting to control versus the impact of
the measures that vou would haveto take to controlit.
So T think the decision as to what one would do in a situation that
you describe is notreally entirely a health decision. Because the impact of any measures that might be taken include not only health impact but they include otherfactors.
So I think the decision that is made would haveto reflect the balance
of all of these factors.
Chairman Honmrterp. In other words, the decision would have to
be made at that time as to whether this was a burden that. you would
have to live with in relation to the advantages that you would obtain
from the use of milk, or whether drastic measures would be taken to
prevent the use of milk.
You would have to come to some type of a recommendation. I do
not see it would be within the powerof the Public Health Service to
do anything but recommend.
Dr. Cuapwicx. Yes,sir.
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