° ‘ - eAcveacinene 10y, . ° ~ gee, oi *, ‘ . . SZ, 7 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON DC. 20460 ome 23 AUG 1979 Mrs. Ruth G. Van Cleve 7 Pirector, Office of Territorial Affairs Department of the Interior 18th & C Streets, N.W. wt, Washington, D.C. 202450 Dear Mrs. Yan Cleve: The Environmental Protection Agency has examined the applicability of Federal Guides to radiation protection for those Marshall Islands people who want to return to Enewetak. Several issues are relevant to this possible Federal action, and the following are our views: 1. Bo Federsl Guides apply to this situation? Jes. It is our view that any Federal action conducted by an agency of the U.S. Government is subject to the Federal Radiation Protection recomendations approved by the President. The responsi=~ bility to provide these reccmmendations was created by Execotive Order 40831 and was later enacted by Congress. Jt 4s codified at 42 U.S.C. 2021(h) and was transferred to EPA by Reorganization Plan Wo. 3 of 1970. The appropriate language reads as follows: It 4s the statutory responsibility of the Council (Adsinistrator) to "...advise the . President with respect to radiation matters, Girectiy or inmdirectiy affecting health, ' Gneluding guidance for all Federal agencies in the fernulation of radiation standards and in the establishment and execution of prograss of cooperation with States..." 2. (25 F.R. 8402) What Federal Guides are to be used? The appropriate Guides are those approved by President Eisenhower in 1960 (25 F.R. 8402) and by President Kennedy in 1961 (26 F.R. 9057). These guides are designated as Radiation Protection Guides (RPG's). 1960 RPG for an individual in the population is 0.5remper_year and applies when individual whole body doses are known. The When the individual whole body doses arenotknown, aS an operational technique to provide 5001b0b