CRE Receives Comments on EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Radionuclides

As part of a court agreement, EPA plans to issue a regulation under the Clean Water Act dealing with radionuclides by November 21, 2000. Pursuant thereto, EPA published proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Radionuclides in the Federal Register on April 21st (65 Fed. Reg. 21575). Because drinking water standards affect all Americans and have serious public health implications, they are of considerable importance.

CRE recently received comments from Radiation, Science, and Health (RSH), an international nonprofit organization of independent experts on radiation and public policy, which were sent to EPA in response to the call for comments on the radionuclides rule. This organization raises a number of scientific objections to EPA's proposed regulation, including use of outdated data. It also asserts that regulation of low-level sources of radiation, below naturally-occurring background rates, is unnecessary, and it points to recent scientific studies which suggest that low doses of scientific radiation are, in fact, beneficial. CRE is posting the RSH comments to offer one viewpoints on the EPA rule and to encourage discussion and debate on this important topic.

• Click to review EPA's Federal Register notice on the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Radionuclides (65 Fed. Reg. 21575, April 21, 2000).

• Click here to read RSH's letter to CRE.

• Click here to read RSH's comments to EPA on the proposed rule.

• Click here to review attachments to RSH's comments to EPA.

• Click here to review bibliography of sources referenced by RSH in its comments to EPA.

• Click here to visit The Radiation Science and Health website.

• Click here to make a comment.

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