Public and Occupational Risks of the Nevada (USA) Test Site

Abstract

The Nevada Test Site (NTS), north of Las Vegas, was the scene of hundreds of nuclear weapons tests over four decades, both above- and below ground. There is considerable interest, both in neighboring communities and elsewhere, in the risks it poses. Overall, the greatest risks are nonradioactive in origin, with occupational risks to employees and accident risks in transporting low-level nuclear wastes to the NTS from other Department of Energy (DOE) sites ranking highest. For radiation risks, that to workers handling radioactive materials is much higher than that to the surrounding population, either present or future. Overall, annual risks are small, with all fatalities approximately 0.008% of total Nevada deaths. At the NTS, the government spends about 5000 times more on radiation as opposed to nonradiation deaths. This suggests that at least some resources may be misallocated towards cleanup of public risks and that the occupational risk of cleanup may be much higher than the public risk. Thus risk may be multiplied by well-meaning programs.

Health Impacts of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation: Current Scientific Debates and Regulatory Issues

“…Public spending of US$1100 million leads to loss of 1100/70 ∼ 15 lives lost according to Viscusi 258 and to 1100/7 ∼ 150 lives lost according to Lutter and Morrall. 257 An additional study 260 concluded that the price tag of radiation protection is about 5000 times higher than that of protection of workers from all other (and more probable) events. It can be therefore said that per each statistical life saved by nuclear regulation (if LNT is valid), there are 15 to 5000 “statistical murders” (the term used by Graham).…”

Commentary: Ethical Issues of Current Health-Protection Policies on Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation

“…Another study concluded that costs of radiation protection are about 5000 times higher than the cost of protection of workers from all other and much more probable events (Inhaber 2001). • At Chernobyl and Fukushima, compulsory relocation (ordered by the authorities on the basis of ICRP recommendations which are based on the LNT model predictions) led to social destruction, which caused significant emotional/psychological problems and life-shortening.…”

“…• According to the researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (Graham 1995), spending $100,000,000 per year on controlling radiation emissions might save 1 life-year per year, if the LNT model were valid, while life-saving medical program median cost is $19,000 per lifeyear saved. Another study concluded that costs of radiation protection are about 5000 times higher than the cost of protection of workers from all other and much more probable events (Inhaber 2001). • At Chernobyl and Fukushima, compulsory relocation (ordered by the authorities on the basis of ICRP recommendations which are based on the LNT model predictions) led to social destruction, which caused significant emotional/psychological problems and life-shortening.…”

Insights into transport velocity of colloid-associated plutonium relative to tritium in porous media

“…Because of long half-life and high radiotoxicity of 239 Pu, its mobility is a key concern involved in both performance assessments of high-level radioactive waste repositories12 and remediation of contaminated fields such as nuclear test sites34. Transport velocity of Pu ( U Pu ) is one necessary parameter for both evaluating its mobility and then predicting its potential risks to human health.…”