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</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">Subj: <b>SIGN ON to STOP inadequate
DHS Radiation Standards! (i.e, "dirty bomb" guidance</b> <br>
Date: 4/7/06 11:55:31 AM Pacific Daylight Time <br>
From: <a href="mailto:cindyf@nirs.org">cindyf@nirs.org</a> <br>
To: <a href="mailto:THINKCIVIC@AOL.COM">THINKCIVIC@AOL.COM</a> <br>
<i>Sent from the Internet (Details)</i> <br>
<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="4">BG: Dept of Homeland Security
outrageously proposes MUCH LESS SECURITY (surprise!) from <b>radiation
risks </b>than we now supposedly have. <br>
This is likely about much more than so-called "dirty bombs". </font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SANSSERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="3">[Excerpt: "</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3">The guidance legitimizes dangerously high
contamination levels that could be used as a precedent to weaken
existing nuclear and hazardous cleanup and contamination standards
(despite DHS claiming this is not their intent)"]</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4"><br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="BernhardMod BT" lang="0" size="4"><br>
Please do contact DHS about this individually (deadline April 14 for
email, snail mail, fax, website comment) as well as via the group
sign-on (deadline April 12). Instructions are below.<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Verdana" lang="0" size="2">-----------------------------------------------<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="2"><br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="4">ALERT—Comments Needed on <br>
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) GUIDANCE TO ALLOW PUBLIC EXPOSURE
TO MASSIVE RADIATION DOSES FROM “DIRTY BOMBS” </font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="18" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Footlight MT Light"
lang="0" size="5"><b>SIGN ON BY APRIL 12</b></font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SANSSERIF"
ptsize="18" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="5"> </font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="4"><br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="3">The Department of Homeland
Security has issued new guidance that <b><i>would allow the government
to do </i></b></font><b><i><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4">no</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> cleanup of radioactive contamination</font></i></b><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> after detonation of a radiological weapon (a
so-called “dirty bomb”) and instead let people move back in and be
exposed to doses as high as the equivalent of 50,000 chest X-rays. By
the radiation risk estimates of the National Academy of Sciences, a
third of the people so exposed would get cancer from the radiation.
This is grossly unacceptable. <br>
<br>
PLEASE: (1) Sign on to the group letter opposing the dirty bomb
guidance by <b>emailing <a href="mailto:cindyf@nirs.org">cindyf@nirs.org</a></b></font><b><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4"> </font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3">by close of business April 12</font></b><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3">. Indicate your name, organization (if applicable),
city and state. The letter and attachments can be viewed/downloaded at
<a href="http://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/cleanup/html">http://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/cleanup/html</a>.
<br>
<br>
(2) </font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4">In addition, if you can,
please also send in individual comments</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> to DHS by April 14. Suggested points to make,
background information, and instructions on how to send in the comments
by email, fax or internet can be found at <a
href="http://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/urgentaction/urgentaction3.html">http://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/urgentaction/urgentaction3.html</a>.
<br>
(BG: <br>
<br>
for more information, contact Dan Hirsch of the Committee to Bridge the
Gap at (831) 336-8003. <br>
Thanks! <br>
---------------------------------------------------------<br>
BG: Here are some of the instructions (from the Committee to Bridge
the Gap website) for an individual letter:. Endnote #1 at the bottom
gives some PERSPECTIVE on current radiation standards and how
outrageous the DHS proposed standards are.<br>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4"><b><i>COMMENT by APRIL 14th,
2006<br>
It is necessary to identify your comments with Docket Number
DHS-2004-0029 and Z-RIN 1660-ZA02.<br>
<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:FEMA-RULES@dhs.gov">FEMA-RULES@dhs.gov</a>;<br>
Mail: Rules Docket Clerk, Office of General Counsel, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Room 840, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472; <br>
Fax: 202-646-4536; or Comment via <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. </i></b></font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4">Write DHS to <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4"> oppose long-term(late phase) cleanup guidance for
dirty bombs with radiation levels higher than what the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) permits for the most contaminated Superfund
sites in the country. ie: oppose weakening existing cleanup standards. <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4"> support strengthening existing cleanup, emergency
preparation and transportation regulations, <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4"> support isolation, not release, of contaminated
materials<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4"> support strict protections against use of
radioactive food and water.</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4">Background:The DHS guidance
identifies 3 phases in the response to Radiological Dispersal Devices
(RDDs)which spread radioactivity via a conventional explosives and
Improvised Nuclear Devices (INDs)–home made nuclear bombs. The
guidance addresses planning for Immediate, Intermediate and Late Phases
of response and recovery. We focus mainly on Late Phase as there is
time to fully cleanup and assess before exposing the population in that
phase.</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4">DHS Federal Emergency Management Agency (and its
successor) would permit the public to move back into a contaminated
area even if radiation doses would cause cancer in 1/4 to 1/3 of the
people exposed according to the government’s own official risk
estimates. The guidance references recommendations as high as 10,000
millirem per year in supposedly cleaned areas. Over 30 years of
exposure, that is the equivalent of 50,000 chest X-rays. </font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4">Dozens of organizations and
individuals brought this major concern with the late phase guidance to
DHS’ and EPA’s attention well before publication of this guidance, but
we have been completely ignored by DHS for all practical purposes.
Department of Homeland Security recommends reliance on documents that
support levels up to 10,000 millirems per year for final cleanup. (p.
183)</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4">Even the lower levels discussed explicitly in the
guidance, 2 rems per year and 500 millirems per year (and the lowest
considered figure of 100 millirem/yr) are too high for permanent
unrestricted public exposures. The recommendations should be strong now
for a better chance of protective cleanup if the unthinkable happens.
The risks are too high.<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4">The guidance legitimizes dangerously high
contamination levels that could be used as a precedent to weaken
existing nuclear and hazardous cleanup and contamination standards
(despite DHS claiming this is not their intent). (endnote 1)</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4">The guidance sets a dangerous precedent for
legalizing release of radioactive materials and wastes into commerce,
the marketplace, our homes and communities. It legitimizes and sets
clearance levels for radioactive waste and materials to be released
into commerce, the marketplace, our homes and communities—as has been
repeatedly rejected by the American public. (Appendix 4 f, p.193)</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Wingdings" lang="0" size="4">à</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="4"> The Guidance inaccurately characterizes existing
potential dangers from nuclear power and fuel chain facilities and
transportation, downplaying them.</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4">The guidance makes numerous
indefensible claims about the emergency preparedness at nuclear
reactors, other “fixed” nuclear facilities and about the level of
preparedness that exists along nuclear transport routes. These highly
overstated claims give false assurance and should be challenged.</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4">The Guidance sets up
suggested task forces and committees to make the decisions on the final
cleanup encouraging affected stakeholders to be included. But the key
affected stakeholders (the public and public interest groups) were <i>not</i>
included in development of the guidance and in fact those that
commented early on were ignored. </font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4">If a dirty bomb were ever
detonated, there will inevitably be enormous economic and social
pressure to ignore invisible but real radiation dangers. The advance
guidance should set the stage for comprehensive cleanups at least as
stringent as existing Superfund levels and stricter. Those risks, in
the range of 1 in a million to 1 in 10,000 exposed people getting
cancer are bad enough and understated considering likely synergism with
other chemicals. Compared to the DHS guidance that would allow up to 1
in 3 to get cancer, DHS has a long way to go to protecting the public.
<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="3">Endnote 1 </font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="18" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="5">For some rough perspective,</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> Environmental Protection Agency permissible water
contamination levels are limited in the range of 4 millrems per year;
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission permits only <i>restricted release </i>of
property that gives doses of 500 millirems a year. Operating nuclear
reactors, waste dumps and other fuel chain facilities are limited to 25
millirems per year. <br>
This (DHS) guidance could allow regular neighborhoods to expose people
to hundreds of times the amount from operating nuclear facilities. The
risks are in the range of 1 in 3 or 4 exposed for 30 years getting
cancer from the contamination. EPA’s Superfund risk range is more
protective, striving to limit the cancer incidence to 1 in a million or
1 in 10,000 exposed. <br>
People around Superfund sites would like even greater protection, yet
FEMA and DHS are moving drastically in the other direction of causing
enormous amounts of cancer in the populations so exposed. Call on DHS
to reject weaker protections. <br>
<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#0000ff"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4"><a
href="http://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/pdf/urgentactionjan11/pressrelease.pdf">For
more information, see Bridge the Gap/Nuclear Information & Resource
Service news release</a> [.pdf format]</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#0000ff"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4"><a
href="http://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/pdf/urgentactionjan11/fednotice.pdf">DHS
Federal Register notice</a> [.pdf format]</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="4">and December 2004 <a
href="http://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/pdf/urgentactionjan11/groupletter1.pdf">Group
letter</a> to DHS and EPA [.pdf format]</font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"
lang="0" size="3"> <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="18" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Times New Roman" lang="0" size="5"><b>In addition to sending in
an individual comment by April 14, remember to email <a
href="mailto:cindyf@nirs.org">cindyf@nirs.org</a> by April 12 to sign
on to the group letter.</b></font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SANSSERIF"
ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="3"><br>
- - - - - -<br>
PS by BG: <br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SERIF" ptsize="14" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="BernhardMod BT" lang="0" size="4">I'm SURE this ties in with
issue of "dirty bombs" already in use by the Pentagon (such as
"depleted" uranium munitions used on firing ranges in the USA and in
Vieques, P.R.). Maybe they will never clean it all up, but the
continuing contamination can't be allowed to go on!<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="12" back="#ffffff" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="3">------------------------------------------<br>
</font><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10" back="#ffffff" color="#ff0000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">BG<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:thinkcivic@aol.com">thinkcivic@aol.com</a></font><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SANSSERIF"
ptsize="10" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Univers" lang="0"
size="2"><b><br>
</b></font></font>
<p align="center"><font face="arial,helvetica"><font
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" family="SANSSERIF"
ptsize="10" back="#ffffff" color="#000000" face="Univers" lang="0"
size="2"><b><br>
</b></font></font></p>
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