EPA Efforts To Guard the Public in a Period of Radiation Proliferation

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has broad responsibility to provide federal radiation guidance for all radiation directly or indirectly affecting health. EPA attempts to implement its responsibilities have resulted in challenges to its authority, and considerable disagreements have occurred in obtaining cooperation with relevant regulatory agencies. To date, under its original 1970 authority, EPA has issued only one radiation standard, and it is currently not enforced. In addition, the agency has issued only one new formal guidance document to other federal agencies. When the issued standard is fully effective in 1978, it will establish new criteria for exposure to the public and limit for the first time the quantities of long-lived radioactive materials entering the environment. The radiation program is sparsely funded and has received very low priority in EPA; it had an annual average budget authority over the past 3 years of about $5.7 million and an average of 220 positions. As a result of low funding and low priority, morale in the agency's radiation program is low, and EPA officials point to inadequacies in staffing, data, laboratory support, or research as reasons for not being able to do an effective job. EPA should: reexamine its monitoring efforts and develop the capability to provide complete and accurate information on radiation dangers, coordinate research with that of other agencies, and develop an assessment of the scope and need for standards and guidance.