Science-informed Policy Making for Protecting People and the Environment from Radiation.

The process to arrive at the radiation protection practices of today to protect workers, patients, and the public, including sensitive populations, has been a long and deliberative one. This paper presents an overview of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (US EPA) responsibility in protecting human health and the environment from unnecessary exposure to radiation. The origins of this responsibility can be traced back to early efforts, a century ago, to protect workers from x rays and radium.

Recovery, Resilience and Reality: Going Beyond NCRP Report No. 175.

Published in December 2014, National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Report No. 175, Decision Making for Late-Phase Recovery from Major Nuclear or Radiological Incidents, emphasizes the importance of local, state, and national plans addressing late-phase issues and decision-making processes concurrently with emergency response requirements. The report includes eight recommendations ranging from a broad call for a national strategy promoting community resilience as a preferred approach for preparing to recover from nuclear or radiological incidents to more specific calls for research and strategies for cleanup and waste management.