INL Historical Releases
In 1991, the Department of Energy released a report called the INEL Historical Dose Evaluation. This report tried to estimate the curie content and radioisotopes released from routine nuclear reactor operations, spent fuel reprocessing, nuclear fuel destructive testing, reactor accidents, and various intentional and unintended releases since the early 1950s. Monitoring records of air and soil are incomplete and the estimated release amounts and their composition are speculative as are the direction and deposition which depend on wind direction, wind speed, and precipitation.
For More Information on CDC INEEL Reports go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/ineel/
A description of INL worker radiation exposures is provided in EDI report A Brief History of Radiation Exposures to INL Workers and click here to go to the CDC's INL page for Radiation Dose Reconstruction
A description of document destruction to hide environmental monitoring and worker exposure records at the INL is provided here: Destruction and Inadequate Retrieval of INL Documents Worse than Previously Reported, updated September 2018
A description of worker and public radiation exposures is provided here: EDI's Radiation Victims Stories.
Critiques on CDC Dose Reconstruction
EDI led a collective effort of thirteen organizations to petition US Health and Human Services to conduct independent health studies at INL formerly called INEEL. Responding to the petition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did study affected populations at the site. This INL Historical Environmental Dose-Reconstruction study has expanded the knowledge of health impacts to quantify the radioactive and chemical emissions to the environment from the site.
EDI actively monitored the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) INL Dose Reconstruction health study process to ensure the best possible science is applied throughout the studies.
Based on available CDC reports the CDC INL health study is more compromised "science" akin to that conducted at other DOE sites designed to limit the federal government's liability.
EDI is advocating for a new openness policy by the current Administration, however, the veil of secrecy continues. DOE's information door was slightly opened by the Clinton Administration but closed again by subsequent Presidents. Information on current and future operations must be publicly available to ensure accountability.
EDI advocates that the public be told the whole truth about what contaminates were released, what quantities were released, and what the probable dose and health impacts were to the regional populations. This likely will only occur when a major INL down-winder lawsuit is filed and through discovery, and the DOE is forced to release radioactive and hazardous chemical releases to the environment. Tragically, CDC is allowing DOE to destroy thousands of documents related to these emissions.
Formal comments and challenges to the adequacy of CDC's Research at INL are listed below and can be accessed by clicking on each report.
- EDI Comments on CDC Aerosol Releases from Idaho Chemical
- Processing Plant,and Critical
- Review of Source Terms for Aircraft
- Nuclear Propulsion Program at INL, (6/23/04)
- EDI Report to Centers for Disease Control: Estimating Radiation
- Emissions (Source Terms) at INL
- CDC Aerosol Releases from INEEL Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) 1957-1959. 7/2005
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CDC
Source Term Initial Engine Tests Associated with Aircraft
Nuclear Propulsion Program at INEEL. 7/2005 -
The SL-1 Accident Consequences,
by Tami Thatcher, 9/1/2019