EMINENT RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY ISSUES CONFRONTING THE STATE OF HAWAII

The State of Hawaii currently has over one hundred radioactive material use licenses. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses are primarily held by hospitals, industrial radiographers, and academic institutions. Complementing this, the State Department of Health regulates x ray machines, radium, and has an emergency response role for accidents involving radioactive materials.; The existing radiation protection program was created by piecemeal legislation. As a result, regulatory surveillance and actual control vary widely among the agencies.; The State Legislature, in 1980, decided that action must be taken to set a clear state policy towards the use and disposal of nuclear materials. It was therefore recommended that the State of Hawaii Radiation Safety Advisory Committee be convened to assist the state in the evaluation of the issues.; This report contains issue papers on radiation related topics addressed by the Radiation Safety Advisory Committee. Topics discussed include transportation, environmental monitoring, emergency response, and waste disposal. A survey of various radioactive sources identified medical applications as a category requiring stricter control. Selected chapters of the Hawaii Revised Statutes are also examined.; The assembling of an advisory committee for a task such as this is an appropriate action. Representatives from different areas of radiation science not commonly available to departments or agencies provided valuable information. The participation of personnel from agencies possessing jurisdictional responsibility also enhanced interdepartmental communication.; The designation of a lead agency to coordinate the partitioning of jurisdictional responsibility among the agencies may be effective in addressing the problem of varied regulatory control. This lead agency should also be involved in monitoring enforcement activities and the evaluation of existing programs. Toward this end, a suitable level of public safety could then be developed for the different applications and sources of radiation. This action would serve as an intermediate step to fulfill the Legislature's objective of producing a unified radiation program for Hawaii.