Environmental Science Division (EVS)
Advancing informed environmental decision making

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EVS Program Areas

	Advanced Tool Development
	Atmospheric/Climate Research
	Environmental Policy/Planning
	Integrated Assessments
	National Security
	Risk-Based Assessment/Mgmt.
	Site Restoration/Stewardship

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Radiological Health Risk Section

The Radiological Health Risk Section (RHRS) within Argonne National Laboratory's Environmental Science Division (EVS) has developed an integrated approach for conducting risk analyses. This approach has been successfully used in support of crucial decisions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); and other major environmental laws. The EVS RHRS staff has provided critical risk analyses to decision makers for such issues as:

Spent nuclear fuel conditioning, storage, and disposal;

Strategies for treatment, storage, and disposal of radioactive waste at multiple facilities;

Transportation of radioactive materials;

Alternatives for recycling radioactive scrap metal;

Risk Assessments for regulation of wastes containing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM);

Risk-based standards for cleanup of radioactive sites and materials; and

Facility accident analysis.

The RHRS staff has also developed a number of risk assessment tools that are used extensively in the United States and in other countries. These tools include the RESRAD family of codes (used to develop risk- and dose-based cleanup criteria at contaminated sites) and the RISKIND code (used to assess the risks associated with transportation of radioactive materials).