Dr. Conca reports that EPA has gone a little wild with their latest proposal. This new proposed emissions rule (actually a redo of parts of 40CFR190 that may result in a rulemaking) is for nuclear power plants (Federal Register). An operating nuclear power plant has very low emissions of any kind except water vapor. No carbon emissions and almost no radioactivity emissions.
There has never been a problem with any nuclear power plant emissions in America and emissions from them do not have any affect on the local population (RADICON Study - Comare Report). Even during the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in 1979, radionuclide emissions to the surrounding population were less than 1 millirem life-time committed dose in a background of over 100 millirem per year (NRC TMI). Numerous comprehensive investigations, such as from Columbia University and the University of Pittsburgh, concluded that any radioactive release had no effect on human health and the environment.
t turns out that a never-discussed radionuclide is at the center of these new rules. Krypton-85. It has never been discussed because it has never been considered a hazard. And it still is not a hazard.
But Kr-85? This is nonsense.
Kr-85 is a noble gas. Not in the sense that it is honorable and dignified, but in the chemical sense that it cannot react with anything, can not form chemical compounds or even individual molecules. It moves through this Universe as a wholly separate single atom. Kr-85 can not stick to anything or collect anywhere. Even if you breathe it in, it can not sorb, react, or build-up inside of you, since the only process that has any effect on this element is Henrys Law.
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