Bloomberg reports:
In the event of a dirty bomb or a nuclear meltdown, emergency responders can safely tolerate radiation levels equivalent to thousands of chest X-rays, the Environmental Protection Agency said in new guidelines that ease off on established safety levels.
The EPA’s determination sets a level ten times the drinking water standard for radiation recommended under President Barack Obama. It could lead to the administration of President Donald Trump weakening radiation safety levels, watchdog groups critical of the move say.
“It’s really a huge amount of radiation they are saying is safe,” said Daniel Hirsch, the retired director of the University of California, Santa Cruz’s program on environmental and nuclear policy. “The position taken could readily unravel all radiation protection rules.”
A watchdog group has reacted by saying that not only is EPA head Scott Pruitt a climate change denier, he’s a “radiation denier.”
The EPA has labeled levels of radiation not harmful that are 10x what was considered acceptable under Obama admin. https://t.co/IfXwsaIyWd
— Axios (@axios) October 17, 2017
How to stop worrying and learn to love your local nuke…https://t.co/s5bQETqNDa
— Jeffrey St. Clair (@JSCCounterPunch) October 17, 2017
EPA: 5,000 Chest X-Rays of Radiation Exposure Safe, Up from Zero #tytlive https://t.co/gPttQ8kKyx
— Shawn of the Dead (@bipolar_colbear) October 17, 2017