FACTS ON
                             U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION FIVE
                        1 N. Wacker Or. Chicago, Illinois 60606 312-353-5800
                            Radiation Branch
      Within the Categorical Programs Division, the Region V Radiation Branch
f-unctions, basically by providing to State and local agencies assistance on
environmental radiation matters.

      EPA's authority in radiation protection comes primarily from four
sources.

      First, an amended Public Health Services Act giTes EPA the authority
to perform research and development, surveillance and inspection, assistance
to State, training, and approval of research grants.

      Second, the Atomic Energy Commission Act of 1954» as amended, gives
EPA the authority to establish generally applicable environmental radiation
standards for the protection of the general environment from radioactive
materials.

      Third, Federal Radiation Council Functions give EPA the authority to
"advise the President with respect to radiation matters directly or indi-
rectly affecting health, including guidance for all Federal agencies in the
formulation of radiation standards and in the establishment and execution
of programs in cooperation with the States."

      Fourth, the National Environmental Policy Act of 19&9 requires EPA to
evaluate the environmental impact of Federal activities as described in the
Act.

      The primary program objectives are accomplished by assisting the var-
ious State, Federal, and local agencies and other non-governmental agencies
by providing technical and program management information.

      Program activities are designed and oriented toward the protection of
the public health and the environment from the adverse effects of both
ionizing and non-ioniaing environmental radiation.

      In addition to cooperating with State and local agencies,  the Radiation
Branch cooperates with other Federal agencies having major responsibilities
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and programs in environmental radiation protection

      In discharging its responsibility for the protection of the public and
its environment, the Radiation Branch cooperates with the agencies already
names as well as with other public and private agencies primarily by providing
liaison with EPA's Office of Radiation Programs, Research and Monitoring,  labo-
ratories, research centers and field offices.

      Since Region V has 10 of 23 operating nuclear power plants and 15 more
under construction or in the initial stages of planning that will be oper-
ational by 1979» a major portion of the activities of the Radiation Branch
are concerned directly or indirectly with the radioactive pollutants assoc-
iated with the nuclear power industry.

      Also, the nation's second operating Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant
was to begin operation in 1972 in Region V.  Together with the nation's
only other Reprocessing Plant will receive irradiated fuel not only from States
in Region V and adjacent States but also from many other States in the Southern
and Western areas of the United States.

      In support of the National Environmental Radiation Monitoring Program
(NERMP), assistance is provided to the agencies conducting monitoring programs
around nuclear power stations through technical assistance and guidance in
sample collection, analysis, quality control services, evaluation and report-
ing of data.

      Additional assistance to States is provided by direct financial assist-
ance via the contract mechanism that is used in expanding and upgrading of
source oriented monitoring activities and by the training of personnel attend-
ing short-term courses and technical meetings.

      Other specific activities include the review of environmental impact
statements relative to nuclear facilities and the coordination necessary for
the conduct of special studies, investigations, monitoring and inspection
activities carried out by the various Division and Offices of EPA in order
to obtain data and information necessary to assess the environmental radiation
effects, to project trends and to estimate population dose commitment from
individual sources as well as the total population dose.

      The Surveillance and Inspection Division (SID) in EPA's Office of Radi-
ation Programs in Washington, D.C., has responsibility for conducting environ-
mental surveillance data performed by the facility operator.

      The Radiation Branch in the Regional Office provides coordination and
liaison between the Office of Radiation Programs and the State Departments
of Health and other State agencies, and participates in the major field
inspection trips.

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