Using cost/risk procedures to establish recovery criteria following a nuclear reactor accident.
In the event of a major accidental release of radionuclides at a nuclear power plant, large populated areas could become seriously contaminated. Local officials would be responsible for establishing radiation recovery criteria that would permit the evacuated population to return safely to their jobs and homes. The range of acceptable criteria could imply variations in property losses in the billions of dollars. Given the likely public concern over the health consequences and the enormity of the potential property losses, a cost/risk analysis can provide important input to establishing the recovery criteria. This paper describes procedures for conducting a cost/risk analysis of a site radiologically contaminated by a nuclear power plant accident. The procedures are illustrated by analyzing a hypothetically contaminated site, using software developed for determining the property and health effects of major reactor accidents.
D000059:Accidents / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States