CERT Tribal Internship Program

FINAL INTEFW REPORTS

U.S. Department of Energy Grant # FGO3-93ER7593 1

Conrad, David .................................................................

Gopher, Duane ................................................................

Penney, D' Lisa ................................................................

Perez, Maria ...................................................................

Sandoval, Karen .............................................................. ... . -.

Jacquez, Melinda ..............................................................

Steele, Manuel .................................................................

Yellowrobe, Lewis ............................................................

Sandoval, Karen ...............................................................

1993

1994

1994

1994

1994

1995

1995

1995

1996

DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or use- fulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any spe- cific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufac- turer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, m m - mendktion, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors exptcsscd herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

DISCLAIMER

Portions of this document may be illegible electronic image products. images are produced from the best available original document.

COUNCIL OF ENERGY RESOURCE TRIBES

AND

NE2 PERCE TRIBE OF IDAHO

1994 SUMMER INTERNSHIP REPORT

D’LISA PENNEY, Intern

I

Intern Profile Intern Resume Intern Personal/

Host Organization Profile Mentor Profile Mentor Resume Intern Activity Outline Intern Activity Summary Technical Report

Professional Development

INTERN PROFILE x 4

I am Nez Perce of Idaho. I attend the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. M y field of study there has been biology/pre-medicine, and I plan on attending medical school and becoming the

first Nez Perce Medical Doctor, unless somebody beats me to it! I come from two strong

parents, both educators - and both giving me the best of their two worlds. coincidentally, they too, attended the University of Idaho, as well as my older brother and several relatives.

For the past two years I have been interning for my Tribe in the department of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM). My Nez Perce ERWM Internship is very unique. The Tribe will fund my internship every summer as long as I continue my higher education. It is a rotating internship, enabling me to move around every summer to different corporations and to give me a variety of experiences. The main issue the Nez Perce ERWM is focusing on is the Hanford Reservation Site. The ERWM Department is designed to ensure that the activities of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are consistent with its obligations to protect the Nez

Perce Treaty rights and privileges. The Tribe is an advisor on Hanford clean-up, while the

ERWM Department works to facilitate the Tribe's participation and monitor all relevant activities of the United States DOE and the Hanford Site.

b

This past summer, I interned at the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) under the

mentorship of Mervyn Tanor p--ral Counsel. My assignment was to begin research on possible health risks to the Nez Perce from the Hanford Site. The Hanford Dose Reconstructicm Project (HDRP) is the only study that estimates doses from radiation received by people exposed to Hanford's releases of radioactive materials. Because the project is not completed I am offering

_I this paper and its findings to the Nez Perte general membership to inform and edtzcate &t5r involvement at the Hanford Site; the Tribe's concern; a general explanation of what has occurred at the Hanford Site; what radiation is; and it's hazards. Hopefully when the Nez Perce people have more of an understanding, it will spark more of a concern and interest for them to support the Tribe's involvement with this nuclear issue. By becoming aware of this nuclear issue, the people will begin to feel that they are included in the issues and can recognize their roles and responsibilities in addressing concerns.

a*.

This research paper is important to me because it is the beginning of something big. Informing, involving and protecting the Nez Perce people is a main concern, and was my top priority this summer. In future summers, as more scientific research is done, I will be building on this paper,

with having more data on doses received. Next summer I plan to intern at DOE, working in risk assessment, which will give me the opportunity to learn more about health risks from Hanford. My summers' work is also important to me for personal reasons. Because I am Nez Perce, and

because I want to become a medical doctor, I am very interested in learning the health risks. I know that the Nez Perce roamed the Columbia Basin during Hanford's operating years, and that the Nez Perce dose may exceed doses received by non-Indians. I realize that it could be my ancestors who were there. Not only is the health risk of the people a concern for me, but my culture plays a strong role. Like my Tribe, historical, cultural and land preservation priorities motivate me to get involved in the decision-making and management of Operations that impact

the Nez Perm community and environment. Although I am not a decision-maker, I am proud to be an intern and I feel special to have been chosen by my Tribe. Furthermore, I have the

opportunity to learn from the people who do make the decisions. My internship has been very rewarding, exciting, educational and inspirational, and I look forward ta the summers still to

-J

come.

Along with writing a paper, I was also involved in several facilitation trainings, and I was amazed to see how fast I incorporated my learning of it in to my life. I had the opportunity to travel with my friend (and roommate) to my home country to do recruiting for the upcoming summit. There we visited the Yakama, Nez Perce, and Coeur DAlene Tribes and facilitated a

meeting with them. NOW, as I return home, I will be using the presentation method to present my summer's work and research paper to the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee. I'd like to thank Kim Epley, along with Linda and Gary for their tremendous training!

When I started college, I had two main fields of study, but now I am beginning to see which road I would like to follow. I have thought about going into environmental science but being a physician has been a longer dream. Who knows, I may become an environmental medical specialist, and fit both of them in! I enjoyed my summer at CERT. Merv Tan0 knew I had not decided which major to go with, so he set up my summer to involve the environment and medical issues. It would be wonderful to become one of the first (or the first) Nez Perce Medical Doctor, but I'll always know from my culture and the teachings of my family that the

environment will always be in my life, to live from, to prosper from, to take from and give to,

.*"?,

. ....

and most importantly, the environment is ours to respect and protect.

D'Lisa D. Penney P.O. Box 240

Osburn, ID 83849 (208) 752-4121

fax: (208) 843-7378

Obiective:

Oualifications:

Work Experience:

June 1994 to August 1994

June 1993 to current date

June 1992 to June 1993

To attend medical school and become the first Nez Perce Medical Doctor.

Observant, creative, and resourceful.

Hard working, good teadindependent worker.

Like to be thorough in projects and take pride in the job.

Strive to achieve the best possible results.

Internship, Council of Energy Resource Tribe

Research and write paper on health risks

Internship, Environmental Restoration & W Department, Lapwai, Idaho

Attend trainings and seminars. Summarize technical documents for staff use.

Travel with staff to Hanford Site for meetings, or deDartr. ants.

L

0 Other duties as assigned.

Research Apprentice, University of Idaho, Col Plant, Soil, and Entomological Science Depart College of Agriculture Building, Moscow, Ida

Conducted six-week experiment on Euro EIm. Conducted scientific research, includin tissue culture media. Wrote scientific paper, including table Worked in greenhouse, lab and out in t

Employment Historv:

August 1992 to present

\‘, -I.#*-’

Full-time student, University of

.. --

June 1994 to August 1994

June 1993 to Present

June 1993

May 1993 to June 1993

June 1992 to June 1993

Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.

Council of Energy Resource Tribes, Intern, Denver, Colorado.

Nez Perce Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Department, Intern, Lapwai, Idaho.

Native American Summer Camp, Dworshak Reservoir, Counselor, Idaho.

University of Idaho, Education Building, Upward Bound Program, Secretary, Office and Program Assistant, Moscow, Idaho.

University of Idaho, College of Agriculture, Plant, Soil, and Entomological Science Department, Apprentice, MOSCOW, Idaho.

Education:

University of Idaho, second year Biology /Pre-Medicine Major, English minor.

Related courses: Chemistry, Biologies, Environmental Science, Anthropology, Graphic Calculating, variety of English courses.

Other Training and Education:

Technology of Participation, Group Facilitation Methods Training, Council of Energy Resource Tribes, Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 33-14,1994.

Technology of Participation, Applications for Tribal Managers, Council of Energy Resource Tribes, Denver, Colorado, June 23-24, 1994.

Introduction to Radionuclide Transport in Groundwater and Surface Water, Washington State University, 1994.

Radioactive Materials Transportation Emergency Response, Advanced Training, International Environmental Institute, Richland, Washington, 1993.

Affiliations:

Coxhaired the 1993 International Order of Rainbow for Girls Gmd Assembly of Washington and Idaho, Washington State University. Title: Grand Executive Board, Co-Chairman of Grand Assembly, 1993. Organized, administered and hosted Grand Officers’ Reception, administered hostess committee in the committees of housing, registration, room and board, talent and skit competition, booths, decorations, first aid, sports, lunch and dinner receptions.

planning the annual Native American Cultural Awareness Week! I used the methods to recruit for the up-coming summit in October and I used the methods to began my research paper! I will continue to use my facilitation skills in several ways. I plan on facilitating in one of my college classes. And, I will be doing a presentation in one of my college classes. I am scheduled to present my summer internship at CERT and my paper to the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee. My Tribe, some day in the future, may ask me to facilitate, or co-facilitate a meeting

for them.

I will use my experiences and learnings from the internship in the future. I am better prepared for my next summer’s internship in Washington D.C. at the DOE in Risk Assessment. I can

adapt, now, to a foreign place and work well. I am not so scared of being away from my Trii and my family.

CERT can take the learning of each intern and their personal experience to improve the

internship program for the next suqmer. They know what was good and not so good. They improve the program each year.

I have become more interested in possibly going into environmental medicine and studying health effect of the people. The environment and earth is mine to protect, and so I am sure that my interests will stay in the environmental field.

As I continue my higher education and my summer internship opportunities, I know I wiII be influenced by what f learn. I am going to be patient and keep learning more about the different fields that are out there until I am certain of what I want to do.

2

HOST ORGANIZATION PROFILE

NE2 PERCE TRIBE/COUNCIL OF ENERGY RESOURCE TRIBES

I have been an intern for my Tribe for almost three years now in the Department of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. I have learned a great deal about Hanford

and the Tribes involvement with the clean-up and restoration and our sacred land. My internship at the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) was unique because my main purpose was to spend my time at CERT producing a paper on possible health effects to my people from Hanford's past and present releases of contaminants. It was a great honor to write this paper for my Tribe and my department. It was a great responsibility to begin the research of health risk. What is unique about my Tribal internship is that I have the opportunity to intern every summer. I plan to be at the U.S. Department of Energy working in risk assessment where I can learn more about finding out Tribal doses and estimates.

My internship was somewhat different from that of other CERT internships this past summer. My Tribe financed a Iot of my summer, so I have two host companies - my Tribe and CFRT. CERT was a great place to spend my summer. A lot of people think of CERT as a place for "energy resources", but I have found it to be much more! I met many friends and a CERT family; I had personal growth, educational growth, and began to root my career inspirations and goals. In the beginning, CERT was -- a place I thought would be hard to adapt to - an unfamiliar place far away from my home and my people, in a huge city. Actually Denver, CERT, and I adapted very well together. I learned how to work successfully in a professional atmosphere and learned more about my abilities. Some of my most memorable experiences were the facilitation workshops, Jemez Mountain camp-out with the Tribes students, and watching the Human Resource Development Summit from the strategic planning meeting, to recruiting, to actually seeing it happen. CERT deals with much more than energy resources, I have seen it grow a great deal just from my summer's experiences, and I have grown, too. I would recommend the CERT internship to any student!

MENTOR PROFILE

MERVYN L. TAN0

Mervyn L. Tano is a consultant for my Tribe and Legal Counsel at CERT. He has been General Counsel of CERT since 1984. Mr. Tan0 has been involved with and has written extensively on a wide range of Tribal environmental protection issues. He has advised individual Tribes and Tribal organizations on radioactive waste management issues. For the Nez Perce Tribe, Mr. Tan0 has been our "idea" man, giving the Tribe ideas on how to expand the Department of ERWM and the internship program. He also helps the Tribe in proposal writing and in planning activities. For me, my mentor has been a tremendous resource of information, presenting me with different perspectives and giving me many different ideas on how to approach my topic. He filled my head with massive information and motivation and let me run free to produce my paper. What I most appreciate about my mentor is that he had my best interests in mind at all times. He helped me create an internship that benefitted everyone. My major in college is pre- medical. So, in choosing health effects of radiation from the Hanford Site on the Nez Perce people, it was in my interest, my Tribe's interest, and the people's best interest for their own concern. From the brainstorming and information that my mentor gave me, I can see that this 1-

topic and paper will grow in time as technology and studies of dose estimates grow. At this time, the studies of doses on the people and the Hanford Dose Reconstruction Project are not complete, so I have completed the very beginning of the Tribe's research on dose estimates and effects. Until more research and estimates are done, the Tribe will continue to inform the people, implement their own studies and research into the Tribe's history for vital information on where the Tribe migrated during Hanford's releases. I am excited and eager to continue my study and learn more of the health effects on the Nez Perce peopIe, in the past and in the present.

MERVYN L. TAN0

Title Senior Environmental Project Manager General Counsel

Expertise Environmental Law General Corporate Law Natural Resource Law Public Utility Law Planning, Management and Budgeting

e I i

Experience Private practicing attorney.

e

e

e

e

Served as General Counsel to the Council of Energy Resource Tribes and subsidiaries providing advice and co directors (49 member tribes) and corporate for directing the legal and corporate activi subsidiaries.

Designs and directs tribal environmental projects Recent projects include comprehensive water quality management and regulation study for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; analysis of regional solid waste facility proposal for the Oglala Sioux Tribe; litigation and technical consultation with Coeur d'AIene Tribe on natural resource damage assessment claim; representation of Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in EPA RCRA enforcement action; and representation of Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in EPA SDWA enforcement Action.

Analyzes federal environmental policies, legislatio regulations. Consults with federal agency personnel on development of federal Indian environmental protection policies. Past efforts include consultation with Council of environmental Quality on U.S. report to United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development; consultation with EPA on R C U reauthorization issues in Indian country; co&ultation with Department of the Interior and EPA on tribal issues regarding regulations for natural resource damage assessments; consultation with U.S. Department of Energy regarding DOE'S Five Year Plan for environmental restoration and waste management; consultation with Department of Defense, DOE and EPA regarding environmental restoration of federal facilities; and consultation with EPA regarding tribal Safe Drinking Water Act issues.

Designs, directs and delivers environmental p tribal decision-makers, technical staff and personnel. Recent workshops include "Real Estate Transactions and Environmental Liability," "Solid Waste Management and Regulation

in Indian Country," "Transportation of Hazardous and Radioactive Materials on Indian Lands," and, "Pestiade Regulation and Enforcement." Established CERT Summer Environmental Protection Internships for Indian college students. Designs training curriculum and supervises interns.

Writes articles, manuals and handbooks on environmental protection in Indian country. Recent publications include: "Protection of the Reservation Environment: Hazardous Waste Management on Indian Lands, Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College Law Review;" "Environmental Regulation of Indian Country in Eastern Oklahoma: The Example of the Cherokee Nation;" "Attaining Primacy under the Safe Drinking Water Act: A Tribal Decision-Making and Implementation Protocol;" and, "Handbook on Solid Waste Management and Regulation in Indian Country."

Directed the intergovernmental relations for the Office of Human Development in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Conducted statewide migrant education program reviews for the U.S. Office of Education.

Directed management reviews of Head Start, Developmental Disabilities Office and Administration for Native Americans.

Directed the recruitment of U.S. Department of Health, Education and We1 f are management interns.

Directed budget analysts in budget formulation and justification as well as management analysts in management and planning for the Administration for Native Americans.

Designed and directed audit program for U.S. Army installations in France. Supervised military and civilian auditors.

Conducted management reviews of Indian tribal personnel and financial management systems.

Directed urban Indian programs for the Administration for Native Americans.

Directed foundation solicitation for the Natural Resources Forum at the Brigham Young University Law school.

Developed trial manuals for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, city and County of Honolulu.

Developed personnel evaluation system for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu.

e Prosecuted criminal cases and performed appeIlate work for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu.

Employment Background

Education

Training

Private Practice, Mervyn L. Tano, P.C., Denver, Colorado General Counsel, Council of Energy Resource Tribes, Denver, Colorado

General Counsel, CERT Technical Services Corporation, Denver, Colorado

General Counsel, CERT Education Fund, Inc., Denver, Colorado

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu

Director of Planning, Budget and Management, Administration for Native Americans, Washington, D.C.

Seneca Law Offices, Indian Tax Studies, Washington, D.C.

Director of Intergovernmental Relations, Office of Human Development Services, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, D.C.

President, Tan0 and Associates, management consulting, Provo, Utah

Education Specialist, U.S. Office of Education, Washington, D.C.

Personnel Management Specialist, US. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, D.C.

Administrative Officer, Arizona Ecological Test Site, Office of Arid Land Studies, University of Arizona, Tuscon, Arizona

Educational Media Specialist, Department of Education, Honolulu, Hawaii and Tucson School District #1, Tucson, Arizona

Teacher, Department of Education, Honolulu, Hawaii

Chief Auditor, US. Army General Depot Complex, Nancy, France

J.D., Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah M.Ed., University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona B.A., Brigham Young University, Me, Hawaii

MiIitary Accounting, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana

INTERN ACTIVITY OUTLINE

I.

11.

.-.

111. -”-

IV.

Project Purpose

*Educate the Nez Perce people of the Hanford situation

*Begin researching into past and present health effects from the Hanford Site

*Inform and educate the Nez Perce people of the Hanford Site and past exposures

Project Objectives

*Begin researching the history of Nez Perce people and Hanford

*Create an understanding for the importance of this research

*Define the radiation and risks and how they occur

*Inform the Nez Perce people of the issue

*Write the paper so it is easy to understand

Project Approach

Contact people

*Book materials, documents

*Ne2 Perce Tribe information

*Hanford information

Project Results

*Created an informative paper for the Nez Perce people

*Kept the reading simple

*Began the research into the health effects

Project Assessment

*Project approach was effective

*Dose data unavailable

*Ongoing research and studies

INTERN ACTIVITY SUMMARY

1. Project Purpose

Educate the Nez Perce people of the Hanford situafion. The Nez Perce have a distinct and traditional lifestyle that was practiced in the past and is still practiced today. Because of this, the Nez Perce may have received a higher dose of radiation from Hanford’s releases, making their situation unique from the non-Indian populations that may have been exposed.

Begin to research into past and present health effects from the Hanford Site. The Hanford Dose Reconstruction Program estimates doses to the people, but the Nez Perce doses may exceed those of the non-Indian populations for several reasons. The Nez Perce are researching their history and studying their migration patterns, diet, and other factors of living that may contribute to their dose of radiation. The Nez Perm people lived most of the years out-ofdoors, hunted, gathered foods, dried foods, fished, and worked out doors during Hanford’s releases.

Infirm and educate the Nez Perce people ofthe Hanford Site and past exposures. The Nez Perce people need to be educated about what is at Hanford, radiation, possible exposure, health risks, and the Tribe’s involvement with Hanford. When they understand the Hanford situation, they can recognize their role in the issue and provide their input and support.

11. Project Objectives

Begin researching the history of the Nez Perce people and Hanford. Researching the Triie, where they were, and how they lived will help when assessing Tribal doses. The elders of the Tribe give their knowledge of the past and how life was for the Nez Perce. The Dose Reconstruction Program will research until they can give estimates, and the Tribe will also gather data.

*”>,

.-

Create an undersfanding for the importance of this research. The Tribe wants to create an understanding with its people on the importance of finding their dosage. The Tribe also wants Hanford, the Department of Energy, and other entities to understand the Tribe’s concern for its people and their land.

Dejne the radiation and risks and how they occur. When informing the people about Hanford and health effects, radiation and risks needed to be outlined so that the people understand what has happened and what may have occurred from Hanford’s releases.

Inform the Na Perce people of the issue. By informing the Nez Perce people of the issue, they can recognize their role in the site and help support the Tribe and address their concerns. Some of the Nez Perce people are unaware of what is happening with the Tribe and Hanford. The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) Department was established to participate in and monitor all relevant activities at the Hanford Site. The ERWM Department has several other areas such as education and public information, and hopefully by informing the people of their activities and the Hanford Site, the people can support the Tribe’s involvement and be able to address their own concerns.

.-- Write the paper so it is easy to understand. When describing and writing about radiation, contaminants, etc., I tried to leave out the complex technical and scientific wording that may have made the paper difficult to understand or follow.

111. Project Approach

Contact people. When researching information and data, one of my most helpful techniques was to make contact with people of different companies. I wrote, called and faxed several people who gave me a great deal of information. If they were not able to help me, they gave me several more contacts to get information.

Book material. My mentor gave me several books and materials to gather information from. He made sure that the data were well rounded so that I could research materials with diffkrent opinions.

Nez Perce Tribe informufion. My Tribe was the greatest source of information, and they kept me up to date on their involvement with Hanford and other Tribal issues.

Hanford information. I used some of the general information from the Hanford HeaIth Information Network and other resources from Hanford to summarize the history of Hanford.

IV. Project Results

Created an informative paper for tlze Nez Perce people. This paper can now be read by the general Nez Perce membership to learn about Hanford and the Tribe, and their concerns of radiation and health risks.

Kept the reading simple. In writing the report, I used few technical and scientific words. I created an appendix in which radiation information is explained in more detail. The paper included a glossary at the beginning to familiarize the reader with unfamiliar words.

*--

Begun the research into the health eflects. As time moves on and studies and research progress, this paper can become more scientific with data of possible doses and estimates, and can be built upon throughout the years.

V. Project Assessment

Project upprouclz was efiecfive. I have a better understanding of the Tribe's position on the Hanford issues from studying it throughout the summer. I read eleven books and several other materials and made a lot of contacts that will be helpful in the future.

Dose data unavaizable. It was hard to write a health effects paper when the dose data estimated are not completed. Because the Dose Reconstruction Program has not established estimates yet, this paper had to be informative without knowing that data.

Ongoing research and sfudies. As the years of research and studies continue, I can build upon this paper and have sufficient data to add.

COUNCIL OF ENERGY RESOURCE TRIBES

AND

NE2 PERCE TRIBE OF IDAHO

1994 SUMMER INTERNSHIP TECHNICAL REPORT

Prepared by

D'LISA PENNEY, Intern

August 1994

Council of Energy Resource Tribes 1999 Broadway, Suite 2600

Denver, CO 80202-5726 Phone: (303) 297-2378 Telefax: (303) 296-5690

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... 3 s'

/ .. ....

Preface ................................................................ i

Acronyms .............................................................. ii

Glossary ............................................................... iii

Background ............................................................. 1 Nez Perce History and Distinct LifestyIe ................................. 1 History of Hanford ................................................. 2

3 Nez Perce Tribe Today ............................................... Contaminants ........................................................... 4

Presence and Exposure to Hazardous Materials ............................ 4 Radiation in General ................................................ 5 Biological Response to Radiation ....................................... 7

TableOne .............................................................. 9

TableTwo .............................................................. 9

Action ............................................................... 11 Assessing Tribal Doses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 StudiesBeing Done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 PubIicInformation ................................................. 13

Conclusion ............................................................ 13

ReferencesCited ........................................................ 15

APPENDICES

A

B

Classification of Radioactive Waste

Somatic and Genetic Effects from Radiation Genetic Effects from Radiation

C Dose Allowances

D Contacts and Sources of Information

PREFACE

This paper is the beginning of my research into the health effects of the Nez Perce people from the Hanford Site. It is written for the general Nez Perce membership and other area populations that may not fully understand the Hanford issue and their role in its clean-up and dose-estimate efforts. I have tried my hardest to leave out the complex and scientific data so that this information is easy to understand, and I added information for those who would like to read more. This is a basic explanation of the Nez Perce traditional lifestyle, the Hanford history, the relationship between the Nez Perce and Hanford, and radiation (in general, and effects to the body).

This paper was personally very important for me to write. If my grandmother or cousin, or any other member of my Tribe picks up this paper to read, I want them to see clearly the information I have gathered for them. My intent was not to scare the public with a "nuclear phobia" or to put sugar on Hartford's harmful past, but for them to read the information for what it is and to not draw my conclusion, but draw a conclusion of their own. I was very careful to reference materials in a wide variety, keeping everything well-rounded and trying to find a happy medium between the radiation horror stories and radiation fairytales.

i

ATSDR

CERT

DOE

EPA

E R W

HDRP

MREM

NPL

REM

TSP

WII

ACRONYMS

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Council of Energy Resource Tribes

Department of Energy

Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental Restoration and Waste Management

Hanford Dose Reconstruction Project

Millirem

National Priorities List

Roentgen Equivalent Man

Technical Steering Panel

World War II

ii

GLOSSARY

Absolute risk:

Alpha particle:

Background radiation:

Biosphere:

Beta particles:

Bone seeker

Cancer: e.-

Canister:

Carcinogenic risk:

Disposal

Dose:

Dose equivalent (de):

An expression of excess risk based on the assumption that the excess risk from radiation exposure adds to the underlying (baseline) risk by an increment dependent of the underlying natural risk.

A charged particle emitted from atomic nucleus, with mass and charge equal to those of helium. two protons and two neutrons-

Radiation arising from radioactive material other than that under consideration; background radiation due to cosmic rays and natural radioactivity is always present; there may also be background radiation due to the presence of radioactive substances in building materials, etc.

Regions of the earth and atmosphere occupied by living beings.

Charged particle emitted from atomic nucleus, with mass and charge equal to those of an electron.

Any corppound or ion that migrates in the body preferentially into bone.

A malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth, capabIe of invading surrounding tissue or spreading to other parts of the body by metabolism.

The primary container for solid waste.

A cancer-causing risk, from an agent that may cause cancer, external or internal.

Permanently remove from man’s environment.

Quantity of radiation absorbed.

Absorbed dose: The energy impaired to matter by ionizing radiation per unit mass of irradiated materia1 at the point of interest; unit of absorbed is the rad.

Cumulative dose: Total dose resulting from repeated exposure to radiation.

Quantity that expresses ail kinds of radiation on a common scale for calculating the effective absorbed dose; defined as the product of the absorbed dose in rads and modifying factors; unit of de is the rem.

iii

Exposure:

External radiation:

Extra terrestria I:

Gamma particles:

Genetic:

Genetic inju y:

Half-life:

Hay-life, biological:

Half-life, efiective:

Half-life, radioactive:

High let:

Internal radiation:

Isolation:

Kema:

A measure of the ionizing produced in air by x or gamma radiation; the sum of electric charges on all ions of one sign produced and completely stopped in air, divided by the mass of the air in the voIume; a unit of exposure in air is the roentgen (r).

Acute exposure: Radiation exposure of short duration.

Chronic exposure: Radiation exposure of long duration, because of fractional or protraction.

Radiation from a source outside the body.

Occurring outside the earth or its atmosphere.

A short wavelength electromagnetic radiation of nuclear origin, similar to x rays but usually of higher energy.

An effect (as of radiation) on hereditary tissue.

An injury to the body of the exposed person which is not passed onto succeeding generations.

The length of time for half the atoms of a radioactive substance to decay.

Time required for the body to eliminate half an administered dose of any substance by regular processes of elimination; approximately the same for both stable and radioactive isotopes of a particular element.

Time required for a radioactive element in an animal body to be diminished by 50% as a result of the combined action of radioactive decay and biologic elimination.

Time required for a radioactive substance to lose 5070 of its activity by decay.

Radiation characteristic of protons and fast neutrons. Average Iet is specified to even out the effect of a particle that is slowing down near the end of its path and to allow for the act that secondary particles from photon or fast-neutron beams are not all of the same energy.

Radiation from a source within the body (as a result of deposition of radionuclides in tissue.)

Preventing migration of wastes to the biosphere.

(k) Kinetic energy released into material.

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--- Leaching:

Linear hypothesis:

Low let:

Medical exposure:

Nonstochas tic:

Person-rem (or man-rem):

.- -

Plutonium:

Public health assessmenf:

Rad:

Radiation:

Dissolving in a liquid.

The assumption that any radiation causes biological damage, according to a straight-line graph of health effect versus dose.

Radiation characteristic of electrons, x-rays, and gamma rays.

Exposure to ionizing radiation in the course of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

1. Diagnostic radiology (x rays) 2. Exposure to radioisotopes in nuclear medicine 3. Therapeutic radiation 4. Dental exposure

Describes effects whose severity is a function of dose; for these, a threshold may occur; some nonstochastic somatic effects are cataract induction, nonmalignant damage to skin, hematologic deficiencies, and impairment of fertility.

The product of average dose by the number of people affected. Unit of population exposure obtained by summing individual dose-equivalent values for all people in the population. Thus, the number of person-rems contributed by 1 person exposed to 100 rems is equal to that contributed by 100,000 people each exposed to 1 mrem.

A silvery, white metal that takes on a yellow tarnish when slightly oxidized. It was formed into nuclear weapons components, and its powder heats up and can burn when exposed to air.

The evaluation of data and information on the release of hazardous substances into the environment to assess any current or future impact on public health, develop health advisories or other health recommendations, and identify studies or actions needed to evaluate and mitigate or prevent human health effects.

(radiation absorbed dosage) Unit of absorbed dose of radiation

Particles or waves from atomic or nuclear processes (or from certain machines.)

1. The emission and propagation of energy through space or through matter in the form of waves, such as electromagnetic waves, sound waves, or elastic waves.

V

-*-

Radioactivity:

Radioisotopes:

Radionuclide:

Rem:

Somatic:

Spent fuel:

Storage:

Stochastic:

2. The energy propagated through space or through matter as waves; "radiation" or "radiant energy" when usually refers to electromagnetic radiation; c classified by frequency--hertzian, infrared, VI ultraviolet, x, and gamma ray.

Corpuscular emission, such as alpha and beta ra rays of mixed or unknown type, such as cosmic

3.

The property of some nuclides of spontaneously emitting partic or gamma radiation or of emitting x radiation after orbital electron capture or of undergoing spontaneous fission.

A radioactive atomic species of an element with which it almost identical chemical properties.

A radioactive species of an atom characterized b of its nucleus; in nuclear medicine, an atomic ionizing radiation and capable of existing for a so that it may be used to image organs and

(roentgen equivalent man} Unit of radiatio rad for x-rays, gamma-rays, and some beta p biological effect.

A direct effect (as of radiation) on the health of tissue.

Nuclear fuel that has been removed from a reactor after use produce power.

''+ling temporarily.

Random events leading to effects whose probabili in an exposed population (rather than severi individual) is a direct function of dose; these effects are commo regarded as having no threshold; hereditary effects are regar as being stochastic; some somatic effects, especially carcino are regarded as being stochastic.

. , .. I

vi

1994 SUMMER INTERN TECHNICAL REPORT

HANFORD HEALTH RISKS TO THE NEZ PERCE PEOPLE

BACKGROUND

Nez Perce Historv and Distinct Lifestvle

Under pressure from westward expansion, the Columbia Basin Tribes and Bands ceded to the

United States many millions of acres located in present-day Washington, Oregon and Idaho- Reservations were formed. In the forming of treaties and legal agreements, Tribal leaders reserved rights to pursue their traditional lifestyle on these ceded lands. The Wanapwn Tribal leaders expected that when WWII ended, their rights to use of the land would be restored. Instead, the Cold War brought the expansion of plutonium production, and national security stopped access to the site altogether.

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation is located on the Pasco Basin of south-central Washington. This nuclear reservation is within the ceded lands of the Yakama Indian Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. For more than forty years, the United States Government made plutonium at the Hanford Site for nuclear weapons and continued to produce plutonium through the Cold War.

For thousands of years, the Nez Perce, as well as the other American Indian Tribes, roamed the Columbia Basin. The Columbia River drainage was the hunting, food and medicine gathering ground, and the Columbia River and its tributaries were the long-established fishing grounds for these Tribes. The Nez Perce traditionally have a distinctive lifestyle, diet, and migration pattern which has prevailed during and after Hanford was established. The Tribe's contact with the Hanford Site, early and prolonged, may have resulted in Tribal members being exposed to radiation doses that were different from the non-Indian population who later came to live near the Hanford Site.' Between 1944 and the 1970's, Hanford released radioactive materials into the environment. In the 1940's and early 195O's, Hanford released large amounts of radioactive materials into the air and in the 1970's released amounts into the Columbia River. During

I In 1943, before Hanford was established, the government evacuated approximately 1,500 residents from the communities of Hanford, White Bluffs, Richland and surrounding areas, a total of 640 square miles.

1

periods of Hanford's largest releases, the Indian people in the Columbia Basin were hunting, fishing, working, gathering food and socializing throughout the area. The probability is great that the exposure to Hanford's radioactive releases affected the Indian people to some degree-

The Tribe recognizes that the hunting, fishing, and gathering lifestyle of the Nez Perce people created numerous and diverse opportunities for the people to be exposed to radioactive contaminants in the plants, fish, game, water and in the air. In addition, the Nez Perm Tribal members lived most of their lives out-of-doors. The Tribe wants to quantify the degree to which its members have been exposed to (particular) levels of radiation. Economic opportunities available to Nez Perce Tribal members includes work as seasonal laborers in farm fields where airborne contaminants possibly settled on plants. These factors complicate the quantification of dosage. The Tribe believes that the Nez Perce dose probably exceeds that of the surrounding non-Indian community.

Now at the end of plutonium production, the land is left with radioactive nuclear waste on the

Hanford Site. In fact, hundreds of other forms of nuclear and radioactive waste are being transported to the Site, giving Nez Perce legitimate concerns about the site's health risks to their

people. Now, primary safety, health and environmental problems inhibit Tribal access. The Nez Perce people unwittingly were exposed to unknown levels of radiation in the past and continue to be exposed today.

Historv of Hanford

The Hanford Site was the first full-scale plutonium production plant in the world. Its mission was to produce plutonium for a new weapon that would bring about a swift end to W n . It was selected because the area was remote, near railroads, had abundant water for reactor cooling and plentiful electricity from nearby hydroelectric dams.

Following the development of the Hanford Site and evacuation of towns there, the POguIation swelled to 51,000 in a few short months. About two years later, Hanford-produced plutonium provided the material for the world's first nuclear detonation test, which followed detonation of the Nagasaki Bomb over Japan to end WWII.

.-.._ and research continued after WWII. By 1964, nine plutonium production reactors were operating at Hanford. After 40 years of operation, Hanford began to slow down in production and dosed nine plutonium production reactors between 1964 and 1971. In early 1971, the last of the single- purpose reactors was shut down. After that, only the N reactor with the dual purpose of plutonium and electricity production remained, but is now shut down permanently.

As a result of the 40 years of production from Hanford, many areas of the Site are contaminated by chemical and/or radioactive wastes. Hanford represents the largest waste cleanup effort in world history and is designated the flagship of environmental management for all DOE sites. This site, which was once the site of multi-Tribal gatherings, is contaminated throughout, and

still borders ceded lands of the Nez Perce. The Nez Perce Tribe believes that it has a duty as

a cultural entity to contribute to the restoration of the land and reclaim lost aspects of traditional life that occurred on what in now the Hanford Site.

Nez Perce Tribe Todav

Today, the Nez Perce Tribe has the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Department (ERWM) to facilitate the Tribe's participation and monitoring of all relevant activities of the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) at the Hanford Site. It has been established that since the Hanford Site is located on lands adjacent to lands ceded to the United States by the 1855 Treaty with the W z Perce, the Tribe retains treaty fishing rights as well as

hunting, gathering and pasturing privileges. Therefore, the Tribe has an interest superior to €he public at large. The ERWM Department is designed to help "ensure that the activities of the US. DOE are consistent with its obligations to protect the Nez Perce Treaty rights and privileges, and, as a distinct cultural entity whose connections to the land in question go as far back in time as the beginnings of the Tribe it~e1f.I'~ The Nez Perce describe their role in the Hanford issue as being the regulators and the stakeholder. They deem their place in the Hanford Clean-up effort paramount.

Westinghouse Hanford Company Communications Department, 1992.

3Proposal to the US. Department of Energy, Support fhe Nez Perce Tribe's Parficipution in and Monitoring of DOE Five-Year Plan Activities.

3

The Nez Perce have several important concerns with the Hanford Site in waste dean-up activities, storage, groundwater and land contamination, air and river releases, fish and wildlife health effects and the health effects to the Nez Perce people, past and present, from Hanford's 40-plus years of operation. In addition to environmental concerns, the Tribe is ultimately concerned with the cultural and traditional preservation of these ceremonial lands and sacred

burial grounds that are on the site.

CONTAMINANTS Presence and Exposure to Hazardous Materials

Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) chief biomedical officer for public health practice, told the participants at the first International Congress on Health Effects of Hazardous Waste in Georgia, on May 34,1993, that as many as one in four Americans may be at risk of exposure to hazardous substances at the U.S. hazardous waste sites. Dr. Lichtveld said "Forty-one million people live within a 4mile radius of a

hazardous waste site, and about 3,325 people live within a 1-mile radius of a hazardous waste site in the United States."

Studies show that there are a hundred or more different toxic wastes that exist in widely varying combinations. Many chemical mixtures are significantly more toxic than any of the individual chemicals alone. Radioactive waste isotopes last for thousands and even millions of years, but some chemical poisons like arsenic, lead, and mercury endure time without change to their composition. In a sense, radioactive materials are degradable, while some commercially available poisons are not.

Studies also show that exposure to heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and other hazardous substances can increase the risk of developmental disabilities; growth retardation; kidney, liver and blood disorders; hypertension; adverse reproductive outcomes as well as increased respiratory and neurological illness. The lethal doses of chloride, phosgene, ammonia,

cyanide, and barium produced each year in the U.S. exceed those produced by nuclear wastes.

Contaminants which have adverse affects on human health are present in the natural domestic and commercial environments. Human response and opinion of the range of con taminantsvary according to knowledge and individual perception of danger to the self.

4

Radiation in General

Radiation is something that cannot be seen, felt, heard, smelled or tasted, but its presence can be sensed by radiation detectors and the amount of hazards can be measured. “Naturd background radiation“ has three components:

e Terrestrial e cosmic

Natural Occurring

Terrestrial radiation results from the presence of naturally occurring radionuclides in the soil and earth. Cosmic radiation arises from outer space. Naturally occurring radionuclides can be deposited in the human body.

The rate at which a person receives Patural background radiation is a function of the person’s geographic location and living habits. For example, the dose a person can receive from terrestrial sources varies with the type of soil in a given area and its content of natudly occurring radionuclides. The penetrating gamma radiation from these radionuclides produces wholebody exposure.

The deposit of naturally occurring radionuclides in the human body results primarily from the

inhalation and ingestion of these materials in air, food and water. (These nuclide radioisotopes may include lead, polonium, bismuth, radium, radon, potassium, carbon, hydrogen, uranium, and thorium, as well as a dozen or more extraterrestrially-produced radionuclides). The heavier radionuclides are of particular interest, in that they are widespread in the biosphere and they, or many of the shorter lived members of their decay series, are alpha-emitters.

Cosmic radiation includes both the energetic particles of extraterrestrial origin that strike the atmosphere of the earth (primarily particles) and the particles generated by these interactions (secondary particles). By virtue of these interactions, the atmosphere serves as a shield against

cosmic radiation; and the thinner this shield, the greater the dose-rate.

Radiation is a basic and natural part of the Earth’s environment. It is present throughout nature and cannot be avoided. It is found in cosmic rays from outer space, radon (a colorless odorless

5

radioactive gas emitted from uranium), other radioactive gases, uranium and other ores, and radioactive elements in rocks and soil. It is the greatest contributor to the radiation exposure of the U.S. population today. We are all exposed to radiation by fall-outs, nuclear accidents, medical radiation, radioactive consumer products voluntarily used, nuclear waste and the production of nuclear weapons. No person on earth can escape the multiple exposures of the

industrial radiation age: Today in the United States alone there are more than 100 uranium mines and mill sites, 72 major commercial power reactors, 280 weapons production facilities (at

20 sites), 3 major high-level radioactive waste disposal sites, 30 nuclear reactors belonging to the Department of Defense (DOD) and the DOE, 148 naval reactors, 51 weapons storage sites, tens of thousands of places where radiation is used for medical or industrial purposes, and an unknown number of contaminated abandoned sites? These are inescapable sources in the

environment. Radon is the most frequently found naturally occurring radiation source, but the

second most frequently encountered source of natural radiation exposure is the human body. Bones and muscle contain radioactive potassium, and radioactive carbon is naturally found in body tissues. Besides the natural sources of radiation, there are also man-made sources, such as X-ray machines and other medical diagnostic and treatment procedures, some types of smoke detectors, color television sets, luminous dial watches, gas camping lanterns, cellophane dispensers, certain types of building materials and even false teeth?

A typical human perception of the dangers of radiation are often exaggerated. For instance: One's chance of being killed on the highway greatly exceeds the probability of being killed by radiation. Most people feel that they have control of their fate when they drive, but have little or no control if a nuclear reactor is operated by someone else.' Radiation may cause cancer, but exposure to many kinds of foods, drugs, chemicals, and other pollutants can be just as hazardous. Spent fuel and wastes generated by the cleanup of the nuclear weapons complex are now, and will be, transported through Indian lands. Low-level waste is generated on and transported through Indian lands without Tribal regulation. One of the most likely pathways

4Multiple Exposures, Chronicles of the Radiation Age. New York Harper and Row, 1989.

'Multip€e Exposure, Chronicles of the Radiation Age, page 200. New York Harper and Row, 1989.

6Tri-Cities Technical Council Perspectives.

'Understanding Radioactive Waste, Third Edition. Raymond L. Murray. Ohio: Batelle Press, 1989.

6

for inadvertent releases of radioactivity is through rail, barge or highway accidents. (See Appendix A for more information on waste.) -4'

Biological Response to Radiation

Each tissue and organ of the body has a different degree of sensitivity to radiation effects. The blood-forming tissue, the gastrointestinal track, and the gonads are readily affected by alpha,

beta, and gamma particles.

An alpha particle is two neutrons and two protons bound as a single partide that is emitted from the nucleus of certain radioactive isotopes in the process of decay or disintegration.

e A beta particle is a charged particle emitted from the nucleus of certain UnstabIe atomic nuclei (radioactive elements), having the charge and mass of an electron.

-*--

0 A gamma particle or radiation is a short wavelength electromagnetic radiation of nuclear origin, similar to x-rays but usually of higher energy.

Human dose radiation is measured in Roentgen Equivalent Man (REM), a scientific unit that measures the potential effects of exposure to various levels of radiation. A REM is 1,OOO millirem (mrem).

The body's external layer of skin provides some protection from alpha radiation particles because the particles penetrate only a short distance. But, radioactive materia1 that emits alpha particles can be very hazardous if taken internally.

A single radiation dose of 400 rems is fatal to half of those who receive it; half win survive, perhaps with some impairment of function. Internal radiation exposure occurs when radioactive material is taken into the body by eating, drinking, breathing or through breaks in the skin. For most people exposed to Hanford's radioactive releases, internal radiation exposure is identified as the main route of exposure for most of the radioactive materials!

%_ - 'Radiation in the Body. Hanford Health Information Network Publication, 1994.

7

The Hanford Dose Reconstruction Project (HDRP) is the only study that estimates doses of radiation received by people exposed to Hanford’s reIeases of radioactive materials. Dose is defined as the amount of radiation, or energy, absorbed in the body.

.

---’

The HDRP currently estimates that iodine-131 accounts for most of the radiation dose peopIe received from air releases. Most of this dose came from eating locally-grown leafy green vegetables and fruit and drinking milk containing iodine-131. Drinking Columbia River water and eating fish contaminated with radioactive substances were the two most important factors contributing to radiation doses from Hartford’s river releases according to the HDRP?

A whole-body dose is a dose in which approximately the same degree of contamination is absorbed by each organ. A half-life is defined as the rate of decay of a substance. The half life is the amount of time it takes for a radioactive substance to lose one-half of its radioactivity. Half-lives for different substances vary from millionths of seconds to billions of years. When an atom decays and becomes stable, it is no longer radioactive (see Tables One and Two).

1 ..-* -

According to the HDRP, Hanford’s releases resulted in low whoie-body doses. But also, some people, particularly those living near Hanford before 1960, may have received high doses of radiation. Both whole-body doses and organ doses increase a person’s risk of cancer or other health problems. Very little is known from human health studies about low dose radiation and health problems other thar Ter. Current research methods may not be sensitive enough to detect a link between low dose radiation and other health problems.

According to the HDRP, the substances listed in Tables One and Two are what Hanford estimated were released to the air, the main routes of exposure, the organs which received the main dose and the half-life of each substance.

The body does not recognize the difference between a radioactive and non-radioactive substance. For example, strontium-90 is chemically similar to calcium. The body uses strontium in the bone

in much the same way it does calcium. When a radioactive substance concentrates

._ ’Columbia Basin’s American Indians Involved in Hanford Dose Reconstruction, Fact Sheet. Technical Steering Panel of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project, June, 1992.

8

TABLE ONE

According to the HDRP, the following substances are what Hanford estimated were released into the air, the main routes of exposure, the organs which received the main dose and the half-life of each substance.

Radioactive Substances Released into the Air

Amount I Released Substance

Iodine131 739,000 curies

Ruthenium-103 1,160 curies

388 curies Ruthenium-106

Strontium-90 64.3 curies

Plutonium-239 1.78 curies

Cerium-144

Main Route Organ Half-life

ingestion thyroid 8 days

external, whole body, inhalation lungs 39.4 days

inhalation, ingestion lungs, GI tract 368 days

ingestion red bone marrow 28.8 years

inhalation bone surfaces 24,100 years

ingestion GI tract 284 days

bone surfaces,

lungs,

inhalation, lungs,

-..-

TABLE TWO

According to the HDRP, the following substances are what Hanford estimated were released into tho Columbia River, the main routes of exposure, the organs which received the main dose and the half-life of each substance.

Radioactive Substances in the Columbia River

Amount Substance Released Main Route Organ Half-life

: Phosphorus-32 299,000 c

Zinc45 491,000 c

Arsenic-76 2#!520,,000 c

I

Sodium-24 12,600,000 c

ingestion red bone marrow 14.3 days

ingestion whole body 245 days

GI Tract, ingestion Stomach for 26.4 hours

ingestion stomach 15 hours

Neptunium-239 ingestion GI Tract 2.4 days

9

primarily in one organ of the body, as when strontium concentrates in the bone, the organ receives a larger dose from the radioactive substance than do other organs and tissues in the body.

~ -. *sJ

After a radioactive substance is taken into the body, some of it may enter the bloodstream. The chemical properties of the substance determine how the body handles the radioactivity. Organs and tissues in the body obtain material from the blood that is needed in the functioning of the part of the body. Once the radioactive substance is taken into the body it will continue to give off radiation until either the radioactivity has decayed or the body has eliminated the substance through normal metabolism. Both of these processes occur at the same time.

Some radioactive substances do not concentrate in one organ but are distributed throughout the body. Tritium, for example, is a form of hydrogen. Since hydrogen is part of water molecules which are present throughout the body, tritium will be distributed throughout the body and deliver a dose to all tissues.

One example of how a Nez Perce can receive a radiation dose is by simply eating food from a

contaminated area. If a person were to hunt a deer, he would eat many parts of the body. If that animal ingested any type of radiation, whether it was ruthenium which affects the whoIe body, or Zinc-65 or sodium-24 which affect the stomach, or a substance that gets disbursed to the muscle tissue, the animal receive-' 3 dosage. The person 0 - 'ing the animal would ingest the dose the animal had. In fact, if the person were to even make deer bone soup, and that deer had

L-

ingested a food contaminated with strontium-90, strontium reacts extremely similar to calcium,

and goes straight to the bones and red bone marrow. When the bones were boiled and the

nutrients were extracted, the person would eat the broth and receive a dose that way. Another example of the many obscure ways of receiving a dosage would be Iodine-131 that is often found in high doses in cows. The Iodine goes into the cow's milk and is transferred to humans when they eat the beef or drink the milk. There are several pathways of radiation. You could inhale a contaminant, ingest a contaminant, or consume an animal that has ingested or inhaled a contaminant.

10

ACTION Assessing Tribal Doses

Action has been taken to research the health risks of American Indians from the Hanford Dose Reconstruction Project and the research of the Technical Steering Panel (TSP) of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project.

By 1990, the TSP and Batelle researchers knew that the Tribes must be involved in gathering data about American Indian diet, lifestyle and populations during the study period. This was

necessary to ensure both Tribal members and the public that legitimate concerns and accurate Tribal information were addressed in the study. Tribal researchers are still gathering information about migration, diet, food preparation and sources and outdoor activities. Information comes from written records and elders who remember the 1940's through 1960's.

The TSP concurs that direct Tribal involvement appropriately recognizes the sovereignty of Tribal governments.

When preliminary analyses of American Indian data are done, Tribal researchers will provide information to help calculate specific American Indian doses. The Indian Health Service is training Tribal researchers to do health and epidemiological studies.

During 1991-1992, the Tribes collected preliminary information about diet patterns in the 1940's

through 1950's. Researchers will use this information to determine if radioactive materia1 pathway models are accurate in showing the kinds of quantities of foods consumed by American Indians. The data will also help determine the extent to which diets varied within and among Tribes.

Tribal researchers also will develop information about the make-up and grouping of their populations. To determine overall doses to Tribal people, it will be important to know, by age and sex, where they were during radioactive material releases. Such activities as fishing,

agricultural labor, hunting, gathering and inter-Tribal social events may have taken people from their reservation areas either closer to or farther from Hanford's releases.

11

-._ Active involvement of American Indians, with their distinct cultural perspectives and experiences, has challenged and expanded the established notions of dose reconstruction science.

In the area of emergency response, the Nez Perce ERWM department has taken the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team advanced training, as well as Introduction to Radionuclide Transport in Groundwater and Surface Water, a training in estimating levels of contaminants.

Studies Being Done

There is insufficient information on the effects of low radiation doses in human populations, and in this regard there is still a dependency on concepts that have been developed on the basis of experimental studies. Most of the studies that are used are based on the accidents that have happened, like Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. The studies of radiation effects on human populations arise because most of them are retrospective, that is, exposure to radiation has occurred in the distant past, so the exact dose of radiation delivered to individuals or to a group is often not known.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) makes approximately 1,200 health-based recommendations per year, according to Dr. Lichtveld. Through 1992, ATSDR conducted 103 health studies, 29 epidemiologic studies, 52 investigations, and maintained four long-term health registries as well. The registries were established to study any adverse health effects potentially related to human exposure to hazardous substances in the environment,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes 38,000 sites in its inventory of uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, with 1,374 of those sites currently listed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL). These represent the sites that are posing the greatest threat to public health and the environment. The list has continued to grow since 1992, adding more than 50 sites to

the NPL.

ATSDR conducts public health assessments for all NPL sites and responds to petitions from citizens for public health assessments. It has conducted more than 1,!j# public health assessments, affecting an average of 1,900 people at each site. The results of these assessments indicate that human exposure has occurred or is occurring at 40% of hazardous waste sites.

12

From the petitions and health assessments, public health-related findings associated with US. hazardous waste sites have led to an array of health-based research efforts and other activities.

Public Information

Recently Hanford started releasing information to the public. Tribes are studying the documents with a critical eye. It is important to understand that public-accessible reading materials from

Hanford are a good source of information, but is also important to know that the material may be either very technical or very simplistic and shallow. It is hard to determine what are half- truths and misleading information when the issue is unfamiliar. Some of the material seems to

be putting the best face on Hanford hstead of straight-forward information. Materials can hold exaggerated views and hidden information. One could say that sometimes the public is looking at Hanford through rose-colored glasses and seeing the good in Hanford, or the material deflects into something else and shows the bad in another place as opposed to what is at Hanford.

Depending on what sources individuals have acquired for reading, they will see the different interpretations of the nuclear issue as a whole. Facts vary from source to source, and it easy to see the stances of the issue that the author is taking. Becoming informed, conscious, aware and educated is a big and necessary step to becoming involved in the nuclear issue at the Tribe. But individuals shouldn’t believe everything that they read. Instead they should try to research a well-rounded amount of information and draw their own conclusion. For sources and addresses of information, see Appendix D, contacts.

CONCLUSION

When the Hanford Nuclear Waste Policy Act was amended and the Yakama Indian Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation became involved in overseeing the activities on their ceded lands, the Nez Perce believed that their rights were not being honored.

Because the Hanford Site was adjacent to the ceded lands of the Nez Perce, and the Treaty of 1855 reserved Nez Perce rights to fish, hunt, gather and pasteurize, the Tribe declared their superior interest in the land over the public at large and demanded that their rights be honored equivalent to the Yakama’s and Umatilla’s. The Tribe did not have the expertise to produce a

proposal to the government, and the services of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT)

13

were provided. In the proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy, “Support the Nez Perce Tribe’s Participation in and Monitoring of DOE Five-Year Plan Activities (Year One)”, the Nez

-*A

k*J

Perce forcefully made known to DOE the rights and privileges they retained needed to be honored. Looking at each other, these Tribes can see the magnitude of the problem, the historic

and traditional significance impact and the community implications. Radiation cannot

distinguish between Umatilla, Yakama or Nez Perce.

Scientifically and technically the Hanford nuclear waste and health risk issue is extremely complex. Technology is still being developed and researched. Research is extensive and is an on-going process, and because of the complexity of researching and assessing doses, the answer will come with years of research.

Historic, cultural and Tribal values make this issue even more complex, delicate and unique. It is a part of our inherent nature as Indian people to live compatibly with all of the elements of the environment, of Mother Earth, of life. It is our inherent nature to stimulate harmony with

our environment and to continue our place in the circle of life. That means that we become aware of all of the factors that come into play, and understand our role as American Indians.

To fulfill its role with the Earth and Creator, the Tribe has taken upon itself the task to inform their members to the greatest extent possible, the circumstances of the environment to which all people are exposed. The Tribe has arrived at a resolution, not just accepting limitations set on them by others to what level of pro-activity they believe should be allowed. They have taken things many steps further with a great deal of importance, creating a very sober look for the rest of the world to see.

As Nez Perce Tribal members become informed and educated they will understand the issues involved and will recognize their role to support the Tribe in addressing concerns. They may become involved in the decision-making and management of operations that impact their community and environment. Knowing and understanding the Tribe’s responsibility in protecting its people and culture, and supporting the Tribe’s involvement and decisions, brings the Tribe yet one step closer to fulfilling its obligation to the land.

14

REFERENCES CITED

Caufield, Catherine. Multiple Exposures, Chronicles of the Radiation Age. New York Harper and Row, 1989.

Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation. The Eflects on Populations of Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation: 2980. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press, 1980.

Gould, Jay M., Goldman, Benjamin A. Deadly Deceit, L o w - k e l Radiation, High-lm2 COZZY-U~. New York Four Walls Eight Windows, March 1991.

Hanford Health Information Network. Radioactivity in the Body. Washington, Oregon and Idaho: Hanford Health Information Network Publication, 1994.

Murray, Raymond L. Understanding Radioactive Waste, 3rd ed. Ohio: Battelle Press, 1989.

National Research Council. HeuZtlz Efects of Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation BEIR V. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press, 1990.

National Research Council. Health Risks of Radon and Other Internally Deposited Alpha- Emitters, BEIR N. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press, 1988.

Tano, M e V L., Vandemoer, C., Issues in Radioactive Waste Management in Indian Country. Denver: Council of Energy Resource Tribes Publication.

Technical Steering Panel of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project. Fact Sheet. Columbia Basin’s American Indians Involved in Hanford Dose Reconstruction. June, 1992

US. Department of Health and Human Services. Hazardous Substances & Public Healfh. Georgia: Publication of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1993.

15

APPENDIX A

CLASSIFICATION OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE

CLASSIFICATION OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Nuclear waste can be classified into the following working groups:

Defense Waste: Waste generated at Hanford, Idaho Engineering Laboratory, and Savannah River Plant since Wwn.

Commercial Waste: Produced by reactors used for electrical power; by facilities to process reactor fueis; used by a variety of institutions and industries.

High-level Waste: Generated by the reprocessing of spent reactor fuel and material fromnuclear

weapons production. This type of waste is found at the Hanford Site and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

Spent Nudear Fuel: A highly radioactive and thermally hot waste stored in cooIing ponds at reactor sites. The fuel rod assemblies that have been removed from a commercial reactor.

Low-level Waste: Generated by institutions and facilities using radioactive materiais-hospitals, laboratories, industrial plants, nuclear power plants, government and defense laboratories and reactors. Low-level waste is subdivided into three classes of A, B and C.

-a-

There is no standard accepted scheme for classifying different types of radioactive waste. Civilian waste generally refers to spent nuclear fuel, while defense waste refers to all wastes generated by the nuclear weapons complex. Radioactive waste consists of a variety of natural uranium and thorium decay products, fission products, products of neutron activation and

transuranic isotopes. These wastes must be isolated from the biosphere by heavy mechanical shielding or geological isolation for as long as their radiation presents a hazard (Tano, M, Vandemoer, C.).

APPENDIX B

SOMATIC AND GENETIC EFFECTS FROM RADIATION

GENETIC EFFECTS FROM RADIATION

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SOMATIC AND GENETIC EFFECTS FROM RADIATION

Somatic effects of radiation involve damage to body tissue. The main somatic effects are cancers

such as leukemia and tumors.

Cancer arising in a variety of organs and tissues are the principal late somatic effects of radiation exposure. Organs and tissues differ greatly in their susceptibility to cancer induction by radiation. Induction of leukemia by radiation stands out because of the natural rarity of the disease, the relative ease of its induction by radiation, and its short latent period (2-4 yrs.). When the total risk of radiation-induced cancer is considered, however, it is clear that the risk of induced solid tumors (such as breast, thyroid, and lung cancers) exceeds that of leukemia.

There is now considerable evidence from human studies that age, both at exposure to radiation and at observation for risk, can be a major determinant of radiation-induced cancer risk.

The Committee’s most difficult task has been to estimate the carcinogenic risk of Iow-dose, low- let, whole body radiation.

The developmental effects of radiation on the embryo and fetus are strongly related to the stage at which exposure occurs. Most information on such effects is derived from laboratory animal studies, but the human data are sufficient to indicate qualitative correspondence for developmentally equivalent stages. In laboratory animals, some developmental abnormalities have been observed at doses below 10 rads. Atomic-bomb data for Hiroshima show that the

frequency of small head size was significantly increased by acute air doses in the range of 10-19 rads kerma (average fetal dose, gamma rays at 5.3 rads plus neutrons at 0.41 rad) received during the sensitive period. At Nagasaki, where almost the entire kerma was due to gamma rays, there was no significant increase in the frequency of small head size at air dose below 150 rads kerma. Because a given gross malformation or functional impairment probably results from damage to more than a single target, the existence of a threshold radiation dose below which that effect is not observed may be predicted. There is evidence of such thresholds, but they vary widely, depending on the abnormality. Observed dose-rate effects may also be more. Exposure protraction can reduce dose effectiveness by decreasing to below the threshold the portion of the dose received during a particularly sensitive period. Where a developmental effect is measured in terms of damage to individual cells, as in oocyte-killing, a threshold for this effect may be

absent. -x.

_- GENETIC EFFECTS FROM RADIATION

Genetic effects from radiation are hereditary characteristics, involving transmitted abnormalities or early death. Because radiation-induced transmitted genetic effects have not been demonstrated in man and because of the likelihood that adequate information will not soon be forthcoming, estimation of genetic risks must be based on laboratory animal data. This entails the uncertainty of extrapolation from the laboratory mouse to man, however, there is information on the nature of the basic lesions. These basic lesions are believed to be similar in all organisms and several physical and biologic variables of radiation mutagenis have been experimentally explored. Although there is no direct evidence of genetic damage to humans, mutations have been observed in plants and lower animals.

APPENDIX C

DOSE ALLOWANCES

- -. DOSE ALLOWANCES .--:

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

1. Whole body, head-trunk, active blood-forming organs, lens of eyes, or gonads-1-25 rem

2. Hands and forearms, feet and ankles-18.75 rem

3. Skin of whole body-7.5 rem

-the maximum allowed dosage for occupational workers

-minors are not allowed more than 1/10 of the above values

-REM for public is lower by a factor of ten than that of occupational workers, 0.5 rem

per year

APPENDIX D

CONTACTS AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION

CONTACTS AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION

BNFL, Inc. 1776 I Street NW, Suite 750 Washington D.C. 20006-3700 (202) 785-2635 (202) 785-4037 FAX

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Hanford Project Coordinator J.R. WiIkinson P.O. Box 638 Pendleton, OR 97801 (509) 276-3449

Council of Energy Resource Tribes 1999 Broadway Suite 2600 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 297-2378 (303) 296-5690 FAX

Hanford Health Information Lines:

Idaho State Service Center 1-800-793-61 13

Washington State Information Center 1-800-522-4446

Oregon State Infomtion Center 1-800-248-4446

Hanford Tribal Service Pr0m-m 1-800-798-0796

Hazardous Substances and Public Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E33 Atlanta, GA 30333 (404) 639-6206 (404) 639-6208 FAX

HHIN Resource Center 1-800-959-7660

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Kevin Clark Indian Nations Program Manager Department of Energy, Richland Field Office P.O. Box 550, Mailstop A5-15 Richland,WA 99352 (509) 376-6332

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Nez Perce Tribe Donna L. Powaukee ERWM Manager P.O. Box 365 Lapwai, ID 83540 (208) 843-7375 (208) 843-7378 FAX

Nuclear Idormation and Resource Service 1424 16th Street NW, Suite 601 Washington, D.C. 20036

The Yakama Indian Nation ERWM Russel Jim P.O. Box 151 Toppenish, WA 98948 (509) 887-4151

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Education and Information Division lo00 Independence Avenue SW Washington, D.C. 20585

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM-14) 1000 Independence Avenue SW Washington, D.C. 80285

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Radiation Programs Criteria and Standards Division 401 M Street SW Washington, D.C. 20460 (202) 233-9290

Westinghouse Hanford Company Communications Department (509) 376-5101