IEM Announcements

July 17, 2008 - IEM Reports on What's New at the HPS - Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office did indeed attend the annual meeting of the Health Physics Society in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (see below).  In fact, he attended a number of interesting sessions.  For example, the opening session was on radiation exposures during medical procedures.  [If you've been reading the "Press Pieces" section of the IEM web page, you already know what a hot topic this has been!]  There was also a session where employees of the State of Pennsylvania reviewed the history of radium within their borders over the past 100 years.  Here's what Bill had to say about that:  "In the 1920s, radium was used for the treatment of cancer. The element was extracted from uranium in Canonsburg, PA and sold for as much as $120,000 per gram (per curie). The final extraction step was completed in a building in downtown Pittsburgh; the concentrate was transported in a 5 gallon metal pail via a public trolley car from Canonsburg to downtown Pittsburgh. The radiation dose rates were estimated to be as high as 10 R/hr on contact. It looks like the rules for shipping radioactive materials 'way back then were a bit looser than they are today!"  [We'll have more about the meeting in the next edition of the IEM e-newsletter.  In the meantime, if you would like to know more about what Bill saw, heard or learned, don't hesitate to give him a call at (419) 423-4701.]

July 1, 2008 - IEM Getting Ready to Attend the Health Physics Society Annual Meeting - Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office will be attending the annual meeting of the Health Physics Society in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The  meeting, hosted by the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Health Physics Society, will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh from July 13-17, 2008.  The meeting program spans a broad range of radiation safety topics, many of which are of particular interest to Bill and the rest of IEM.  Bill would be pleased to meet with health physicists and plant RSOs to exchange information on radiation-related matters.  If you are attending the meeting, please look him up.  Better yet, give him a call on his cell phone (240/393-1363) or drop him an e-mail to arrange a get-together.  We'll get a report about the meeting from Bill when he returns, so stand by for that.

May 31-June 5, 2008 - IEM Attends AIHce - Bill Thomas  of IEM's Ohio office attended American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) that was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  During the conference, speakers on the panel discussed radiation safety programs for sealed radiation sources and x-ray machines, as well as integrating radiation safety into corporate ES&H programs.  While he was there, Bill participated in a round table presentation that was sponsored by the Ionizing Radiation committee of the AIHA by delivering two presentations. The roundtable, entitled "So Now You Are the RSO", was designed to describe the elements of typical radiation safety programs and to offer practical solutions to problems that are commonly encountered by Radiation Safety Officers. Bill made such a hit during the 2007 AIHce in Philadephia that he was invited 'way back then to be a player in the 2008 round table. More information on Bill's presentations will appear in the June edition of the IEM e-Newsletter.  [If you would like more information about what transpired in Minneapolis, just give Bill a call at (419) 423-4701 and he would be glad to talk more about it.]

March 11, 2008 - IEM Solves More Problems - Once again, Carol Berger of IEM's Maryland office was asked to present compliance-related internal dosimetry concepts and lead a problem-solving course for 11 students preparing to take the American Board of Health Physics' Certification Exam.  The course, held almost every year for quite a while now, is sponsored by the Baltimore-Washington Chapter, Health Physics Society.  Carol's session took place at the Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences (Navy Hospital) in Bethesda, Maryland.  After going over the dose assessment approaches from ICRP 26/30, MIRD, ICRP 60/66 and more, Carol handed out three sample exams and gave the students a chance to see what they learned.  Unfortunately, three hours is just not enough to cover all of the "interesting" aspects of this fascinating health physics topic, but the students definitely got a taste of what might be in store for them when the sit for the exam.  This is the sixth time Carol has been asked to lead this session and she considers it an honor to have been asked.  [If you would like to try out one of the sample exams for yourself, just give IEM a call and we'll send one over to you.  Think you can do it?]

January 10, 2008 - IEM Becomes Certified to ISO 9001:2000 (Certificate No. 08.002.1) - On this date, IEM received formal notice that its operations have been certified to the ISO 9001:2000 (without design) International Quality System Standard.  In 2007, IEM's entire quality system was audited and certified by Smithers Quality Assessments Inc. (SQA), an independent accredited registrar, who found that our Nuclear Services Division, our Consulting Division, our Instrumentation Program and our Corporate Operations are designed to ensure compliance with customer, regulatory and legal requirements.  Their findings also confirm that IEM meets requirements for customer satisfaction by preventing nonconformity at all stages of our work, starting with initial proposals and ending with final deliverables.  Since its inception in 1994, IEM's mission has been to ensure customer satisfaction by providing technically-sound, legally-defensible and cost effective consulting and services.  While others in our field may claim similar goals, our focus on our quality system, the continuous improvements we make in our products and processes, and our emphasis on constant innovation has indeed offered value to our customers.  The receipt of our Certification is further proof that IEM is meeting its objectives.  We are proud to now be able to say that "IEM is Certified to the ISO 9001:2000 Standard".

January 2, 2008 - IEM Welcomes Another New Employee - We are pleased to announce that Mr. Michael W. Kimbro, an NRRPT-Registered health physics technician and an ANSI 3.1-Qualified Senior Technician with over 20 years of experience in applied health physics, joined the staff of our Nuclear Services Division in Tennessee. Mike formerly served as a senior radiation protection technician at the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers' St. Louis Airport Site and on the Hanford K-Basin Closure Project.  He brings with him outstanding experience in decommissioning, decontamination and project management from his work at commercial nuclear power stations, in the decommissioning of the University of Washington Research Reactor, and in his extensive characterization and decommissioning activities at sites/facilities in the Oak Ridge (Tennessee) complex.  Mike will be managing field projects for IEM, as well as running our instrument program and taking the lead on complicated decommissionings and remedial actions.  You might want to give him a call some time at (865) 588-1693 or contact him by e-mail to see how he is doing and ask him what he thinks about being the newest member of the IEM Team.  The rest of us are glad he is here, and we look forward to offering his services to you.  We know you will be as impressed as we are with his credentials and his capabilities.

September 27, 2007 - IEM Chairs ANSI Working Group - Carol Berger of IEM's Maryland office was asked by the N13 Committee of the Health Physics Society to take the lead in the re-affirmation of N13.41, "Criteria for Performing Multiple Dosimetry". This standard, which was originally approved for use and published in February of 1997, was developed by a working group that was chaired by Carol.  We are pleased to learn that because it is due for scheduled re-affirmation, and because there are a number of updates and revisions required, Carol was again asked to assume chairmanship.  The reaffirmation committee has been formed and she is now awaiting Health Physics Society approval before kicking off the effort.  We look forward to hearing how things progress.

June 6, 2007 - IEM Guides Industrial Hygienists - On June 2-7, 2007, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) held an exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On June 6th of the conference, the AIHA's Ionizing Radiation Technical Committee sponsored a roundtable discussion entitled "So Now You Are the RSO". There were a number of topics covered during the roundtable, including a review of radiation properties, exposure limits and common sources, radiation safety programs, radiation surveys and instrumentation, licensing and permitting. One of note came from Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office, who is a member of the AIHA Technical Committee. On June 6th, Bill gave a 20-minute review of radiation protection regulations and the importance of not only understanding what is required of licensees but some practical assistance in how to comply.  As a Certified Health Physicist and a Certified Industrial Hygienist, with a lot of RSO experience under his belt, Bill is a good resource for IHs who are just sticking their toes into the crystal clear lake of license compliance, or that feel they are drowning in the murky quagmire of regulations.  Good job, Bill!  [If you would like to see the slides from his presentation, give Bill a call at (419) 423-4701 and he would be glad to e-mail you a copy.]

March 20, 2007 - IEM Leads Problem-Solving Session - Carol Berger of IEM's Maryland office provided a brief presentation on internal dosimetry concepts and then led a 10-person class in a problem-solving session for the Baltimore-Washington Chapter, Health Physics Society's Certification Review Course.  The session took place at the Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and it included plenty of problem-solving opportunities, along with a hand-out package with copies of all viewgraphs. Carol has been asked to present this session for the past five years, and she considers it an honor as well as a challenge.  Internal radiation dose assessment is an important radiation safety issue that many health physicists claim to have difficulty grasping.  However, Carol always assures them, as she did the class participants, that if they develop a fundamental understanding of just a few basic principles, it is really no more difficult than external dosimetry.   [Just give IEM a call if you would like to take a shot an answering some of the questions Carol prepared.  We would be glad to send you a copy of her sample exams . . . with answers!]

January 25-26, 2007 - IEM Holds Annual Meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee - Taking advantage of the fact that three of IEM's employees were already in town, IEM held its annual technical meeting a bit early this year. (Our annual business meeting is still scheduled to take place in March.)  The meeting agenda covered a variety of topics, not the least of which was procedure development for some spanking-new equipment in the IEM inventory (i.e., GPS-based survey and data aquisition systems and in-situ gamma spectrometers), a group-wide discussion of a difficult technical problem to be solved for an important client (we solved it!), and reviews of work in progress.  The evening of January 26th, the employees and their spouses met for dinner and an awards ceremony at a favorite Knoxville restaurant, the Orangery.  It was time well-spent, and everyone returned home safely, refreshed, and ready to tackle the rather lengthy action plan that was developed during the meeting.

January 20-24, 2007 - IEM Attends Decommissioning Symposium - Paul Szalinski, Betsy Langille and Carol Berger attended the Health Physics Society (HPS) 40th Midyear Topical Meeting on "Decontamination, Decommissioning, and environmental Cleanup" in Knoxville, Tennessee.  In addition, all three attended coursework on issues ranging from heat stress, statistically-based sampling plans, the use of mapping and presentation software, and other decommissioning-related topics.  The meeting itself was interesting, starting with a Continuing Education course prsented by Dick toohey on "A Collector's Guide to Radioactive Dinnerware", through to an interesting presentation by Peter Brazier of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on D&D in his country, and ending with a number of visits to the exhibit hall to see the "latest and greatest" instruments, equipment, software, and support services.  The various presentations and papers included summaries of remediation projects in process, just beginning, and just about to end, some interesting biomremediation methodologies, and interpretation of analytical results.  If you have an interest in the meeting and what transpired, don't hesitate to give Paul, Betsy or Carol a call.

December 22, 2006 - IEM Recognized for Long-standing Professionalism - In a December 1, 2006 press release, the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) announced that Paul Szalinski of IEM's New York office had been named a "Bronze CSP" for having held the Certified Safety Professional credential for 10 years. According to the BCSP, Paul has met the professional challenge of validating competency through education, experience and examination to obtain the CSP credential in 1996 and continues to meet the recertification requirements to maintain certification.  All CSPs must hold an associates degree in safety and health or a bachelor's degree in any field and have at least four years of professional safety experience.  They must also pass the BCPS's rigorous examination that covers safety, health, and environmental management, engineering, information management and communications, and professional conduct and ethics.  (Paul not only meets these requirements, but he is also a Certified Health Physicist and a Certified Industrial Hygienist!)  Having maintained this important credential for so long is a credit to Paul's commitment to safety, and we are proud to recognize his important achievement.  Congratulations, Paul!

October 16, 2006 - IEM Receives Award - On this date, Stephen McGuire, the President-elect of the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society, delivered the 2006 Joyce Davis Memorial Award to Carol Berger (of IEM's Maryland office) on behalf of the American Academy of Health Physics.  The following is the citation that accompanied the award:

Carol D. Berger is the recipient of the American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) 2006 Joyce P. Davis Memorial Award.  Carol's professional achievements and the manner of her many contributions to the health physics profession and the AAHP lead to her selection as the third recipient of this prestigious award, given in recognition of "upholding the ethical and professional standards of the Academy."

From her first leadership position as an Internal dosimetry Group Leader at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to her current position as founder and President of her own very successful company, Carol has continuously demonstrated the professional and ethical excellence this award recognizes.  Carol has contributed to the excellence of health physics performance for her employers and clients at every level.  Review of her resume evokes immediate appreciation for the breadth and depth of her health physics expertise and the variety and extent of her experience and client base.  Among Carol's many consultant services she designs and develops health physiccs programs, prepares technical basis documents, presents educational lectures and conducts program performance assessments.  Each task is performed with a level of commitment that assures timely completion of a high quality product and full compaliance with all applicable guidelines and regulatory requirements.  As her experience grew and her career evolved, Carol's expertise, ethical behavior and interpersonal skills became widely recognized, providing opportunities for her to lead committees and working groups developing safety guidelines and standards with rulemaking bodies such as ASTM, ANSI and NCRP.

Carol has always given generously of her time and effort to AAHP, ABHP and the HPS.  She has always readily accepted leadership roles as an officer and on committees.  Her participation has been at both the local and national level.  She shares her expertise in refresher courses and continuing education lectures. Particularly notable in the context of this role model-based award are her contributions to the Academy as its President and as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and the Professional Standards and Ethics Committee.  Carol D. Berger, a CHP since 1983, has long performed in an exemplary manner in support of the AAHP and she continues to be a champion of professional standards and ethics in health physics practice.

July 17, 2006 - IEM Attends HPS 2006 Summer School - On June 18-23, 2006, Paul Szalinski of IEM's New York office attended the 2006 session of the Health Physics Society Summer School at the Brown University campus in Providence, Rhode Island.  This year's topic was "University, Medical and Laboratory Health Physics".  The following are some of Paul's notes from the session:

Unfortunately the summer school was long on medical physics and short on industrial health physics, which was great for the medical physicists in the crowd but not so helpful for us non-medical HPs.  Here is a listing of the session titles:

There was an excellent presentation on laser safety training that gave practical tips on training the lay device user.  In particular, the use of red and green laser pointers to explain wavelength and absorbence was very insightful and something that could be helpful to IEM during its training sessions for laser users.  For medical licensees, a presentation by Bill Dundulis of the Rhode Island Department of Health was right on point.  I was glad to hear this regulator emphasize something that IEM typically advises its own clients during license application preparataion:  "Don't over commit on your license because it will come back to haunt you."  All in all, it was a good week with a lot of information exchanged.  I am still digesting what I learned.

If you find any of the topics from the Summer School to be of interest and you need some information about them, just give Paul a call at (716) 667-2776 or drop him an e-mail.  He would be glad to share more information - and opinions! - with you.  We look forward to hearing a more detailed review from him during our next company-wide meeting.

July 6, 2006 - IEM Attends Annual HPS Meeting in Providence, RI - During the week of June 26, 2006, Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office attended the annual meeting of the Health Physics Society in Providence, Rhode Island.  The folllowing are some of Bill's notes from the meeting:

The Health Physics Society (HPS) met in Providence, Rhode Island for the 51st annual meeting. IEM staff members participated in several presentations and committee meetings regarding current events in the field of health physics. In the Legislative committee meeting, the USNRC described the reorganization of the Commission staff, including the new office of national materials program which combines the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) and the Office of State and Tribal programs. The new Office will focus on fuel cycle issues.  The USDOE sponsors workshops on the Low Dose Radiation Research Program; the last meeting was held on November, 2005.  The next meeting is planned for the 3rd quarter of 2006 to discuss the issues related to the linear no threshold theory and implications for the USDOE complex.
The HPS named Carol Berger, President of IEM, as a Fellow member of the Society in recognition for her service to the national society, the East Tennessee Chapter and the Baltimore Washington Chapter. The Society limits the number of Society Fellows to less than 0.5% of the Society membership.  I know she is proud to have been selected, and she thanks those that worked so hard on her nomination.

Carol was also named as the 2006 winner of the Joyce P. Davis Memorial Award. The selection criteria for the award include dedication to the advancement of health physics and efforts to uphold the ethics of the health physics profession. As the recipient of this award, Carol demonstrates excellence in professional achievement as well as being admired for her ethical behavior and interpersonal skills. Once again, Carol is grateful to those who submitted the nomination and to the AAHP for making the selection.  The rest of IEM, on the other hand, congratulates Carol for her hard work, her dedication and for the recognition that she deserves.

To learn more about what transpired during that exciting week in Providence, don't hesitate to give Bill a call at (419) 423-4701 or drop him an e-mail.  He would be glad to tell you what else professional health physicists heard for the first time.

June 1, 2006 - IEM Celebrates its 12th Anniversary - On June 1, 1994, IEM officially opened its doors for business. Today on our 12th anniversary, we are proud to acknowledge a client list of over 400, a technical and administrative staff that is second to none, four offices, thousands of challenges, and billions of memories.  We are already hard at work on Year 13.

March 18, 2006 - IEM Holds its Annual Meeting - IEM held its annual technical and business meeting today at its Tennessee office.  The meeting agenda covered a variety of topics and presentations were made by all in attendance.  After the meeting, employees and their spouses gathered for dinner and the awards ceremony at the Orangery Restaurant in Knoxville.  This year's "New Gal on the Block" award went to Betsy Langille and the 2006 "What Have I Gotten Myself Into" award went to Jeff Sumlin.  Paul Szalinski was the 2006 "Bi-lingual Employee of the Year" award recipient, Bill Thomas received the "Artificial Respiration Award" and Alan Duff was the recipient of the 2006 "Who Are All These People?" Award.  On April 1, 2006, the corporate dinner and awards ceremony was held at the Inn at Brookeville Farms.  The 2006 "What is this charge?" award went to Cathryn Chang and the "What does he want?" award for 2006 went to Leslie Selby.  Congratulations to our award winners for a job well done!

February 27, 2006 - IEM Adds Even More Professional Capability - We are pleased to announce that on this date, Elizabeth A. Langille, a senior-level health physicist with over 20 years of experience, joined the IEM team. Betsy, a Certified Health Physicist and a Registered Radiation Protection Technologist, brings the best of both worlds - the strategic and the practical sides of applied radiation protection - to our Consulting Division. Prior to joining IEM, she completed tours of duty with Duratek in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the Army Materials Test Laboratory in Watertown, Massachusetts, and at the Niagra Mohawk Power Corporation's Nine Mile Point plant. She also worked for the New York Power Authority's James A. Fitzpatrick plant, provided health physics coverage during refueling at the Maine Yankee plant, and participated in a variety of research and practical application projects at Brookhaven National Laboratory. One area where Betsy's expertise really shines through is in the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, where she is comfortable with all aspects including but not limited to: Analytical services coordination; data reduction/validation; historical site assessments; preparing site characterization, decommissioning and final status survey plans; developing quality assurance plans; defining and documenting the technical basis for key programmatic parameters; developing and justifying site-specific guideline values (release criteria); and performing pathways analysis and dose assessments. Betsy is a welcome addition to our staff and we look forward to offering her services to you. You can reach her in our Tennessee office at (865) 675-2577, or by e-mail at EALangille@IEM-Inc.com. Give her a call and let us know if you find her to be as impressive of a professional as we all think she is.

February 21, 2006 - IEM Solves Internal Dosimetry Problems - Carol Berger of IEM's Maryland office took the lead in a problem-solving session on internal dosimetry concepts for the Baltimore-Washington Chapter, Health Physics Society's Certification Review Course.  The session took place at the Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and it included a presentation of important internal dosimetry concepts, the administration of a sample Part I and Part II exam, and enough additional problem-solving to keep even the most enthused exam candidates satisfied.  A hand-out package with copies of all viewgraphs, as well as the answers to all of the sample exam questions, was prepared for each attendee.  This is the third time that Carol has been asked to lead this session for the local Chapter, and she has this to say about it:  "Simply preparing for this problem-solving session and making sure that I know all of the answers before I pose the questions to the students is one the best ways I know of keeping my dosimetry "edge" sharp.  I always appreciate being asked to lead the session on this important health physics topic, and I'm always glad to have an opportunity to do my small part for the Chapter and its members."  [Just give IEM a call if you would like to try your hand at taking a short quiz on internal dosimetry topics.  We'll be glad to share Carol's test questions with you!]

January 9, 2006 - IEM's Tennessee Office Continues to Grow - Today we are pleased to announce that Mr. Jeffrey W. Sumlin, an NRRPT-Registered health physics technician with over 25 years of experience in the applied health physics arena, joined the staff of our Nuclear Services division in Tennessee.  Jeff has particular expertise in the areas of decommissioning, environmental remediation, radioactive waste management, and ALARA, having worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Hanford.  He will be managing field projects for us.  We look forward to offering Jeff's services to our clients as part of on-going working relationships.  If you would like to give him a call to say "hi", he can be reached at (865) 588-1693 or by e-mail.  Welcome aboard, Jeff!

August 11, 2005 - IEM Becomes Even More Active in the HPS - Just today we learned that Bill Thomas, Vice President of IEM's Consulting Division and located in our Ohio office, was re-appointed to the Summer School Committee and newly-appointed to the Legislation/Regulation Committee of the Health Physics Socity (HPS).  HPS President, Ruth McBurney, sent out her announcement letters just recently and we were thrilled to learn of Bill's appointments.  Bill served previously on the Summer School Committee and was the Chairman of that group in 2004.  When queried, he said "I am looking forward to working with the Committee for another term. The Summer Schools have been a great opportunity to review the details of a specific topic with the industry's experts."  This is Bill's first appointment to the Legislation Committee, which reviews current rules and regulations regarding radioactive materials , summarizes them, and provides technical comments to the Board of Directors of the HPS as well as  to the HPS membershp.  While slapping him on the back on this new appointment, Bill told us:  "I appreciate the opportunity to work on this Committee and to getting a look at draft or pending rules that may affect radioactive materials licenscees both in agreement states as well as those states regualted by the USNRC."  Congratulations Bill on these two appointments and thanks for your continued interest and efforts with our professional organization!  We look forward to occasional reports from you on how things are progressing on the Summer School and the Legislation/Regulation Committees.

June 23, 2005 - IEM Welcomes a New Employee - We are pleased to announce that Paul A. Szalinski, formerly an Advisory Scientist at the West Valley Nuclear Services Company in West Valley, New York, joined our Consulting Division senior staff on June 23, 2005. Paul is a Certified Health Physicist, a Certified Industrial Hygienist and a Certified Safety Professional with over 25 years of senior-level experience in these highly focused technical areas. He is particularly well-qualified in the following areas: OSHA, USDOE, and USNRC regulatory compliance; state department of health services regulatory development; and management of health physics, industrial safety, and industrial hygiene programs. Paul also brings special expertise in the areas of criticality safety and job pre-planning in high radiation zones, as well as the training and qualifications to address asbestos, noise and airborne environments (radiological and non-radiological) issues, as well as neutron monitoring and control procedures. And, in addition to his extensive large facility operations and decontamination and decommissioning expertise during his 16 years at West Valley, he also served as Chief of the Radiological Health Branch of the California Department of Health Services, and as a senior health physicist for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. We are proud to offer Paul's services to you as we know you will be as impressed as we are with his capabilities, his well-managed and precise approach to problem solving, and his level of professionalism that is second to none.  Don't hesitate to give Paul a call at his New York office if he can be of any business or technical assistance to you.  We're sure glad he is here.

May 31, 2005 - IEM Has a New Tennessee Office Address - We are pleased to announce that effective today, our Tennessee office has moved to a great new office/warehouse complex in West Knoxville.  Our new address is 6700 Baum Drive, Suite 19, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919, but our telephone number will remain the same at (865) 588-9180.  Alan Duff, the manager of that office, invites you to drop on by for a cup of coffee the next time you're in town. He would be glad to show you around.  For driving directions, just click on the "How to Reach IEM" button on the left side of this page.

May 28, 2005 - IEM Employee Honored for 10 Years of Company Service - We are pleased to announce that Alan Duff, the Vice President of IEM's Nuclear Services Division, received an award for 10 years of exemplary company service.  Alan joined the IEM team in 1995 and has been progressing through the ranks ever since.  The entire company congratulated him on this important milestone during our Annual Business Meeting, and acknowledged the important contributions he has made to our progress.  Congratulations, Alan!

April 2, 2005 - IEM Participates on National Academy of Sciences Committee - Late last year, Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office was appointed to the Committee on Review and Assessment of the Army Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Demilitarization Program for Workplace Monitoring, established by the National Research Council of the National Academies of Science. The Committee evaluated the impact of newly promulgated or proposed airborne limits for chemical nerve agents and mustard on the program of the U.S. Army Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Product. The commitee reviewed the airborne exposure limits recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and the monitoring technologies used for determining compliance with the AELs and recommend follow up actions to be taken by the U.S. Army.  Nice work, Bill!

January 18, 2005 - IEM Beefs Up Administration - We are pleased to announce that Ms. Leslie K. Selby has accepted the position of Office Manager in our Maryland office.  Leslie has over 20 years of experience in office and facility management, with particular expertise in business administration, customer satisfaction/interaction, scheduling and employee support services. In addition to her routine personnel coordination/support and administrative duties, she serves as the business point of contact for IEM's clients and she administers our Client Satisfaction Survey Program.  We are also pleased to announce that Ms. Cathryn N. Chang is IEM's new Accounting Manager. Cathryn also joined us in July when she took over our accounting program, financial reporting, and a host of other finance-related duties in our Maryland office. She is also our "point person" when it comes to review and oversight of all financial documents submitted to and transmitted from IEM, she reviews and approves contracts in regard to their financial and tax requirements, and she serves as the financial officer for major projects executed by IEM's Nuclear Services Division.  We are proud to offer Leslie's and Cathryn's services to our clients, and they are welcome additions to our organization.  Don't hesitate to get in touch with them on any IEM-related administrative or financial matter. Leslie can be reached at LKSelby@iem-inc.com, and Cathryn's e-mail address is CNChang@iem-inc.com.

August 11, 2004 - IEM Asked to Serve on AAHP Committee - Carol Berger of IEM's Maryland office was recently reappointed to another one-year term as Chair of the AAHP's Professional Standards and Ethics Committee, which is responsible for defining the Standards for Professional Responsibility for Certified Health Physicists, reviewing complaints about ethical practice prior to referral to the AAHP Executive Committee for review, and serving as the selection committee for the Joyce Davis Award.  Carol chaired this committee last year and is glad for a bit more time to complete the aggressive schedule she has set for herself and for her Committee compatriots.  The rest of us at IEM congratulate both Carol and Jay on their appointments to these important committee efforts, and their continuing willingness to serve the AAHP.

April 23, 2004 - IEM Chairs Radiation Advisory Board - We are pleased to announce that Bill Thomas, Vice President of IEM's Consulting Division, was elected to serve as the Chair of the Ohio Radiation Advisory Council (RAC) for 2004. Bill was appointed to the RAC by Governor Taft in 2002 and has served on the radioactive waste and the radioactive materials committee since then. Bill currently serves as the chair of the Council's radioactive waste committee. The RAC advises and consults with the public health council in the development of rules to safely handle radioactive materials and radiation producing machines, and provides advice and consults with the director of the Ohio Department of Health concerning the administration, implementation, and enforcement of the radiation protection programs for licensees in Ohio. The Council also consults with the Department of Health in the development of inspection criteria, procedures, and guidelines to be used in the radiation control program. This is a great honor for Bill, and he is looking forward to successful completion of his term of service on this important advisory Council.

March 30, 2004 - IEM Attends ORMUG Seminar - Bill Thomas, the Vice President of IEM's Consulting Division, attended a seminar hosted by the Ohio Radiation Management and User's Group (ORMUG). During the seminar, representatives from the Ohio Bureau of Radiation Protection (Ohio Department of Health) summarized the activities for the major departments at the Bureau and provided a summary of key issues regarding radioactive materials and radiation protection. There were representatives from the Ohio Radiation Advisory Council to discuss the status of new regulations begin developed by Ohio related to radioactive materials and radiation producing machines. Overall, the meeting was well attended by licensees and a useful tool to stay current about changes in Ohio requirements.  Mr. Bob Owen, Chief of the Bureau of Radiation Protection, discussed the changes in the bureau and challenges that are being addressed. Bob announced that Mike Snee was promoted to a program administrator for technical support for the Bureau. Mr. Snee will serve as the radiation safety officer for the Bureau and coordinate the development of procedures for the Bureau. The Bureau has added equipment to provide support to local officials or licensees in the event of an radiation emergency. Mr. Eric Denison described the equipment that is now available and provided a tour of the truck and equipment trailer. Mr. Owen explained that regulations had been approved related to radioactive waste, radioactive material as well as radiation generating equipment. In 2003, Ohio promulgated a rule to establish an Assured Isolation Facility (AIF); a rule of this type is the first in the nation and may serve as a model for the future practices established by the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD). The Radiation Advisory Council (RAC) is working on the regulations related to the human use of radioactive materials for treatment and diagnosis of illness; the rules are similar to the rules promulgated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 10 CFR 35. The RAC is also working on the rules that apply to a commercial waste disposal facility. The RAC recently completed rules related to industrial radiography as well as fluoroscopy equipment. Mr. Owen reminded the attendees to visit the ODH web page to stay current on rules and regulations that are proposed as well as final rules.  There were several presentation on security of radioactive materials and how the requirements for security are changing. These rules are more stringent for large sources of radioactive materials. Three different speakers reminded the audience that the security of sources and loose material should be reviewed; there should be at least two separate levels of security for any source of radioactive materials. A single lock on a door may not be sufficient for storage. Each licencee should evaluate their situation and verify that radioactive material is not available to unauthorized persons. Mr. Dan Swanson and Mr. Brad Keck from ORMUG discussed an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) that was issued by the USEPA in November, 2003 (68 FR 65119, Nov 18, 2003). The EPA is soliciting comments from the public as well as Agreement states about the disposal of low activity mixed waste in approved RCRA landfills. The goal of the Advanced Notice is to provide the regulatory framework to manage the mixed waste and improve the characterization of such waste. Mr. Swanson explained that the EPA may pursue the rule if the public and the State agencies demonstrate support for such an approach. The EPA is looking for information to develop technical and economic analysis. The public comment period will close on May 17, 2004. Both Mr. Swanson and Mr. Keck encouraged the attendees to review the ANPR and provide comments to the EPA.  If you have any questions about what transpired during the meeting, don't hesitate to give Bill a call.

July 21-25, 2003 - IEM Attends Health Physics Society Meeting - During the week of July 21, 2003, IEM employees Bill Thomas and Carol Berger attended the annual meeting of the Health Physics Society in San Diego, California.  The "hot topics" (excuse the pun!) for the session were radiological emergency response, homeland security, dirty bombs, and weapons of mass destruction (WMD).  The key issues and some interesting items we learned while there will be summarized in the next edition of the IEM e-Newsletter, scheduled for publication before the end of the month.  In addition, we will be calling our clients shortly on matters that are specific to their operations.  If you have a particular question, or if you just want to "chit chat" about the meeting, don't hesitate to give Bill or Carol a call.

February 4, 2003 - IEM Booklet on Annual Program Audits Becomes Available - Carol Berger and Bill Thomas, of IEM's Maryland and Ohio offices, have prepared a brief primer entitled Radiation Protection Program Audits: Maximizing Their Benefits. This 26-page booklet was prepared to assist radioactive material users who are obliged to evaluate the status and implementation of their radiation protection programs at least annually, in understanding the audit process and how to achieve the greatest benefit from it. While the booklet is geared towards new radiation safety officers or individuals who have been recently appointed to that role but don't have much of a background in the field, there is something useful for almost anyone who must comply with federal or state requirements for annual program audits. The topics include a brief discussion on why program audits are so important, how to effectively set up and implement an audit of your own program, a listing of those topics that should be addressed during the audit, and where you find personnel who are "outside" of your own program to assist you in the evaluations. There is even an example "Finding Report" and an example checklist.. [If you would like your own electronic copy of this booklet, just give IEM a call and we will forward one to you.]

January 3, 2003 - IEM Prepares Guidance Document for Remediation Contractors - Carol Berger, of IEM's Maryland office, recently completed a document entitled Radioactive Materials at the Job Site: Practical Advice for Demolition and Environmental Contractors.  The intent of the booklet is to provide practical and sound advice to remediation contractors who have encountered or who may pursue work with a radiological component. Included therein is a useful primer on basic radiological concepts, information on where radioactivity is typically found at job sites, who regulates it, radiation-related risks put into perspective, and a series of practical recommendations that no firm should ignore. [If you would like your own electronic copy of this new document, just give IEM a call and we will forward one to you.]

September 17, 2002 - IEM Attends Ohio Radioactive Materials User Group - Bill Thomas of IEM Ohio recently attended the Ohio Radioactive Materials User Group (ORMUG) annual meeting in Columbus. There were several speakers that addressed emergency preparedness and the response to a radiological emergency. Ohio's Lieutenant Governor Maureen O'Connor opened the session with the results of the Ohio's Homeland Security task force and the plans that have been implemented since the events of September 11, 2001. Representatives of the Ohio Department of Health reported on recent developments regarding regulations to license an assured isolation facility to store radioactive waste for a period less than 100 years. The recommendations are expected to be released from the technical committee and submitted to the Radiation Advisory Council for consideration. If approved, they will be submitted to the Public Health Council for consideration as Ohio regulations. Another presentation was given by the ODH regarding medical uses of radioactive materials. Ohio is beginning the process to implement the requirements established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 10 CFR 35. ODH reported that they expected the Ohio rules to be in effect by 2004. If you are interested some of the details, please don't hesitate to give Bill a call.  He would be glad to provide you with specific references and background information.

September 17, 2002 - IEM Elected to Citizen's Advisory Council - The Citizen's Advisory Council (CAC) elected Mr. Bill Thomas to serve as the chair for the 2003 fiscal year. The Citizen's Advisory Council (CAC) is a standing committee of the Utility Radiological Safety Board as part of its public education and outreach mandate. The mission of the CAC is to advise the Utility Radiological Safety Board of Ohio on factors affecting the safety of existing nuclear power facilities, including, but not limited to emergency planning, public health and environmental impacts. The CAC members represent the citizens of Ohio and the operations of Davis- Besse, Perry, and Beaver Valley nuclear power plants. The CAC studies issues ranging from the radiation protection programs for both nuclear facilities as well as environmental protection. They report their findings as recommendations to the URSB for further action.  Congratulations, Bill!

September 13, 2002 - IEM Joins Ohio Radiation Advisory Council - Ohio Governor Bob Taft appointed Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office to the Radiation Advisory Council (RAC) for a term ending in 2005. The RAC advises and consults with Ohio's Public Health Council in the development of guidelines for the safe use of radioactive materials for both commercial and institutional applications. The guidelines are ultimately approved by Public Health Council and become the regulations which apply to licensees in Ohio. Ohio became an agreement state in 1999. Bill currently serves on two subcommittees for the RAC, the radioactive materials and the radioactive waste subcommittees.  We all look forward to learning more about the direction Ohio will be taking on radiological issues, so that we can better assist licensees within that state.

September 9, 2002 - IEM Accepts Committee Appointment for the Waste Management Symposium - Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office has accepted a position on the Environmental Remediation technical committee for the Waste Management Symposium. The conference is hosted by the University of Arizona and sponsored by the American Nuclear Society, New Mexico State University and other technical organizations. Topics selected for the symposium in 2003 will be presented through technical papers involving research, development, and operational experience in nuclear waste, mixed waste, hazardous waste, mill tailings, environmental remediation, waste management, and decommissioning. It is expected that 68 technical sessions will present more than 600 technical papers. Bill will join the technical committee to review abstracts and provide support during the symposium. More information is provided at the web page, http://www.wmsym.org/wm03/index.html, and by IEM, once the conference is over.

July 22, 2002 - New IEM Division Director and Office Manager - IEM employee Alan Duff has assumed the position of Director of our Nuclear Services Division and manager of IEM's Tennessee office.  (The Nuclear Services Division operates as a compliment to our consulting capability by providing all of the support services and on-site project management for major client initiatives.  The responsibilities of the Division and its Director include, but are not limited to, turn-key decontamination and decomissioning of nuclear facilities - including the preparation of all planning documentation, characterization surveys and sampling, facilty and equipment decontamination, final status survey performance,waste packaging/transport/disposal coordination, routine facility surveillance services, emergency response, leak testing of sealed sources, instrument rental, employee monitoring services for internal and/or external exposures, training, and a host of other applied health physics operations.)  Because of Alan's many years of experience in delivering these types of services and in managing personnel with all levels of technical and administrative skill, he is ideally suited to lead the Nuclear Services Division and to manage IEM's Tennessee office, which is where the Division resides.  When asked to comment on his appointment, Alan replied:  "I am honored to have been selected as the Director of IEM's Nuclear Services Division and I look forward to the many challenges ahead. I will strive to maintain the high quality of products and services that is characteristic of IEM, and I am confident that our recognition as the "go to" company for difficult problems involving radiation and radioactivity will continue to rise."  All of us at IEM extend our best wishes to Alan as he assumes this important management position, and we stand ready to serve at his direction.  Congratulations, Alan!

June 24, 2002 - In Memorium - IEM mourns the loss of Brian Kelly, who passed away on June 24, 2002 after a brief illness and a valiant struggle.  As one of the company's founders, his contribution to IEM's operations are firmly fixed, and his spirit will remain a permanent part of our organization for many years to come.  We also extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Nancy, and to his sons Brian and Thomas.  Brian will be sorely missed by many.  [Please don't hesitate to give IEM a call if we can answer any questions.]

March 18, 2002 - IEM Appointed to Two Ohio Advisory Committees - Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office was just appointed to two of the Ohio Department of Health's Radiation Advisory Council committees.  He will be serving as the Health Physicist Representative to the "Radioactive Waste Committee", and to the "Radioactive Materials Committee".  His term of office began on March 1, 2002, and it expires on February 28, 2003.  We are thrilled with Bill's appointment to these important committees for a number of reasons, including the fact that it is a clear acknowledgement of his outstanding technical reputation in the topical areas of radioactive waste and radioactive materials throughout this regulatory agency.  In addition, his participation will keep IEM as current as possible on regulatory and strategic issues active or pending within the State of Ohio that might have ramifications for our clients.  And of course we are certain that the mission of the Radiation Advisory Council, which includes reviewing new and modified regulations, will be greatly facilitated because of Bill's input. Congratulations Bill!

March 14, 2002 - IEM Contributes to the ANL Decommissioning Course - On this date, Brian Kelly, a principal of IEM, was invited to deliver a number of classes as part of the Argonne National Laboratory course on Decontamination and Decommissioning in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The topics of his lectures were "Successful Site and Facility Characterizations", "Final Status Surveys/License Termination", "Case Study - Decommissioning Under USEPA Guidelines", and "Case Study - Small Industrial Facility Decommissioning".  It was a busy day, but Brian's presentations were well-received, and he came home with some insights as to decommissioning and regulatory issues being faced by others.  Because this ANL-sponsored course is so popular, it is offered a number of times each year.  So keep your eye on the "Important News" section of the IEM webpage ("Upcoming Events") for the next course announcement. If your facility is soon to undergo the decommissioning process, and even if you are well under way towards license termination, this is one that you will not want to miss as it is filled with helpful hints, lessons learned, and a chance to share decommissioning experiences with the instructors and the other participants.

November 7, 2001 - IEM Decommissioning Experitise Remains in Demand - Brian Kelly, a principal of IEM, was again asked to lecture at the Argonne National Laboratory "Decommissioning and Decontamination of Small Nuclear Facilities" course in Augusta, Georgia.  Brian gave three lectures that included a review of final status survey issues and two case studies (challenging decommissioning projects from beginning to end). The students also received a copy of IEM's new primer on decommiissioning advice. [If you would like to receive a copy of Brian's viewgraphs from his lectures, just give IEM a call and we will forward them to you.  In addition, if you would like an electronic (PDF) copy of the primer, drop a line to the Director of our "Cost-Conscious Decommissioning Program. ]

October 30, 2001 - IEM Addresses Decommissioning Issues - Brian Kelly and Carol Berger, principals of IEM, have just completed a document entitled "Decommissioning: Advice for Staying Ahead During a Challenging Process".  This 45-page booklet was prepared to assist state or federal licensees that wants to terminate their radioactive materials license but that are unfamiliar with the decommissioning process. It is also useful for licensees that simply wish to remove one or more permanent restricted areas or buildings from their existing radioactive materials license.  Its intent is to provide practical and sound advice to the licensee about the various steps involved in the decommissioning process before significant funds and resources are committed. Addressed therein is guidance on regulatory interactions and how to make them work with you, scoping the decommissioning effort, executing work plans, final status survey considerations, terminating the license, managing decommissioning trust funds, and things to keep in mind when securing sources of ancillary expertise.  If you would like to receive a free electronic (PDF) copy of the booklet, simply contact the Director of our "Cost-Conscious Decommissioning Program.  He will get a copy off to you right away.]

September 20, 2001 - IEM is "Up to the Challenge" - Alex Boerner of IEM's Tennessee office won the second annual "Chapter Challenge" conducted as part of the annual picnic festivities sponsored by the East Tennessee Chapter of the Health Physics Society (ETCHPS). The Chapter Challenge is a series of questions designed to - you guessed it - challenge each contestant in their knowledge of health physics topics. For attaining the highest score, Alex received an engraved trophy which is his to showcase for an entire year  . . . or at least until he returns to defend his title next year! Alex is pleased to follow in the footsteps of the current President-elect of the National Health Physics Society and ETCHPS member, Dr. John Frazier, who won the inaugural event.

July 30, 2001 - IEM Welcomes New Employee - The principals of IEM are pleased to announce that Mr. J. Robert Merkel, former Radiation Control Supervisor at the K-25 Plant and senior health physics technician at Brookhaven National Laboratory, joined the staff of our Tennessee office.  Robb has over 14 years of experience in nuclear safety and health physics program implementation at facilities ranging from large government laboratories to commercial nuclear power plants.  We are particularly pleased to have him join us because of his experience in decontamination and decommissioning, waste management, and project coordination.  We look forward to offering Robb's services to our clients as part of our on-going working relationships.  If you would like to give him a call to say "hi", he can be reached at (865) 531-9140.  Its great to have you with us, Robb!

July 1, 2001 - IEM's Maryland Office is "On the Move" - On this date, our Maryland office moved from its existing location in Rockville to one of the historic office buildings in Old Town Gaithersburg. While the moving process is never fun, and while we were somewhat stressed during the brief but inevitable disruption, the change in venue has given us the additional room that we need, as well as a much more convenient location. So get out your address books . . . effective July 1, 2001, the new address for the Maryland office is 8 Brookes Avenue, Suite 205, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877.  The office telephone number is (240) 631-8990.

June 11, 2001 - IEM Staff Member Monitors Exam Process in Oak Ridge - Alex Boerner, of IEM's Tennessee office, was the lead proctor for the American Board of Health Physics (ABHP) certification exams held on the campus of Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. For those interested folks, Part 1 of the exam is three hours in duration, while Part 2 runs for six hours - a long day indeed for the proctors, but even longer for the examinees! Alex congratulates the efforts of the eleven candidates who took one or both exams at this location, and wishes them good luck!  He also thanks CHPs Betty Slaten, Mark McHugh, and Dave Hall, who served as assistant proctors during the exam.  He couldn't have done it without them!

June 4-8, 2001 - IEM Employee Serves as Administrative Dean and Examination Proctor - Bill Thomas, of IEM's Ohio office, served as Administrative Dean of the Health Physics Society's annual Summer School which was held at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio. The Academic Dean was Dr. Herman Cember from Purdue University. The Summer School was attended by 69 students and the classes were presented by 19 instructors. This year, the Summer School topic, "Radiation Instruments", included the elements of selecting, calibrating and maintaining the wide variety of radiation instruments that are available to the practicing health physicist. The students reviewed the correct techniques for completing an effective radiation survey and characterizing potential radiological hazards. Representatives from a variety of industries made presentations that were specific to instrument use in nuclear power, medical and research facilities. Several addressed the radiation surveys that should be performed during facility decommissioning. When the session ended, many of the students then traveled a little farther west to the attend the HPS's annual meeting. The American Radiation Safety Conference and Exposition was held at the Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and was attended by health physicists and radiation safety officers from all across the nation as well as representatives from international organizations also. Bill made his way to the meeting as well, and served as one of the proctors for the American Board of Health Physics's Certification exam. (Bill wishes every one of the candidates who took the exam the best of luck!) Please feel free to contact Bill about the Summer School and the important information that was presented. In addition, the Summer School committee published the proceedings of the presentations, and has made copies available for sale from the Health Physics Society (www.hps.org). And in case you're interested, the committee also announced that the topic for 2002 will be "Internal Dosimetry", with classes being held on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

March 3, 2001 - Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony - IEM held its annual meeting and awards ceremony in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 3rd.  Recipients of this year's awards were Alex Boerner, Bill Thomas, and Alan Duff. Congratulations to each of them!

February 8 and 13, 2001 - IEM Leads Internal Dosimetry Review Class - Carol Berger, a principal of IEM, lectured (February 8th) and lead a problem-solving session  (February 13th) on the topic of internal dosimetry for the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society 's Certification Review Course.  The class was held at the Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.  While the topics she presented were designed for candidates for Part I and/or Part II of the ABHP exam,  they were also of interest to other radiation protection professionals  who simply wanted to learn more about this fascinating aspect of radiation protection.  Each participant was provided with a hand-out package that included copies of Carol's viewgraphs and sample exam questions (and answers). [Just give IEM a call if you would like a free copy of the hand-out materials, or if you would like to try your hand at taking a short quiz on internal dosimetry topics.]

January 2, 2001 - IEM Staff Member Receives AAHP Committee Appointment - Carol Berger, a principle of IEM, learned recently that she was appointed to the Professional Standards and Ethics Committee of the American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP).  Her appointment is for a three-year period beginning in 2001.  The Professional Standards and Ethics committee is responsible for defining the standards for professional responsibility for Certified Health Physicists, and for reviewing all complaints about ethical practice referred to it by the Executive Committee.  When asked about the appointment, Carol said:  "It is an honor to have been selected for membership on this important AAHP Committee.  Because I am a true believer in ethical practice of health physics, I look forward to working with the other committee members and Chairperson, Dr. Otto Raabe, in ensuring the highest level of professional responsibility by all CHPs."  We at IEM congratulate Carol on this important appointment. 

December 19, 2000 - IEM Participates on Citizen's Advisory Board and is Elected to Office - On this date, Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio Office attended the Citizen's Advisory Council (CAC) to the Ohio Utility Radiological Safety Board in Bellville, Ohio. (Bill was appointed to the CAC in July, 2000 as a representative of the non power industry. For your information, the mission of the CAC is to advise the Utility Radiological Safety Board of Ohio on measures and factors affecting the safety of existing nuclear power facilities, including, but not limited to plant design, operations, management, emergency planning, public health and environmental impacts, and regulatory standards and policies.) During the meeting, a report was provided to the members of the CAC by representatives by the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency for activities at the Davis Besse and Perry Nuclear Power plants. The CAC also revised and approved the rule changes regarding the operation of the CAC related to the representation of the Council and the number of members. Bill then gave a brief history of the Ohio Low Level Radioactive Waste Facility Development Authority and the facilities available to Ohio Radioactive materials licensees for waste disposal. (Bill served on the Board of Directors of the Development Authority in 1996 and 1997.) Shortly thereafter, Bill was elected the chairman of the CAC for the calendar year of 2001. His duties will include organizing and scheduling the CAC meetings, developing the agenda for each meeting; coordinating with the facilitating agency for meeting topics and presenters, and attending the Utility Radiological Safety Board (Board) meetings as a representative of the CAC.  [IEM congratulates Bill on this important appointment, and we wish him success in the execution of his responsibilities as Chair of the CAC.]

October 19, 2000 - IEM Writes Medical Guidance Document - Three employees of IEM, Carol Berger, Brian Kelly and Bill Thomas, recently completed a document entitled A Primer on Radiation and Radioactivity for Hospital Administrators.  They prepared this 45-page booklet in response to the steadily increasing regulatory action and penalties that are being imposed on hospitals that use radioactivity and radiation-producing machines.  The cause is believed to be the specialized nature of this often unfamiliar technical topic, the real and perceived risks associated with radiation, the potential for liability (i.e., litigation and adverse publicity) that an improper or poorly-defined program can bring, and the need to maximize the availability of patient care services while keeping costs to a practical minimum.  To date, not only hospital administrators, but medical directors and others associated with health maintenance and preferred provider organizations have solicited copies of the booklet.  Included therein are the basic concepts of radiation and radioactivity, where they are typically found, what their risks are, who regulates them, guidance on the design of an effective radiation safety organization, how to implement a manageable compliance program, how to avoid the "bad press" and legal scrutiny that frequently accomjpanies adverse regulatory action, and how to maintain cost-effectiveness.  Not only is the booklet written for non-technical audiences, but it provides significant assistance in evaluating nuclear medicine and radiology programs in light of the guidelinhes published by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).  [If you would like your own electronic copy of this new document, just give IEM a call and we will forward one to you.]

September 12, 2000 - New York Times Quotes IEM - Brian Kelly, a principal of IEM, was interviewed for a news article that appeared in the Science section of the September 12th edition of the New York Times.  At issue was sources of information made available to members of the general public after incidents involving or potentially involving radioactive materials.  The focus of the article was the wildfires that occurred recently near the Department of Energy laboratory at Los Alamos, New Mexico.  IEM's "Ask A CHP" section of the web page was seen as a useful and easy-to-understand source of information for people who just felt uncomfortable with the information issued by the Department of Energy.  To review an electronic copy of the article, just give IEM a call and we will forward one to you.

August 7, 2000 - IEM Sponsors Hole in Golf Tournament - On this great summer day, the Wetlands Institute held its Annual Golf Tournament at the Blue Heron Pines Golf Club in New Jersey.  IEM sponsored one of the holes for this tournament, held to raise funds for the Institute, a not-for-profit, apolitical organization dedicated to public education and research on coastal wetlands and coastal ecology.  Founded in the late sixties, the Wetlands Institute hosts thousands of school children each year who have hands-on experiences in a 34-acre outdoor lab.  It also offers mini-ecology classes to school children during the summer months, conducts classess and lectures for adults, brings together approximatley 25 student/interns each summer for the conduct of the Institute's research activities, and more.  IEM is proud of our participation in the tournament and our contribution to the Institute's mission of "promoting an appreciation and understanding of the vital role wetlands and coastal ecosystems play in the survival of life on this planet".  To learn more about the Wetlands Institute and its activities, please visit the organization's website.

August 7, 2000 - IEM Appointed to Advisory Council- Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office was recently appointed to the Utility Radiological Safety Board of Ohio's Citizen Advisory Council (CAC). The purpose of the URSB is to develop a comprehensive policy for the state regarding nuclear power, with objectives of promiting safe, reliable, and economical power and recommending policies and practices that promote safety, performance, emergency preparedness, and public health standards that are designed to meet Ohio's needs.  The current Chairperson of the URSB is Mr. James R. Williams (Ohio Emergency Management Agency), and the Vice-Chair is Mr. J. Nick Baird, MD (Ohio Department of Health).  The CAC was formed by the URSB in 1990 as part of its public education and outreach mandate. Its purpose is "To advise the Utility Radiological Safety Board of Ohio on measures and factors affecting the safety of existing nuclear power facilities, including, but not limited to plant design, operations, management, emergency planning, public health and environmental impacts, and regulatory standards and policies."  The membership of the CAC is broad based to ensure the URSB member agencies are aware of and responsive to the concerns of the citizens of Ohio, and links the interests of the citizens of Ohio, and the operations of the Davis-Besse, Perry, and Beaver Valley nuclear power plants.  Bill is honored to have been selected for this important appointment, and looks forward to serving the URSB and the citizens of Ohio.  To learn more about the CAC and what Bill has learned as he interacts with its members and with the URSB, please do not hesitate to drop him a line or give him a call.

July 31-August 4, 2000 - IEM "Double Teams" Participants in Decommissioning Course - On August 1, 2000, Carol Berger, a principal of IEM, delivered a class entitled "Successful Site and Facility Characterizations" during the Argonne National Laboratory course on "Decontamination and Decommissioning of Research Reactors and Other Small Nuclear Facilities", held at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia. Then on August 2, 2000, IEM's other prinicipal, Brian Kelly, delivered three more classes entitled "Final Status Surveys/License Termination", "Case Study - Decommissioning Under USEPA Guidelines", and "Case Study - Small Industrial Facility Decommissioning" (whew!). From other instructors, the course participants also learned about decommissioning strategies, estimating decommissioning costs, health and safety during decommissioning, waste management, preparation of decommissioning plans, some decontamination technologies, some dismantling technologies, and they took a tour of the University of Virginia Research Reactor. This excellent course will be offered again some time in the fall. Keep your eye on the "Important News" section of the IEM webpage ("Upcoming Events") for the course announcement. If your facility is soon to undergo the decommissioning process, and even if you are well under way towards license termination, this course is one that you will not want to miss as it is filled with helpful hints, lessons learned, and a chance to share decommissioning experiences with the instructors and the other participants. [If you would like to receive a copy of either Carol's or Brian's viewgraphs from their presentations, just give IEM a call and we will forward the set of interest to you.]

June 26, 2000 - IEM Supports ABHP Certification Exam - Today Alex J. Boerner of IEM's Knoxville, Tennessee office, co-proctored Part 1 of the American Board of Health Physics (ABHP) certification exam. The exam was administered in nearby Oak Ridge. Candidates who pass two separate exams (Part 1 and Part 2) become Certified Health Physicists! Alex and all the rest of us at IEM wish all of the candidates taking these exams the best of luck in accomplishing this important milestone in their health physics careers.

March 21, 2000  - Term of Office Ends - Alex Boerner, of IEM's Tennessee office, completed his term as President of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Health Physics Society (ETCHPS). During the annual business meeting that was held this evening in Oak Ridge, Alex received the famous "gavel plaque" in appreciation for his efforts on behalf of the Chapter.  In receiving the plaque, Alex expressed his thanks to the membership for the opportunity to serve, and promised to continue to actively support the ETCHPS in the future.  We at IEM are proud of the important contribution Alex has made to this professional organization, and that we now have three ETCHPS Past-Presidents on our staff!

March 7, 2000 - IEM Tutors ABHP Candidates on Internal Dosimetry - Carol Berger, a principal of IEM, lectured on "Important Internal Dosimetry Concepts" at the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society 's Certification Review Course in Washington, D.C., with participants from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and Lisle, Illinois joining in by "teleconference".  The topics she presented were designed for the Health Physicist planning to take Part I and/or Part II of the ABHP exam,  but they were also of interest to other radiation protection professionals  who simply wanted to learn more about this fascinating aspect of radiation protection.  The three-hour evening session included a problem-solving and a question/answer period, and each participant was provided with a hand-out package that included copies of Carol's viewgraphs and sample exam questions (and answers).  Just give IEM a call if you would like a free copy of the hand-out materials.

March 3, 2000 - IEM Employees Complete Annual HAWOPER Refresher - Bill Thomas of IEM's Ohio office was the instructor during a review the OSHA standard on Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) that took place at IEM headquarters. (In case you do not know him, Bill is both a Certified Industrial Hygienist and a Certified Health Physicist, and has been delivering HAZWOPER training for quite a number of years now.) In order keep their OSHA 1910 training current, each of our employees must review the standard, found in 29 CFR 910.120, and the procedures and equipment commonly used during hazardous waste operations at least once per year. Bill's course satisfied that requirement. However, because radioactive materials are generally encountered on most IEM projects, the training Bill delivered was IEM's combination training course that addressed radiological issues as well as the HAZWOPER standard, the Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), Hearing Conservation (29 CFR 1910.95), and Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134). Bill emphasized the consequences of exposure to radioactivity and hazardous chemicals as well methods for limiting one's exposure using both administrative and engineering controls. Personal protective equipment of the type that is commonly encountered on IEM job sites were demonstrated, with examples of both EPA Level A and B combinations. Finally, the eight hour course covered the means of preventing common injuries, including heat stress and back strains. Each student received a syllabus, written in sufficient detail to serve as a reference at field sites over the next year. If you are interested in receiving combination training, please visit the "About IEM" section of the web page, under the category of "Special Services" to learn more. Or feel free to give IEM a call for further details.

November 2, 1999 - IEM Coordinates NRRPT Review Course - Alex Boerner of IEM's Tennessee office and the current President of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Health Physics Society (ETCHPS) just completed his tenure as coordinator of a training course for individuals preparing to take the National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists (NRRPT) exam. Successful candidates must pass a 150 question multiple choice exam prior to achieving registration through the NRRPT. The course was offered through the ETCHPS and emphasized topics covered in Dan Gollnick's textbook, Basic Radiation Protection Technology. Alex would like to sincerely thank all the course instructors who assisted him in the presentation of course lectures and wishes the very best to all those who have dedicated themselves to passing this challenging test!

October 12, 1999 - IEM and the University of Findlay Advisory Board, National Center of Excellence for Environmental Management - Bill Thomas, of IEM's Ohio office, participated in the fall meeting of the National Advisory Board for the University of Findlay and their Environmental Management program. (The University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio has both bachelor's degrees and graduate programs in Environmental Management. They also host individual training classes for commercial and government organizations in the technical areas of environmental management and hazardous waste operations.) Mr. Thomas has served on the National Advisory Board since 1998.  During the October 12th meeting, there were a variety of topics that were discussed including the recent grant awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency for $2.2 million. The University will expand its program to teach high school science teachers about environmental, safety and health issues in general with a special focus on adolescent worker safety. The University expects to train at least 1,500 teachers over a two year period.  If you would like more information about this advisory board and its mission, please give Bill a call.

August 18-19, 1999 - IEM Testifies at Oil and Gas Board Hearing - Carol Berger, a principle of IEM, gave testimony at a hearing held by the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board to address a proposed revision to an existing disposal rule.  The proposed revisions include criteria and regulatory guidance for disposal of the naturally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM) that are sometimes associated with oilfield exploration and production activities by the methodology of "landspreading".  The proposed rule would permit discrete deposits of NORM to be landspread within the surface layers of soil such that the residual radioactivity concentration is less than that permitted by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in (40 CFR 192) and by the Mississippi Department of Radiological Health (Section 801.N).  Built into the rule are a number of safeguards to ensure that the concentration criteria are met, and that any potential for impact on the groundwater is minimized or eliminated.  Carol testified that the proposed rule was indeed consistent with all state and federal regulations, that it was technically sound, and that it could be readily implemented by those who would be subject to its direction.  In addition, she testified that because the permissible soil concentrations after landspreading is complete are consistent with those that would be considered releasable for unrestricted use by State and Federal Agencies, and because the maximum possible doses incurred by hypothetical members of the general public would be a small fraction of the range of natural background exposures throughout the United States, the rule was highly protective of people and the environment.  Contestants, on the other hand, testified that "any radiation dose, no matter how small, is harmful", and that the proposed rule would turn the State of Mississippi into a "hazardous nuclear waste dump".  It remains to be seen how the Board will rule.  We are hopeful that common sense and sound science will prevail over emotion and rhetoric.  IEM will summarize the hearing and its outcome in a future edition of the IEM e-Newsletter.  If you are interested, we invite you to press the red "IEM Newsletters" category on the left for a subscription form for this free monthly publication.

June 27, 1999 - IEM Delivers Quality Assurance Training - Mr. Alex Boerner of IEM's Tennessee office delivered a Professional Enrichment Program (PEP) course entitled "ISO-lating the Requirements for Quality Internal Dosimetry (or Applying ISO 9000 Concepts to Internal Dose Programs)". The talk, given in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was essentially divided into three parts: An overview of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and its worldwide role in the standards settings process, a walk-through of the "thought process" involved in establishing (or modifying) an internal dosimetry program, and a case study where the individual components of a hypothetical internal dosimetry program were evaluated by the class participants and a "quality" assessment of this program's merits conducted. If you are interested in a copy of the PEP handout, or if you are interested in how to apply ISO concepts to other radiation safety program issues, just give Alex a call . He's at your service!

June 27-July 1, 1999 - IEM Participates in Professional Society Meeting - Alex Boerner, CHP, of IEM's Knoxville office, attended the annual meeting of the National Health Physics (HPS) Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to Alex:

"There were several interesting sessions at the meeting. Two in particular included the opening plenary session on "Radiation Regulations in the New Millenium" and an all-day special session sponsored by the American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) entitled "U.S.-Russian Joint Radiation Health Effects Studies in the Southern Urals". The former session was highlighted by the appearance of the commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Greta Dicus) and representatives of the Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD). Each speaker relayed their respective agency perspectives on this important topic and agreed that harmonizing the regulations between agencies was a worthwhile goal but difficult to achieve. The latter session highlighted radiation exposures to occupational workers and the general population working in or residing around the former Mayak nuclear weapons reprocessing facility particularly during its "heyday" in the late 1940's and 1950's. The magnitude of the doses received during that time frame was indeed remarkable. For those interested in this legacy of the cold war, session papers should appear in an upcoming Health Physics Journal. If you can't wait, a keyword search on the internet awaits you. I suggest you type in the word "Mayak" for starters!"

Don't hesitate to give Alex a call if you would like to learn more about what transpired in Philadelphia. He can also tell you more about a proposed name change for future meetings, and the annual meeting of HPS chapter council representatives.

June 8, 1999 - IEM Attends Agreement State Seminar - Bill Thomas, of IEM's Ohio office, attended a seminar presented by the Ohio Department of Health where the upcoming transition to agreement state was discussed. Presentations were made by the members of the Bureau of Radiation Protection and the Radiation Advisory Committee. (The Radiation Advisory Committee reports to the Department of Health with members appointed by the Governor. The Radiation Advisory Committee is tasked with developing the regulations to be implemented by the Bureau of Radiation Protection after the Agreement State status is authorized.) Here are just a few of Bill's comments on the seminar:

"Each presenter explained that the radiation protection program and licensing process is intended to mirror the current process established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They are apparently adopting USNRC regulatory guides and NUREG documents that pertain to licensing issues (i.e., NUREG 1556 Series), and using the same checklists and templates developed by the USNRC. Ohio also offered the ability to merge NARM licenses with byproduct licenses, reducing the expense of two sets of fees."

A number of focused presentations were made by a variety of individuals. These generally addressed the following topics: Licensing and Inspections; Rulemaking; Decommissioning; Radioactive Waste; NARM; and Incident Response.

Several of the presenters outlined differences in the Ohio rules that may require changes in some existing licensee programs. For example, Ohio did not adopt every requirement of 10 CFR 20, regarding radiation protection standards. Specifically, 10 CFR 20.1403 (d) discusses the licensee's ability to decommission a site under restricted use conditions, an option not available under Ohio regulation. The Bureau, on the other hand, recommended that each licensee review the proposed rules and discuss any "disconnects" with the licensing department. We were told that the goal of the department is to make this process easy for the licensee, while still incorporating the safety features the State of Ohio deems necessary to protect the environment and members of the public."

If you are interested in additional detail on this meeting, or some interpretation on whether the State of Ohio's current position might impact your operations after Agreement State status is achieved, please don't hesitate to give Bill a call. He can also assist you in securing copies of the handouts from the meeting.

June 6, 1999 - IEM Delivers AIHA-sponsored Course - Bill Thomas, of IEM's Ohio office, delivered a Professional Development Course entitled "Handling Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)" at the American Industrial Hygiene Association conference in Toronto, Canada. The course was designed to provide industrial hygienists with the information they will need to address problems they may encounter when naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are encountered in their work. Included were definitions of NORM, identification of predominant radioisotopes, reviews of industries where NORM is most likely to be encountered, discussions of activities that produce personnel exposures, a listing of NORM parameters to monitor, and the regulation of NORM. The course also provides information on instrumentation used to measure NORM, including its selection, operation and calibration. A hands-on laboratory exercise, using the instruments, was also a part of Bill's presentation. If you would like additional information on this topic, or if you would like a copy of the handouts Bill prepared for the course participants, please do not hesitate to contact him.

June 4, 1999 - IEM Goes to Princeton to Lecture on Performing Final Status Surveys - Brian Kelly, a principal of IEM, gave a lecture entitled "Final Status Surveys" as part of a Decommissioning Training Short Course. The course was contracted by and delivered at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. In his lecture, Brian emphasized the purpose of Final Status Surveys, the different methodologies used for their performance, survey design considerations, how to execute the survey plan, special considerations applicable to pending decommissioning activities at Princeton, and some lessons learned during the performance of Final Status Surveys at other sites. The lecture was well-received by the course participants, and Brian spent quite a bit of time after his presentation addresssing person- specific questions. If you would like to learn more about this topic, or receive a copy of the handouts that were given to the course participants, just give IEM a call.

May 5, 1999 - IEM Instructs Future Auditors for the Department of Energy - Alex Boerner, from IEM's Tennessee office, traveled to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratoryduring the week of April 26-30, to co-instruct in the DOE-sponsored "Radiological Assessors Training (for Auditors and Inspectors), Applied Radiological Control" course. The course was attended by fourteen DOE and DOE contractor employees having responsibilities in the area of radiological assessment as it applied to implementing the recently amended 10 CFR Part 835 federal regulation "Occupational Radiation Protection".  The course consisted of classroom and practical field instruction. Classroom lectures focused initially on an in-depth review of Part 835, emphasizing the many changes that have occurred in this amended regulation. In addition, topics addressing particular radionuclides and devices common to DOE facilities were discussed including uranium, plutonium, tritium, radiation generating devices, and accelerators. Finally, practical information for conducting field assessments was presented. In preparation for conducting an onsite assessment of a hazardous waste management facility, a classroom mockup of a glove bag containment system was assembled and used by the course instructors during a role- playing "skit" designed to demonstrate both good and poor (mostly poor!) radiological work practices. Course participants were asked to record and discuss their findings and observations. The followup onsite assessment offered the participants (divided into two teams) an opportunity to assess an operational facility possessing hazardous (including radioactive) materials and to interview management and field radiological personnel. Results of this assessment were presented on the final day by each team member and categorized as to their importance relative to meeting Part 835 requirements. Following the successful completion of a course examination, each participant was awarded a certificate and a handshake for a job well done!  Don't hesitate to give Alex a call for more information on this interesting topic.

April 20, 1999 - IEM Participates in Professional Society Meeting - The East Tennessee Chapter of the Health Physics Society held a joint dinner and technical meeting with the local chapter of the American Nuclear Society on April 20, 1999. Alex Boerner of IEM's Knoxville office, and President of the ETCHPS, along with Dan Ingersoll, Chair of the ANS, announced their intentions to forge a closer relationship by exchanging respective meeting information and holding at least one joint meeting each year.

April 1, 1999 - IEM Lectures on Internal Dosimetry - Carol Berger, a principal of IEM, lectured on "Important Internal Dosimetry Concepts" at the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society 's Certification Review Course in Washington, DC.  The topics she presented were designed for the Health Physicist who plans to take Part I and/or Part II of the ABHP exam.  However, the information, the approach and concepts were intended to be of interest to other radiation protection professionals as well.  The three-hour evening session included a problem-solving and a question/answer period.  Each participant was provided with a hand-out package that included a glossary, a bibliography of recommended reading, and sample exam questions (and answers).  Just give IEM a call if you would like a free copy of the hand-out materials. 

March 16, 1999 - IEM Employee Assumes Office - Alex Boerner, of IEM's Knoxville, TN office, assumed the office of President of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Health Physics Society (ETCHPS) at the March 15 Annual Business Meeting. Alex had been serving as President-elect over much of the past year. He has several goals in mind during his one-year term and he promises to keep IEM's webpage readers apprised of ongoing activities!

January 21, 1999 - IEM Publishes Paper for Demolition Contractors - The November/December edition of Demolition and Environmental contractors (DEC) Magazine contains an article written by Alex J. Boerner, C.H.P. of IEM's Knoxville, Tennessee office. The title of the article is "Tackling the Demolition and Remediation Market when Radioactive Constituents are Involved". In the article are ways of identifying demolition opportunities, important considerations prior to contract award, what to do when you win the job, how to wind the job down in a well-managed fashion, and what kind of a project team is necessary when the contaminant is radioactivity.  If you would like to receive a free reprint of Alex's article, just give IEM a call.

January 15, 1999 - IEM Appointed to HPS Committee - Carol D. Berger, a principal of IEM, was asked to serve as a member of the Publications Committee of the Health Physics Society (HPS).  Her term on that committee will begin in June of 1999.  The Publications Committee provides oversight and input to the HPS Newsletter, the journal Health Physics, and the Society's web page.  "I'm looking forward to working with the other committee members on this important aspect of HPS operations. Communication with members and others through the Society's publications is a vital part of the mission."

November 20, 1998 - IEM  Invited for a Repeat Engagement at the ANL Decommissioning Course - Brian A. Kelly, a principal of IEM, was again asked to present a case history on decontamination and decommissioning of a small materials licensee. He delivered his presentation during the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Decommissioning Training Course entitled, "Decontamination and Decommissioning of Research Reactors and Other Small Nuclear Facilities". The key points raised by Mr. Kelly included (1) means of developing a sound technical basis for such things as clean-up criteria; (2) communications between and among all concerned parties (including regulators); and (3) that pre-planning and experience goes a long way in ensuring rapid and cost-effective attainment of decommissioning goals.  If you would like additional information about the course or a copy of the hand-outs Mr. Kelly prepared for the course, just give IEM a call.

October 28, 1998 - IEM Publishes Paper on Radiation Protection Program Challenges at Research and Educational Institutions - Carol Berger and Brian Kelly, principles of IEM, have written a paper entitled "Meeting the Challenge of a University Radiation Safety Program." It was prepared in response to the increasing regulatory oversight of research and educational programs and the difficulties that are now being created for university management and operational staff. These difficulties often arise because the university environment must maintain the freedom to conduct research, while regulators insist on stringent control over the use of radioactive material and radiation-producing machines. The intent of the paper is to provide practical and sound advice on how those responsible for radiation safety at a college or university might resolve this apparent contradiction. Included therein are insights into issues such as the radiation safety organization optimization and staff qualifications, licensing considerations, and ways of controlling work in a research environment.  Just call IEM to request a free reprint of this article.

September 29, 1998 - IEM Comments on Draft USNRC Regulatory Guide -Alex Boerner, C.H.P., of IEM's Knoxville, Tennessee office, prepared comments regarding Draft USNRC Regulatory Guide DG-8022, "Acceptable Programs for Respiratory Protection".  Mr. Boerner's comments were forwarded to the USNRC for consideration.  Specifically, they addressed Section 2.0 (ALARA Requirement), Section 2.2 (the findings of ALARA evaluations), Section 2.3 (exceptions to respirator ALARA requirements), Section 3.1 (Applicability), Section 3.4 (Surveys), Section 3.6 (inappropriate use of respirators), Section 5.3 (fit testing), and Section 5.4 (fit checks).  Please give IEM a call if you wish to review a copy of Mr. Boerner's comments and suggestions.

September 24, 1998 - IEM Presents Case History at Argonne National Laboratory  (ANL) Decommissioning Course - Brian A. Kelly, a principal of IEM, presented a case history on decontamination and decommissioning of a small materials licensee. The case history was presented as part of a course entitled "U.S. Department of Energy Decontamination and Decommissioning Training Course for the Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (CNEA) of Argentina", coordinated by the Argonne National Laboratory Decommissioning Group. The course was designed to provide Argentinian nuclear professionals with relevant U.S. experience in the D&D area. The key points raised by Mr. Kelly were (1) the need for a sound technical basis, particularly in the area of clean-up criteria; (2) the importance of good communications with regulators as the project proceeds; and (3) the recognition that unanticipated contamination types and locations commonly appear in characterization surveys, and should be considered in survey design. A package of supplemental information was also prepared.  If you would like additional information about the course or Mr. Kelly's presentation, or if you would like to receive a copy of his handout, just give IEM a call.

August 17, 1998 - IEM provides comments to Federal agency on proposed respiratory protection rule - In the July 17, 1998 edition of the Federal Register (63 FR 38511), the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued proposed changes to Subpart H of Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20, "Respiratory Protection and Controls to Restrict Internal Exposures". As an Agreement State licensee, IEM provided comments and recommendations to the USNRC on those aspects of the proposed rule that are of concern. The issues raised in IEM's letter from Carol Berger (President) and Brian Kelly (Chief Operations Officer) address the following: Operability testing, confirmatory bioassays; permitted but unassigned uses of respirators; disposable respirator use, and emergency response. Our response has been posted, with others, on the USNRC's rulemaking web page. Please give IEM a call if you wish to receive or review a paper copy of our response, or if we can be of any assistance to your facility on respiratory protection issues.

July 23, 1998 - IEM Employee Wins Important Professional Society Election - IEM congratulates Alex J. Boerner, C.H.P., of our Knoxville, Tennessee office, who was recently elected to the office of President-Elect of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Health Physics Society.  Alex will assume the office immediately.  His term will last until March of 1999, at which time he will automatically assume the office of President.  When asked his initial thoughts upon hearing of this new appointment, Mr. Boerner said: "I'm most appreciative of the honor, and I look forward to working with the Chapter on every one of their important ventures."  We at IEM are particularly proud of Alex and we look forward to receiving some insights in the field of health physics that will result from his participation in Executive Committee affairs.

May 27, 1998 - IEM Employee Elected to Office - Carol D. Berger, a principal of IEM, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society (BWCHPS).  Her term of office begins in the fall of 1998.  Upon hearing of her appointment, she said, "I am honored to serve the Chapter in this capacity, and I look forward to working with the other members of the Executive Committee on Chapter-related issues."  The BWCHPS is a large and active chapter, providing an annual Certification Review Course for those professionals planning to take the American Board of Health Physics Certification Examination, an annual Introduction to Health Physics Course geared primarily towards non-professionals and newcomers to the field of health physics, and Science Teacher Training Workshops for teachers in the surrounding county school systems.

March 30, 1998 - IEM Delivers a Lecture on Air Issues - Alex J. Boerner, C.H.P., of IEM's Knoxville, Tennessee office delivered a lecture entitled "Air Sampling and Atmospheric Dispersion" to prospective candidates for the 1998 (or future) American Board of Health Physics exam. The lecture was sponsored by the East Tennessee Chapter of the Health Physics Society (ETCHPS). Handout materials were provided emphasizing problem solving in air sampling and atmospheric dispersion. Problems were selected primarily from prior health physics exams and emphasized air sampling in the workplace, stack, and environment. In addition, the following materials were made available to the attendees: Introduction to Air Sampling, Stack Sampling, Environmental Air Sampling, Air Sampling Calculations, Air Filter Characteristics, and Atmospheric Dispersion of Radionuclides. Alex is a former instructor at Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and a past-Treasurer of the ETCHPS. He has supported this certification review course for several years, having served as course coordinator and instructor. Please give Alex a call if you would like additional information about the topics he covered during the lecture.

February 19, 1998 - IEM Delivers a Lecture on Internal Dosimetry - Carol Berger, a principal of IEM, delivered a lecture entitled "Important Internal Dosimetry Concepts" at the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society 's annual Health Physics Certification Review Course in Washington, DC.  The topics she presented were designed for the Health Physicist who plans to take Part I and/or Part II of the ABHP exam.  However, the information, the approach and concepts were intended to be of interest to other radiation protection professionals as well.  The three-hour lecture included a problem-solving and a question/answer session.  Each participant was provided with a comprehensive hand-out package that included a glossary, a bibliography of recommended reading, and sample exam questions (and answers).  Just call IEM to request your free copy of the hand-out materials that were prepared for the attendees. 

January 22, 1998 - IEM Article on Thorium Exposure Control is Published in Health Physics - The February, 1998 edition of Health Physics contains an article written by IEM principals Carol Berger and Brian Kelly, and Mr. Carmen Venezia, C.I.H. of Osram Sylvania Products, Inc.   The article, entitled "Managing Metabolic Model Deficiencies for Routine Radiation Protection Purposes at a Thorium Dioxide Facility", presents a unique approach to the somewhat troubling aspects of exposure control at thorium facilities. The following is a summary of the manuscript's contents:  "At a metallurgical facility using thorium dioxide feed materials, a number of conventional direct- and indirect-bioassay methods were potentially suitable monitoring methodologies when industry- standard dose assessment methodologies were based upon ICRP recommendations issued in 1959. When the ICRP recommended a different dose assessment methodology in 1977, the intake limits for thorium dropped significantly, and conventional bioassay methods for routine monitoring were rendered ineffective. While determining the technical basis for its air monitoring program, the facility noted that the radioactive materials used as feed to the process were highly insoluble. Therefore, their solubility in simulated lung fluids was determined. The results of this determination indicated that the facility's materials, if inhaled, dissolve in the lung at a half-time that is significantly longer than that contained in international consensus standards for Y-class compounds. They also indicated that the secondary dose limits, if adjusted to eliminate the dose contribution from translocated radionuclides, should be higher, and that a derived air concentration based upon more recent international recommendations is more appropriate for use in the facility's routine monitoring program."  Just call IEM to request a free  reprint of this article.

November 3, 1997 - IEM Article for Demolition and Environmental Contractors Published - Carol Berger and Brian Kelly, both principals of IEM, co-wrote an article that appeared in the October, 1997 edition of DEC (Demolition & Environmental Contractor) Magazine. The article is entitled "You Mean This Stuff's Radioactive?". The intent of the article is to provide practical and sound advice to demolition and environmental contractors on what to do when radiation or radioactivity is an issue at a job site. Included is a description of radiation and radioactivity, where it can be found, how it is regulated and measured, and advice for what to do if radioactivity is discovered at a job site.  Just call IEM to request your free reprint of the article.

October 2, 1997 - IEM Article on Sealed Source Regulations Published - Brian Kelly, a principal of IEM, wrote an article entitled "New Regulatory Structure Being Considered for Devices Containing Radioactivity".  The article was published in the Autumn 1997 edition of Remediation (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.).  It was written after the USNRC established a Working Group to evaluate methods for improving control of devices that contain radioactivity.  The devices at issue include radiography equipment and moisture/density gauges.  The article discusses the Working Group's conclusions and the potential impact of these conclusions on the remediation industry.  It also makes recommendations for both current and prospective owners of devices contqaining radioactivity on how to prepare for regulatory changes likely to occur as a result of the Working Group's conclusions. Just call IEM to request your free  reprint of the manuscript.

September 15, 1997 - IEM Attends D&D Conference - Alan Duff of IEM's Knoxville, Tennessee office attended the American Nuclear Society (ANS) Topical Meeting on Decommissioning, Decontamination and Reutilization of Commercial and Government Facilities which was held here in Knoxville September 7-12, 1997. The following are extracts from Alan's notes:  

"The hot topic of discussion behind the scenes was the upcoming project to decontaminate and decommission three huge buildings located at the former K-25 facility located in Oak Ridge, TN (now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park or ETTP). The facilities were constructed in the 1950s and were used in the gaseous diffusion process until 1985 when they were shut down. During this six year, fixed-price project, a team of companies headed by British Nuclear Fuels, Limited (BNFL) will take title to the three buildings and will attempt to recycle a significant portion of the metals on site. What is most amazing is the size of the buildings to be decommissioned. The largest building, known as the K-33 building is 1450' x 970' or 1,406,500 ft2. That converts to over 32 acres or 52 football fields for just one building!"

"One theme that was expressed in several sessions that I attended was need to get the appropriate regulatory agencies involved early in the decommissioning process to avoid costly revisions to plans or having to redo work. This concern was expressed by both the regulatory agencies themselves and by representatives of private industry that had successfully completed D&D projects recently. IEM has always held a firm belief that the regulators should be involved early in the decommissioning process and we take proactive steps to ensure that all parties involved understand the proposed decommissioning process. Several examples were given during NRC Region I, Chief of Decommissioning, Dr. Ronald Bellamy's talk on the Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) of facilities that had performed extensive decontamination without first consulting the NRC and wound up having to do costly rework because the wrong release criteria were used."

"Two talks given by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) employees were of particular interest. One, given by Eric Abelquist, covered the implementation of the Multiagency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM). This document is apparently going to be the standard for conducting radiological surveys for releasing sites and will apply to DOE, DOD, EPA, and NRC regulated facilities. The MARSSIM document is currently out in draft form (December 1996) and the first round of public comments just closed in July. Mr. Abelquist, a team member of the development committee for MARSSIM, said that they received approximately 1300 comments and that they are currently incorporating them into a revision due out near the end of 1997. This document recommends significant changes to the survey process to release sites for unrestricted use and will likely have a significant impact on licensees preparing to terminate licenses or remove restricted areas from existing licences. The other ORISE talk was on "Surface Contamination Assessment During Decommissioning at DOE Uranium, Thorium and Radium Sites" given by Timothy Vitkus. For those who are not familiar with ORISE, one of their functions is to perform final verification surveys for NRC and DOE to ensure that sites have met the release criteria such that the site can be decommissioned. It helps to know how the verification surveyors are going to be conducting their surveys and how they interpret the regulatory guidance. This knowledge will assist IEM in optimizing surveys we perform for our clients during the decommissioning process and will help prevent costly re-surveying and repeat work."

Just call Alan Duff at (865) 531-9140 if you would like additional information about these or other topics presented at the conference.

August 27, 1997 - IEM Prepares a Primer on Radiation and Radioactivity - IEM principals Carol Berger and Brian Kelly have prepared a document entitled "A Primer on Radiation and Radioactivity for the Legal Profession". The primer was written in response to the fact that more and more traditionally non-nuclear companies are beginning to refer the difficult environmental, health and safety issues associated with radioactivity to their legal counsel for assistance - particularly when the company has no in-house experience in those matters. (Example companies are metallurgical firms, refractory producers, petroleum exploration and production companies, companies with production lines, and even up-scale watch repair and distribution centers). The intent of the article is to provide practical and sound advice to the practicing attorney on what to do when radiation or radioactivity all of a sudden becomes an issue at a client's facility or work place. Addressed therein are the basic concepts of radiation and radioactivity, where they are typically found, who regulates them, information on radiation-related risks, and recommended actions if a client wishes to pursue work with a radiological component, or if radioactivity is inadvertently discovered at the client's site or work location. It was written for a lay audience in that readers were assumed to have no prior knowledge of the topic of radioactivity. Included as well is a tear-out reference page with important conversions, prefixes and definitions. Just call IEM to request your free copy of the primer.

June 29, 1997 - IEM Presents a Seminar on Thorium - Carol Berger, a principal of IEM, delivered a seminar entitled "Not Only Unraveling the Thorium Mystery, But Doing Something About It - or How to Keep 232Thorium From Becoming a 232Thorn in your Side" at the 42nd annual meeting of the Health Physics Society in San Antonio, Texas. The reason for the seminar, which was given as part of the Society's Professional Enrichment Program, was to explain why the dosimetric and regulatory importance of thorium (thorium-232 and its radioactive progeny) for source material licensees skyrocketed in 1991. In the seminar, Carol relayed the story about what happened and why; the impact the issue has had on monitoring programs, dosimetry programs, personnel training, decommissioning, waste management, and litigation; and what can be done to ensure programmatic changes designed to address the issue are implementable and realistic. Included were items to consider in regard to air monitoring, nuclear counting, bioassay, and dose assessment at thorium facilities. She also presented methods for proposing adjustments in secondary dose limits (i.e., the ALI and the DAC) to reflect the physical character of the thorium compounds in use at example facilities, and some useful tools for making that task just a little bit easier.  Just call IEM to request your free copy of the hand-out materials that were prepared for the attendees.

May, 1997 -  IEM Prepares a NORM Manuscript - Carol Berger and Brian Kelly, both principals of IEM, prepared a manuscript entitled "Industry-specific Regulation of Naturally-occurring Radioactive Material". This paper is a summary of a fairly unique regulatory activity in the State of Mississippi involving a specific industry that was being negatively and severely impacted by existing State regulations designed to be globally-applicable to a variety of industries, operations and activities. The outcome was the issue of a technically-sound, legally-defensible, industry-specific final rule by a more suitable regulatory authority. Included in the manuscript is a copy of the proposed rule, along with a detailed description of its technical basis.  Just call IEM to request your free copy of the manuscript.

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