Is CR39 worth the effort?

CR39 proton sensitive track detectors were greeted by the radiation protection community at the end of the last decade as a major breakthrough for personnel neutron dosimetry. A number of laboratories eagerly began research on application of CR39 to their dosimetry needs. However, in the last two or three years the enthusiasm has subsided, and many health physicists have stopped working with the material. The number of participants using CR39 in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Personnel Intercomparison Studies dropped from six in 1985 to three in 1986. There has obviously been a range of experiences with CR39 in the dosimetry community. Why has this been the case, and what is the proper role for CR39 in personnel neutron dosimetry?