Radiation protection - how successful are we?

Often scant attention is paid to the context within which standards are set. This is a mistake because it is important to understand that the regulatory process takes place within a complex social milieu. This paper addresses some of the nontechnical concerns that must be considered. The preconditions for regulations, regulatory approaches, and the increasingly lower risk levels applied in other disciplines must be considered. Likewise, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) itself is contemplating new directions spawned by public concerns and newly emerging issues