U.S. Army Public Health Command (Provisional) health physicists David Alberth and Gerald Falo received the EPA's Bronze Medal for commendable service. The award was presented on March 1 at the EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., by Elizabeth Craig, EPA deputy assistant administrator for air and radiation.
Alberth and Falo were commended for "significant contributions" to a federal inter-agency Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual working group. The group developed the MARSAME manual, released in January 2009.
This nationally recognized guidance provides procedures for the final disposition of materials and equipment potentially affected by radioactivity. It can be used at BRAC locations where there might be radioactive materials.
More generally, the manual uses the data quality objectives process to provide information on planning, conducting and evaluating, and documenting radiological disposition surveys for the assessment of materials and equipment. This guidance includes information on everything from metals and concrete to tools, equipment and furniture that would need disposal from a site licensed to use radioactive material.
"The workgroup looked at everything from power plants to hospitals and research laboratories," explained Falo.
"The team provided recommended practices for the decommissioning process using the technical expertise of all the members from the DOD, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the EPA" added Alberth.
Alberth, who holds USAPHC (Prov)'s prestigious Master Consultant designation in Health Physics, also received the Vice-President Al Gore National Partnership for Reinventing Government award ( the Hammer award) in 1999 for his work with the team that developed the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual.
Both Alberth and Falo praised the other members of the team for their technical abilities and for the energy they put into this joint project.
Craig echoed that praise, acknowledging the dedication of all team members, who worked on the project for eight years. Craig also said she was pleased that this was a multi-agency product and that organizations were actually using the product from the working group in the field.
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