In summary: Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory site environmental report for calendar year 1997

Every human is exposed to natural radiation. This exposure comes from many sources, including cosmic radiation from outer space, naturally-occurring radon, and radioactivity from substances in the body. In addition to natural sources of radiation, humans can also be exposed to human-generated sources of radiation. Some examples of these sources include nuclear medicine, X-rays, nuclear weapons testing, and accidents at nuclear power plants. The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is a US Department of Energy (DOE) research facility that deals, in part, with studying nuclear reactors and the storage and cleanup of radioactive materials. Careful handling and rigorous procedures do not completely eliminate the risk of releasing radioactivity. So, there is a possibility for a member of the public near the INEEL to be exposed to radioactivity from the INEEL. Extensive monitoring of the environment takes place one and around the INEEL. These programs search for radionuclides and other contaminants. The results of these programs are presented each year in a site environmental report. This document summarizes the INEEL site environmental report for 1997