My name is Joe Colvin. I am the president and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). NEI develops public policy for more than 270 members of the nuclear industry that represent a broad spectrum of interests. In addition to representing every U.S. utility that operates a nuclear power plant, NEI's membership includes nuclear fuel cycle companies, suppliers, engineering and consulting firms, national research laboratories, manufacturers of radiopharmaceuticals, universities, labor unions and law firms.

On behalf of NEI, I would like to thank Chairman Calvert, Ranking Member Costello and the members of this subcommittee for allowing NEI to provide a written statement for the record on the need for establishing uniform radiation standards.

Nuclear Technologies Provide Tremendous Benefits
Mankind for decades has safely harnessed nuclear technology to benefit society. America's advanced industrial economy and high standard of living simply would not be possible without the use of nuclear technologies. Radioactive materials are used in many consumer products, both for necessities as well as conveniences that enhance our daily lives. Among these necessities is nuclear energy, which provides one-fifth of our nation's electricity without producing any air pollution.

Many people do not realize the widespread applications of nuclear technologies, such as medical diagnosis and treatment, agriculture, industrial manufacturing and environmental protection. These uses of nuclear technology make significant contributions to our quality of life. Ten million Americans are diagnosed and treated every year using radioactive materials. For example, one radioactive isotope developed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, molybdenum-99, is used about 40,000 times each day in the United States to diagnose cancer and other illnesses. Radioactive materials also are essential to the biomedical research that seeks causes and cures for diseases such as AIDS, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all new drugs to be tested for safety and efficacy. Eighty percent of these new drugs are tested using radioactive materials. The use of nuclear technologies in the field of agriculture improves various types of plants, controls pests and preserves food. The use of irradiation in food safety continues to grow in the United States and has been used for decades in Europe. In fact, food irradiation has been approved to control food loss and to improve sanitation for more than 100 kinds of food in 41 countries.