What is NEWNET?
NEWNET (Neighborhood Environmental Watch Network) is a network of environmental monitoring stations, and
data storage and data processing systems, with public access to the data through the Internet. This allows
interested members of the public to have constant access to the stations so they can observe the results at
any time. A station manager from each community has access to researchers and support organizations that can
provide technical assistance if needed. Station Managers serve as liaisons to their communities and can help
citizens understand measurements.
NEWNET was started in 1993 with stations in Nevada, California, Utah, and New Mexico. It is based on
concepts developed by the Department of Energy for the Community Monitoring Program at the Nevada Test
Site Nuclear Testing Facility. These concepts date back to the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Reactor
accident in the late 1970's.
Stations can vary in configuration. Most NEWNET stations have sensors for monitoring wind speed and
direction, ambient air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity and ionizing gamma radiation.
Wind data are not checked for quality assurance and are not guaranteed.
The NEWNET Goal
The goal of this program is to promote better understanding of the environment through collaboration
between the public, government, educational institutions, and industry.
Why NEWNET
With the advance of technology and the public's right to knowledge regarding these technologies,
there are many issues of concern. Radiation is one of these issues. For example, public concerns include
the dangers of nuclear radiation from the operation of nuclear power plants, the shipment and storage of
nuclear waste, industrial and medical uses of radioactive isotopes, and radiation in general. Adding to
the concern is the fact that members of the public have little way of knowing what levels of radiation
they are being exposed to, and they traditionally have no control over their exposure.
In order to make informed decisions about balancing the risks and benefits of nuclear power, waste
storage methods, and other activities that involve radioactive materials, the public needs access to data.
The purpose of NEWNET is to provide the public with data on actual radiation levels and to foster an
awareness of the relative risks presented by these levels of radiation.
Guiding Principles
Guiding Principle for NEWNET Data Collection
Radiation monitoring around the Department of Energy facilities is for the health and safety of the
local population and environment. The data from publicly supported monitoring sources should be available
to the public as accurately and as timely as possible. The NEWNET data will be checked for transmission
errors and annotated, but will not be altered.
Guiding Principle for NEWNET Public Interactions
This principle is based on a position put forth by the Committee on Interagency Radiation Research and
Policy Coordination (CIRRPC) in their April 1994 publication, "Balancing Radiation Benefits and Risks:
The Needs of an Informed Public."
"Does the Federal government have a responsibility to enhance public understanding of issues
surrounding specific technologies used by society? If the answer is 'yes,' then the purpose of any government
education program should be to provide reliable, accurate, and understandable information to enable individuals
and groups to make informed decisions, based on their accurate knowledge of the issues involved. It is not the
purpose of such a program to persuade the public to accept or reject a specific technology."
Educational Programs
Since a primary goal of the NEWNET project is to provide information to the public, it is fitting that there
are appropriate education programs. NEWNET has collaborated with several local high schools and colleges,
providing them with local NEWNET stations. A teaching curriculum might include a study of radiation and
detection, data acquisition and plotting, meteorology, or uses of computers.
In addition, Los Alamos National Laboratory has its own education programs. More information about these
programs is available at the following web sites.
Sponsors
Los Alamos National Laboratory supports NEWNET stations in Northern New Mexico.