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Abstract: Over the past decade, the precautionary principle has been incorporated into an ever-increasing number of international agreements and domestic statutes. Essentially, the precautionary
principle states that when an activity or technology may harm human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. The precautionary principle remains vague and ill-defined notwithstanding its widespread use. While there have been some attempts to better define and "operationalize" the precautionary principle, most notably by the European Commission, substantial ambiguity remains about the applicability and requirements of the precautionary principle. One approach to better clarify and evaluate the precautionary principle is to examine its application to specific health and environmental problems, and perhaps just as importantly to
consider cases where the principle does not apply. Control of ionizing radiation provides a useful case study for studying the application and meaning of the precautionary principle.
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