Standard Guide for Unrestricted Disposition of Bulk Materials Containing Residual Amounts of Radioactivity

Importancia y uso:

6.1 Materials encountered during D&D may contain residual radioactivity varying in amounts from that in irradiated fuel to barely detectable quantities in or on building materials. It is clear that highly radioactive materials have to be disposed as radioactive waste pursuant to 10 CFR 60 and 10 CFR 61. Conversely, it is not reasonable to expend a disproportionate amount of resources to isolate materials that contain minute quantities of radioactive materials that will not cause even statistically measurable health effects.

6.2 This guide provides a rationale and methodology for distinguishing between materials that contain sufficient radioactivity to warrant isolation of some type (such as storage awaiting decay, near-surface disposal, disposal with intruder protection, or placement in a deep repository) from materials with insignificant radioactive content. Materials with insignificant radioactive content can be recycled in the economy or disposed of in conventional (landfill) facilities without adverse health effects. Materials that meet the criteria identified in this guide are not simply excluded from regulation because they do not fall precisely in the regulatory scope. They are sufficiently free of radioactive material so that no further efforts at control are justified for radiation protection purposes. Therefore, the release of materials for unrestricted use in accordance with this guide meets the criteria for being an “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) activity.

6.3 For the purpose of this guide, the return of materials containing residual radioactivity to society without regulatory restrictions is referred to as “unrestricted release based on the absence of the credible potential for adverse health effects.” This guide asserts that materials recycled this way will have no statistically measurable health effects regardless of use. It does not guarantee that the materials are suitable for use in every possible application, for example, trace amounts of radionuclides in materials may not be acceptable for certain photographic and electronic applications.

6.4 This guide also asserts that the owner of the materials is responsible for ensuring that society's criteria for “no measurable health effects” is met before release, and that the responsibility for providing materials with the purity required for a special application rests not with the owner, but with the developer of that application.

Subcomité:

E10.03

Referida por:

E1281-15R21, E2216-02R20

Volúmen:

12.02

Número ICS:

13.030.40 (Installations and equipment for waste disposal and treatment)

Palabras clave:

decontamination and decommissioning; radiologically contaminated materials; release of materials;