|
Items in cart [0] |
Questions? Call 888-624-8373 |
| Copyright © 2009. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Statement |
Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 196
c
Statement of Work
The National Research Council committee formed to undertake this study
will address the following tasks:
(1) As part of its data gathering and understanding the technical basis for the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (USNRC's) analyses of various alternatives
for managing solid materials from USNRC-licensed facilities, the committee
shall review the technical bases and policies and precedents derived therefrom set
by the USNRC and other Federal agencies, by States, other nations and interna-
tional agencies, and other standard setting bodies including the following. The
review of the following will be contingent on the USNRC staff providing sum-
maries with the salient issues of each document to the Research Council staff and
committee, as well as copies of the documents, soon after project funds are
received and before the first committee meeting.
.
.
.
The USNRC technical bases development, including ongoing and planned
staff activities, to include the assessment of potential scenarios and path-
ways for radiation exposure, survey and detection methodology, and an
evaluation of the environmental impacts for a variety of solid materials.
The 1997 Environmental Protection Agency Preliminary Technical Sup-
port Document for its clean metals program and other studies on the
environmental impacts of clearance of materials, exemption of materials
containing naturally occurring radioactive material (e.g., coal ash), and
development of guidelines for screening materials imported into the U.S.
that contain radioactivity.
The 1980 Department of Energy (DOE) petition to establish exemptions
196
OCR for page 197
APPENDIX C
.
.
.
.
.
.
197
for small concentrations of technetium-99 and/or low enriched uranium
as residual contamination in smelted alloys and the public comment on
the proposed DOE rule.
The 1990 USNRC Below Regulatory Concern (BRC) Policy setting a
standard for release of solid materials for recycle. In 1991 the USNRC
instituted a moratorium on the BRC Policy to allow more extensive public
involvement, and the BRC policy was revoked by Congress in the Energy
Policy Act of 1992.
DOE criteria (e.g., DOE Order 5400.5) for release of solid materials and
handbooks for controlling release of property containing residual radioac-
tive material. DOE has established a task force to review its policies on
release of materials for re-use and recycling that could have implications
for USNRC licensees.
· Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors recommendations or
policies on the control of solid materials from licensed facilities.
Experience of individual states promulgating release criteria for solid
materials in the absence of federal standards. For example, one state
prohibits the disposal of radioactive material in municipal landfills and
another state authorizes unrestricted release of volumetrically contami-
nated materials. Methodologies states are using to survey and detect
slightly contaminated materials. Basis and criteria states are using for
approving the release of these materials. Approaches states are using for
similar levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials.
International Atomic Energy Agency and European Union experience,
directives, recommendations or standards, especially as they pertain to
international adoption of guidelines and criteria on international trade and
import standards.
Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Pro-
tection (e.g., ICRP Report 60) and the National Council on Radiation
Protection and Measurements (e.g., NCRP Report 116) and on-going ac-
tivities evaluating clearance and criteria for release of slightly radioactive
materials.
American National Standards Institute Standard N13.12, "Surface and
Volume Radioactivity Standards for Clearance." This standard contains
criteria for unrestricted release of solid materials from nuclear facilities.
Also, review of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act
of 1995 and its implications for developing and implementing alternative
release criteria.
(2) The committee will review public comments and reactions received so
far on current and former USNRC proposals to develop alternatives for control of
solid materials. Again, this review will be contingent on the USNRC staff provid-
ing the committee both with the comments and summaries of the public com-
OCR for page 198
198
APPENDIX C
meets and reactions received. The committee will explicitly consider how to
address public perception of risks associated with the direct reuse, recycle, or
disposal of solid materials released from USNRC-licensed facilities. The com-
mittee should provide recommendations for USNRC consideration on how com-
ments and concerns of stakeholders can be integrated into an acceptable approach
for proceeding to address the release of solid materials.
(3) The committee shall determine whether there are sufficient technical
bases to establish criteria for controlling the release of slightly contaminated solid
materials. This should include an evaluation of methods to identify the critical
groups, exposure pathways, assessment of individual and collective dose, expo-
sure scenarios, and the validation and verification of exposure criteria for regula-
tory purposes (i.e., decision making and compliance). As part of this determina-
tion, it should judge whether there is adequate, affordable measurement
technology for USNRC-licensees to verify and demonstrate compliance with a
release criteria. What, if any, additional analyses or technical bases are needed
before release criteria can be established?
(4) Based on its evaluation and its review, the committee shall recommend
whether USNRC: (1) continue the current system of case-by-case decisions on
control of material using existing, revised, or new (to address volumetrically
contaminated materials) regulatory guidance, (2) establish a national standard by
rulemaking, to establish generic criteria for controlling the release of solid mate-
rials, or (3) consider another alternative approach~es).
If the committee recommends continuation of the current system of case-by-
case decisions, the committee shall provide recommendations on if and how the
current system of authorizing the release of solid materials should be revised.
If the committee recommends that USNRC promulgate a national standard for
the release of solid material, the committee shall: (1) recommend an approach,
(2) set the basis for release criteria (e.g., dose, activity, or detectability-based),
and (3) suggest a basis for establishing a numerical limiters) with regard to the
release criteria or, if it deems appropriate, propose a numerical limit.
(5) The committee shall make recommendations on how the USNRC might
consider international clearance (i.e., solid material release) standards in its imple-
mentation of the recommended technical approach.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
release criteria
