The Disposition Dilemma Controlling the Release of Solid Materials from Nuclear Regulatory Commission-Licensed Facilities (2002) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-12
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Congress intervened to set aside the BRC policy in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, after the USNRC's own suspension of the policy. Subsequent attempts by USNRC staff to build consensus among stakeholder groups as a basis for future policy articulations were met by boycotts of stakeholder meetings, both in the immediate aftermath of the BRC policy and again in 1999 during public hear1The phrase "slightly radioactive solid material" is used to mean objects that contain radionuclides from licensed sources used or possessed by licensees of the USNRC and agreement states.
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The committee's task involved evaluating and providing recommendations on the history of the technical bases and policies and precedents for managing slightly radioactive solid material from USNRC-licensed facilities; the sufficiency of technical bases needed to establish standards for release of solid materials from regulatory control ("clearance standards") and the adequacy of measurement technologies; the concerns of stakeholders and how the USNRC should incorporate them; and the efforts of international organizations on clearance standards.
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is used to indicate the biological effect of ionizing radiation and is used in setting radiation protection standards. In conducting its study, the committee first examined the current system of standards, guidance, and practices used by the USNRC and agreement states to determine whether to release slightly radioactive solid material from further regulatory control under the Atomic Energy Act.
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or less for most of the radionuclides of interest. The committee found that in future years the vast majority of slightly radioactive solid materials subject to the USNRC's system of clearance standards and practices will come from closing (decommissioning)
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means that the slightly radioactive solid material, once it leaves the originating facility, must be sent to a facility licensed to accept radioactive solid material for storage or disposal. Under this option, the slightly radioactive solid material remains under a USNRC or agreement state license continuously.6 Under current conditions, slightly radioactive solid material would be sent to either Envirocare of Utah or one of two disposal facilities licensed to accept all types of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW)
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These estimates are shown to illustrate the relative costs of the different clearance policy options; it should be emphasized, however, that the cost of disposal of slightly radioactive solid materials may in the future be subject to factors that the committee is not able to foresee or take into account. For example, the committee has not considered energy deregulation or the impact on ratepayers caused by any changes that may be made to clearance rules.
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. The committee evaluated technical analyses of the estimated doses of the final disposition of slightly radioactive solid materials.
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The committee reviewed efforts by other countries and international organizations to set clearance standards. The European Union has issued a safety direc
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The issue of releasing radioactive materials from further regulatory control, like the issue of nuclear power in general, has received significant stakeholder input. The committee found that in the past, the USNRC failed to convince any environmental and consumer advocacy groups that the clearance of slightly radioactive solid material can be conducted safely and failed to convince certain industry groups that such clearance is desirable.
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However, the current approach, among other shortcomings, is inconsistently applied, is not explicitly risk based, and has no specific standards in guidance or regulations for clearance of volume-contaminated slightly radioactive solid material. Therefore, the committee believes that the USNRC should move ahead without delay and start a process of evaluating alternatives to the current system and its shortcom~ngs.
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provides a reasonable starting point for the process of considering options for a dose-based standard for clearance or conditional clearance of slightly radioactive solid material. This starting point is appropriate for the following reasons: .
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Recommendation 6. For any dose-based alternative approach to disposition of slightly radioactive solid materials, the USNRC should use the conceptualframework of draft NUREG-1640 to assess dose implications.
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