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Re: radioactive material releases
The NRC staff at the direction of the Commission has been holding a series of stakeholder meetings to discuss the release of solid material containing traces of AEA regulated material.
Currently, on a case by case basis, licensees are authorized by license(Legally akin to an Order) to release materal with surface contamination(Reg Guide 1.86) and in rare cases volumetric contamination. Since the NRC's normal practice for reactors has been to authorized releases of material with "no detectable contamination", there have been problems with changes in detectability with time and amount of resources spent on measurement. Furthermore the European Union is working on a criteria for "clearance." which is very similar.
Practically there is radioactivity in most natural substances. The EPA has guidance which encourages federal agencies to use concrete made with coal ash or blast furnace slag. Both of these substances contain technologically enhanced natural material(U,Ra,Th). A considerable amount of the concrete block used in building contains these materials. Check NCRP 95 - someone walked of with my copy so I do not recall the exact amount.
>>> "Michael Stabin" <stabin@npd.ufpe.br> 1/27/2000 12:17:45 PM >>>
> At 09:27 PM 01/25/2000 -0600, Jim Muckerheide wrote:
> >> > Presently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in the process
> >> > of legalizing the "release" or "clearance" of radioactive materials
from
> >> > licensed, regulated control into raw materials, building supplies and
any
> >> > other items that are sold to New York consumers. We fully support the
> >> > introduction of radioactive scrap metal into commerce without any
> >> > consumer notification ....
Otto Raabe repiled:
> It seems to me we should be refering to "very slightly radioactive
> materials" and "scrap metal whose radioactive content is well within safe
> limits".
I agree with Otto here. Does anyone have an idea of how much actual
activity we are talking about, on an annual basis? Carol Marcus and I did a
little analysis some years back, and found that grocery stores in the US are
permitting uncontrolled releases (with no consumer notification) of the
order of 7.5 *curies* of radioactivity (K-40) per year, in bananas alone
(there are other foodstuffs high in potassium whose contributions could be
added). I would just be curious to know how the two numbers compared.
Michael Stabin, PhD, CHP
Departamento de Energia Nuclear/UFPE
Av. Prof. Luiz Freire, 1000 - Cidade Universitaria
CEP 50740 - 540
Recife - PE
Brazil
Phone 55-81-271-8251 or 8252 or 8253
Fax 55-81-271-8250
E-mail stabin@npd.ufpe.br
"Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of"
- Steven Wright
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