RE: Anyone know about this?

["Jim Hardeman" <Jim_Hardeman@dnr.state.ga.us>]

Wes *



IN GENERAL (does that leave me enough "wiggle room"?) we require that it be disposed of as radioactive waste. However, in our NORM rules, we do have several exemptions, including the following ... "Materials in the recycling process, including scale or residue not otherwise exempted, and other equipment containing NORM are exempt from the requirements of this Rule if the maximum radiation exposure level does not exceed 50 microroentgens per hour including the background radiation level at any accessible point." Typically, we find that the contact radiation level off pipe contaminated with radium pipe scale exceeds 50 uR/hr ... but if it doesn't, it can be disposed of "without regard for its radioactive material content" ... but we can't force a landfill or scrap yard to accept it. We also allow for piping and equipment to be decontaminated, but this usually does not proved to be cost effective unless dealing with a LARGE quantity of scrap ... certainly not the "one-sies, two!

 -sies" that we usually run across.



See our NORM rules at http://www.dnr.state.ga.us/dnr/environ/rules_files/exist_files/391-3-17_rule08.pdf



Please note that this rule applies ONLY to Georgia ... and NORM rules vary from state to state. I'm not sure how the rules in other states read, but Georgia's rule is in most aspects similar to the Suggested State Regulation (SSR) published by the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc. (CRCPD).



Jim Hardeman, Manager

Environmental Radiation Program

Environmental Protection Division

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

4220 International Parkway, Suite 100

Atlanta, GA 30354

(404) 362-2675

Fax: (404) 362-2653

E-mail: Jim_Hardeman@dnr.state.ga.us 



>>> "Wesley" <wesvanpelt@att.net> 1/31/2005 8:30:44 >>>

Just curious . what do the state regulators require when radium pipe scale shows up somewhere? Can it just go to a normal landfill? Or do you require that it go to a licensed radioactive waste disposal site.





Wes

 



Wesley R. Van Pelt, PhD, CIH, CHP <mailto:WesVanPelt@att.net> 



Wesley R. Van Pelt <http://home.att.net/~wesvanpelt/Radiation.html>

Associates, Inc.





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From: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu 

[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of BLHamrick@AOL.COM 

Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 1:05 AM

To: Jim_Hardeman@dnr.state.ga.us; radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu 

Subject: Re: Anyone know about this?



 



In a message dated 1/30/2005 1:29:23 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

Jim_Hardeman@dnr.state.ga.us writes:



Yeah, we've run into a few of those thorium lenses as well. We've also got a

somewhat unique situation here in Georgia involving scrap metal originating

from our kaolin mills ... there's one point in the process where a radium

"scale" forms and deposits on the inside of stainless steel piping ... and

these things have an annoying tendency of winding up in scrap metal

facilities. This situation is somewhat akin to the oil and gas pipe scale

that our friends in Texas and Louisiana (predominantly) are dealing with.

We've worked closely with the industry, and dramatically reduced the

frequency ... but these things still occasionally make it through.



Ohhhh, yes, we get the pipe scale too, at the recyclers.





Barbara







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