[ RadSafe ] Re: Understanding negligible dose

[BLHamrick at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/26/2005 2:23:21 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
wesvanpelt at att.net writes:

I think  your last sentence is not true for NRC licensees. Say, for example, 
you have  an operating limit of 400 dpm/100cm2 as an action level for clean up 
of  contamination. If you have items that survey at, say, 300 dpm/100cm2, are 
you  saying that these can go in the trash? In my example, the item is below 
the  normal operational action level, but definitely known to be  
contaminated.  I believe that there is no level of solid radioactivity  that can legally 
be put in the trash by a licensee for  disposal.


The NUREG 1556 series states that the unrestricted area limits may be used  
for the unrestricted release of equipment, etc.  This means, yes, they can  go 
in the trash.  See, for example, Volume 11, Appendix S, the section  titled 
"Contamination in unrestricted areas," which states:
 
"When equipment or facilities that are potentially contaminated are to be  
released for unrestricted use, the above table provides the maximum acceptable  
residual levels. To the extent practicable, it is appropriate to decontaminate 
 to below these levels. Surface contamination surveys should be conducted for 
 both removable and fixed contamination before these facilities or equipment 
are  released from restricted to unrestricted use, to ensure that they meet 
these  limits."
 
Licensees use these limits all the time for unrestricted release of items,  
including to waste.
 
Barbara