[COL Peter Myers 289-0132: NRC Request for Comments: Releases to Sanitary Sewers]

[LTC Robert Cherry 5-2303 <rcherry@aeha1.apgea.army.mil>]

FYI


----- Forwarded message # 1:

Date:     Tue, 15 Mar 94 5:20:08 EST
From:     COL Peter Myers 289-0132  <pmyers@aeha1.apgea.army.mil>
To:       pmonddn.68b@aeha1.apgea.army.mil
Subject:  NRC Request for Comments:  Releases to Sanitary Sewers


PLEASE PASS TO ALL NUCLEAR MEDICAL SCIENCE OFFICERS
   (72A67s - Military Radiation Protection Officers)

               U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
 
                    Office of Public Affairs
                     Washington, D.C.  20555
 
NUREG/BR-0032                                       301-504-2240
 
Vol. 14, No. 9                         Week Ending March 2, 1994
 
                          NEWS RELEASES
 
No. 94-35                                      February 25, 1994
 
              NRC MAY AMEND RULE GOVERNING RELEASE
                    OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
                    TO SANITARY SEWER SYSTEMS
 
    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking comments, 
information and recommendations from interested parties to use 
in making a determination on the need to revise its regulation 
governing the disposal of radioactive materials from NRC- 
licensed facilities into sanitary sewer systems.
 
    Currently, Part 20 of the Commission's regulations permits 
the disposal of specified amounts of readily soluble materials 
or readily dispersible biological materials into sanitary sewer 
systems.
 
    Prior to 1991, Part 20 permitted the disposal of soluble or 
readily dispersible materials.  However, the NRC staff and the 
Agreement States (29 states which have assumed, by agreement, 
part of the NRC's regulatory authority) became aware of several 
instances where radioactive material in particulate form was 
detected in sanitary sewer systems.
 
    These cases did not appear to result in radiation levels 
exceeding public dose limits but the existence of radioactive 
materials from releases to sanitary sewer systems was a cause 
for concern and resulted in the 1991 amendment to Part 20.
 
    More recently, radioactive contamination was detected in a 
sanitary sewer system  owned and operated by the Northeast Ohio 
Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) in Cleveland, Ohio, during an 
aerial survey of a nearby NRC-licensed facility.
 
    Since then, NEORSD has petitioned the Commission to, among 
other things, amend Part 20 to require 24 hours advance notice 
to the appropriate sewage treatment plant before releasing 
radioactive material to the sanitary sewer system and to exempt 
radioactive materials that enter the sanitary waste stream from 
the requirements of Part 20 restricting the incineration of 
radioactive materials.
 
    The NRC staff also has received a report prepared by one of 
its contractors which evaluates situations where radioactivity 
has been reported in sewer systems or sewer treatment sludge, 
analyzes various scenarios whereby members of the public could 
be exposed to radiation from material deposited in sewer systems 
and presents limiting, highly-conservative scenarios for each of 
the case histories analyzed.
 
    Based on the results of study, the staff concluded that it 
needed more information and has let a new contract to obtain 
additional data.  This new study is examining the processes 
which could lead to reconcentration of radioactive materials 
under the new Part 20 limits which went into effect this year, 
taking into consideration the newer waste water treatment 
systems in use today.  In addition, it is anticipated that the 
study will develop estimates of reconcentration factors for 
various radioactive materials.  Results are expected to be 
available in about a year.
 
    With this background, and in order to address the potential 
impacts on licensee's operations due to any additional 
restrictions on the release of radioactive materials to sewers, 
the Commission is particularly interested in receiving public 
comments on four specific issues:
 
    -- the form of the radioactive materials acceptable for 
disposal;
 
    -- the total quantity of radioactive material which could be 
released annually by a licensee;
 
    -- the type of limits which should be imposed, such as the 
use of a dose limit instead of the present activity limit; and
 
    -- the continuation of exemptions for patient excreta.
 
    Written comments on these and other related issues should be 
received by May 26 and should be addressed to the Secretary of 
the Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.  
20555, Attention:  Docketing and Service Branch.


----- End of forwarded messages