Re: Transporting on campus

["Jim F. Herrold" <HERROLD@UWYO.EDU>]

Bruce,

A regional Special Agent with the USDOT from Cheyenne recently came over to
give us a quick run-down on transportation regs. The bottom line was that, if
you are transporting a hazardous material (and for DOT purposes, radioactive
materials fit that description if they contain more than .002 uCi per gram),
and you are transporting it on a public road (city street) you must follow DOT
regulations.
	If each individual package contains less than the "limited quantity" of
a radionuclide (see 49CFR 173.423) you are exempt from most of the packaging,
shipping paper, certification, marking and labeling requirements. You just have
to have a strong, tight container, with an outside radiation level less than
0.5 mrem/hr and less than 22 dpm/cm2 removable contamination. The limited
quantity for P-32 liquid, for example, is 3 mCi, for solids it's 30 mCi.
	On the other hand, if the package contains more than the limited
quantity, you must have the 7A specification packaging, shipping papers,
labeling and the whole nine yards.
	We asked him about the possible exemption of state universities from
federal DOT regulations, but he said that, as long as the university receives
federal funding (and almost 70% of our research is from US government grants),
we would have to follow Federal regulations.
	If you have any questions, the agent's name is Bruce Holmes and his
phone number is (307) 772-2305.

Jim Herrold, RSO
University of Wyoming

P.S.  See you at the conference in Laramie next month?