Unconditional Release From Restricted Areas

["ALDEN N TSCHAECHE" <XAT@inel.gov>]

ANSI is developing a standard on surface and volume contamination limits
for unrestricted use. Bill Kennedy at PNL is the chair of the writing
group. Bill's phone number is 509-946-0410. The standard is still in
draft form and is expected to be sent to the Health Physics Society
Standards Committee for ballot in a month or two. When  passed by the HPSSC,
the standard then goes to ANSI Accredited Committee N-13 for ballot.
When passed by N-13, the standard is issued for public comment. When all
comments are satisfactorily resolved, the standard will be issued as an
ANSI document for all to use as appropriate. The regulatory agencies
(EPA, DOE, and NRC) are participating in the development of this
standard so it should be acceptable to those agencies when they get to
vote on it as N-13 members. Al Tschaeche xat@inel.gov

*** Reply to note of 09/10/96 07:23

From: Jerry Barber
To: RADSAFE --INELMAIL RADSAFE

Subject: Unconditional Release From Restricted Areas
     Does anyone know of any guidance on the unconditional release of
     potentially volumetrically contaminated materials from restricted
     areas?  I have been told that something was published in the federal
     register on this issue in 1993 (something about the release of flyash
     based on 10 CFR 20 Appendix B Table II Effluent Concentration Values).
     I tried searching the GPO access databases, but they only go back
     through 1994.

     I am also interested in how different facilities approach this issue.
     I understand that release requirements are license/tech spec.
     dependent, but is there a big difference in the criteria used at
     different facilities?  For example, what criteria would your facility
     use to release volumetrically contaminated materials (e.g., water)
     from your restricted areas (e.g., some fraction of the Appendix B
     values?)?  Or, would you even consider releasing such materials if a
     liquid waste processing system is described in your license?

     The same questions apply to other potentially volumetrically
     contaminated materials.  I am specially thinking about materials that
     I can get a representative sample from and measure activity
     concentrations easily (e.g., Marinelli with HPGe system).

     This may be of interest to other list members so consider whether to
     post directly to the list or to me directly.


     Thanks,

     Jerry Barber
     M4 Environmental
     barberj@m4lp.com
     423-220-7673