Re: Unconditional Release From Restricted Areas

[LIPTONW@detroitedison.com]

See the NRC Health Physics Position 221  (HPPOS-221), "Lower Limit of 
Detection (LLD) for Potentially Contaminated Oil."  This states that, "For 
cases in which no release of radioactive material is authorized, the 
appropriate lower limit of detection (LLD) is the 'operational state of the 
art' value used for laboratory measurements of environmental samples.  This is 
the LLD value given in the standard Radiological Effluent Technical 
Specifications (RETS) for environmental samples..."  Some examples of these 
values for liquids, in uCi/ml, are:  2 E-6 for H-3, 1.5 E-8 for Co-60, 1.8 E-8 
for Cs-137, and 1 E-9 for I-131.  The latter is a problem.  It cannot be met 
with a reasonable count time using generally available equipment.  We scale 
I-131 to more detectable radionouclides, as measured in coolant samples.  
Different values apply to solids.   
 
Bill Lipton 
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

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• To: Multiple,recipients,of,list,radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
• Subject: Unconditional Release From Restricted Areas
• From: "radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu" <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
• Date: 10 Sep 96 08:22:16
• Reply-to: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu

     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

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