Radioactive Rocks -Reply

[CHARLES BLUE <BLUE.CHARLES@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV>]

Hello Sue,

I suggest you contact Terry Devine with CRCPD.  I believe he will have some interesting insights to your problem and
be able to provide you with some guidance.  If you need his number, just reply to my address.  Sorry, but I don't have
it handy at the moment.

Charles Blue
Health Physicist/EPA
blue.charles@epamail.epa.gov

>>> "Sue M. Dupre" <dupre@arundel.Princeton.EDU> 10/29/97 05:11pm >>>
Good afternoon, RADSAFErs:

Our Geology Department would finally like to get rid of some of its 
rock and mineral collection, which include some hot specimens.  Do 
you have any specific comments to offer concerning how we go about 
disposing of these unrefined, unprocessed rocks?  They're in their 
original form, just as they were chipped out of the ground decades 
ago.  I can't think immediately of regulatory requirements specifying 
that these have to go out as radioactive waste.  Any experience to the 
contrary?  If we toss them out, even one by one in the University's 
trash heading for the municipal landfill, there's some possibility 
that they could set off radiation detectors - if the landfill has any. 
Remember that, while you're free to argue and express outrage that 
we should even have to consider doing anything special to dispose of 
these naturally occurring materials, I really am looking for advice, 
previous experience and direction.  

with regards,
Sue Dupre

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Sue M. Dupre, Health Physicist

Office of Environmental Health and Safety       
Chemical Sciences Building/Forrestal Campus    
Princeton University                           
Princeton, NJ  08544-0710

E-mail: dupre@princeton.edu
Phone:  (609) 258-6252
Fax:    (609) 258-1804

Visit the EHS Web site at http://www.princeton.edu/~ehs
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