RE: Radioactive Rocks

["Jean-Francois, Stephane" <stephane_jeanfrancois@merck.com>]

In Canada, that kind of rock is in the very low end spectrum of NORM and
nobody give them a second thought.
There is also the famous problem here with environmental regs: You pick
a rock bring it home to use as a book holder, fine. You pick up the same
rock, pick a portable survey meter , establish it is radioactive , then
you have to prove that you are below certain limits before using the
rock or put the rock back where you found it....hum... Is it the same
thing in USA ?)

If I was in the same position as you are, I would try to give them to
school for education purposes or I would simply throw them in a lake !
(It looks "professionnal" to use, in your solution, distance and
shielding !)

But one question: What is the type of reading you get from the rock
(dose, cpm ?) That may also influence your decision and the
recommendation. That may also be a good "source" for demo of natural
radioactivity !


Stephane JF
RSO
Merck Frosst Canada
stephane_jeanfrancois@merck.com
 ----------
From: Sue M. Dupre
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Radioactive Rocks
Date:  October 29, 1997 17:10

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

=======================================================
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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