Re: Co-57 flood sources

["Patrick J. McDermott" <mcdermot@REHS.rutgers.edu>]

Radsafers,
Some of our dept's, usually physics, order check sources in exempt 
quantities.  These sources enter our system, but are not for lack of 
a better term, "controlled" by our NRC or State licenses.  We have 
recently "cleaned out" some of the department's old stockpiles of 
these sources.... many of them 'deader than doornails'... and want to 
dispose of them.  Many have half-lives in the hundreds of days... 
greater than the longest half-life that we are allowed to decay and 
store for either the NRC or State.  My question is that if these came 
into our system as exempt, can we dispose of them as exempt and save 
substantial disposal costs?
Patrick

  
 
> > Generally speaking, no.  Most decay in storage procedures are
> > limited to nuclides with half-lives of less than 65 days (sometimes
> > extended to 90 days to capture S-35).  This is codified in 10 CFR
> > 35.92.  In agreement states, it may be in their regulation, or, as
> > in California, it may be included as a license condition.
>

Patrick J. McDermott
Rutgers Envir. Health & Safety
Rutgers, The State University
24 Street 1603
Bldg 4127 Livingston Campus
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8036
(p) 732-445-2550 (f) 732-445-3109
e-mail: mcdermot@rehs.rutgers.edu