MONTCLAIR
STATE UNIVERSITY
LOW-LEVELS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE
MANAGEMENT
PLAN
The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) specify several allowable methods of disposal of
low-level radioactive waste, some of which are limited to specific types of
waste.
1. Discharge into sanitary sewers (10CFR
§20.303). This method is only allowed
if:
(a)
The waste
is readily soluble or dispersible in water.
(b)
The
quantity of radioactive material released in any one day and in any one month
does not exceed certain small quantities.
(c)
The
quantity of radioactive material (excluding carbon-14 and hydrogen-3) released
does not exceed one curie per year. The
quantities of hydrogen-3 and carbon-14 released cannot exceed 5 curies per year
and 1 curie per year respectively.
2.
Unrestricted
disposal (10CFR §20.306). Certain items can be disposed of without restriction
by the NRC, such as liquid scintillation media and animal carcasses, if they
contain minimal levels of radioactivity.
For any
radioactive waste that is sent to a land disposal facility, or to a waste
collector for eventual land disposal, the generator must meet certain
requirement contained in 10CFR§20.311.
1.
Prepare
waste so it can be classified (see (2)), and so it meets the characteristics
needed to facilitate handling at the disposal site and to provide protection of
disposal site personnel (e.g., waste
must not be explosive).
2.
Label the
packages of waste with the appropriate NRC waste classification (Class A, B or
C)
3.
Conduct a
quality control program to ensure that the waste is properly classified and
meets the NRC disposal characteristics.
4.
Prepare a
shipping manifest to accompany each waste shipment
5.
Forward a
copy of the manifest to the intended recipient at the time of shipment, or
deliver a copy of the manifest to a collector at the time the waste is
collected, obtaining acknowledgment of receipt.
6.
Include a
copy of the manifest with the shipment.
7.
Retain a
copy of the manifest and documentation of the acknowledgment of receipt from
the collector or the land disposal facility.
8.
If an
acknowledgment of receipt is not received from the waste collector or from the
disposal facility within one week of receipt, the generator must do the
following;
a.
Trace the
shipment and file a report with the NRC.
b.
Investigate
if notification of receipt is not received within 20 days after transfer.
If the waste is
not sent to a collector or directly to disposal, but instead to a waste
processor who treats or repackages the waste, then the generator must meet
requirements (4) – (8) above; the processor will be responsible for waste
preparation and classification prior to disposal.
Whatever method
of disposal is chosen for an institution’s low-level waste, records of that
disposal must be kept until the NRC authorizes their disposition.