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WM'02 Conference, February 24-28, 2002, Tucson, AZ
ONGOING NRC EFFORTS ON REGULATORY APPROACHES
FOR CONTROL OF SOLID MATERIALS
A. M. Huffert, CHP
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555
301-415-6416
ABSTRACT
Specific requirements for the release of solid materials with small or no amounts of radioactivity
are not currently contained in 10 CFR Part 20, which constitutes the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's (NRC's) regulations that set standards for protection of the public against
radiation. NRC has approached these matters on a case-by-case basis, in the absence of a
national standard for the release of solid materials. Currently, NRC is examining its approach for
the control of solid material, including the development of a technical information base for
decision-making purposes. As part of this process, NRC has sponsored a National Academy of
Sciences (NAS) study to review technical bases, policies, and precedents for controlling the
release of solid materials, and to recommend whether NRC should continue its existing
approach, establish a national standard by rulemaking, or consider other alternatives. This paper
explains the status of NRC's technical basis and the next steps in NRC's decision-making
process, as they relate to the NAS study.
INTRODUCTION
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations for protection of the public against
radiation are codified in 10 CFR Part 20 and limit the radiation dose that a member of the public
can receive from the operation and decommissioning of a nuclear facility (1). There are currently
no generally applicable NRC regulations in Part 20 for the control of the majority of solid
materials that contain small or no amounts of radioactivity. However, solid material releases
may be sought by licensees during operations, at the time of decommissioning, or when material
and equipment need to be taken out of the restricted area and used elsewhere.
Absent established criteria for controlling the release of solid materials, NRC currently addresses
the release of solid material on a case-by-case basis, using license conditions, existing regulatory
guidance, or other case-specific criteria (2). Guidance documents, such as Regulatory Guide 1.86
and Policy and Guidance Directive FC 83-23, are used for licensing decisions involving the
release of solid material, but do not contain dose criteria and apply to solid materials with surface
contamination only (3,4). Release of volumetrically contaminated solid material may be allowed
if survey instrumentation does not detect radioactivity levels above background, based on the
measurement capability of survey instruments (5,6). Licensees may also seek NRC authorization-1-
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Huffert, A. M. Ongoing NRC Efforts on Regulatory Approaches for Control of Solid Materials, article, February 28, 2002; Tucson, Arizona. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc783164/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.