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Disposal of BRC wastes containing short-lived radionuclides

Conference · · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6908541

As part of its responsibility for the safe disposal of low-level (radioactive) waste (LLW), the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority sponsored an analysis of the use of permitted sanitary landfills for the disposal of wastes containing only low concentrations of radionuclides with half-lives of <300 days. Analyses have been performed giving limits on concentrations and total curies annually disposed for 56 short-lived radionuclides. The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act, enacted in December 1985, has directed the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop standards and procedures for considering and acting on petitions for below regulatory concern (BRC) radioactive waste disposal within 6 months. The NRC has developed a de minimis biomedical waste disposal rule for H-3 and C-14 that places limits on concentrations that can be disposed of without regard to radioactivity. Likewise, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing a regulation for the disposal of BRC radioactive wastes in a sanitary landfill as part of their LLW disposal rulemaking. The purpose of this study is to: 1) conduct multipathway risk assessments using the same methodology that is being used by the EPA for the technical support of their BRC rulemaking; 2) obtain radionuclide concentration and annual total curie limits from the results of the risk assessments by limiting the health impacts to guideline values used in this analysis; and 3) present other restrictions or conditions that emerge from the analysis.

Research Organization:
Rogers and Associates Engineering Corp., Salt Lake City, UT
OSTI ID:
6908541
Report Number(s):
CONF-861102-
Journal Information:
Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 53; ISSN TANSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English