Characterizing, for Packaging and Transport, Large Objects Contaminated by Radioactive Material Having a Lmited A(sub 2) Value

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the safe packaging and transportation of radioactive materials follow a graded approach to the requirements for both packaging and controls during transport. The concept is that, the lower the risk posed to the people and the environment by the contents, (1) the less demanding are the packaging requirements and (2) the smaller in number are the controls imposed on the transport of the material. There are likely to be a great number of situations arising in coming years when large objects, contaminated with radioactive material having unlimited A(sub 2) values will result from various decommissioning and decontamination (D and D) activities and will then require shipment from the D and D site to a disposal site. Such situations may arise relatively frequently during the cleanup of operations involving mining, milling, feedstock, and uranium enrichment processing facilities. Because these objects are contaminated with materials having an unlimited A(sub 2) value they present a low radiological risk to worker and public safety and to the environment during transport. However, when these radioactive materials reside on the surfaces of equipment and other large objects, where the equipment and objects themselves are not radioactive, the radioactive materials appear as surface contamination and, if the contaminated object is categorized as a surface contaminated object, it would need to be packaged for shipment according to the requirements of the Regulations for SCO. Despite this categorization, alternatives may be available which will allow these contaminants, when considered by themselves for packaging and transport, to be categorized as either (1) a limited quantity of radioactive material to be shipped in an excepted package or (2) low specific activity (LSA) materials to be shipped in an IP-1 package or possibly even shipped unpackaged. These options are discussed in this paper.

• Record URL:
  • https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/15000/15200/15229/DE98004930.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Department of Energy

  Office of Environmental Management Analysis
  Washington, DC  United States  20585
• Authors:
  • Pope, R B
  • Shappert, L B
  • Michelhaugh, R D
  • Cash, J M
  • Best, R E
• Publication Date: 1998-2-28

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 10p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Contaminants; Packaging; Radioactive waste disposal; Radioactive wastes; Regulations; Traffic regulations; Traffic safety
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01111121
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ORNL-CP-97138
• Contract Numbers: AC05-96OR22464
• Files: NTL, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 24 2008 10:38AM