Chen S Y, Moeller D W, Dornsife W P, Meyer H R, Lamastra A, Lubenau J O, Strom D J, Yusko J G
Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
Health Phys. 2005 Aug;89(2):115-26. doi: 10.1097/01.hp.0000156953.75493.db.
The disposition of solid materials from nuclear facilities has been a subject of public debate for several decades. The primary concern has been the potential health effects resulting from exposure to residual radioactive materials to be released for unrestricted use. These debates have intensified in the last decade as many regulated facilities are seeking viable management decisions on the disposition of the large amounts of materials potentially containing very low levels of residual radioactivity. Such facilities include the nuclear weapons complex sites managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, commercial power plants licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other materials licensees regulated by the NRC or the Agreement States. Other facilities that generate radioactive material containing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) or technologically enhanced NORM (TENORM) are also seeking to dispose of similar materials that may be radioactively contaminated. In contrast to the facilities operated by the DOE and the nuclear power plants licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NORM and TENORM facilities are regulated by the individual states. Current federal laws and regulations do not specify criteria for releasing these materials that may contain residual radioactivity of either man-made or natural origin from regulatory controls. In fact, the current regulatory scheme offers no explicit provision to permit materials being released as "non-radioactive," including those that are essentially free of contamination. The only method used to date with limited success has been case-by-case evaluation and approval. In addition, there is a poorly defined and inconsistent regulatory framework for regulating NORM and TENORM. Some years ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency introduced the concept of clearance, that is, controlling releases of any such materials within the regulatory domain. This paper aims to clarify clearance as an important disposition option for solid materials, establish the framework and basis of release, and discuss resolutions regarding the implementation of such a disposition option.
几十年来，核设施中固体材料的处置一直是公众争论的话题。主要担忧的是，接触释放以供无限制使用的残留放射性物质可能对健康产生影响。在过去十年中，这些争论愈演愈烈，因为许多受监管的设施正在就处置大量可能含有极低水平残留放射性的材料寻求可行的管理决策。这类设施包括美国能源部管理的核武器综合设施场地、美国核管理委员会（NRC）颁发许可证的商业发电厂，以及受NRC或协议州监管的其他材料许可证持有者。其他产生含有天然放射性物质（NORM）或技术强化NORM（TENORM）的放射性材料的设施，也在寻求处置可能受到放射性污染的类似材料。与能源部运营的设施和美国核管理委员会颁发许可证的核电站不同，NORM和TENORM设施由各个州监管。现行联邦法律法规并未明确规定从监管控制中释放这些可能含有源自人为或天然的残留放射性的材料的标准。事实上，现行监管方案没有明确规定允许将材料作为“无放射性”释放，包括那些基本无污染的材料。迄今为止使用的唯一方法是逐案评估和批准，但成效有限。此外，对于NORM和TENORM的监管框架定义不明确且不一致。几年前，国际原子能机构引入了豁免的概念，即在监管范围内控制任何此类材料的释放。本文旨在阐明豁免作为固体材料重要处置选项的含义，确立释放的框架和依据，并讨论关于实施这种处置选项的决议。
