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Improving Practices for Regulating and Managing Low-Activity Radioactive Waste

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Low-activity radioactive wastes include a broad spectrum of materials for which a regulatory patchwork has evolved over almost 60 years. This study used the term “low-activity waste” to denote radioactive materials declared as waste from a variety of activities—national defense, nuclear power, industry, medicine, research, and mineral recovery. Given this broad spectrum of activities, the committee then developed a concise list of categories that would include low-activity wastes from essentially all sources, yet focused on their inherent radiological properties rather than their origins and emphasized gaps and inconsistencies between their current regulation and management and their actual radiological hazards.

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Description

This study will evaluate options for improving practices for regulating and managing low-activity radioactive waste in the United States and will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will focus on understanding current waste management and regulation systems and on identifying a small number of high-impact issues areas where sustantial improvements to these systems seem achievable. Phase 2 will involve a focused study of these issues.This project is multi-sponsored by:Nuclear Regulatory CommissionU.S. Army Corps of EngineersU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Radiation Protection DivisionSoutheast Compact CommissionU.S. Department of EnergyThe first phase started 11/1/2002 and was completed with an interim report issued 10/10/2003.After an approx. 1 year delay, phase 2 began on 12/1/04. A final report will be issued in fall 2005.Sponsors joining the study for phase 2 include:California Environmental Protection AgencyDepartment of Defense Executive Agent for Low-Level Radioactive WasteInstitute for Applied Energy--JapanMidwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste CompactThe French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety sponsored a committee meeting in Paris, France, at the close of the first phase of the study.

Contributors

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Committee Membership Roster Comments

THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE TO THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SECOND HALF (PHASE II) OF THE STUDY BY THE RESIGNATIONS OF DRS. SANFORD COHEN AND STANLEY ECHOLS.
1/19/05

Sponsors

Department of Defense

Department of Energy

Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Staff

John Wiley

Lead

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