v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
DIRECTIVE NUMBER:
TlTlp- State Regulation of Radioactive Waste
APPROVAL DATE: 2-21-84
EFFECTIVE DATE: 2-21-84
ORIGINATING OFFICE:
0 FINAL
D DRAFT
STATUS:
REFERENCE (other documents):
OSWER OSWER OSWER
fE DIRECTIVE DIRECTIVE
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PART 271 SUBPART A - FINAL AUTHORIZATION DOC: 9541.01(84)
Key Words: Radioactive Waste, Equivalency
Regulations: RCRA 1004(27) 40 CFR 261.4(a)(4)
Subject: State Regulation of Radioactive Waste
Addressee: Ernesta B. Barnes, Regional Administrator, Region X
Originator: Lee M. Thomas, Assistant Administrator
Source Doc: #9541^1(84)
Date: 2-21-84
Summary:
RCRA regulation of radioactive wastes and the Agency's position on what
State control to require for the purpose of obtaining authorization are as follows:
o Source, spent nuclear, or by-product material as defined by the Atomic-
Energy Act of 1954. The RCRA statute and regulations exclude these ^
materials from the definition of solid waste. Therefore, EPA does not
regulate these wastes as hazardous and cannot require States to do so.
o Radioactive wastes outside of the source, spent nuclear, or by-product
universes. EPA has the authority to"regulate these wastes if they are
hazardous. EPA and authorized States must regulate these wastes when
they are listed-or when they exhibit any of the characteristics identified
in Part 261. Authorized States must provide authority equivalent to
EPA1 s for these wastes, although this authority need not be Che State's
hazardous waste authority.
o "Mixed" wastes (i.e., those containing both source, spent nuclear, or
by-product material and RCRA hazardous waste).. EPA's authority to.
regulate these wastes is unclear. The Agency is working-to determine
its authority over these wastes and will make public its official deter-
mination. If EPA determines that it has authority over these wastes
under RCRA, States will have the time frame provided in 40 CFR 271.21(e)
to amend; their programs to include authority over these wastes.
The eas^»t-.way for a State to ensure equivalency for the purpose of
obtaining authorization is to adopt the same exclusionary language that RCRA
contains. ispr^;..-
Naturally-occurring radioactive wastes associated with mining or the
processing of oils are excluded from regulation under Subtitle C of RCRA.
Uranium mill tailings are also excluded from RCRA because the Uranium Mill
Tailings Radiation Control Act defined them as a byproduct material. States
are currently not required to regulate scintillation media wastes since these
are a species of mixed waste.• EPA urges authorized States to work with the
responsible Federal or State agency in the State to assure that these wastes
are handled in a manner that adequately protects human health and the environ-
ment.
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954L.01 (34
FE3 I I 1384
MFMOPANPllM " £•
*•
SUHJKCT: State Regulation of Padioactive Waste
/signed/" Lee M. Thomas £
PP.O*: Lee M. Thonas . .-
Assistant Administrator ^
3
a
TO: Ernesta f«. Barnes -
Regional Administrator, Pegicn X
s;
*
This memorandum is in response to your September 30, 19>»3,
memorandum requesting Guidance on State regulation of radioactive
wastr?. I have discussed the Agency's authority to regulate
radioactive waste under RCPA with Headquarters' Offices of Radia-
tion Programs, Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring, Federal
Activities, Waste Programs Fnforcement, r.eneral Counsel, and Solid ~
Ka«»te. I have concluded that the issues of Federal regulation
of radioactive wastes under PCPA and the Agency's position on -.
State control ov»r radioactive wastes for the purpose of receiving
juthorization under RCRA should he resolved, for the. time being,
~as outlined below.
Section 1004(2?) of RCPA and the regulations at 40 CFR 261.4
(a)(4) exclude fron the definition of solid waste (and therefore
from the definition of hazardous was^e) source, speciftl nuclear,
or byproduct rraterial as defined by the Atoric Fnergy Act of 1954.1
FPA does not regulate these wastes as hazardous; thus we cannot
require the States to reaulate the*». Although there are no PC*A
wastes listed because they are radioactive, nor is.radioactivity a
PCPA characteristic at the present tine, there are sore radioactive
wastes that are outside the source, special nuclear, or byproduct
universe that F?A does have authority,' under RC^A, to. regulate if
they are hazardous. These include naturally-occurring raaiopncli^es
and accelerator-produced radioisotopes (radium and berylliur-7 are
examples). EPA and authorized. States r»ust regulate these waste?
when they are listed or when they exhibit any of the characteristic?
identified in Part 2fil, Subpart C. For States, the authority to
regulate these wastes -need not necessarily be the hazardous waste
authority**^ It could, for instance, be another State authority that
controls atl. radioactive waste, of course that authority, and t*°
mechanise implementincj it, must be equivalent to PCPA.
1 The definition* of these materials (see Attachment) are specific
in that Act and the wastes are reoulated by the Nuclear Recjularory
Commission (NRC) or an NP.C Agreement State.
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y facility that receives pr»A ha*ardeus waste must ^
RCPA *tandarcs and operate under either Interir status or a
permit. "*turally-oceurring and accelerator-produced rar, toacr iv*
was ten d«»ternined to be tan7*»r*ous tinker PCP& ««ust QO to a *C!?v
facility. It i* worth notinn r**t, altbour* these wastes are
not pre sent ly regulated by anyone at the Federal level for their
radio activity (s^ne States do rec?ul*te the»«) , PT.A requires
(and authorize* States) recui*te ther when t*ey exhibit
waste characteristic,
reco<:nires tb*t t^cr*> ar«« potr» wamte Ptreer-s that
certain hcrh source, special nuclear, or byproduct waferial
PC^A ha^flrdoi-s wastes. FPA ' s authority f> recjulate the^*» "
waj»te« unrer »CVA is not entirely cle»ar, and the universe and _
.generator.* of tbe*e waste? have net fceen fully identified. w»»
are workino to determine FPA's leqal authority over these wastes
antf we are working with the nepartrent rf Fnergy (C<>D and the
Nuclear Pequlatory Co^iri35sion (Nt»r) to identify both the wastes
a"hd appropriate and effective tt«f.fl«ur«»« fnr rana^in«3 then, onec
a final c*et*rnination about these issue* has been reached, FP*
will announce it put'l iely. if TPA d^terr-tn^- that thecft waste«,
which are currently reculafed un?*er th«» Mo»-ir mercy Act, are
•subject to regulation under fhe Fe^pr^l Fr^. pro^ra-^, autherl??^
st*trs will have the ti«*e fr?»n«? provided in 4f. CV> 271.21(e) tr
attend their proorars to berot»« enxiivalcrt . "ntil that fir-,*, r&-\
will not recrulre the State." to recju]*te any waste "trear- that
ha« both harardeus ar«^ source, «p«cini nurlear, or byproduct
corpon«»nts as a requirerent for authorisation.
The ain-p.lejtf way for e State to satisfy these reauirercnt-s
IP to adopt the «a«"t» exclusionary language found in eC?A. An •
excJusler of all radioactive wastes is too broad tn s«ti*fy t^i«
requirement since «o»"« har^rrtous wastes that *re not source,
special mjcle/»r, or hyrrcduet material •"*»/ thereby be exclu^pr
fror* contrc^S^tf a Sta^te does have »uch bro^d exclusionary
lancjuace? Attorne funeral mur.t full exlain how t*os*»
Attorney funeral mur.t fully explain how
excluded waf|tit«"8 will be regulated In t> manner equivalent to
th^ F'edera^gro-Trar. At such five as we clarify our [x^sin irr
on the f ix«Vjfvva«!tei* discussed aoove, we will b^» able tr- pr^vi.-v
you and the States with additional guidance. V-e do, hrwev*>r,
urv-;<» the Regions and States to review tcqet^cr the State/*
authoriti*« over radioactive waste? to ensurft that they are
properly mannqed so a« to provide raxirur protection to huwar
health and the environr-^nt . This review c^n b^» especially
beneficial to those States 9**Vin;j Congressional apprcv?.! under
s^ctirr 4 of the Low [,«vel t:«ste Policy Act o£ 19^(> (F.L. °'-5?3)
to *-nter into regional compacts for !--anar:incj radioactive waste*.
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t.*t n*jjr*«r<>r>? specifically to the questions ar:! concern?
you raised in your F»et-orandur!. First, by defining i" this peno-
randyr the radioactive* wastes that FT'.* and. th«» crafts r»u«t now
regulate, I brllev«» I have answered ycur questions 1, 2, and 4a.
In response t« question 3, you are correct that naturally-oo.cisrr ire
radioactive wastes associated with mining or the processing of
ores are i-re«»ntly excluded fror regulation und»»r surtitle C of
POP*. sinllarly, State* do not have to regulate the»* a« hazarrtcu«.
crv«»r.%c:*» of urar.iirr ntil t»ilinr;« if a Pffp^r^fp ratter, *s
i*» 'jraniurt »«ill TMlinq;*; BM'lijition Control Act ^efin*»rt thn- ««
hypro^uct. ™»t«»rial. Tailings are, therefore, exclu^«rt fron
?ir»c«» the ncint illation i*o«iia wastes <«iscus*i»rt in question
arc a secies of nixed we«t.«» (i.e., wastes corr^lnin^ both,
special nuclear, or byproclucf nat^rial an^ PCR*i hazarrloua waste),
State? will not. row he reuuireri to re»-jvlat« the»-. The S^C chose
nr.t to renulat«» thor because it *»terrine«i that the level of
radioactivity is so low «s to net enrtancer horan health or th«»
e/wircp-'onf (i.e., less than O.n* wicrociiries p«r grap» of h
o*r c?r^on-l4). As wfrh o.ther rtxer* waster., however, we are
wif.h the HPC «n^ the POP to assure tbit tnese w«ste« are handler
in * rranner that will acJcnuately protect t^«? crvironnert
public he»lth. t-e ur-Te autnorlzert States to worV in a c
rarner wit*", t^.o respon* l^le ac;ercy (F^r^eral or St^tn) ir> the >t*
tc similarly assure adr-quate protection to buTan health and the
er.v ir«nn»«nt fron the haiards of t^esc wz«te«.
Tn response to quo«tior. *r, th#» «tocV.pi le-* rariiur» wastes ir
Mort«on<»rv , Mat'-ara, were rc'tly neerlles frr>m hos;-it«l* an
not PC?A ^fljrar'ious wastes. PV «<;ree'-cnr. wit^ the- Food and
idiririsfrat ion , FPA srore-* those wa«re« *t the »*ont'5O«*»ry
until they co«»lr1 to dispose'* of pronerly.' They werr> all dlspoff.r'
of ar .radirr^ct ive waate« in the cor-rerci.nl, J-rv— l?vel radioactive
site in Han f ord , lash,
I trust thi0*' «e~or*Rdu^ provides you with tKe ?
sought. V^lire, of caurse, available to discus* this with you
further afeftnv- ti^».
cc:
Gene f ucero,
*-illie»r Picker son, r-c.\
Joserh Freed ran, (TV
Con, OKCW
*idr i nistr^tora,
hcc: H^rsr^oup v.aste Branch' Chief ?, Weciicns T-y
nrarch
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