&EPA
     United States
     Environmental Protection
     Agency
                                               Disposal  Option  for
Nuclear  Moisture   Density  Gauges
  Public Health impacts
 and Financial Implications
  for the Steel Industry

   Exposed source can
 come in direct contact
 with members of the
 general public resulting
 in detrimental health
 effects.

   Significant financial
 implications from contam-
 ination of consumer metal
 supplies.

 ~ Once a radioactive
 source has been melted
 in a smelting plant, the
 average cleanup cost is
 $12 Million.

   Since 1994, more
 than 2500 incidents of
 radioactive materials in
 metal supplies have been
 reported.

 _ NRG receives approxi-
 mately 365 reports of
 lost, stolen or abandoned
 radioactive sources, also
 called "orphan" sources,
 annually.
  In the past, the coses associated with the disposal of nuclear moisture den-
  sity gauges has been prohibitive when considering options such as discon-
  tinuing an application, purchasing a new nuclear device, or adapting an
alternative technology that would result in the elimination of one or more
gauges belonging to a licensee.
However, in recent years the importance of total "cradle to grave" accounta-
bility of nuclear devices containing sealed sources, in which safe, economical
and legal disposal options are included, has become increasingly more criti-
cal due to increases in orphan source incidences.  An orphan source incident
can be best described as a device containing a nuclear sealed source falling
out of regulatory control through various mechanisms, including theft, loss
during transportation, and inadvertent abandonment. Once out of regulatory
control, the devices may be subjected to harsh conditions capable of exposing
the radioactive source, and, subsequently, entering the public domain  in a
variety of situations such as contaminated consumer products as well as the
general environment. The EPA Clean Materials Program is committed to
minimizing orphaned source incidences through various multifaceted
endeavors. Included among these is enhanced radiation monitoring at  ports
of entry, training for first responders, facilitation of alternative technology
development, and providing education and outreach programs concerning
issues such as the safe, economical and legal disposal option discussed  below.

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Reduced Disposal Costs

In 1999, DOE created the Off-Site Source Recovery Project (OSRP). The main objective of this project is
rhe recovery, storage, and eventual disposal of sealed sources that are not managed at a DOE facility, and
contain greater than class C materials. This encompasses sources that are unused, unwanted and in excess,
belonging to academic institutions as well as the public and private sectors, and could potentially fall out of
regulatory control posing a risk to public health and safety. Portable nuclear moisture density gauges fall
into this category because the Am-24l neutron source used in these devices is a greater  than class C source.
In a collaboration between DOE and several gauge manufacturers, disposal cost for the gauges has been
greatly reduced. The manufacturer disassembles the gauge and collects the Cs-137 source, which is less
than a class C material and is a low-level waste, that will be disposed of by the manufacturer at a commer-
cial low-level waste disposal site. The Am-24l source is stored at DOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory
(LANL) until permanent disposal is arranged.

Source Registration

•     Source registration will provide valuable information for the responsible future management
       of radioactive sources.

       Even if the source does not fit the  criteria of an unwanted, unused, in excess or greater than
       class C, source holders are encouraged to register their sources for future disposal assistance.
       Sources that are less than class C can also be registered,

H     Registration of sources in the OSRP database is essential to the success of the project.
United States Environmental Protection Agency I Office of Air and Radiation (6608J) I EPA 402-F-02-O16 I August 2002

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