&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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