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21 November 2009

Answer to Question #559 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Radioactive Waste Disposal — Disposal

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

What safety precautions should be taken in the handling and disposal of radioactive materials?

The best reference for waste disposal is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regulation in Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20, Subpart K. You can find Part 20 on the NRC Web site. Scroll down to Subpart K. These are the regulatory requirements for NRC-licensed radioactive material and all of the Agreement State regulations are required to be compatible with them. Further detail for specific waste streams is usually provided in NRC Regulatory Guides on specific types of programs. Subpart K provides a very good summary of all necessary considerations for proper radioactive materials disposal. The rest of Part 20 covers all necessary requirements for safe handling, again with Regulatory Guide references for more detail on a specific application (such as Regulatory Guide 10.8 for medical uses). Frank Massé, CHP

Answer posted on 19 December 2000. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.