Information Notice 1999-33, Management of Wastes Contaminated with Radioactive Materials

Management of Wastes Contaminated with Radioactive Materials
	ML993510053
Person / Time
Issue date:	12/21/1999
From:	Cool D; NRC/NMSS/IMNS
To:	;
	Cool D
References
	IN-99-033
	Download: ML993510053 (7)
	v • d • e

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 December 21, 1999 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 99-33: MANAGEMENT OF WASTES CONTAMINATED WITH

RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

Addressees

All medical licensees.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice to remind

medical use licensees to carefully monitor all waste that may be contaminated with radioactive

materials. Waste management facilities not authorized to receive licensable materials are

finding wastes contaminated with detectable levels of radioactive materials in waste shipments

from hospitals and other medical facilities. It is expected that recipients will review this

information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to address

these issues. However, suggestions contained in this information notice are not new NRC

requirements; therefore no specific action nor written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

In January 1991, NRC issued Information Notice 91-03, entitled "Management of Wastes

Contaminated with Radioactive Materials ("Red Bag" Waste and Ordinary Trash)". Since the

1991 information notice, many operators of medical waste incinerators and landfills have been

monitoring waste shipments for radioactivity. In several cases, waste shipments from hospitals

have contained radioactive materials, with radiation levels that exceeded the waste disposal

operators' preset detection levels. In some cases, operators of landfills or medical waste

incinerators have rejected the shipments and returned them to the generators. In general, operators of landfills and medical waste incinerators are not authorized to receive or manage

radioactive waste.

Case 1: Incident involving a medical waste incinerator

A representative from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP)

notified the NRC Region I staff that radioactive material had been detected in a dumpster at an

incinerator facility. The personnel at the incinerator notified CTDEP that waste in the dumpster, measuring 20 milliroentgen per hour, had tripped their radiation monitors. CTDEP personnel

determined that the radioactive waste was localized in a small area within the dumpster and

identified the radioactive material as iodine-131. CTDEP personnel tracked the source of the

waste to an NRC medical licensee. Because all sources were accounted for during the previous

week, the licensee believed that the material was patient generated and not therapeutic. After

being contacted by NRC Region I, the licensee segregated the waste from the dumpster and

brought the radioactive material back to its facility.

ML993510053

IN 99-33 December 21, 1999 Case 2: Incident involving a landfill

Browning Ferris Industries (BFI) received a load of solid waste from a hospital in New York City

and took it to a transfer station in Brooklyn, NY. The waste was then moved to a landfill in

Pennsylvania, where it set off a radiation portal monitor alarm. The waste was rejected by the

landfill and returned to the BFI transfer station in Brooklyn. Personnel determined that the waste

contained approximately 11.1 gigabecquerel (300 mCi) of technetium-99m and returned it to the

hospital.

Case 3: Incident involving housekeeping

The University of Pittsburgh reported the loss of a brachytherapy ribbon containing

0.15 gigabecquerel (4 mCi) of iridium-192 seeds. A Patient Service Technician removed soiled

linen from the room of a brachytherapy patient and placed them in the hallway. The linen

contained the ribbon with the iridium-1 92 seeds, which had become displaced from the patient.

The technician stated that she was not familiar with the standard precautions of keeping trash

and linen in the room until they have been surveyed. For corrective actions, the licensee

retrained the nursing staff who have primary care responsibilities for patients receiving

brachytherapy in the applicable radiation safety policies, procedures, and precautions. In

addition, a written test was administered to each individual to evaluate and assure

comprehension of the training information.

Case 4: Incident involving a transfer station

The Virginia Bureau of Radiological Health reported that a radiation monitor at a trash transfer

station, located in Washington, D.C., had alarmed, indicating the presence of radioactive

material. The waste hauler contractor stated that the waste was from a hospital licensee. The

material was identified as a paper cup and a crushed bed pan contaminated with iodine-1 31.

The waste hauler contractor took custody of the radioactive material and held it for decay.

Case 5: Incident involving a transfer station

The licensee reported that a BFI truck in Delray Beach, Florida set off a radiation portal monitor

alarm at a transfer station. The container was returned to the licensee, who found a bag

containing radioactive medical waste. The radioactive waste was inadvertently placed in the

container because of a mix-up during a survey of trash bags. The mix-up occurred when two

bags were being transferred to the waste container and the licensee monitor alarm tripped. The

first bag was surveyed and found to contain radioactive waste. The employee set both bags

aside and went to find a supervisor. While he was gone, another staff member placed the bags

into the normal trash container and the container was taken to the transfer station.

Discussion:

Since operators of landfills and medical waste incinerators have installed radiation detection

systems, they have become more aware of radioactive materials being shipped to these

facilities.

IN 99-33 December 21, 1999 NRC medical licensees are advised that operators of most landfills and medical waste

incinerators are not licensed to manage low-level radioactive materials, and may simply reject

any shipment that contains detectable levels of radioactivity, regardless of the source.

If a licensee detects radioactivity in its waste, or if an operator of a landfill or medical waste

incinerator returns a waste shipment containing detectable levels of byproduct, source or special

nuclear material to a licensee, absent an exemption, the licensee must manage the waste as

licensed material. The licensee must evaluate the waste in accordance with 10 CFR 20.1501,

"Surveys," and manage the storage/disposal of the waste in accordance with the applicable

regulations and license conditions. In addition, licensees are reminded that compliance with

NRC regulations does not relieve NRC licensees from complying with other local, state, and

federal requirements on waste disposal.

Medical use licensees should be aware that radioactive materials may enter their waste-handling

process through mechanisms largely beyond their control. Patients undergoing diagnosis and

therapy, who are not required to be hospitalized, may discard contaminated items with low, but

detectable, levels of radioactivity into waste containers. Therefore, detection of radioactive

material in nonradioactive waste streams does not necessarily indicate poor management of

radioactive waste or noncompliance with NRC requirements.

Licensees should be aware of areas in which radiation is used to ensure proper disposal of the

medical radioactive waste generated. When patients are placed in temporary areas of a medical

facility due to unusual circumstances, licensees should have survey systems in place to properly

manage the waste. It is suggested that licensees review their programs to assure that radioactive

waste is secured, and that workers are adequately trained in safety procedures.

Licensees may want to consider taking further precautions in preventing the improper disposal of

radioactive material, since there are still reports of unauthorized recipients receiving nuclear

material. Improper transfer of licensed materials to unauthorized recipients is a violation of NRC

requirements and will be considered for enforcement action.

This information notice requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any

questions about the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below, or the appropriate NRC regional office.

Donald A. Cool, Director

Division of Industrial and

Medical Nuclear Safety

Office of Nuclear Material Safety

and Safeguards

Technical Contact:

Anita L. Turner, NMSS

301- 415 - 5508 E-mail: alt@nrc.gov

Attachments:

1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices

2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Attachment 1 IN 99-33 December 21, 1999 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NMSS INFORMATION NOTICES

Information

Date of

Notice No.

Subject

Issuance

Issued to

99-32 The Effect of the Year 2000

12/17 All NRC medical licensees

Issues on Medical Licensees

99-31

11/17/99

11/8/99

10/28/99

9/30/99

9/2/99

8/24/99

7/12/99

716/99 Operational Controls to Guard

Against Inadvertent Nuclear

Critically

Failure of Double Contingency

Based on Administrative

Controls Involving Laboratory

Sampling and Spectroscopic

Analysis of Wet Uranium

Waste

Authorized Contents of Spent

Fuel Casks

Recall of Star Brand Fire

Protection Sprinkler Heads

Malfunction of Source

Retraction Mechanism in

Cobalt-60 Teletherapy

Treatment Units

Safety and Economic

Consequences of Misleading

Marketing Information

Broad-Scope Licensees'.

Responsibilities for Reviewing

and Approving Unregistered

Sealed Sources and Devices

Safety Concerns Related to

Related Control Unit Failures of

the Nucletron Classic Model

High-Dose-Rate Remote

Afterloading Brachytherapy

Devices

All NRC licensed fuel cycle

conversion, enrichment and

fabrication facilities

All fuel cycle licensees and

certificates performing laboratory

analysis to determine uranium

content, in support of

administrative criticality safety

controls

All power reactor licensees and

spent fuel storage licensees and

applicants

All holders of licenses for nuclear

power, research and test

reactors, and fuel cycle facilities

All medical licensees authorized

to conduct teletherapy treatments

All Distributors and/or

Manufacturers of Generally

Licensed Products

All medical licensees' of broad

scope and master materials

licensees

All U. S. NRC medical licensees

authorized to use brachytherapy

sources in Nucletron Classic

Model high-dose-rate remote

afterloaders

99-30

99-29

99-28

99-27

99-26

99-24

99-23

Attachment 2 IN 99-33 December 21, 1999 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC INFORMATION NOTICES