Press Release-98-214, NRC Proposes Changes to Regulations for Devices Containing Radioactive Material
| ML003707571 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/01/1998 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Press Release-98-214 | |
| Download: ML003707571 (2) | |
Text
UnitedStatesNuclearRegulatoryCommissionOfficeofPublicAffairsWashington,DC20555Phone301-415-8200Fax301-415-2234Internet:opa@nrc.govNo.98-214FORIMMEDIATERELEASE(Tuesday,December1,1998)NRCPROPOSESCHANGESTOREGULATIONSFORDEVICESCONTAININGRADIOACTIVEMATERIALTheNuclearRegulatoryCommissionisproposingtoamenditsregulationsinPart31governingtheuseofradioactivematerialincertainmeasuring,gaugingandcontrollingdevices toexplicitlyrequirelicenseeswhopossessthedevicestoprovideinformationtoNRCupon request.CompaniesandindividualsarepermittedtousethedevicesunderanNRC"generallicense,"whichmeansthattheyneednothaveaspecificlicenseissuedtoanamedindividual ororganizationwithspecificlicenseconditionsandrequirements.Agenerallylicenseddevice usuallyconsistsofradioactivematerialcontainedinasealedsourcewithinashieldedcontainer.
Thedeviceisdesignedwithinherentradiationsafetyfeaturessothatitcanbeusedbypersons withnoradiationtrainingorexperience.Thegenerallicenseismeanttosimplifythelicensing processsothatacase-by-casedeterminationoftheadequacyofradiationtrainingor experienceofeachuserisnotnecessary.Thereareabout45,000generallicenseesundertheCommission'sgenerallicenseprogram;theypossessabout600,000devicescontainingradioactivematerial.Inthepast, thesegenerallicenseeshavenotbeencontactedbytheNRConaregularbasisbecauseofthe relativelysmallradiationriskposedbythedevicesandtheverylargenumberofgeneral licensees.However,therehavebeenanumberofinstancesinwhichgenerallylicensed deviceshavenotbeenproperlyhandledorproperlydisposedof.Insomecases,thishas resultedinunnecessaryradiationexposuretothepublicandcontaminationofproperty.Athree-yearNRCsamplingofgenerallicenseesshowedthatapproximately15percentofthosesurveyedcouldnotaccountforalloftheirdevices.TheNRCbelievesthissituation couldbeaddressedbymorefrequentandtimelycontactbetweenthegenerallicenseesandthe
NRC.WhiletheAtomicEnergyActgivesNRCtheauthoritytorequestappropriateinformationfromlicensees,theCommissionhasnotpreviouslyincludedinitsregulationsanexplicit provisioninthisregardforgenerallylicenseddevices.TheNRCproposestousethenewrequirementsforcertaingenerallicenseestoestablisharegistrationsystem.Thissystemwouldcovergenerallylicensedmeasuring, gaugingandcontrollingdeviceswithquantitiesofcertainradioactivematerialsposingahigher risktopublicsafetyorofpropertydamageifthedevicewerelostthanwouldothergenerally licenseddevices.Themajorityofthedevicesmeetingthesecriteriaareusedincommercial andindustrialapplicationsmeasuringthickness,densityorchemicalcompositioninindustries suchaspetrochemicalandsteelmanufacturing.About6,000generallicenseespossessingabout24,000deviceswillcomeundertheregistrationrequirement.TheproposedrevisionswouldrequiretheaffectedlicenseestorespondtoNRCrequestsforinformationwithin30days,inmostcases.Interestedpersonsareinvitedsubmitcommentsontheproposedchangeswithin75daysafterpublicationofaFederalRegisternoticeonthissubject,expectedshortly.Written commentsshouldbemailedtotheSecretary,U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission, Washington,D.C.20555-0001,Attention:RulemakingandAdjudicationsStaff.Comments mayalsobesubmittedviatheNRC'sinteractiverulemakingwebsiteat http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/rule.html.