TENORM news, correspondence, love letters, and advice.
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New - HPS/ANSI Standard for Control and Release of TENORM - Now available
Cost is $50 for non-members of the Health Physics Society. It can be ordered from here.
From the introduction:
"This standard provides general guidance and normative criteria for the control and release of
technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM). The radioactivity in
TENORM is due to radionuclides associated with two radioactive decay series, 238U and 232Th and their
respective decay products, and 40K. The standard applies to industries or activities that are not covered
by existing federal or state regulations. In addition, the standard may be adopted by American industries
and organizations as guidance in foreign countries in which there are no TENORM regulations or
guidelines. The activities considered by this standard include mining and beneficiation of ores; processing
of ore materials, gangue, and wastes; feedstock used in manufacturing consumer and industrial products;
and distribution of products containing TENORM. The standard does not apply to common activities, such
as tilling or plowing for agricultural purposes and preparation and grading of sites for construction. This
standard is concerned with practices and operations that might concentrate and relocate radioactivity or
make radioactivity more accessible such that members of the public may receive doses that would
warrant the application of appropriate protective measures and corrective actions. The introduction of
TENORM in products with no beneficial attributes is not approved by this standard. Other
recommendations suggest that preventive measures, such as engineered safety systems or operational
procedures, be implemented to safely manage TENORM in achieving the same objective. Finally, the
control of occupational exposures associated with TENORM is covered by the standard, although this
aspect may already be addressed through requirements of industrial hygiene standards under current
federal and state regulations."
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