From:	Pomije, Brian D. (LCDR)
Sent:	Monday, December 05, 2005 6:06 PM
To:	Burke, Gerald; Clark, Dorothy M. (CIV); Ely, Karen D. (CIV); Fairchild Gregory R LT; Feightner, Michael P. LT; Fong, Raynard K   CAPT; Frampton, Scott W  CIV; Giel, Daniel T. (CIV); Harden, Gary W; Hecht, Sheila C , LCDR; Houston, Tony L. HM2; Johnson, Gabrielle M.; LaFontaine, Richard L CT; Loscocco, Michele F (CDR); Ozeroglu, Muhammed A  LT; Pomije, Brian D. (LCDR); Ruiz, Steven LCDR; Scott, John H., CIV.; Simays, Andrew E., CDR; Solanki, Haresh P; Swilley, Eugene A. (LT); Tu, Victor LT; Van Way, Rick L (LCDR); Younes, Georges  E LCDR
Cc:	Clagett, Christopher D, CDR; Pomije, Brian D. (LCDR); Ely, Karen D. (CIV); Clark, Dorothy M. (CIV); Earles, Marvin R LCDR ; Glennon, Brendan K. CDR BUMED; Lino CDR Fragoso (E-mail) (Lino.Fragoso@navy.mil); Hutto, Robert CAPT; Lorenzen, William F GS; Netzer, Patricia H. (CAPT); Styles, Donna L (CAPT)
Subject:	NRMP: Decay-in-Storage of Radioactive Waste
Medical Radiation Safety Officers and NRMP Permittees:

This message is hereby forwarded for informational purposes only.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently submitted Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2004-17, Revision 1 in September 2005.  The RIS is entitled: "Revised Decay-In-Storage Provisions for the Storage of Radioactive Waste Containing Byproduct Material".  

In summary, it was noted that the regulations in 10 CFR 35.92, when revised in October 2002, indicated that radioactive waste with a physical half-life of less than 120 days (not less than or equal to 120 days) can be held for decay-in-storage.  However, the NRC has since discovered the error in the wording, and per RIS 2004-17, Rev. 1, the following requirements apply:

•	Radioactive waste generated from non-medical use:

The standard license conditions for the decay of radioactive byproduct material will retain the existing half-life criterion of "less than or equal to 120 days".

•	Radioactive waste generated from medical use:

10 CFR 35.92 will govern in authorizing decay-in-storage only for radioactive byproduct material with half-lives "less than 120 days".

In addition to meeting the half-life requirement, waste to be processed as decay in storage waste must meet the following conditions:

•	The waste must be held in storage until the radiation exposure rate cannot be distinguished from background radiation levels;
•	If specified in the command's permit, medical radioactive waste must also be held for a minimum of 10 half-lives;
•	Non-medical radioactive waste must be held for a minimum of 10 half-lives, unless specified otherwise in the command's permit;
•	The waste must be monitored at the container's surface and with no interposed shielding;
•	The waste must be monitored with an appropriate radiation detection instrument set at its most sensitive scale;
•	The licensee must obliterate or remove all radiation labels prior to disposal; and
•	Records of the disposal must be properly maintained in accordance with 10 CFR 35.2092.

Very respectfully,

LCDR Pomije

Brian D. Pomije, MS, DABR
Lieutenant Commander, Medical Service Corps, USN
Radiation Health Team Leader
Navy Environmental Health Center
620 John Paul Jones Circle (Suite 1100)
Portsmouth, VA 23708-2103

W: (757) 953-0766; DSN: 377-0766
Cell: (757) 651-2814
Fax: (757) 953-0685