New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Chapter 28 - RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMS
Subchapter 12 - REMEDIATION STANDARDS FOR RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
Section 7:28-12.11 - Petition for alternative remediation standards for radioactive contamination
Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 6, March 18, 2024
(a) In lieu of using the minimum remediation standards for radioactive contamination found at 7:28-12.9 or developed under 7:28-12.10, a person or licensee may petition the Department for an alternative remediation standard for radioactive contamination. Such an alternate remediation standard:
(b) The Department shall not consider a petition for an alternative remediation standard for radionuclides that is supported by increasing, in any manner, the allowed incremental dose criterion of 15 mrem/yr (0.15 mSv/yr) or the allowed incremental radon in air concentration of three pCi/L (111 Bq/m[LESS THAN]3[GREATER THAN]), or varying the parameters listed in Tables 6 or 7 below.
Table 6 | ||
Limited | ||
or | ||
Parameter | Unrestricted | Restricted |
Indoor onsite breathing rate(m<3>/hr) | 0.63 | 1.4 |
Outdoor onsite breathing rate(m<3>/hr) | 1.40 | 1.4 |
Soil ingestion rate (g/yr) | 70 | 12.5 |
Homegrown crop ingestion rate(g/yr) | 17,136 | 0 |
Drinking water consumption rate(l/yr) | 700 | 700 |
Shielding factor through basement or slab | 0.20 | 0.20 |
Shielding factor through wall | 0.80 | 0.80 |
Shielding factor outside | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Table 7 Soil to Vegetation Transfer Factors | |
pCi/g plant (wet) to | |
Element | pCi/g soil (dry) |
Th | 1E-3 |
Ra | 4E-2 |
Pb | 1E-2 |
Po | 1E-3 |
U | 2.5E-3 |
Ac | 2.5E-3 |
Pa | 1E-2 |
Bi | 1E-1 |
(c) The Department shall consider petitions only in cases where site-specific or waste specific factors, and/or site design features are used in performing the dose assessment, which are different than those used by the Department in establishing the remediation standards in 7:28-12.9 or 12.10. Factors which the Department shall consider in a petition for an alternate remediation standard include, but are not limited to:
Table 8 Generic Site Input Parameters for Groundwater Pathway Analysis | |
Dimensions of contaminated zone, LxW (m) | 100 x 100 |
Percolation rate (vertical Darcy velocity, m/yr) | 0.5 |
Volumetric water content in contaminated zone | 0.35 |
(m<3>/m<3>) | |
Volumetric water content in unsaturated zone (m<3>/m<3>) | 0.2 |
Bulk density of contaminated zone (g/m<3>) | 1.6 |
Bulk density of saturated zone (g/m<3>) | 1.6 |
Unsaturated zone thickness (distance from bottom of | 0.5 |
source to aquifer, m) | |
Porosity of aquifer | 0.45 |
Longitudinal dispersivity in aquifer (m) | 9 |
Transverse dispersivity in aquifer (m) | 4 |
Pore velocity in aquifer (m/yr) | 4 |
Well screen thickness (mixing depth, m) | 10 |
Table 9 Sorption Coefficients used for Groundwater Pathway Analysis | |
Isotopes | Kd (mg/L) |
uranium | 35 |
thorium | 3,200 |
radium | 500 |
lead | 270 |
proactinium | 550 |
actinium | 450 |
(d) A petition for an alternate remediation standard shall include an analysis demonstrating how and why the difference in factors such as those in Tables 8 and 9 above and/or indoor and outdoor occupancy times will result in substantially different remediation standards than those in 7:28-12.9.
(e) Regardless of the factors used by the petitioner or licensee, the Department shall not approve alternative standard petitions that include institutional and engineering controls where failure of those controls, not including the failure of a radon remediation system, would result in more than 100 mrem (one mSv) total annual effective dose equivalent.
(f) In the event the Department determines that sufficient evidence exists to support consideration of an alternative remediation standard, the petitioner or licensee shall submit a written analysis which demonstrates compliance with the dose limits in 7:28-12.9 or 12.10 including:
(g) Engineering controls or institutional controls may be incorporated as part of a petition for an alternative remediation standard provided that these controls will be durable and implemented for an appropriate period of time to achieve their intended purpose.
(h) Computer models acceptable to the Department may be used by the petitioner or licensee for an alternative remediation standard to confirm that the requirements of 7:28-12.9 or 12.10 have been and will continue to be met.