South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Subchapter 61-63 - Radioactive Materials (Title A)
Part III - STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION
Section 61-63.III.RHA 3.56 - [Appendix E] Classification and Characteristics of Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Universal Citation: SC Code Regs 61-63.III.RHA 3.56
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 9, September 27, 2024
3.56.1 Classification of Radioactive Waste for Land Disposal
3.56.1.1 Considerations.
Determination of the classification of radioactive waste involves two
considerations. First, consideration must be given to the concentration of
long-lived radionuclides (and their shorter-lived precursors) whose potential hazard
will persist long after such precautions as institutional controls, improved waste
form, and deeper disposal have ceased to be effective. These precautions delay the
time when long-lived radionuclides could cause exposures. In addition, the magnitude
of the potential dose is limited by the concentration and availability of the
radionuclide at the time of exposure. Second, consideration must be given to the
concentration of shorter-lived radionuclides for which requirements on institutional
controls, waste form, and disposal methods are effective.
3.56.1.2 Classes of waste.
3.56.1.2.1 Class A waste is waste that is usually
segregated from other waste classes at the disposal site. The physical form and
characteristics of Class A waste must meet the minimum requirements set forth in RHA
3.56.2.1. If Class A waste also meets the stability requirements set forth in RHA
3.56.2.2 it is not necessary to segregate the waste for disposal.
3.56.1.2.2 Class B waste is waste that must meet
more rigorous requirements on waste form to ensure stability after disposal. The
physical form and characteristics of Class B waste must meet both the minimum and
stability requirements set forth in RHA 3.56.2.
3.56.1.2.3 Class C waste is waste that not only
must meet more rigorous requirements on waste form to ensure stability but also
requires additional measures at the disposal facility to protect against inadvertent
intrusion. The physical form and characteristics of Class C waste must meet both the
minimum and stability requirements set forth in RHA 3.56.2.
3.56.1.3 Classification determined by long-lived
radionuclides. If the radioactive waste contains only radionuclides listed in Table
III, classification shall be determined as follows:
3.56.1.3.1 If the concentration does not exceed
0.1 times the value in Table I, the waste is Class A.
3.56.1.3.2 If the concentration exceeds 0.1 times
the value in Table I, but does not exceed the value in Table I, the waste is Class
C.
3.56.1.3.3 If the concentration
exceeds the value in Table I, the waste is not generally acceptable for land
disposal.
3.56.1.3.4 For wastes
containing mixtures of radionuclides listed in Table I, the total concentration
shall be determined by the sum of fractions rule described in RHA 3.56.1.7.
|
TABLE I |
||
|
Concentration |
||
|
Radionuclide |
curie cubic meter [FNa] |
nanocurie/gram [FNb] |
|
C-14 |
8 |
|
|
C-14 in activated metal |
80 |
|
|
Ni-59 in activated metal |
220 |
|
|
Nb-94 in activated metal |
0.2 |
|
|
Tc-99 |
3 |
|
|
I-129 |
0.08 |
|
|
Alpha emitting transuranic radionuclides with half-life greater than five years |
100 |
|
|
Pu-241 |
3,500 |
|
|
Cm-242 |
20,000 |
|
|
Ra-226 |
100 |
|
|
[FNa] To convert the C/m 3 values to gigabecquerel (GBq)/cubic meter, multiply the C/m 3 value by 37 |
||
|
[FNb] To convert the nC/g values to becquerel (Bq)gram, multiply the nC/g value by 37. |
||
3.56.1.4 Classification determined by short-lived
radionuclides. If the waste does not contain any of the radionuclides listed in
Table I, classification shall be determined based on the concentrations shown in
Table II. However, as specified in RHA 3.56.1.6 if radioactive waste does not
contain any nuclides listed in either Table I or II, it is Class A.
3.56.1.4.1 If the concentration does not exceed
the value in Column 1, the waste is Class A.
3.56.1.4.2 If the concentration exceeds the value
in Column 1 but does not exceed the value in Column 2, the waste is Class
B.
3.56.1.4.3 If the concentration
exceeds the value in Column 2 but does not exceed the value in Column 3, the waste
is Class C.
3.56.1.4.4 If the
concentration exceeds the value in Column 3, the waste is not generally acceptable
for near-surface disposal.
3.56.1.4.5
For wastes containing mixtures of the radionuclides listed in Table II, the total
concentration shall be determined by the sum of fractions rule described in RHA
3.56.1.7.
|
TABLE II |
|||
|
Radionuclide |
Concentration, |
curie/cubic |
meter [FN*] |
|
Column 1 |
Column 2 |
Column 3 |
|
|
Total of all radio- nuclides with less than 5-year half-life |
700 |
[FN*] |
[FN*] |
|
H-3 |
40 |
[FN*] |
[FN*] |
|
Co-60 |
700 |
[FN*] |
[FN*] |
|
Ni-63 |
3.5 |
70 |
700 |
|
Ni-63 in activated |
|||
|
metal |
35 |
700 |
7000 |
|
Sr-90 |
0.04 |
150 |
7000 |
|
Cs-137 |
1 |
44 |
4600 |
|
FN DEPARTMENT NOTE: To convert the Ci/m3 value to gigabecquerel (GBq)/cubic meter, multiply the Ci/m3 value by 37. There are no limits established for these radionuclides in Class B or C wastes. Practical considerations such as the effects of external radiation and internal heat generation on transportation, handling, and disposal will limit the concentrations for these wastes. These wastes shall be Class B unless the concentrations of other radionuclides in Table II determine the waste to be Class C independent of these radionuclides. |
|||
3.56.1.5 Classification determined by both
long-and short-lived radionuclides. If the radioactive waste contains a mixture of
radionuclides, some of which are listed in Table I and some of which are listed in
Table II, classification shall be determined as follows:
3.56.1.5.1 If the concentration of a radionuclide
listed in Table I is less than 0.1 times the value listed in Table I, the class
shall be that determined by the concentration of radionuclides listed in Table
II.
3.56.1.5.2 If the concentration of a
radionuclide listed in Table I exceed 0.1 times the value listed in Table I, but
does not exceed the value in Table I, the waste shall be Class C, provided the
concentration of radionuclides listed in Table II does not exceed the value shown in
Column 3 of Table II.
3.56.1.6 Classification of wastes with
radionuclides other than those listed in Tables I and II. If the waste does not
contain any radionuclides listed in either Table I or II, it is Class A.
3.56.1.7 The sum of the fractions rule for
mixtures of radionuclides. For determining classification for waste that contains a
mixture of radionuclides, it is necessary to determine the sum of fractions by
dividing each radionuclide's concentration by the appropriate limit and adding the
resulting values. The appropriate limits must all be taken from the same column of
the same table. The sum of the fractions for the column must be less than 1.0 if the
waste class is to be determined by that column. Example: A waste contains Sr-90 in a
concentration of 1.85 TBq/m3 (50
Ci/m3) and Cs-137 in a concentration of 814
GBq/m3 (22 Ci/m3). Since the
concentrations both exceed the values in Column 1, Table II, they must be compared
to Column 2 values. For Sr-90 fraction, 50/150 = 0.33., for Cs-137 fraction, 22/44 =
0.5; the sum of the fractions = 0.83. Since the sum is less than 1.0, the waste is
Class B.
3.56.1.8 Determination of
concentrations in wastes. The concentration of a radionuclide may be determined by
indirect methods such as use of scaling factors which relate the inferred
concentration of one radionuclide to another that is measured, or radionuclide
material accountability, if there is reasonable assurance that the indirect methods
can be correlated with actual measurements. The concentration of a radionuclide may
be averaged over the volume of the waste, or weight of the waste if the units are
expressed a becquerel (nanocurie) per gram.
3.56.2 Radioactive Waste Characteristics
3.56.2.1 The following are minimum requirements
for all classes of waste and are intended to facilitate handling and provide
protection of health and safety of personnel at the disposal site.
3.56.2.1.1 Wastes shall be packaged in conformance
with the conditions of the license issued to the site operator to which the waste
will be shipped. Where the conditions of the site license are more restrictive than
the provisions of Part VII, the site license conditions shall govern.
3.56.2.1.2 Wastes shall not be packaged for
disposal in cardboard or fiberboard boxes.
3.56.2.1.3 Liquid waste shall be packaged in
sufficient absorbent material to absorb twice the volume of the liquid.
3.56.2.1.4 Solid waste containing liquid shall
contain as little free-standing and non-corrosive liquid as is reasonably
achievable, but in no case shall the liquid exceed 1% of the volume.
3.56.2.1.5 Waste shall not be readily capable of
detonation or of explosive decomposition or reaction at normal pressures and
temperatures, or of explosive reaction with water.
3.56.2.1.6 Waste shall not contain, or be capable
of generating, quantities of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes harmful to persons
transporting, handling, or disposing of the waste. This does not apply to
radioactive gaseous waste packaged in accordance with RHA 3.56.2.1.8.
3.56.2.1.7 Waste must not be pyrophoric. [FN1]
Pyrophoric materials contained in wastes shall be treated, prepared, and packaged to
be nonflammable.
3.56.2.1.8 Wastes in a
gaseous form shall be packaged at an absolute pressure that does not exceed 1.5
atmospheres at 20°C. Total activity shall not exceed 3.7 TBq (100 Ci) per
container.
3.56.2.1.9 Wastes containing
hazardous, biological, pathogenic, or infectious material shall be treated to reduce
to the maximum extent practicable the potential hazard from the non-radiological
materials.
3.56.2.2 The
following requirements are intended to provide stability of the waste. Stability is
intended to ensure that the waste does not degrade and affect overall stability of
the site through slumping, collapse, or other failure of the disposal unit and
thereby lead to water infiltration. Stability is also a factor in limiting exposure
to an inadvertent intruder, since it provides a recognizable and nondispersible
waste.
3.56.2.2.1 Waste shall have structural
stability. A structurally stable waste form will generally maintain its physical
dimensions and its form, under the expected disposal conditions such as weight of
overburden and compaction equipment, the presence of moisture, and microbial
activity, and internal factors such as radiation effects and chemical changes.
Structural stability can be provided by the waste form itself, processing the waste
to stable form, or placing the waste in a disposal container or structure that
provides stability after disposal.
3.56.2.2.2 Notwithstanding the provisions in RHA
3.56.2.1.3 and 3.56.2.1.4, wastes, or wastes containing liquid, shall be converted
into a form that contains as little free-standing and non-corrosive liquid as is
reasonably achievable, but in no case shall the liquid exceed 1% of the volume of
the waste when the waste is in a disposal container designed to ensure stability, or
0.5% of the volume of the waste for waste processed to a stable form.
3.56.2.2.3 Void spaces within the waste and
between the waste and its package shall be reduced to the extent practicable.
3.56.3 Labeling
Each package of waste shall be clearly labeled to identify whether it is Class A, Class B, or Class C waste, in accordance with RHA 3.56.1.
[FN1] "Pyrophoric liquid" means any liquid that ignites spontaneously in dry or moist air at or below 130°F (54.4°C). A pyrophoric solid is any solid material, other than one classed as an explosive, which under normal conditions is liable to cause fires through friction, retained heat from manufacturing or processing, or which can be ignited readily and, when ignited, burns so vigorously and persistently as to create a serious transportation, handling, or disposal hazard. Included are spontaneously combustible and water-reactive materials.
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