1. The proposed regulations exclude sites for which regulations already exist. They are sites regulated under 40 CFR 191, parts B and C; disposal of spent fuel, high level and transuranic wastes, 40 CFR 192; disposition of thorium and uranium mill tailings, and 40 CFR 300; national oil and hazardous substances pollution contingency plan required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).Return to document.

2. The groundwater pathway is expected to contribute far more to the radiation dose than would air and soil pathways. Return to Document.

3. For a tabulation of current and proposed MCLs refer to SDA, Volume 3, Number 1. Return to Document.

4. NORM wastes are the result of diverse activities such as oil and gas production, uranium mining, phosphate fertilizers production, etc. Radium-226 is the principal radionuclide of concern. In soil, radium-226 average concentration is 1 pCi/g; in uranium mining overburden the average concentration is 25 pCi/g; and in oil and gas production scale and sludge it is 360 pCi/g and 75 pCi/g respectively. In some cases, such as the oil and gas industry, the concentration of radium-226 can be as high as 400,000 pCi/g. Such wastes are often generated in huge quantities. Return to Document.

5. This SECY is a biennial update to the "Site Decommissioning Management Plan" (SDMP). Return to Document.

6. Confirmatory surveys, although not mandatory, are routinely conducted by the NRC to verify that the licensee meets the NRC criteria. The NRC states that: "This documentation has, in the past, been shown to be reassuring to the members of the public". Return to Document.

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research

Comments to Outreach Coordinator, Pat Ortmeyer: ieer@ieer.org
Takoma Park, Maryland, USA

Revised March 21, 1996