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Ste p 1 : FOR ASR

C INTERNA LUS E ONL Y Are ther e more documents fo rthi s Docke t i n anothe rbox ? Til l ou t Continuatio n Shee t an d go t o Ste p 2 YES ) / N O

Interna l SFUN D Bo

xNumbe r 3 5 O F _283

_ Initials/Date : _LD S /_3-8-200 7P. 2 

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### REGULATIO N O F RADIONUCLIDE S UNDE R ENVIRONMENTA LLAW S

Th e summarie s provide d belo wdescrib e whethe r an d ho wstatute s othe r than CERCL Agover n th e releas e o f radionuclides
. Whe n appropriate , regulation s an d standard s issued unde r eac ho f the statute s ar e discussed
. Th e statute s examine d are :

(1 ) Th e Clea n Ai r Act ; (2 ) Th e Resourc e Conservatio n an d RecoveryAct ; (3 ) Th e Saf e Drinking Wate r Act ; (4 ) Th e Clea n Wate r Act ; an d (5 ) Th e Toxi c Substance s Contro l Act . Abrie f descriptio n o f th e coverag e o f radionuclide s unde r CERCL Ai s als o given
. Th e Clea

nAi r Ac t Radionuclide s ar e listed a s hazardou s substance s unde r Sectio n 11 2 o f the Clean Ai r Ac t (CAA)
. Thi s listin g (4 4 F R 76738 , Decembe r 27 , 1979 ) identifie s radionuclide s a s a generi c clas s o f substances , withou t specifying an y particula r radionuclide s tha t ar e t o b e considere d hazardous
. Regulatory actio n unde r th e CA Aneithe r expand s no r restrict s thi s generi c ter mi n an y fashion
. O n Apri l 6 , 1983 , EPAissue d propose d standard s fo r source s o f radionuclid e emission s t o ai r (4 8 FR 15077)
. Thes e include d standard s fo r th e following sourc e categories : (1 ) Departmen t o f Energ y(DOE ) facilities ; (2 ) Nuclea r RegulatoryCommissio n (NRC)-license d facilitie s an d non-DO E Federa l facilities ; (3 ) elementa l phosphoru s plants ; an d (4 ) underground uraniu m mines
. Later , o n Octobe r 23 , 1984 , EPAwithdre wth e propose d standard s fo r th e firs t thre e sourc e categorie s o n the ground s tha t curren t radionuclid e emission s fro

mthes e source s d o no t presen t a seriou s healt hthrea t (4 9 F R 43906)
. A t th e same time , EPApublishe d a n Advanc e Notic e o f Propose d Rulemaking fo r Radon-22 2 emission s fro munderground uraniu mmines
. Nevertheless , acting i n respons e t o a cour t order , EPAha s promulgate d fina l standard s fo r radionuclid e emission s t o ai r fro mDO E facilities , NRC-license d an

d non-DO E Federa l facilities , an d elementa l phosphoru s plant s (5 0 FR 5190)
. Thes e standard s limi t radionuclid e emission s fro mDO E facilitie s an

d NRC-license d an

d non-DO E Federa l facilitie s t o a n amoun t tha t causes : (1 ) a dose-equivalen t rat e o f 2 5 millirem/yea r t o th e whol e body ; o r (2 ) a dose-equivalen t rat e o f 7 5 millirem/yea r t o th e critica l orga n o f an y membe r o f the public
. Thes e standard s exclud e dose s du e t o Radon-222 , Radon-220 , an

d thei r respective deca yproducts
. Fo r elementa l phosphoru s plants , th e nationa l emissio n standard s limi t th e tota l emission s o f Polonium-21 0 t o 2 1 curies/year
.P. 3

Th e Resourc e Conservatio n an d Recover yAc t Th e Resourc e Conservatio n an d RecoveryAc t (RCRA ) specificall yexclude s fro mit s definitio n o f "soli d waste " (an d therefor e exclude s fro mregulatio n unde r RCRA ) "source , specia l nuclear , o r byproduc t materia l a s define d b yth e Atomi c Energ

yAc t o f 1954 " (Section 1004(27))
. Thi s exemptio n i s simila r to , bu t les s specifi c than , th e exemptio n afforde d federall ypermitte d release s unde r Sectio n 101(10)(K ) o f CERCLA
. CERCL Aadd s tha t suc hrelease s mus t b e "i n complianc e wit ha legall yenforceabl e license , permit , regulation , o r orde r issue d pursuan t t o th e Atomi c Energ yAc t o f 1954. " Althoughradionuclide s othe r tha n thos e exclude d b yRCR ASectio n 1004(27 ) ar e no t specificall ylisted a s a RCR Ahazardou s waste , some radionuclide s ma y b e judge d t o fal l unde r RCR Ajurisdiction
. Radioactiv e material s tha t ar e naturall yoccurring (but no t source , specia l nuclear , o r byproduc t material ) o r accelerato r produce d ar e no t include d i n th e Sectio n 1004(27 ) exemption
. I f suc hradioactiv e waste s eithe r exhibite d a characteristi c o f ignitability , reactivity , corrosivity , o r E P toxicit y(a s define d i n 4 0 CFR 26 1 Subpar t C ) o r wer e mixe d wit ha listed wast e (e.g. , a spen t solven t listed i n 4 0 CFR 26 1 Subpar t D) , th e radioactiv e waste s woul d b e considere d subjec t t o RCRA
. I n managing radioactiv e waste s subjec t t o RCRA , owner s an d operator s o f hazardou s wast e lan d disposa l facilitie s ar e require d b yRCR ASectio n 3005(e)(2 ) to :

(a ) Submi t a RCR

APar t B permi t applicatio n t o EPAo r an authorize d State , (b ) Certif ytha t theyar e in complianc e wit hthe interi m statu s groundwate r monitoring requirement s o f Subpar t F o f 4 0 CFR Par t 265 , an d (c ) Certif ycomplianc e wit hthe interi mstatu s financia l requirement s o f Subpar t H o f 4 0 CFR Par t 26 5 (unde r §265.140(c ) Federa l facilitie s ar e exemp t fro mthes e requirements—certificatio n shoul d simpl ys o state)
. I n addition , generator s o f relevan t radioactiv e waste s ar e subjec t t o wast e minimizatio n requirement s unde r RCR ASection s 3002(b) , 3002(a)(6) , an d 3005(h) , Th e Saf e Drinkin g Wate r Ac t Th e Saf e Drinking Wate r Ac t direct s th e EPAt o se t interi mprimary standard s fo r drinking water . Accordingly , a s par t o f the Nationa l Interi m Primar yDrinking Wate r Regulations , EP Aha s promulgate d maximu mcontaminan t level s (MCLs ) fo r radionuclide s i n communit ywate r systems . MCL s fo r radionuclide s have bee n establishe d i n two forms : (1 ) radioactivit yconcentratio n limit s fo r certai n naturally-occurring radionuclides ; an

d (2 ) a dose-equivalen t limi t resulting fro mconsumptio n o f man-mad e radionuclides
. Th e MCL s fo r naturall yoccurring radionuclide s ar e a sP. 4

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follows : 5 picocuries/liter 1 fo r combine d Radium-22 6 an d Radium-228 ; an

d 1 5 picocuries/lite r fo r gros s alpha particl e activity 2 (includin g Radium-22 6 bu t excluding Rado n an d Uranium)
. Fo r man-mad e radionuclides , EPA' s MC L state s "the averag e annua l bet a particl e an d photon 1 radioactivit yfro m man-mad e radionuclide s i n drinking wate r shal l no t produc e an annua l dose-equivalen t t o th e bod yo r an yinterna l orga n greate r than 4 millirem/year. " Th e concentratio n o f man-mad e radionuclide s causing 4 millirem/yea r i s t o b e calculate d i n accordanc e wit hprocedure s specifie d i n th e drinking wate r regulations
. Th e Clea n Wate r Ac t Excep t a s permitte d unde r it s NPDE S program , th e Clean Wate r Ac t (CWA ) prohibit s th e discharg e o f "pollutants " int o navigabl e waters . Th e CW A define s th e ter

m"pollutant " t o include , among othe r things , "radioactiv e materials " (CW

ASec t ion 502(b))
. Whe n EPAcreate d regulation s governing the permi t progra

m(4 0 CFR 125) , however , i t specificall yexclude d source , byproduct , an

d specia l nuclea r material s covere d b ythe Atomi c Energ

yAc t (AEA)
. I t appears , then , tha t thes e type s o f radioactiv e material s ar e exclude d fro

mCW Acoverage . EPA' s authorit yt o exclud e certai n radioactiv e material s fro mCW Acoverag e wa s challenge d i n Trai n v . Colorad o Publi c Interes t Researc hGrou p (PIRG ) (U.S
. Supreme Court , No . 74-1270 , Jun e 1 , 1976)
. Base d o n th e CW Alegislative history , th e Cour t ruled tha t EP Alack s authorit yunde r the CW At o regulat e nuclea r plants ' discharg e o f source , byproduct , o r specia l nuclea r materials
. Suc hmaterial s wer e decide d no t t o b e "pollutants " subjec t t o EPAregulatio n unde r th e CW

Abu t t o b e regulate d exclusivel yunde r th e AEA . Th e Cour t als o noted , however , tha t certai n radioactive material s no t covere d b yth e AEA , suc ha s radiu

man d accelerato r produce d isotopes , ar e include d i n th e ter m "pollutant " an

d ar e therefor e covere d b ythe CWA
. Toxi c Substance s Contro l Ac t Th e Toxi c Substance s Contro l Ac t (TSCA) , whic hrequire s testing an d us e restriction s o n certai n chemica l substances , specificall yexclude s fro m th e definitio n o f "chemica l substance " the following : "an ysourc e material , specia l nuclea r material , o r byproduc t materia l (a s suc hterm s ar e define d i n th e Atomi c Energ

yAc t o f 195 4 an

d regulation s issue d unde r suc hAct) " (TSC A Sectio n 3(2)(A)(iii)
. ADO E publicatio n o n TSC Acomplianc e (DOE/PE-0057 , p . 1-2 ) indicate s tha t DO E an d EP Aconside r onl ytoxi c material s tha t ar e no t

-1 2 1 1 picocuri e = 1x1 0 curie s 2 Gros s alpha particl e activit ymean s th e tota l radioactivit ydu e t o alpha particl e emissio n regardles s o f th e particula r radionuclide(s ) involved
. 3 Aphoto n i s anothe r name fo r a gamm a ray .P. 5

• 4

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radioactivel ycontaminate d t o b e subjec t t o TSCAregulations
. Radionuclide s hav e no t bee n exclude d fro mTSCAcontro l an

d conceivabl yther e coul d b e radionuclide s tha t ar e subjec t t o TSCA ; however , preliminaryresearc hint o th e TSCAprogra

mindicate s tha t th e progra mdoe s no t addres s radionuclides
. Furthermore , TSCAonl yapplie s t o substance s tha t coul d no t b e regulate d unde r othe r Federa l laws , an d othe r Federa l law s clearl ycontro l radionuclides
. 

### Th e Comprehensiv e Environmenta l Response , Compensation , andLiabilit y Ac t (CERCLA ) Radionuclide s a s a generi c clas s o f substance s ar e include d a s hazardou s substance s unde r CERCL Abecaus e theyar e listed a s hazardou s ai r pollutant s unde r Sectio n 11 2 o f the Clea n Ai r Act . Therefore , excep t fo r certai n exemption s highlighte d below , release s o f radionuclide s b ythemselve s o r inseparabl ymixe d wit hothe r hazardou s substance s invok e th e provision s o f CERCLA
. Release s o f source , specia l nuclear , an d byproduc t materia l a s define d b y th e Atomi c Energ

yAc t ar e exemp t fro mcertai n provision s o f CERCL Aunde r certai n conditions
. First , release s o f thes e radioactiv e material s fro m facilitie s subjec t t o the "Price-Anderso n Act " (e.g. , nuclea r reactors ) ar e exemp t fro

mal l o f CERCLA' s requirements
. Second , release s o f thes e material s fro mprocessing site s designate d unde r th e Uraniu mMil l Tailing s Radiatio n Contro l Ac t ar e exemp t fro memergencyan

d remedia l respons e action s unde r CERCLA ; however , CERCL Adoe s requir e tha t suc hrelease s b e reporte d t o th e Nationa l Respons e Cente r i f CERCLA' s reportabl e quantit y(RQ ) fo r radionuclide s ha s bee n exceeded
. Third , release s o f source , specia l nuclear , an d byproduc t materia l tha t ar e "federally-permitted " ar e exemp t fro mCERCLA' s reporting requirements , bu t no t it s respons e requirements
. Al l o f CERCLA' s provision s appl yt o release s o f naturall yoccurring an d accelerato r produce d radioactiv e materia l (e.g. , radiu man d radon)
. Th e RQ fo r radionuclide s establishe d b yCERCL Ai s on e poun

d an d thi s quantit yha s no t bee n adjuste d b yregulation
. Becaus e EP Arecognize s tha t one-pound i s no t a suitabl e RQ fo r radionuclides , EP Ai s i n the proces s o f reviewing issue s an d alternative s fo r adjusting the radionuclid e RQ
. Th e existing Superfund bil l require s adjustmen t o f th e radionuclid e R Q b yDecembe r 31 , 1986 , althoughth e EP AAdministrato r ha s requeste d thi s dat e be change d t o Decembe r 31 , 1987
.