Texas Administrative Code › Title 30 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Part 1 - TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Chapter 336 - RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE RULES › Subchapter D - STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION › Section 336.362 - Appendix E. Classification and Characteristics of Low-Level Radioactive Waste

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Classification
				  of radioactive waste for near-surface disposal.
(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 hazards persist long after
				  precautions such 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.
(2) Classes of waste.
(A) 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 subsection (b)(1) of this appendix. If Class A waste also meets the
				  stability requirements set forth in subsection (b)(2) of this appendix, it is
				  not necessary to segregate the waste for disposal.
(B) 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 subsection (b) of this
				  appendix.
(C) 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 subsection (b) of this appendix.
(D) Waste that is not generally acceptable
				  for near-surface disposal is waste for which form and disposal methods must be
				  different, and in general more stringent, than those specified for Class C
				  waste. Disposal of this waste is regulated by the United States Nuclear
				  Regulatory Commission.
(3) Classification determined by long-lived
				  radionuclides. If the radioactive waste contains only radionuclides listed in
				  Table I, classification shall be determined as follows:
(A) If the concentration does not exceed 0.1
				  times the value in Table I, the waste is Class A.
(B) 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.
(C) If the concentration
				  exceeds the value in Table I, the waste is not generally acceptable for
				  near-surface disposal.
(D) For
				  wastes containing mixtures of radionuclides listed in Table I, the total
				  concentration shall be determined by the sum of fractions rule described in
				  paragraph (7) of this subsection.
Attached
					 Graphic
(4) Classification determined by short-lived
				  radionuclides. If the radioactive 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 paragraph (6) of
				  this subsection, if radioactive waste does not contain any nuclides listed in
				  either Table I or II, it is Class A.
(A) If
				  the concentration does not exceed the value in Column 1, the waste is Class
				  A.
(B) If the concentration exceeds
				  the value in Column 1 but does not exceed the value in Column 2, the waste is
				  Class B.
(C) If the concentration
				  exceeds the value in Column 2 but does not exceed the value in Column 3, the
				  waste is Class C.
(D) If the
				  concentration exceeds the value in Column 3, the waste is not generally
				  acceptable for near-surface disposal.
(E) 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 paragraph (7) of this subsection.
Attached
					 Graphic
(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:
(A) If the concentration of a radionuclide
				  listed in Table I does not exceed 0.1 times the value listed in Table I, the
				  class shall be that determined by the concentration of radionuclides listed in
				  Table II.
(B) If the concentration
				  of a radionuclide listed in Table I exceeds 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.
(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.
(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.
				  For example, if a waste contains strontium-90 in a concentration of 50
				  curies/cubic meter (Ci/m[sup]3[/sup]) (1.85 terabecquerels/m[sup]3[/sup]) and
				  cesium-137 in a concentration of 22 Ci/m[sup]3[/sup] (814
				  gigabecquerels/m[sup]3[/sup]), since the concentrations both exceed the values
				  in Column 1, Table II, they must be compared to the Column 2 values. For the
				  strontium-90 fraction, 50/150 = 0.33, and for the cesium-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.
(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 as nanocuries per gram.