Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Health Services › DHS 110-199 - Health › Chapter DHS 157 - Radiation Protection › Appendix H

Current through June 24, 2024
Classification and Characteristics of Low-level
				  Radioactive Waste
Section I. Classification of Radioactive Waste
				  for Land Disposal.
(a)
Considerations.
Determination of
				  the classification of radioactive waste involves 2 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.
(b)
Classes of waste.
(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 Section II
				  (a). If Class A waste also meets the stability requirements set forth in
				  Section II (b), it is not necessary to segregate the waste for disposal.
(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 Section II.
(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 Section II.
(4) Waste that is not generally acceptable for near-surface
				  disposal is waste for which form and disposal methods shall be different, and
				  in general more stringent, than those specified for Class C waste. Such waste
				  must be disposed of in a geologic repository as defined in
				  10 CFR
				  60.
(c)
Classification determined by long-lived
				  radionuclides.
If the radioactive waste contains only
				  radionuclides listed in Table IV, classification shall be determined as
				  follows:
(1) If the concentration does not exceed 0.1 times the value
				  in Table IV, the waste is Class A.
(2) If the concentration exceeds 0.1 times the value in Table
				  IV, but does not exceed the value in Table IV, the waste is Class C.
(3) If the concentration exceeds the value in Table IV, the
				  waste is not generally acceptable for land disposal.
(4) For wastes containing mixtures of radionuclides listed in
				  Table IV, the total concentration shall be determined by the sum of fractions
				  rule described in Section I (g).
TABLE IV
Radionuclide
Concentration
Curie/Cubic
								Metera/
Nanocurie/Gramb/
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 5 years
100
Pu-241
3,500
Cm-242
20,000
Ra-226
100
a/
To convert the Ci/m3 values to gigabecquerel (GBq)
				  per cubic meter, multiply the Ci/m3 value by 37.
b/
To convert the nCi/g values to becquerel (Bq) per
				  gram, multiply the nCi/g value by 37.
(d)
Classification determined by short-lived
				  radionuclides.
If the waste does not contain any of the
				  radionuclides listed in Table IV, classification shall be determined based on
				  the concentrations shown in Table V. However, as specified in Section I (f), if
				  radioactive waste does not contain any nuclides listed in either Table IV or V,
				  it is Class A.
(1) If the concentration does not exceed the value in Column
				  1, the waste is Class A.
(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) If the concentration exceeds the value in Column 2 but
				  does not exceed the value in Column 3, the waste is Class C.
(4) If the concentration exceeds the value in Column 3, the
				  waste is not generally acceptable for near-surface disposal.
(5) For wastes containing mixtures of the radionuclides
				  listed in Table V, the total concentration shall be determined by the sum of
				  fractions rule described in Section I (g).
TABLE V
Radionuclide
Concentration Curie/Cubic
								Metera/
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Total of all radionuclides with less than 5-year
								half-life
700
*
*
H-3
40
*
*
Co-60
700
*
*
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
a/ Note: To convert the Ci/m3 value to gigabecquerel
				  (GBq) per 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 V determine the waste to be
				  Class C independent of these radionuclides.
(e)
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 IV and some of
				  which are listed in Table V, classification shall be determined as
				  follows:
(1) If the concentration of a radionuclide listed in Table
				  IV does not exceed 0.1 times the value listed in Table IV, the class shall be
				  that determined by the concentration of radionuclides listed in Table V.
(2) If the concentration of a radionuclide listed in Table IV
				  exceeds 0.1 times the value listed in Table IV, but does not exceed the value
				  in Table IV, the waste shall be Class C, provided the concentration of
				  radionuclides listed in Table V does not exceed the value shown in Column 3 of
				  Table V.
(f) Classification of wastes with radionuclides other than
				  those listed in Tables IV and V. If the waste does not contain any
				  radionuclides listed in either Table IV or V, it is Class A.
(g) 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 tha n
				  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/3 (22 Ci/m3). Since
				  the concentrations both exceed the values in Column 1, Table V, 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.
(h)
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 becquerel (nanocurie) per gram.
Section II. - Radioactive Waste
				  Characteristics.
(a) 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.
(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 this section, the site license conditions shall
				  govern.
(2) Wastes may not be packaged for disposal in cardboard or
				  fiberboard boxes.
(3) Liquid waste shall be packaged in sufficient absorbent
				  material to absorb twice the volume of the liquid.
(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 percent of the volume.
(5) Waste may not be readily capable of detonation or of
				  explosive decomposition or reaction at normal pressures and temperatures, or of
				  explosive reaction with water.
(6) Waste may 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 under Section II (a) (8).
(7) Waste must not be pyrophoric. Pyrophoric materials
				  contained in wastes shall be treated, prepared, and packaged to be
				  nonflammable.
(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 may
				  not exceed 3.7 TBq (100 Ci) per container.
(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.
(b) 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.
(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 may be provided by the waste form itself, processing the waste to a
				  stable form, or placing the waste in a disposal container or structure that
				  provides stability after disposal.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions in Section II (a) (3) and
				  (4), liquid 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 percent of the volume of
				  the waste when the waste is in a disposal container designed to ensure
				  stability, or 0.5 percent of the volume of the waste for waste processed to a
				  stable form.
(3) Void spaces within the waste and between the waste and
				  its package shall be reduced to the extent practicable.
Section III. Labeling.
Each package of waste shall be clearly labeled to identify
				  whether it is Class A, Class B or Class C waste, under Section
				  I.