ANS Position Statement: Clearance of Solid Materials from Nuclear Facilities

摘要

The issue of release of solid materials from nuclear sites has been around for several decades. "Clearance," the term currently used in the nuclear industry, is defined to be an unconditional release of such materials. While standards have existed at the federal level for the release of liquids and gases, no such standards are in place for the release of solid materials that may have residual radioactivity associated with them. This regulatory void has meant substantial additional costs in terms of the management of such materials, especially for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities where large quantities are stored. Most naturally occurring or man-made solid materials and artifacts contain some amount of radioactivity. Therefore, the American Nuclear Society (ANS) holds that absolutely prohibiting the release of all solid materials that manifest a small amount of radioactivity is not reasonable, and the unrestricted release of materials with slight levels of radioactivity can be accomplished with negligible or no risk to the public health and safety.