HPS ANSI/HPS N13.53

The standard applies to practices that use, process, recycle orreuse, and distribute TENORM, including the generation and disposalof wastes that may result in making radioactivity more accessibleto humans or the environment. Among others, practices of specificconcern to this standard include home building using materialsobtained from mining and mineral extraction spoils, overburden, andwastes or building homes on sites containing extraction spoils,overburden, aggregates, and wastes from mineral mining and oil andgas extraction. The quarrying of gravel and sand and their use asaggregates in construction material, such as cement, are excludedfrom this standard, but other materials with known elevated levelsof NORM, such as some minerals, aggregates used in buildingconstruction, mining overburden and spoils, and sands, are coveredby this standard.

The standard applies to consumer and industrial products thatare known to contain TENORM. The intentional introduction of TENORMinto products or materials with no benefit to their propertiesor functions is not approved by this standard. Regarding recycling,the standard does not approve practices whose only purpose is todilute TENORM in a manner that constitutes disposal or processesleading to that intent.

This standard does not apply to NORM present in natural soils,rocks, and materials involving human activities that are generallyregarded as common practices. Among others, such practices includematerials used in scientific and research studies; engineeringstudies and applications; soil and geological samples used in siteor material characterizations, research, and engineering studies;farming, including tilling and plowing; site grading; gravedigging; and trenching or similar types of excavation or earthwork.

The cultivation, distribution, and consumption of agriculturalcrops and foodstuffs that are known to contain NORM are not coveredby this standard because such practices do not involvetechnological enhancement by definition. However, this exclusiondoes not apply to foodstuffs grown in TENORM whether as a product,waste, aggregate, or mixed with soils.

In the absence of regulatory requirements or guidance, thestandard does not apply to industrial settings or activitiesinvolving the use of materials or products containing TENORM aslong as such materials and products are used in their intended formand function and workers are provided a standard of care underOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or Mine Safetyand Health Administration (MSHA) regulations or other applicableregulatory provisions. This exclusion applies insofar as it shallbe demonstrated that such practices and the associated standard ofcare for worker safety rendered under OSHA or MSHA regulationswould result in a level of protection that is equivalent to thisstandard.

In considering the voluntary implementation of a TENORMmanagement program, an acceptable approach may involve identifyingrelevant protective requirements for regulated materials (e.g.,uranium and thorium under the Atomic Energy Act (AEA)), sinceradiation exposures and doses associated with TENORM are the sameas those arising from other types of radioactive materials.Accordingly, it follows that radiation protection principlespromulgated by

existing federal or state regulatory programs for radioactivematerials of other origins may be applied to TENORM as templates indeveloping safety programs, operating plans, and procedures forspecific practices. Finally, other options, as possible long-termalternatives, may be to consider the use of materials with lowerlevels of TENORM or research leading to the use of substitutematerials that are essentially free of NORM or have NORM at levelsnot likely to result in doses in excess of the provisions of thisstandard.

This standard may provide suitable guidance to federal or stateagencies overseeing remediation projects where TENORM is thecontaminant of concern, depending on the ownership and regulatorystatus of the property. For example, a federal or state agencymight find the provisions of this standard protective and adopt itby reference. Other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Departmentof Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC),oversee other radiation cleanups involving TENORM or contaminantssimilar to TENORM (e.g., regulated source material). Accordingly,this standard offers relevant guidance over a broad range ofpractices and remediation projects involving TENORM.

Finally, the standard does not address issues associated withthe linear, no threshold radiation dose response hypothesis; theyare being addressed by radiation standard-setting organizations andregulatory agencies. However, its use is acknowledged because itrepresents a prudent approach in protecting workers and the publichealth until more definitive scientific information becomesavailable and an alternative hypothesis is proposed and adopted byregulatory agencies.

Edition:

09

Published:

01/01/2009

ANSI:

ANSI Approved

Number of Pages:

81