Environmental Permitting Regulations Flashcards
(21 cards)
What are the enviromental permitting regulations (EPR)?
Regulations in place to govern the amount and type of radioactive materials released to the environment. They protect the public, certain workers, and wildlife.
In which areas of medical physics are the environmental permitting regulations relevant?
- Nuclear medicine
- PET
- Brachytherapy
- Sealed sources for QA and callibration
Describe the process of obtaining/maintaining a site permit for work with radioactive sources
1) Impact assessment
2) Authorisation
3) Permit
4) Ongoing audit, monitoring, inspections
How can a department determine whether they require an EPR permit?
By considering:
- What activities will be carried out
- What radiaoactive materials will be required
- Whether the materials are artificial or NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials)
- What tasks will the materials be used for
- Required activity concentration
Under which conditions do radioactive materials not need to be regulated?
- If they have a short half-life (< 100s)
- The activity is lower than stated in the relevant activity concentration table
What is a standard rules permit?
A permit applicable for some low-hazard sealed sources.
What is a bespoke permit?
A permit with specific limits based on:
- The radionuclides on site
- The activies of each radionuclide
- Specific uses
- Modes of release to the environment
An environmental impact assessment must be completed as part of a bespoke permit application.
What is an environmental impact assessment?
An assessment created by the environmental agency to establish if/what permit(s) is/are appropriate based on releases. They demonstrate Best Available Techniques (BAT).
Which groups are considered when producing an environmental impact assessment?
The projected annual dose to the following critical groups:
- Local residents
- Fishermen
- Sewage treatment workers
- Farming
- Children
- Anglers
- Irrigated food consumers
What are the 3 stages of an environmental impact assessment?
1) Generic data collection on dose per unit release (DPUR)
2) Addition of site-specific details using generic DPUR values
3) Additional information based on the actual release pathway and DPUR values
What is contained in an EPR permit for sealed sources?
- Map of the site
- Standard rules, including permitted activiites and operating techniques
- List of specific allowed radionuclides
- HASS sources
- Required security levels
- Accumulation of waste
- Waste transfers offsite
What is very low level waste (VLLW)?
Waste that can be disposed on municipally due to the low activity levels. Only sealed sources can be classed as VLLW.
What is contained in an EPR permit for unsealed sources?
- List of specific allowed radionuclides
- Maximum radioactivity allowed on site at any time
- Waste requirements, including limits for accumulation, sewage disposal, transfer, and incineration
What is a pollution inventory?
A document that provides information about the releases and transfers of substances from regulated industrial activities.
What does HASS stand for?
High activity sealed source
Why is HASS regulation important?
To keep track of very high activity sources, including if the are lost or stolen.
Give an example of a high activity sealed source
Brachytherapy sources
What are the 3 levels of security for HASS sources?
- Number of required physical security measures
- Alarm calling local security
- Alarm calling the police
The level of security increases with more hazardous sources.
How does the EA keep track of HASS sources?
Source-return must occur naturally to tell the EA you still have it and the EA must be notified when sources are replaces/disposed of.
What are Best Available Techniques (BAT)?
Ways of optimising releases of radiation to the environment to minimise the impact on critical groups, employees, and the public. This includes measures at all levels.
What is a Radioactive Waste Adviser (RWA)?
A qualified expert who must be appointed if a permit is required for the accumulation or disposal of radioactive waste.
