This Safety Guide provides recommendations on the establishment of an appropriate regulatory framework for the management of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) residues in an integrated manner and using a graded approach. It also elaborates on roles and responsibilities, options for management of NORM residues, long term safety of NORM residues, and exemption and clearance. The publication is targeted at regulatory bodies, operating organizations, technical support organizations and other parties who are interested and involved in management of NORM residues.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Structure
• 2. OVERVIEW OF NORM ACTIVITIES and NORM RESIDUES
• 3. GOVERNMENTAL, LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK for safety
  • Responsibilities of the government
  • Responsibilities of the regulatory body
  • Responsibilities of the operating organization
• 4. PROTECTION OF PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
  • General
  • Planned exposure situations
    • Occupational exposure
    • Public exposure
  • Emergency exposure situations
  • Existing exposure situations
  • Protection of the environment
  • Non-radiological considerations
• 5. SYSTEM FOR REGULATORY CONTROL
  • General
  • Inventory of NORM facilities and activities for regulatory consideration
  • Graded approach to regulation
    • Notification
    • Screening safety assessment
    • Exemption
    • Safety assessment
    • Registration
    • Licensing
    • Clearance
  • Financial provisions
  • Interested parties
  • Management system
• 6. STRATEGIES FOR NORM RESIDUE MANAGEMENT
  • General
  • Development and implementation of a residue management plan
  • Control of residue generation
  • Processing
    • Pretreatment
    • Treatment
    • Conditioning
  • Reuse and recycling
  • Storage and retrieval of residues
  • Options for long term management of NORM residues
    • Bulk amounts of residues
    • Medium amounts of residues
    • Small amounts of residues with higher activity concentrations
• 7. THE SAFETY CASE AND SAFETY ASSESSMENT FOR NORM RESIDUE MANAGEMENT
  • General
  • Scope of the safety assessment
  • Conducting a safety assessment
  • Graded approach to safety assessment
  • Documentation of the safety case and the safety assessment
  • Periodic safety reviews
• 8. SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS FOR LONG TERM MANAGEMENT OF NORM RESIDUES
  • General
  • Siting
  • Design and construction
  • Operation
  • Decommissioning of facilities and closure of facilities
  • Long term management and institutional controls
  • Monitoring and surveillance
    • Pre-operational period
    • Operational period
    • Post-decommissioning and post-closure period
• Appendix I SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR RESIDUES FROM URANIUM PRODUCTION
• Appendix II RESIDUE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR URANIUM PRODUCTION
• Appendix III CLOSURE PLAN FOR A TAILINGS MANAGEMENT FACILITY AT A URANIUM PRODUCTION SITE
• REFERENCES
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Annex I EXAMPLES OF NORM RESIDUES TO BE ASSESSED FOR POSSIBLE REGULATORY CONTROL
• Annex II SAMPLING NORM RESIDUES AND DETERMINING RADIONUCLIDE ACTIVITY CONCENTRATIONS
• Annex III EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION OF THE GRADED APPROACH IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NORM RESIDUES
• Annex IV REUSE AND RECYCLING OF NORM RESIDUES
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW