Providing recommendations on the application of the concept of clearance for materials, objects and buildings that are to be released from regulatory control, this publication supports the application of the relevant requirements of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3. It includes detail on the regulatory framework for clearance; the clearance process; the derivation of clearance levels; the application of clearance to solid materials, liquids and gases; generic clearance and specific clearance using activity concentration and surface contamination clearance levels. It also provides recommendations on the involvement of interested parties. Written for governmental officials, and those working for regulatory bodies and operating organizations, this publication will also be of interest to technical service providers in radiation protection. The recommendations provided are applicable to facilities that use, manufacture, process or store radioactive material, such as nuclear power plants, research reactors, other nuclear fuel cycle facilities, facilities for the management of radioactive waste, industrial plants, medical facilities, research facilities, educational facilities and accelerators. The recommendations in this publication also apply to industries processing materials containing radionuclides of natural origin and to the management of material originating from remediation activities or from post- emergency situations.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Structure
• 2. REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR CLEARANCE
  • The concept of exclusion
  • Responsibilities of the regulatory body in relation to clearance
  • Responsibilities of the operating organization for clearance
  • Organization and implementation of the clearance process
  • Application of a graded approach to clearance
• 3. GENERAL ASPECTS OF CLEARANCE
  • Consideration of clearance for materials containing more than one radionuclide
  • Characterization of material for clearance purposes
    • Historical information on material for clearance purposes
    • Sampling of material for clearance purposes
    • Establishing the radionuclide composition
  • Management of the clearance process
• 4. CLEARANCE OF SOLID MATERIAL
  • Activity concentration criteria for generic clearance
  • Conservatism in the derivation of generic activity concentration clearance levels
  • Surface contamination clearance levels
  • Averaging masses and areas for clearance purposes
    • The effect of hotspots and the distribution of activity with depth and area on clearance measurements
  • Implementation of clearance measurements
    • Monitoring programme and strategy for clearance
    • Surface contamination measurements for clearance
    • Measurement techniques for clearance
  • Consideration of uncertainties in clearance measurements
  • Mixing and dilution of materials being considered for clearance
• 5. CLEARANCE OF LIQUIDS
  • Differences between the discharge and clearance of liquids
  • Aspects of liquids relevant to clearance
  • Nature and scope of clearance for liquids
  • Practical application of the concept of clearance to liquids
  • Dilution of liquids being considered for clearance
  • Background radiation in the clearance of liquids
• 6. CLEARANCE OF GASES
  • Differences between the discharge and clearance of gases
  • Practical application of concept of clearance to gases
• 7. THE APPLICATION OF SPECIFIC CLEARANCE
  • Specific clearance as an additional option for management of material
  • Derivation and use of specific clearance levels
  • Surface contamination clearance levels for specific clearance
  • Meeting the conditions attached to specific clearance
• 8. ENGAGING INTERESTED PARTIES AND ENHANCING PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF CLEARANCE
• Appendix SCREENING LEVELS FOR RECYCLING OR DISPOSAL IN LANDFILLS OF MATERIAL AND WASTE IN A POST-EMERGENCY SITUATION
• REFERENCES
• Annex I DOSIMETRIC MODELLING FOR DERIVATION OF RADIONUCLIDE SPECIFIC VALUES FOR CLEARANCE BASED ON SURFACE CONTAMINATION MEASUREMENTS
• Annex II EXAMPLES OF SURFACE CONTAMINATION VALUES FOR GENERIC CLEARANCE
• Annex III EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITY CONCENTRATION VALUES FOR SPECIFIC CLEARANCE
  • Traceability of the conditionally cleared soil
• Annex IV EXAMPLE OF THE APPLICATION OF THE CLEARANCE CONCEPT IN A SMALL NUCLEAR MEDICINE FACILITY
• Annex V EXAMPLE OF A NATIONAL APPROACH TO THE CLEARANCE OF SCRAP METAL
• Annex VI EXAMPLE METHOD FOR THE SELECTION OF SIGNIFICANT RADIONUCLIDES FOR CLEARANCE PURPOSES
• Annex VII DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTIES IN CLEARANCE MEASUREMENTS
• Annex VIII SCREENING METHOD APPLIED AFTER THE FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI ACCIDENT FOR RECYCLING OF MATERIAL AND DISPOSAL OF WASTE TO LANDFILL
• Annex IX ILLUSTRATION OF CONSERVATISM IN THE CLEARANCE PROCESS
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW