Year
2010
File Attachment
Abstract
In Canada, vehicle radiation portal monitors have been used at metal recycling facilities for many years to detect the presence of radioactive material in the material coming into the facility. Within the last few years, vehicle radiation portal monitors have also been installed at landfill sites and waste transfer stations. In some cases, it is not practical or possible to identify or search through the material at the location where the material is detected due to lack of space, appropriately trained personnel or proper instrumentation. When dealing with waste, the task of locating and identifying the material is further complicated with the potential health hazards associated with garbage. Often, the facility operator simply denies entry of the material into the facility. When there are limitations of space, it is more appropriate to move the vehicle to another location where the material can be safely surveyed. The Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances (PTNS) Regulations of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which make reference to the IAEA TS-R-1 Regulations, contains provisions under which radioactive material can be exempted from the application of the regulations. But without identifying the radioisotope and the activity contained within the load, it is not possible to determine if the radioactive material is regulated under these regulations or not. This paper presents an overview of the issues related to the discovery of radioactive material in waste and scrap metal and the efforts undertaken by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to address the issue related to the movement of unidentified radioactive material while preventing unnecessary exposure to workers and protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians and the environment.