Virginia Regulatory Town Hall

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NRC Update #2
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12VAC5-481-10

Part I
General Provisions

12VAC5-481-10. Definitions.

As used in these regulations, these terms have the definitions set forth below.

"A1" means the maximum activity of special form radioactive material permitted in a Type A package. This value is listed in Table 1 of 12VAC5-481-3770.

"A2" means the maximum activity of radioactive material, other than special form radioactive material, LSA, and SCO material, permitted in a Type A package. This value is listed in Table 1 of 12VAC5-481-3770.

"Absorbed dose" means the energy imparted by ionizing radiation per unit mass of irradiated material. The units of absorbed dose are the gray (Gy) and the rad.

"Absorbed dose rate" means absorbed dose per unit time, for machines with timers, or dose monitor unit per unit time for linear accelerators.

"Accelerator" means any machine capable of accelerating electrons, protons, deuterons, or other charged particles in a vacuum and of discharging the resultant particulate or other radiation into a medium at energies usually in excess of one MeV. For purposes of this definition, "particle accelerator" is an equivalent term.

"Accelerator-produced material" means any material made radioactive by a particle accelerator.

"Accessible surface" means the external surface of the enclosure or housing of the radiation producing machine as provided by the manufacturer. It also means surface of equipment or of an equipment part that can be easily or accidentally touched by persons without the use of a tool.

"Act" means §§32.1-227 through 32.1-238 of the Code of Virginia.

"Active maintenance" means any significant activity needed during the period of institutional control to maintain a reasonable assurance that the performance objectives in 12VAC5-481-2490 and 12VAC5-481-2500 are met. Such active maintenance includes ongoing activities such as the pumping and treatment of water from a disposal unit or one-time measures such as replacement of a disposal unit cover. Active maintenance does not include custodial activities such as repair of fencing, repair or replacement of monitoring equipment, revegetation, minor additions to soil cover, minor repair of disposal unit covers, and general disposal site upkeep such as mowing grass.

"Activity" means the rate of disintegration or transformation or decay of radioactive material. The units of activity are the becquerel (Bq) and the curie (Ci).

"Acute" means a single radiation dose or chemical exposure event or multiple radiation dose or chemical exposure events occurring within a short time (24 hours or less).

"Added filtration" means any filtration that is in addition to the inherent filtration.

"Address of use" means the building or buildings that are identified on the license and where radioactive material may be produced, prepared, received, used, or stored.

"Adult" means an individual 18 or more years of age.

"Agency" means the Radiological Health Program of the Virginia Department of Health.

"Agreement state" means any state with which the NRC or the Atomic Energy Commission has entered into an effective agreement under subsection 274b of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (73 Stat. 689).

"Airborne radioactive material" means any radioactive material dispersed in the air in the form of dusts, fumes, particulates, mists, vapors, or gases.

"Airborne radioactivity area" means a room, enclosure, or area in which airborne radioactive materials composed wholly or partly of licensed material exist in concentrations:

1. In excess of the derived air concentrations (DACs) specified in 12VAC5-481-3690; or

2. To such a degree that an individual present in the area without respiratory protective equipment could exceed, during the hours an individual is present in a week, an intake of 0.6% of the annual limit on intake (ALI) or 12 DAC-hours.

"Air kerma (K)" means the kinetic energy released in air by ionizing radiation. Kerma is determined as the quotient of De by Dm, where De is the sum of the initial kinetic energies of all the charged ionizing particles liberated by uncharged ionizing particles in air of mass Dm. The SI unit of air kerma is joule per kilogram and the special name for the unit of kerma is the gray (Gy).

"Air-purifying respirator" means a respirator with an air-purifying filter, cartridge, or canister that removes specific air contaminants by passing ambient air through the air-purifying element.

"Alert" means events may occur, are in progress, or have occurred that could lead to a release of radioactive material but that the release is not expected to require a response by offsite response organizations to protect persons offsite.

"Aluminum equivalent" means the thickness of type 1100 aluminum alloy affording the same attenuation, under specified conditions, as the material in question. The nominal chemical composition of type 100 aluminum is 99.00% minimum aluminum, 0.12% copper.

"Analytical X-ray equipment" means equipment used for X-ray diffraction or fluorescence analysis.

"Analytical X-ray system" means a group of components utilizing x- or gamma-rays to determine the elemental composition or to examine the microstructure of materials.

"Annual limit on intake" (ALI) means the derived limit for the amount of radioactive material taken into the body of an adult worker by inhalation or ingestion in a year. ALI is the smaller value of intake of a given radionuclide in a year by the reference man that would result in a committed effective dose equivalent of 0.05 Sv (5 rem) or a committed dose equivalent of 0.5 Sv (50 rem) to any individual organ or tissue. ALI values for intake by ingestion and by inhalation of selected radionuclides are given in Tables 1 and 2 in 12VAC5-481-3690.

"Annual refresher safety training" means a review conducted or provided by the licensee or registrant for its employees on radiation safety aspects of industrial radiography. The review shall include, as a minimum, any results of internal inspections, new procedures or equipment, new or revised regulations, and accidents or errors that have been observed. The review shall also provide opportunities for employees to ask safety questions.

"Annually" means at intervals not to exceed one year.

"ANSI" means the American National Standards Institute.

"Area of use" means a portion of a physical structure that has been set aside for the purpose of producing, preparing, receiving, using, or storing radioactive material.

"Assigned protection factor (APF)" means the expected workplace level of respiratory protection that would be provided by a properly functioning respirator or a class of respirators to properly fitted and trained users. Operationally, the inhaled concentration can be estimated by dividing the ambient airborne concentration by the APF.

"As low as is reasonably achievable" (ALARA) means making every reasonable effort to maintain exposures to radiation as far below the dose limits in these regulations as is practical, consistent with the purpose for which the licensed or registered activity is undertaken, taking into account the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to benefits to the public health and safety, and other societal and socioeconomic considerations, and in relation to utilization of nuclear energy and licensed or registered sources of radiation in the public interest.

"Assembler" means any person engaged in the business of assembling, replacing, or installing one or more components into an X-ray system or subsystem. The term includes the owner of an X-ray system or his or her employee or agent who assembles components into an X-ray system that is subsequently used to provide professional or commercial services.

"Associated equipment" means equipment that is used in conjunction with a radiographic exposure device to make radiographic exposures that drive, guide, or come in contact with the source.

"Atmosphere-supplying respirator" means a respirator that supplies the respirator user with breathing air from a source independent of the ambient atmosphere, and includes supplied-air respirators (SARs) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units.

"Attenuation block" means a block or stack, having dimensions 20 centimeters by 20 centimeters by 3.8 centimeters, of type 1100 aluminum alloy or other materials having equivalent attenuation. The nominal chemical composition of type 100 aluminum is 99.00% minimum aluminum, 0.12% copper.

"Authorized medical physicist" means an individual who:

1. Meets the requirements in 12VAC5-481-1760 and 12VAC5-481-1790; or

2. Is identified as an authorized medical physicist or teletherapy physicist on:

a. A specific medical use license issued by the NRC or another agreement state;

b. A medical use permit issued by an NRC master material licensee;

c. A permit issued by an NRC or another agreement state broad scope medical use licensee; or

d. A permit issued by an NRC master material license broad scope medical use permittee.

"Authorized nuclear pharmacist" means a pharmacist who:

1. Meets the requirements in 12VAC5-481-1770 and 12VAC5-481-1790;

2. Is identified as an authorized nuclear pharmacist on:

a. A specific license issued by the NRC or another agreement state that authorizes medical use or the practice of nuclear pharmacy;

b. A permit issued by an NRC master material licensee that authorizes medical use or the practice of nuclear pharmacy;

c. A permit issued by an NRC or another agreement state broad scope medical use licensee that authorizes medical use or the practice of nuclear pharmacy; or

d. A permit issued by an NRC master material license broad scope medical use permittee that authorizes medical use or the practice of nuclear pharmacy;

3. Is identified as an authorized nuclear pharmacist by a commercial nuclear pharmacy that has been authorized to identify authorized nuclear pharmacists; or

4. Is designated as an authorized nuclear pharmacist in accordance with 12VAC5-481-440 I 2.

"Authorized user" means a practitioner of the healing arts who:

1. Meets the requirements in 12VAC5-481-1790 and any of the following:

a. 12VAC5-481-1910;

b. 12VAC5-481-1940;

c. 12VAC5-481-1980;

d. 12VAC5-481-1990;

e. 12VAC5-481-2000;

f. 12VAC5-481-2010;

g. 12VAC5-481-2030;

h. 12VAC5-481-2040; or

2. Is identified as an authorized user on:

a. A specific license issued by the NRC or another agreement state that authorizes medical use;

b. A permit issued by an NRC master material licensee that authorizes medical use;

c. A permit issued by an NRC or another agreement state broad scope medical use licensee that authorizes medical use; or

d. A permit issued by an NRC master material license broad scope medical use permittee that authorizes medical use.

"Automatic exposure control (AEC)" means a device that automatically controls one or more technique factors in order to obtain, at a preselected location(s), a required quantity of radiation (includes devices such as phototimers and ion chambers).

"Background radiation" means radiation from cosmic sources, naturally occurring radioactive materials, that have not been technologically enhanced, including radon, except as a decay product of source or special nuclear material, and including global fallout as it exists in the environment from the testing of nuclear explosive devices, or from past nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl that contribute to background radiation and are not under the control of the licensee or registrant. "Background radiation" does not include sources of radiation from radioactive materials regulated by the agency.

"Barrier" (See "Protective barrier").

"Beam axis" means a line from the source through the centers of the X-ray fields.

"Beam-limiting device" means a device that provides a means to restrict the dimensions of the X-ray field.

"Beam monitoring system" means a system designed and installed in the radiation head to detect and measure the radiation present in the useful beam.

"Beam scattering foil" means a thin piece of material (usually metallic) placed in the beam to scatter a beam of electrons in order to provide a more uniform electron distribution in the useful beam.

"Becquerel" (Bq) means the SI unit of activity. One becquerel is equal to one disintegration or transformation per second (dps or tps).

"Beneficial attribute" means, as used in Part XVI (12VAC5-481-3460 et seq.) of this chapter, the radioactivity of the product necessary to the use of the product.

"Beneficial to the product" see "Beneficial attribute."

"Bent beam linear accelerator" means a linear accelerator geometry in which the accelerated electron beam must change direction by passing through a bending magnet.

"Bioassay" means the determination of kinds, quantities or concentrations, and, in some cases, the locations of radioactive material in the human body, whether by direct measurement, in-vivo counting, or by analysis and evaluation of materials excreted or removed from the human body. For purposes of these regulations, "radiobioassay" is an equivalent term.

"Board" means the State Board of Health.

"Brachytherapy" means a method of radiation therapy in which sealed sources are utilized to deliver a radiation dose at a distance of up to a few centimeters, by surface, intracavitary, or interstitial application.

"Buffer zone" means a portion of the disposal site that is controlled by the licensee and that lies under the disposal units and between the disposal units and the boundary of the site.

"Byproduct material" means:

1. Any radioactive material (except special nuclear material) yielded in, or made radioactive by, exposure to the radiation incident to the process of producing or using special nuclear material;

2. The tailings or wastes produced by the extraction or concentration of uranium or thorium from ore processed primarily for its source material content, including discrete surface wastes resulting from uranium solution extraction processes. Underground ore bodies depleted by these solution extraction operations do not constitute "byproduct material" within this definition;

3. a. Any discrete source of radium-226 that is produced, extracted, or converted after extraction, before, on, or after August 8, 2005, for use for a commercial, medical, or research activity; or

b. Any material that:

(1) Has been made radioactive by use of a particle accelerator; and

(2) Is produced, extracted, or converted after extraction, before, on, or after August 8, 2005, for use for a commercial, medical, or research activity; and

4. Any discrete source of naturally occurring radioactive material, other than source material, that:

a. The NRC, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the head of any other appropriate federal agency, determines would pose a threat similar to the threat posed by a discrete source of radium-226 to the public health and safety or the common defense and security; and

b. Before, on, or after August 8, 2005, is extracted or converted after extraction for use in a commercial, medical, or research activity.

"C-arm X-ray system" means an X-ray system in which the image receptor and X-ray tube housing assembly are connected by a common mechanical support system in order to maintain a desired spatial relationship. This system is designed to allow a change in the projection of the beam through the patient without a change in the position of the patient.

"Cabinet radiography" means industrial radiography conducted in an enclosure or cabinet so shielded that every location on the exterior meets the dose limits for individual members of the public as specified in 12VAC5-481-720.

"Cabinet X-ray system" means an X-ray system with the X-ray tube installed in an enclosure independent of existing architectural structures except the floor on which it may be placed. The cabinet X-ray system is intended to contain at least that portion of a material being irradiated, provide radiation attenuation, and exclude personnel from its interior during generation of radiation. Included are all X-ray systems designed primarily for the inspection of carry-on baggage at airline, railroad, and bus terminals, and in similar facilities. An X-ray tube used within a shielded part of a building, or X-ray equipment that may temporarily or occasionally incorporate portable shielding, is not considered a cabinet X-ray system.

"Calendar quarter" means not less than 12 consecutive weeks nor more than 14 consecutive weeks. The first calendar quarter of each year shall begin in January and subsequent calendar quarters shall be so arranged such that no day is included in more than one calendar quarter and no day in any one year is omitted from inclusion within a calendar quarter. The method observed by the licensee or registrant for determining calendar quarters shall only be changed at the beginning of a year.

"Calibration" means the determination of (i) the response or reading of an instrument relative to a series of known radiation values over the range of the instrument or (ii) the strength of a source of radiation relative to a standard.

"Camera" (See "Radiographic exposure device").

"Carrier" means a person engaged in the transportation of passengers or property by land or water as a common, contract, or private carrier, or by civil aircraft.

"Cephalometric device" means a device intended for the radiographic visualization and measurement of the dimensions of the human head.

"Certifiable cabinet X-ray system" means an existing uncertified X-ray system that has been modified to meet the certification requirements specified in 21 CFR 1020.40.

"Certificate holder" means a person who has been issued a certificate of compliance or other package approval by the NRC.

"Certificate of compliance (CoC)" means the certificate issued by the NRC that approves the design of a package for the transportation of radioactive material.

"Certified cabinet X-ray system" means an X-ray system that has been certified in accordance with 21 CFR 1010.2 as being manufactured and assembled pursuant to the provisions of 21 CFR 1020.40.

"Certified components" means components of X-ray systems that are subject to regulations promulgated under Pub.L. 90-602, the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968 of the Food and Drug Administration.

"Certified system" means any X-ray system which has one or more certified component(s).

"Certifying entity" means an independent certifying organization meeting the agency's requirements for documenting applicant's training in topics set forth in 12VAC5-481-1320 or equivalent state or NRC regulations.

"CFR" means Code of Federal Regulations.

"Changeable filters" means any filter, exclusive of inherent filtration, that can be removed from the useful beam through any electronic, mechanical, or physical process.

"Chelating agent" means amine polycarboxylic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, gluconic acid, and polycarboxylic acids.

"Chemical description" means a description of the principal chemical characteristics of a low-level radioactive waste.

"Class" means a classification scheme for inhaled material according to its rate of clearance from the pulmonary region of the lung. Materials are classified as D, W, or Y, which applies to a range of clearance half-times: for Class D, Days, of less than 10 days; for Class W, Weeks, from 10 to 100 days; and for Class Y, Years, of greater than 100 days. For purposes of these regulations, "lung class" and "inhalation class" are equivalent terms.

"Closed transport vehicle" means a transport vehicle equipped with a securely attached exterior enclosure that during normal transportation restricts the access of unauthorized persons to the cargo space containing the radioactive material. The enclosure may be either temporary or permanent but shall limit access from top, sides, and ends. In the case of packaged materials, it may be of the "see-through" type.

"Coefficient of variation (C)" means the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean value of a set of observations. It is estimated using the following equation:

where:

s = Standard deviation of the observed values;

 = Mean value of observations in sample;

xi = ith observation in sample;

n = Number of observations in sample.

"Collective dose" means the sum of the individual doses received in a given period of time by a specified population from exposure to a specified source of radiation.

"Collimator" means a device used to limit the size, shape, and direction of the primary radiation beam. For industrial radiography it means a radiation shield that is placed on the end of the guide tube or directly onto a radiographic exposure device to restrict the size of the radiation beam when the sealed source is cranked into position to make a radiographic exposure.

"Commencement of construction" means any clearing of land, excavation, or other substantial action that would adversely affect the environment of a land disposal facility. The term does not mean disposal site exploration, necessary roads for disposal site exploration, borings to determine foundation conditions, or other preconstruction monitoring or testing to establish background information related to the suitability of the disposal site or the protection of environmental values.

"Committed dose equivalent" (HT,50) means the dose equivalent to organs or tissues of reference (T) that will be received from an intake of radioactive material by an individual during the 50-year period following the intake.

"Committed effective dose equivalent" (HE, 50) is the sum of the products of the weighting factors (wT) applicable to each of the body organs or tissues that are irradiated and the committed dose equivalent to each of these organs or tissues (HE,50 = Σ (wT HT,50)).

"Computed tomography" means the production of a tomogram by the acquisition and computer processing of X-ray transmission data.

"Computed tomography dose index" means the integral from -7T to +7T of the dose profile along a line perpendicular to the tomographic plane divided by the product of the nominal tomographic section thickness and the number of tomograms produced in a single scan, that is:

where:

z = Position along a line perpendicular to the tomographic plane;

D(z) = Dose at position z;

T = Nominal tomographic section thickness;

n = Number of tomograms produced in a single scan.

This definition assumes that the dose profile is centered around z = 0 and that, for a multiple tomogram system, the scan increment between adjacent scans is nT.

"Computer-readable medium" means that the regulatory agency's computer can transfer the information from the medium into its memory.

"Consignee" means the designated receiver of the shipment of low-level radioactive waste.

"Consignment" means each shipment of a package or groups of packages or load of radioactive material offered by a shipper for transport.

"Consortium" means an association of medical use licensees and a PET radionuclide production facility in the same geographical area that jointly own or share in the operation and maintenance cost of the PET radionuclide production facility that produces PET radionuclides for use in producing radioactive drugs within the consortium for noncommercial distributions among its associated members for medical use. The PET radionuclide production facility within the consortium must be located at an educational institution or a federal facility or a medical facility.

"Constraint" means each shipment of a package or groups of packages or load of radioactive material offered by a shipper for transport.

"Constraint (dose constraint)" means a value above which specified licensee actions are required.

"Contact therapy system" means a therapeutic radiation machine with a short target to skin distance (TSD), usually less than five centimeters.

"Contrast scale" means the change in the linear attenuation coefficient per CTN relative to water, that is:

where:

 = Linear attenuation coefficient of the material of interest;

 = Linear attenuation coefficient of water;

 = of the material of interest;

 = of water.

"Control (drive) cable" means the cable that is connected to the source assembly and used to drive the source to and from the exposure location.

"Control drive mechanism" means a device that enables the source assembly to be moved into and out of the exposure device.

"Control panel" means that part of the X-ray control upon which are mounted the switches, knobs, pushbuttons, and other hardware necessary for manually setting the technique factors.

"Control tube" means a protective sheath for guiding the control cable. The control tube connects the control drive mechanism to the radiographic exposure device.

"Controlled area" means an area, outside of a restricted area but inside the site boundary, access to which can be limited by the licensee for any reason.

"Conveyance" means:

1. For transport by public highway or rail any transport vehicle or large freight container;

2. For transport by water any vessel, or any hold, compartment, or defined deck area of a vessel including any transport vehicle on board the vessel; and

3. For transport by any aircraft.

"Cooling curve" means the graphical relationship between heat units stored and cooling time.

"Critical group" means the group of individuals reasonably expected to receive the greatest exposure to residual radioactivity for any applicable set of circumstances.

"Criticality safety index (CSI)" means the dimensionless number (rounded up to the next tenth) assigned to and placed on the label of a fissile material package, to designate the degree of control of accumulation of packages containing fissile material during transportation. Determination of the criticality safety index is described in Part XIII (12VAC5-481-2950 et seq.).

"CS" (See "Contrast scale").

"CT" (See "Computed tomography").

"CT conditions of operation" means all selectable parameters governing the operation of a CT X-ray system including, but not limited to, nominal tomographic section thickness, filtration, and the technique factors as defined in these regulations.

"CTDI" (See "Computed tomography dose index").

"CT gantry" means the tube housing assemblies, beam-limiting devices, detectors, and the supporting structures and frames which hold these components.

"CTN" (See "CT number").

"CT Number" means the number used to represent the X-ray attenuation associated with each elemental area of the CT image.

where:

 = A constant, a normal value of 1,000 when the Houndsfield scale of CTN is used;

 = Linear attenuation coefficient of the material of interest;

 = Linear attenuation coefficient of water.

"Curie" means a unit of quantity of activity. One curie (Ci) is that quantity of radioactive material that decays at the rate of 3.7E+10 disintegrations or transformations per second (dps or tps).

"Custodial agency" means an agency of the government designated to act on behalf of the government owner of the disposal site.

"Dead-man switch" means a switch so constructed that a circuit closing contact can be maintained only by continuous pressure on the switch by the operator.

"Declared pregnant woman" means a woman who has voluntarily informed the licensee, in writing, of her pregnancy and the estimated date of conception. The declaration remains in effect until the declared pregnant woman withdraws the declaration in writing or is no longer pregnant.

"Decommission" means to remove a facility or site safely from service and reduce residual radioactivity to a level that permits release of the property for unrestricted use and termination of the license or release of the property under restricted conditions and termination of the license.

"Decontamination facility" means a facility operating under a Commission or Agreement State license whose principal purpose is decontamination of equipment or materials to accomplish recycle, reuse, or other waste management objectives, and, for purposes of this part, is not considered to be a consignee for LLW shipments.

"Dedicated check source" means a radioactive source that is used to assure the constant operation of a radiation detection or measurement device over several months or years. This source may also be used for other purposes.

"Deep dose equivalent" (Hd), which applies to external whole body exposure, means the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of one centimeter (1000 mg/cm²).

"Demand respirator" means an atmosphere-supplying respirator that admits breathing air to the facepiece only when a negative pressure is created inside the facepiece by inhalation.

"Department of Energy" means the Department of Energy established by Pub. L. 95-91, August 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 565, 42 USC §7101 et seq., to the extent that the Department exercises functions formerly vested in the Atomic Energy Commission, its Chairman, members, officers and components and transferred to the Energy Research and Development Administration and to the Administrator thereof pursuant to sections 104(b), (c) and (d) of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-438, October 11, 1974, 88 Stat. 1233 at 1237, 42 USC §5814, effective January 19, 1975) and retransferred to the Secretary of Energy pursuant to section 301(a) of the Department of Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, August 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 565 at 577-578, 42 USC §7151, effective October 1, 1977.)

"Depleted uranium" means the source material uranium in which the isotope uranium-235 is less than 0.711 weight percentage of the total uranium present. Depleted uranium does not include special nuclear material.

"Derived air concentration" (DAC) means the concentration of a given radionuclide in air which, if breathed by the reference man for a working year of 2,000 hours under conditions of light work, results in an intake of one ALI. For purposes of these regulations, the condition of light work is an inhalation rate of 1.2 cubic meters of air per hour for 2,000 hours in a year. DAC values are given in 12VAC5-481-3690.

"Derived air concentration-hour" (DAC-hour) means the product of the concentration of radioactive material in air, expressed as a fraction or multiple of the derived air concentration for each radionuclide, and the time of exposure to that radionuclide, in hours. A licensee or registrant may take 2,000 DAC-hours to represent one ALI, equivalent to a committed effective dose equivalent of 0.05 Sv (5 rem).

"Detector" (See "Radiation detector").

"Deuterium" means, for the purposes of Part XIII (12VAC5-481-2950 et seq.) deuterium and any deuterium compounds, including heavy water, in which the ratio of deuterium atoms to hydrogen atoms exceeds 1:5000.

"Diagnostic clinical procedures manual" means a collection of written procedures that describes each method (and other instructions and precautions) by which the licensee performs diagnostic clinical procedures, where each diagnostic clinical procedure has been approved by the authorized user and includes the radiopharmaceutical, dosage, and route of administration.

"Diagnostic source assembly" means the tube housing assembly with a beam-limiting device attached.

"Diagnostic X-ray system" means an X-ray system designed for irradiation of any part of the human or animal body for the purpose of diagnosis or visualization.

"Diagnostic X-ray imaging system" means an assemblage of components for the generation, emission and reception of X-rays and the transformation, storage and visual display of the resultant X-ray image.

"Direct scattered radiation" means that scattered radiation that has been deviated in direction only by materials irradiated by the useful beam (See "Scattered radiation").

"Discrete source" means a radionuclide that has been processed so that its concentration within a material has been purposely increased for use for commercial, medical, or research activities.

"Disposable respirator" means a respirator for which maintenance is not intended and that is designed to be discarded after excessive breathing resistance, sorbent exhaustion, physical damage, or end-of-service-life renders it unsuitable for use. Examples of this type of respirator are a disposable half-mask respirator or a disposable escape-only self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

"Disposal" means the isolation of wastes from the biosphere inhabited by man and his food chains by emplacement in a land disposal facility.

"Disposal container" means a container principally used to confine low-level radioactive waste during disposal operations at a land disposal facility (also see "high integrity container"). Note that for some shipments, the disposal container may be the transport package.

"Disposal site" means that portion of a land disposal facility that is used for disposal of waste. It consists of disposal units and a buffer zone.

"Disposal unit" means a discrete portion of the disposal site into which waste is placed for disposal. For near-surface disposal, the unit is usually a trench.

"Distinguishable from background" means that the detectable concentration of a radionuclide is statistically different from the background concentration of that radionuclide in the vicinity of the site or, in the case of structures, in similar materials using adequate measurement technology, survey, and statistical techniques.

"Dose" is a generic term that means absorbed dose, dose equivalent, effective dose equivalent, committed dose equivalent, committed effective dose equivalent, total organ dose equivalent, or total effective dose equivalent. For purposes of these regulations, "radiation dose" is an equivalent term.

"Dose commitment" means the total radiation dose to a part of the body that will result from retention in the body of radioactive material. For purposes of estimating the dose commitment, it is assumed that from the time of intake the period of exposure to retained material will not exceed 50 years.

"Dose equivalent (HT)" means the product of the absorbed dose in tissue, quality factor, and all other necessary modifying factors at the location of interest. The units of dose equivalent are the sievert (Sv) and rem.

"Dose limits" means the permissible upper bounds of radiation doses established in accordance with these regulations. For purposes of these regulations, "limits" is an equivalent term.

"Dose monitor unit (DMU)" means a unit response from the beam monitoring system from which the absorbed dose can be calculated.

"Dose profile" means the dose as a function of position along a line.

"Dosimetry processor" means an individual or an organization that processes and evaluates individual monitoring devices in order to determine the radiation dose delivered to the monitoring devices.

"Doubly encapsulated sealed source" means a sealed source in which the radioactive material is sealed within an inner capsule and that capsule is sealed within an outer capsule.

"Drive cable" (See "Control cable").

"Effective dose equivalent (HE)" means the sum of the products of the dose equivalent (HT) to each organ or tissue and the weighting factor (wT) applicable to each of the body organs or tissues that are irradiated (HE = Σ wTHT).

"Elemental area" means the smallest area within a tomogram for which the X-ray attenuation properties of a body are depicted. (See also "Picture element").

"Embryo/fetus" means the developing human organism from conception until the time of birth.

"Energy compensation source (ECS)" means a small sealed source, with an activity not exceeding 3.7 MBq (100 μCi), used within a logging tool, or other tool components, to provide a reference standard to maintain the tool's calibration when in use.

"Engineered barrier" means a manmade structure or device that is intended to improve the land disposal facility's ability to meet the performance objectives in these regulations.

"Enriched uranium" (See "Uranium – natural, depleted, enriched").

"Entrance exposure rate" means the exposure free in air per unit time at the point where the center of the useful beam enters the patient.

"Entrance or access point" means any opening through which an individual or extremity of an individual could gain access to radiation areas or to licensed or registered radioactive materials. This includes entry or exit portals of sufficient size to permit human entry, irrespective of their intended use.

"EPA identification number" means the number received by a transporter following application to the Administrator of EPA as required by 40 CFR Part 263.

"Equipment" (See "X-ray equipment").

"Exclusive use" means the sole use by a single consignor of a conveyance for which all initial, intermediate, and final loading and unloading are carried out in accordance with the direction of the consignor or consignee. The consignor and the carrier must ensure that any loading or unloading is performed by personnel having radiological training and resources appropriate for safe handling of the consignment. The consignor must issue specific instructions, in writing, for maintenance of exclusive use shipment controls, and include them with the shipping paper information provided to the carrier by the consignor.

"Explosive material" means any chemical compound, mixture, or device that produces a substantial instantaneous release of gas and heat spontaneously or by contact with sparks or flame.

"Exposure" means being exposed to ionizing radiation or to radioactive material.

"Exposure head" means a device that locates the gamma radiography sealed source in the selected working position.

"Exposure rate" means the exposure per unit of time, such as roentgen per minute and milliroentgen per hour.

"External beam radiation therapy" means therapeutic irradiation in which the source of radiation is at a distance from the body.

"External dose" means that portion of the dose equivalent received from any source of radiation outside the body.

"Extremity" means hand, elbow, arm below the elbow, foot, knee, and leg below the knee.

"Facility" means the location, building, vehicle, or complex under one administrative control, at which one or more radiation machines are installed, located and/or used.

"Fail-safe characteristics" mean a design feature that causes beam port shutters to close, or otherwise prevents emergence of the primary beam, upon the failure of a safety or warning device.

"Field emission equipment" means equipment that uses an X-ray tube in which electron emission from the cathode is due solely to the action of an electric field.

"Field-flattening filter" means a filter used to homogenize the absorbed dose rate over the radiation field.

"Field station" means a facility where radioactive sources may be stored or used and from which equipment is dispatched to temporary jobsites.

"Filter" means material placed in the useful beam to preferentially absorb selected radiations. It also means material placed in the useful beam to change beam quality in therapeutic radiation machines subject to Part XV (12VAC5-481-3380 et seq.) of this chapter.

"Filtering facepiece (dusk mask)" means a negative pressure particulate respirator with a filter as an integral part of the facepiece or with the entire facepiece composed of the filtering medium, not equipped with elastomeric sealing surfaces and adjustable straps.

"Fissile material" means the radionuclides uranium-233, uranium-235, plutonium-239, and plutonium-241, or any combination of these radionuclides. "Fissile material" means the fissile nuclides themselves, not material containing fissile nuclides. Unirradiated natural uranium and depleted uranium and natural uranium or depleted uranium, that has been irradiated in thermal reactors only, are not included in this definition. Certain exclusions from fissile material controls are provided in 10 CFR 71.15.

1. Fissile Class I: A package that may be transported in unlimited numbers and in any arrangement, and that requires no nuclear criticality safety controls during transportation. A transport index is not assigned for purposes of nuclear criticality safety but may be required because of external radiation levels.

2. Fissile Class II: A package that may be transported together with other packages in any arrangement but, for criticality control, in numbers that do not exceed an aggregate transport index of 50. These shipments require no other nuclear criticality safety control during transportation. Individual packages may have a transport index not less than 0.1 and not more than 10.

"Fissile material package" means a fissile material packaging together with its fissile material contents.

"Fit factor" means a quantitative estimate of the fit of a particular respirator to a specific individual, and typically estimates the ratio of the concentration of a substance in ambient air to its concentration inside the respirator when worn.

"Fit test" means the use of a protocol to qualitatively or quantitatively evaluate the fit of a respirator on an individual.

"Fluoroscopic imaging assembly" means a subsystem in which X-ray photons produce a visible image. It includes the image receptor(s) such as the image intensifier and spot-film device, electrical interlocks, if any, and structural material providing linkage between the image receptor and diagnostic source assembly.

"Focal spot (actual)" means the area projected on the anode of the X-ray tube bombarded by the electrons accelerated from the cathode and from which the useful beam originates.

"Former Atomic Energy Commission or NRC licensed facilities" means nuclear reactors, nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, uranium enrichment plants, or critical mass experimental facilities where Atomic Energy Commission or NRC licenses have been terminated.

"Gantry" means that part of a radiation therapy system supporting and allowing movements of the radiation head about a center of rotation.

"Generally applicable environmental radiation standards" means standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency under the authority of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, that impose limits on radiation exposures or levels, or concentrations or quantities of radioactive material, in the general environment outside the boundaries of locations under the control of persons possessing or using radioactive material.

"General environment" means, as used in Part XVI (12VAC5-481-3460 et seq.) of this chapter, the total terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic environments outside the site boundary within which any activity, operation, or process authorized by a general or specific license issued under Part XVI, is performed.

"General purpose radiographic X-ray system" means any radiographic X-ray system which, by design, is not limited to radiographic examination of specific anatomical regions.

"Generator" means a licensee who (i) is a waste generator as defined in this chapter, or (ii) is the licensee to whom waste can be attributed within the context of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 (e.g., waste generated as a result of decontamination or recycle activities).

"Gonad shield" means a protective barrier for the testes or ovaries.

"Gray (Gy)" means the SI unit of absorbed dose. One gray is equal to an absorbed dose of one joule per kilogram (100 rad).

"Guide tube (protection sheath)" means a flexible or rigid tube, or "J" tube, for guiding the source assembly and the attached control cable from the exposure device to the exposure head. The guide tube may also include the connections necessary for attachment to the exposure device and to the exposure head.

"Half-value layer (HVL)" means the thickness of a specified material that attenuates X-radiation or gamma radiation to an extent such that the air kerma rate, exposure rate or absorbed dose rate is reduced to one-half of the value measured without the material at the same point.

"Hands-on experience" means experience in all of those areas considered to be directly involved in the radiography process, and includes taking radiographs, calibration of survey instruments, operational and performance testing of survey instruments and devices, film development, posting of radiation areas, transportation of radiography equipment, posting of records and radiation area surveillance, etc., as applicable. Excessive time spent in only one or two of these areas, such as film development or radiation area surveillance, should not be counted toward the 2,000 hours of hands-on experience required for a radiation safety officer in 12VAC5-481-1310 A 2 or the hands-on experience for a radiographer as required by 12VAC5-481-1320 A.

"Hazardous waste" means those wastes designated as hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency regulations in 40 CFR Part 261.

"Healing arts" means the art or science or group of arts or sciences dealing with the prevention and cure or alleviation of ailments, diseases or infirmities, and has the same meaning as "medicine" when the latter term is used in its comprehensive sense.

"Healing arts screening" means the testing of human beings using X-ray machines for the detection or evaluation of health indications when such tests are not specifically and individually ordered by a licensed practitioner of the healing arts legally authorized to prescribe such X-ray tests for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment.

"Heat unit" means a unit of energy equal to the product of the peak kilovoltage, milliamperes, and seconds, such as (kVp) times (mA) times (seconds).

"Helmet" means a rigid respiratory inlet covering that also provides head protection against impact and penetration.

"High integrity container (HIC)" means a container commonly designed to meet the structural stability requirements of 12VAC5-481-2572 and to meet Department of Transportation requirements for a Type A package.

"High radiation area" means an area, accessible to individuals, in which radiation levels from radiation sources external to the body could result in an individual receiving a dose equivalent in excess of one mSv (0.1 rem) in one hour at 30 centimeters from any source of radiation or 30 centimeters from any surface that the radiation penetrates.

"Hood" means a respiratory inlet covering that completely covers the head and neck and may also cover portions of the shoulders and torso.

"Human use" means the internal or external administration of radiation or radioactive material to human beings.

"HVL" (See "Half-value layer").

"Hydrogeologic unit" means any soil or rock unit or zone which by virtue of its porosity or permeability, or lack thereof, has a distinct influence on the storage or movement of groundwater.

"Image intensifier" means a device, installed in its housing, that instantaneously converts an X-ray pattern into a corresponding light image of higher intensity.

"Image receptor" means any device, such as a fluorescent screen or radiographic film, that transforms incident X-ray photons either into a visible image or into another form that can be made into a visible image by further transformations.

"Image receptor support" means, for mammographic systems, that part of the system designed to support the image receptor during mammography.

"Inadvertent intruder" means a person who might occupy the disposal site after closure and engage in normal activities, such as agriculture, dwelling construction, or other pursuits in which an individual might be unknowingly exposed to radiation from the waste.

"Independent certifying organization" means an independent organization that meets the agency's criteria for documenting applicant's training in topics set forth in 12VAC5-481-1320 or equivalent agreement state or NRC regulations.

"Individual" means any human being.

"Individual monitoring" means the assessment of:

1. Dose equivalent (i) by the use of individual monitoring devices or (ii) by the use of survey data; or

2. Committed effective dose equivalent (i) by bioassay or (ii) by determination of the time-weighted air concentrations to which an individual has been exposed, that is, DAC-hours. (See the definition of DAC)

"Individual monitoring devices" means devices designed to be worn by a single individual for the assessment of dose equivalent. For purposes of these regulations, "personnel dosimeter" and "dosimeter" are equivalent terms. Examples of individual monitoring devices are film badges, thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs), pocket ionization chambers, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters and personal air sampling devices.

"Industrial radiography" means an examination of the structure of materials by the nondestructive method of utilizing ionizing radiation to make radiographic images.

"Inhalation class" (See "Class").

"Inherent filtration" means the filtration of the useful beam provided by the permanently installed components of the tube housing assembly.

"Injection tool" means a device used for controlled subsurface injection of radioactive tracer material.

"Inspection" means an official examination or observation including, but not limited to, tests, surveys, and monitoring to determine compliance with rules, regulations, orders, requirements, and conditions of the agency.

"Institutional controls" means: (i) permanent markers placed at a disposal site, (ii) public records and archives, (iii) government ownership and regulations regarding land or resource use, and (iv) other methods of preserving knowledge about the location, design, and contents of a disposal system.

"Instrument traceability" (for ionizing radiation measurements) means the ability to show that an instrument has been calibrated at specified time intervals using a national standard or a transfer standard. If a transfer standard is used, the calibration must be at a laboratory accredited by a program that requires continuing participation in measurement quality assurance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology or other equivalent national or international program.

"Interlock" means a device arranged or connected such that the occurrence of an event or condition is required before a second event or condition can occur or continue to occur.

"Internal dose" means that portion of the dose equivalent received from radioactive material taken into the body.

"Interruption of irradiation" means the stopping of irradiation with the possibility of continuing irradiation without resetting of operating conditions at the control panel.

"Intruder barrier" means a sufficient depth of cover over the waste that inhibits contact with waste and helps to ensure that radiation exposures to an inadvertent intruder will meet the performance objectives set forth in these regulations, or engineered structures that provide equivalent protection to the inadvertent intruder.

"Irradiation" means the exposure of matter to ionizing radiation.

"Irradiator" means a facility that uses radioactive sealed sources for the irradiation of objects or materials and in which radiation dose rates exceeding five grays (500 rads) per hour exist at one meter from the sealed radioactive sources in air or water, as applicable for the irradiator type, but does not include irradiators in which both the sealed source and the area subject to irradiation are contained within a device and are not accessible to personnel.

"Irradiator operator" means an individual who has successfully completed the training and testing described in 12VAC5-481-2830 and is authorized by the terms of the license to operate the irradiator without a supervisor present.

"Irradiator operator supervisor" means an individual who meets the requirements for an irradiator operator and who physically oversees operation of the irradiator by an individual who is currently receiving training and testing described in 12VAC5-481-2830.

"Isocenter" means the center of the sphere through which the useful beam axis passes while the gantry moves through its full range of motions.

"kBq" means kilabecquerels.

"Kilovolt (kV) (kilo electron volt (keV))" means the energy equal to that acquired by a particle with one electron charge in passing through a potential difference of 1,000 volts in a vacuum. Current convention is to use kV for photons and keV for electrons.

"Kilovolts peak" (See "Peak tube potential").

"kV" means kilovolts.

"kVp" (See "Peak tube potential").

"kWs" means kilowatt second.

"Land disposal facility" means the land, buildings, structures and equipment that is intended to be used for the disposal of wastes into the subsurface of the land. For purposes of this chapter, a "geologic repository" as defined in 10 CFR Part 60 or 10 CFR Part 63 is not considered a land disposal facility.

"Lay-barge radiography" means industrial radiography performed on any water vessel used for laying pipe.

"Lead equivalent" means the thickness of the material in question affording the same attenuation, under specified conditions, as lead.

"Leakage radiation" means radiation emanating from the diagnostic source assembly except for:

1. The useful beam; and

2. Radiation produced when the exposure switch or timer is not activated.

"Leakage technique factors" means the technique factors associated with the diagnostic source assembly that are used in measuring leakage radiation. They are defined as follows:

1. For diagnostic source assemblies intended for capacitor energy storage equipment, the maximum-rated peak tube potential and the maximum-rated number of exposures in an hour for operation at the maximum-rated peak tube potential with the quantity of charge per exposure being 10 millicoulombs, i.e., 10 milliampere seconds, or the minimum obtainable from the unit, whichever is larger;

2. For diagnostic source assemblies intended for field emission equipment rated for pulsed operation, the maximum-rated peak tube potential and the maximum-rated number of X-ray pulses in an hour for operation at the maximum-rated peak tube potential;

3. For all other diagnostic source assemblies, the maximum-rated peak tube potential and the maximum-rated continuous tube current for the maximum-rated peak tube potential.

"Lens dose equivalent (LDE)" applies to the external exposure of the lens of the eye and is taken as the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 0.3 cm (300 mg/cm2).

"License" means a license issued by the agency in accordance with the regulations adopted by the board.

"Licensed material" means radioactive material received, possessed, used, transferred or disposed of under a general or specific license issued by the agency.

"Licensee" means any person who is licensed by the agency in accordance with these regulations and the Act.

"Light field" means that area of the intersection of the light beam from the beam-limiting device and one of the set of planes parallel to and including the plane of the image receptor, whose perimeter is the locus of points at which the illumination is one-fourth of the maximum in the intersection.

"Limits" (See "Dose limits").

"Line-voltage regulation" means the difference between the no-load and the load line potentials expressed as a percentage of the load line potential. It is calculated using the following equation:

Percent line-voltage regulation = 100 (Vn-Vl)/Vl

where:

Vn = No-load line potential; and

Vl = Load line potential.

"Lixiscope" means a portable light-intensified imaging device using a sealed source.

"Local components" mean part of an analytical X-ray system and include areas that are struck by X-rays such as radiation source housings, port and shutter assemblies, collimators, sample holders, cameras, goniometers, detectors, and shielding, but do not include power supplies, transformers, amplifiers, readout devices, and control panels.

"Logging assistant" means any individual who, under the personal supervision of a logging supervisor, handles sealed sources or tracers that are not in logging tools or shipping containers or who performs surveys required by Part XIV (12VAC5-481-3140 et seq.) of this chapter.

"Logging supervisor" means the individual who uses sources of radiation licensed material or provides personal supervision of the utilization of sources of radiation at the well site in the use of licensed material at a temporary jobsite and who is responsible to the licensee for assuring compliance with the requirements of this chapter and the conditions of the license.

"Logging tool" means a device used subsurface to perform well-logging.

"Loose-fitting facepiece" means a respiratory inlet covering that is designed to form a partial seal with the face.

"Lost or missing licensed material" means licensed (or registered) source of radiation whose location is unknown. This definition includes, but is not limited to, radioactive material that has been shipped but has not reached its planned destination and whose location cannot be readily traced in the transportation system.

"Lot tolerance percent defective" means, expressed in percent defective, the poorest quality in an individual inspection lot that should be accepted.

"Low specific activity (LSA) material" means radioactive material with limited specific activity that is nonfissile or is excepted under 12VAC5-481-2970 C, and that satisfies the descriptions and limits set forth below. Shielding materials surrounding the LSA material may not be considered in determining the estimated average specific activity of the package contents. LSA material must be in one of three groups:

1. LSA-I

a. Uranium and thorium ores, concentrates of uranium and thorium ores, and other ores containing naturally occurring radioactive radionuclide that are not intended to be processed for the use of these radionuclides;

b. Solid unirradiated natural uranium or depleted uranium or natural thorium or their solid or liquid compounds or mixtures;

c. Radioactive material, for which the A2 value is unlimited; or

d. Other radioactive material in which the activity is distributed throughout and the estimated average specific activity does not exceed 30 times the value for exempt material activity concentration determined in accordance with 12VAC5-481-3720.

2. LSA-II

a. Water with tritium concentration up to 0.8 terabecquerel per liter (20.0 Ci/L); or

b. Other material in which the activity is distributed throughout, and the average specific activity does not exceed 1.0 E-04 A2/g for solids and gases, and 1.0 E-05 A2/g for liquids.

3. LSA-III

Solids (e.g., consolidated wastes, activated materials), excluding powders, that satisfy the requirements of 10 CFR 71.77) in which:

a. The radioactive material is distributed throughout a solid or a collection of solid objects, or is essentially uniformly distributed in a solid compact binding agent (for example: concrete, bitumen, or ceramic);

b. The radioactive material is relatively insoluble, or it is intrinsically contained in a relatively insoluble material, so that, even under loss of packaging, the loss of radioactive material per package by leaching, when placed in water for seven days, would not exceed 0.1 A2; and

c. The estimated average specific activity of the solid does not exceed 2.0 E-03 A2/g.

"Low toxicity alpha emitters" means natural uranium, depleted uranium, natural thorium; uranium-235, uranium-238, thorium-232, thorium-228 or thorium-230 when contained in ores or physical or chemical concentrates or tailings; or alpha emitters with a half-life of less than 10 days.

"Lung class" (See "Class").

"mA" means milliampere.

"mAs" means milliampere second.

"Major processor" means a user processing, handling, or manufacturing radioactive material exceeding Type A quantities as unsealed sources or material, or exceeding four times Type B quantities as sealed sources, but does not include nuclear medicine programs, universities, industrial radiographers, or small industrial programs. Type A and B quantities are defined in this section.

"Maximum line current" means the root-mean-square current in the supply line of an X-ray machine operating at its maximum rating.

"Management" means the chief executive officer or that individual's designee.

"MBq" means megabecquerels.

"Medical event" means an event that meets the criteria in 12VAC5-481-2080.

"Medical institution" means an organization in which several medical disciplines are practiced.

"Medical use" means the intentional internal or external administration of radioactive material or the radiation from radioactive material to patients or human research subjects under the supervision of an authorized user.

"Megavolt (MV) (mega electron volt (MeV))" means the energy equal to that acquired by a particle with one electron charge in passing through a potential difference of one million volts in a vacuum. (Note: current convention is to use MV for photons and MeV for electrons.)

"Member of the public" means an individual except when that individual is receiving an occupational dose.

"Mineral logging" means any logging performed for the purpose of mineral exploration other than oil or gas.

"Minor" means an individual less than 18 years of age.

"Mobile nuclear medicine service" means the transportation and medical use of radioactive material.

"Mobile X-ray equipment" (See "X-ray equipment").

"Monitor unit (MU)" (See "Dose monitor unit").

"Monitoring" means the measurement of radiation, radioactive material concentrations, surface area activities or quantities of radioactive material and the use of the results of these measurements to evaluate potential exposures and doses. For purposes of these regulations, "radiation monitoring" and "radiation protection monitoring" are equivalent terms. For Part XI (12VAC5-481-2330 et seq.) of this chapter, it means observing and making measurements to provide data to evaluate the performance and characteristics of the disposal site.

"Moving beam radiation therapy" means radiation therapy with any planned displacement of radiation field or patient relative to each other, or with any planned change of absorbed dose distribution. It includes arc, skip, conformal, intensity modulation and rotational therapy.

"Multiple tomogram system" means a computed tomography X-ray system that obtains X-ray transmission data simultaneously during a single scan to produce more than one tomogram.

"NARM" means any naturally occurring or accelerator-produced radioactive material. It does not include byproduct, source, or special nuclear material.

"Nationally tracked source" means a sealed source containing a quantity equal to or greater than Category 1 or Category 2 levels of any radioactive material listed in 12VAC5-481-3780. In this context a sealed source is defined as radioactive material that is sealed in a capsule or closely bonded, in a solid form and that is not exempt from regulatory control. It does not mean material encapsulated solely for disposal, or nuclear material contained in any fuel assembly, subassembly, fuel rod, or fuel pellet. Category 1 nationally tracked sources are those containing radioactive material at a quantity equal to or greater than the Category 1 threshold. Category 2 nationally tracked sources are those containing radioactive material at a quantity equal to or greater than the Category 2 threshold but less than the Category 1 threshold.

"Natural radioactivity" means radioactivity of naturally occurring nuclides.

"Natural thorium" means thorium with the naturally occurring distribution of thorium isotopes, which is essentially 100 weight percent thorium-232.

"Natural uranium" (See "Uranium – natural, depleted, enriched").

"Near-surface disposal facility" means a land disposal facility in which waste is disposed of within approximately the upper 30 meters of the earth's surface.

"Negative pressure respirator (tight fitting)" means a respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is negative during inhalation with respect to the ambient air pressure outside the respirator.

"Noise" means the standard deviation of the fluctuations in CTN expressed as a percentage of the attenuation coefficient of water. Its estimate (Sn) is calculated using the following expression:

where:

 = Linear attenuation coefficient of the material of interest.

 = Linear attenuation coefficient of water.

 = Standard deviation of the CTN of picture elements in a specified area of the CT image.

"Nominal tomographic section thickness" means the full width at half-maximum of the sensitivity profile taken at the center of the cross-sectional volume over which X-ray transmission data are collected.

"Nonstochastic effect" means a health effect, the severity of which varies with the dose and for which a threshold is believed to exist. Radiation-induced cataract formation is an example of a nonstochastic effect. For purposes of these regulations, "deterministic effect" is an equivalent term.

"NORM" means any naturally occurring radioactive material. It does not include accelerator produced, byproduct, source, or special nuclear material.

"Normal form radioactive material" means radioactive material that has not been demonstrated to qualify as special form radioactive material.

"Normal operating procedures" mean step-by-step instructions necessary to accomplish the analysis. These procedures shall include sample insertion and manipulation, equipment alignment, routine maintenance by the registrant (or licensee), and data recording procedures, which are related to radiation safety.

"Nominal treatment distance" means:

1. For electron irradiation, the distance from the scattering foil, virtual source, or exit window of the electron beam to the entrance surface of the irradiated object along the central axis of the useful beam.

2. For X-ray irradiation, the virtual source or target to isocenter distance along the central axis of the useful beam. For nonisocentric equipment, this distance shall be that specified by the manufacturer.

"NRC Forms 540, 540A, 541, 541A, 542 and 542" means official NRC forms referenced in this chapter. Licensees need not use originals of these NRC Forms as long as any substitute forms are equivalent to the original documentation in respect to content, clarity, size, and location of information. Upon agreement between the shipper and consignee, NRC Forms 541 (and 541A) and NRC Forms 542 (and 542A) may be completed, transmitted, and stored in electronic media. The electronic media must have the capability for producing legible, accurate, and complete records in the format of the uniform manifest.

"Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)" means the NRC or its duly authorized representatives.

"Nuclear waste" means a quantity of source, byproduct or special nuclear material (the definition of nuclear waste in this part is used in the same way as in 49 CFR 173.403) required to be in NRC-approved specification packaging while transported to, through or across a state boundary to a disposal site, or to a collection point for transport to a disposal site.

"Occupational dose" means the dose received by an individual in the course of employment in which the individual's assigned duties for the licensee or registrant involve exposure to sources of radiation, whether or not the sources of radiation are in the possession of the licensee, registrant, or other person. Occupational dose does not include doses received from background radiation, from any medical administration the individual has received, from exposure to individuals administered radioactive material and released in accordance with 12VAC5-481-1870, from voluntary participation in medical research programs, or as a member of the public.

"Offshore platform radiography" means industrial radiography conducted from a platform over a body of water.

"Offshore waters" means that area of land and water, beyond the Commonwealth of Virginia's jurisdiction, on or above the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

"Open-beam configuration" means an analytical X-ray system in which an individual could accidentally place some part of his body in the primary beam path during normal operation.

"Output" means the exposure rate, dose rate, or a quantity related in a known manner to these rates from a teletherapy unit for a specified set of exposure conditions.

"Package" means the packaging together with its radioactive contents as presented for transport.

1. Fissile material package or Type AF package, Type BF package, Type B(U)F package, or Type B(M)F package means a fissile material packaging together with its fissile material contents.

2. Type A package means a Type A packaging together with its radioactive contents. A Type A package is defined and must comply with the DOT regulations in 49 CFR Part 173.

3. Type B package means a Type B packaging together with its radioactive contents. On approval, a Type B package design is designated by NRC as B(U) unless the package has a maximum normal operating pressure of more than 700 kPa (100 lbs/in2) gauge or a pressure relief device that would allow the release of radioactive material to the environment under the tests specified in 10 CFR 71.73 (hypothetical accident conditions), in which case it will receive a designation B(M). B(U) refers to the need for unilateral approval of international shipments; B(M) refers to the need for multilateral approval of international shipments. There is no distinction made in how packages with these designations may be used in domestic transportation. To determine their distinction for international transportation, see DOT regulations in 49 CFR Part 173. A Type B package approved before September 6, 1983, was designated only as Type B. Limitations on its use are specified in 10 CFR 71.19.

"Packaging" means the assembly of components necessary to ensure compliance with the packaging requirements of these regulations. It may consist of one or more receptacles, absorbent materials, spacing structures, thermal insulation, radiation shielding, and devices for cooling or absorbing mechanical shocks. The vehicle, tie-down system, and auxiliary equipment may be designated as part of the packaging.

"Panoramic dry-source-storage irradiator" means an irradiator in which the irradiations occur in air in areas potentially accessible to personnel and in which the sources are stored in shields made of solid materials. The term includes beam-type dry-source-storage irradiators in which only a narrow beam of radiation is produced for performing irradiations.

"Panoramic irradiator" means an irradiator in which the irradiations are done in air in areas potentially accessible to personnel. The term includes beam-type irradiators.

"Panoramic wet-source-storage irradiator" means an irradiator in which the irradiations occur in air in areas potentially accessible to personnel and in which the sources are stored under water in a storage pool.

"Particle accelerator" (See "Accelerator").

"Patient" means an individual or animal subjected to healing arts examination, diagnosis, or treatment.

"PBL" (See "Positive beam limitation").

"Peak tube potential" means the maximum value of the potential difference across the X-ray tube during an exposure.

"Periodic quality assurance check" means a procedure that is performed to ensure that a previous calibration continues to be valid.

"Permanent radiographic installation" means an enclosed shielded room, cell, or vault, not located at a temporary jobsite, in which radiography is performed.

"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, group, department of the Commonwealth other than the Department of Health, political subdivision of the Commonwealth, any other state or political subdivision or department thereof, and any legal successor, representative, agent, or department of the foregoing, but not including federal government agencies.

"Personal supervision" means guidance and instruction by the supervisor who is physically present at the jobsite and watching the performance of the operation in such proximity that contact can be maintained and immediate assistance given as required. In radiography it means guidance and instruction provided to a radiographer trainee by a radiographer instructor who is present at the site, in visual contact with the trainee while the trainee is using sources of radiation, and in such proximity that immediate assistance can be given if required.

"Personnel monitoring equipment" (See "Individual monitoring devices").

"Phantom" means a volume of material behaving in a manner similar to tissue with respect to the attenuation and scattering of radiation. This requires that both the atomic number (Z) and the density of the material be similar to that of tissue.

"Physical description" means the items called for on NRC Form 541 to describe a low-level radioactive waste.

"Pool irradiator" means any irradiator at which the sources are stored or used in a pool of water including panoramic wet-source-storage irradiators and underwater irradiators.

"Pharmacist" means an individual licensed by this state to compound and dispense drugs, prescriptions, and poisons.

"Physician" means an individual licensed by this state to prescribe drugs in the practice of medicine.

"Picture element" means an elemental area of a tomogram.

"PID" (See "Position indicating device").

"Pigtail" (See "Source assembly").

"Pill" (See "Sealed source").

"Planned special exposure" means an infrequent exposure to radiation, separate from and in addition to the annual occupational dose limits.

"Portable X-ray equipment" (See "X-ray equipment").

"Position indicating device" means a device on dental X-ray equipment used to indicate the beam position and to establish a definite source-surface (skin) distance. It may or may not incorporate or serve as a beam-limiting device.

"Positive beam limitation" means the automatic or semi-automatic adjustment of an X-ray beam to the size of the selected image receptor, whereby exposures cannot be made without such adjustment.

"Positive emission tomography (PET) radionuclide production facility" means a facility operating a cyclotron or accelerator for the purpose of producing PET radionuclides.

"Positive pressure respirator" means a respirator in which the pressure inside the respiratory inlet covering exceeds the ambient air pressure outside the respirator.

"Powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)" means an air-purifying respirator that uses a blower to force the ambient air through air-purifying elements to the inlet covering.

"Practical examination" means a demonstration through application of the safety rules and principles in industrial radiography including use of all procedures and equipment to be used by radiographic personnel.

"Practical range of electrons" corresponds to classical electron range where the only remaining contribution to dose is from bremsstrahlung X-rays. A further explanation may be found in "Clinical Electron Beam Dosimetry: Report of AAPM Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group 25" (Medical Physics 18(1): 73-109, Jan/Feb. 1991) and ICRU Report 35, "Radiation Dosimetry: Electron Beams with Energies Between 1 and 50 MeV", International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, September 15, 1984.

"Preceptor" means an individual who provides, directs, or verifies training and experience required for an individual to become an authorized user, an authorized medical physicist, an authorized nuclear pharmacist, or a radiation safety officer.

"Prescribed dosage" means the quantity of radiopharmaceutical activity as documented:

1. In a written directive; or

2. Either in the diagnostic clinical procedures manual or in any appropriate record in accordance with the directions of the authorized user for diagnostic procedures.

"Prescribed dose" means:

1. For gamma stereotactic radiosurgery, the total dose as documented in the written directive; or

2. For teletherapy, the total dose and dose per fraction as documented in the written directive; or

3. For brachytherapy, either the total source strength and exposure time, or the total dose, as documented in the written directive.

"Pressure demand respirator" means a positive pressure atmosphere-supplying respirator that admits breathing air to the facepiece when the positive pressure is reduced inside the facepiece by inhalation.

"Primary beam" means radiation that passes through an aperture of the source housing by a direct path from the X-ray tube or a radioactive source located in the radiation source housing.

"Primary dose monitoring system" means a system that will monitor the useful beam during irradiation and that will terminate irradiation when a preselected number of dose monitor units have been delivered.

"Primary protective barrier" (See "Protective barrier").

"Principal activities," as used in this chapter, means activities authorized by the license that are essential to achieving the purpose(s) for which the license was issued or amended. Storage during which no licensed material is accessed for use or disposal and activities incidental to decontamination or decommissioning are not principal activities.

"Private inspector" means an individual who meets the requirements set forth in 12VAC5-481-340 and who has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the agency that such individual possesses the knowledge, training and experience to measure ionizing radiation, to evaluate safety techniques, and to advise regarding radiation protection needs.

"Product" means, as used in Part XVI (12VAC5-481-3460 et seq.) of this chapter, something produced, made, manufactured, refined, or benefited.

"Product conveyor system" means a system for moving the product to be irradiated to, from, and within the area where irradiation takes place.

"Projection sheath" (See "Guide tube").

"Projector" (See "Radiographic exposure device").

"Protective apron" means an apron made of radiation-attenuating or absorbing materials used to reduce exposure to radiation.

"Protective barrier" means a barrier of radiation absorbing material(s) used to reduce radiation exposure. The types of protective barriers are as follows:

1. "Primary protective barrier" means the material, excluding filters, placed in the useful beam;

2. "Secondary protective barrier" means the material that attenuates stray radiation.

"Protective glove" means a glove made of radiation absorbing materials used to reduce radiation exposure.

"Public dose" means the dose received by a member of the public from exposure to sources of radiation released by the licensee or registrant, or to any other source of radiation under the control of the licensee or registrant. Public dose does not include occupational dose, or doses received from background radiation, from any medical administration the individual has received, from exposure to individuals administered radioactive material and released in accordance with 12VAC5-481-1870, or from voluntary participation in medical research programs.

"Pyrophoric material" means any liquid that ignites spontaneously in dry or moist air at or below 130°F (54.4°C) or any solid material, other than one classed as an explosive, which under normal conditions is liable to cause fires through friction, retained heat from manufacturing or processing, or that can be ignited readily and, when ignited, burns so vigorously and persistently as to create a serious transportation, handling, or disposal hazard. Included are spontaneously combustible and water-reactive materials.

"Qualitative fit test (QLFT)" means a pass/fail fit test to assess the adequacy of respirator fit that relies on the individual's response to the test agent.

"Quality factor" (Q) means the modifying factor, that is referenced in 12VAC5-481-240, that is used to derive dose equivalent from absorbed dose.

"Quantitative fit test (QNFT)" means an assessment of the adequacy of respirator fit by numerically measuring the amount of leakage into the respirator.

"Quarter" means a period of time equal to one-fourth of the year observed by the licensee, approximately 13 consecutive weeks, providing that the beginning of the first quarter in a year coincides with the starting date of the year and that no day is omitted or duplicated in consecutive quarters.

"Rad" means the special unit of absorbed dose. One rad is equal to an absorbed dose of 100 erg per gram or 0.01 joule per kilogram (0.01 gray).

"Radiation" means alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, X-rays, neutrons, high-speed electrons, high-speed protons, and other particles capable of producing ions. For purposes of these regulations, ionizing radiation is an equivalent term. Radiation, as used in these regulations, does not include nonionizing radiation, such as radiowaves or microwaves, visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light.

"Radiation area" means any area, accessible to individuals, in which radiation levels could result in an individual receiving a dose equivalent in excess of 0.05 mSv (0.005 rem) in one hour at 30 centimeters from the source of radiation or from any surface that the radiation penetrates.

"Radiation dose" (See "Dose").

"Radiation field" (See "Useful beam").

"Radiation head" means the structure from which the useful beam emerges.

"Radiation machine" means any device capable of producing radiation except those devices with radioactive material as the only source of radiation.

"Radiation room" means a shielded room in which irradiations take place. Underwater irradiators do not have radiation rooms.

"Radiation safety officer (RSO)" means an individual who has the knowledge and responsibility to apply appropriate radiation protection regulations and has been assigned such responsibility by the licensee or registrant.

"Radiation safety officer for industrial radiography" means an individual with the responsibility for the overall radiation safety program on behalf of the licensee or registrant and who meets the requirements of 12VAC5-481-1310.

"Radiation safety officer for medical" means an individual who meets the requirements of 12VAC5-481-1750 and 12VAC5-481-1790 and or is identified as an RSO on: a medical use license issued by the agency, NRC or another agreement state, or a medical use permit issued by an NRC masters material licensee.

"Radiation therapy physicist" means an individual qualified in accordance with 12VAC5-481-340.

"Radiation therapy simulation system" means a radiographic or fluoroscopic X-ray system intended for localizing the volume to be exposed during radiation therapy and confirming the position and size of the therapeutic irradiation field.

"Radioactive material" means any solid, liquid, or gas which emits radiation spontaneously.

"Radioactive marker" means radioactive material placed subsurface or on a structure intended for subsurface use for the purpose of depth determination or direction orientation.

"Radioactivity" means the transformation of unstable atomic nuclei by the emission of radiation.

"Radiobioassay" (See "Bioassay").

"Radiograph" means an image receptor on which the image is created directly or indirectly by an X-ray pattern and results in a permanent record.

"Radiographer" means any individual who performs or who, in attendance at the site where the sources of radiation are being used, personally supervises industrial radiographic operations and who is responsible to the licensee or registrant for assuring compliance with the requirements of the agency's regulations and the conditions of the license or registration.

"Radiographer certification" means written approval received from a certifying entity stating that an individual has satisfactorily met the radiation safety, testing, and experience criteria in 12VAC5-481-1320.

"Radiographer instructor" means any radiographer who has been authorized by the agency to provide on-the-job training to radiographer trainees in accordance with Part V (12VAC5-481-1170 et seq.) of this chapter.

"Radiographer trainee" means any individual who, under the personal supervision of a radiographer instructor, uses sources of radiation, related handling tools, or radiation survey instruments during the course of his instruction.

"Radiographer's assistant" means any individual who under the direct supervision of a radiographer, uses radiographic exposure devices, sources of radiation, related handling tools, or radiation survey instruments in industrial radiography.

"Radiographic exposure device" means any instrument containing a sealed source fastened or contained therein, in which the sealed source or shielding thereof may be moved, or otherwise changed, from a shielded to unshielded position for purposes of making a radiographic exposure.

"Radiographic imaging system" means any system whereby a permanent or semi-permanent image is recorded on an image receptor by the action of ionizing radiation.

"Radiographic operations" means all activities performed with a radiographic exposure device, or with a radiation machine. Activities include using, transporting except by common or contract carriers, or storing at a temporary job site, performing surveys to confirm the adequacy of boundaries, setting up equipment, and any activity inside restricted area boundaries. Transporting a radiation machine is not considered a radiographic operation.

"Radiographic personnel" means any radiographer, radiographer instructor, or radiographer trainee.

"Radiography" (See "Industrial radiography").

"Rating" means the operating limits as specified by the component manufacturer.

"Reasonably maximally exposed individual" means, as used in Part XVI (12VAC5-481-3460 et seq.) of this chapter, a representative of a population who is exposed to TENORM at the maximum TENORM concentration measured in environmental media found at a site along with reasonable maximum case exposure assumptions. The exposure is determined by using maximum values for one or more of the most sensitive parameters affecting exposure, based on cautious but reasonable assumptions, while leaving the others at their mean value.

"Recording" means producing a permanent form of an image resulting from X-ray photons.

"Redundant beam monitoring system" means a combination of two dose monitoring systems in which each system is designed to terminate irradiation in accordance with a preselected number of dose monitor units.

"Reference man" means a hypothetical aggregation of human physical and physiological characteristics determined by international consensus. These characteristics may be used by researchers and public health employees to standardize results of experiments and to relate biological insult to a common base. A description of the reference man is contained in the International Commission on Radiological Protection report, ICRP Publication 23, "Report of the Task Group on Reference Man."

"Reference plane" means a plane that is displaced from and parallel to the tomographic plane.

"Registrant" means any person who is registered with the agency and is legally obligated to register with the agency pursuant to these regulations and the Act.

"Registration" means registration with the agency in accordance with the regulations adopted by the agency.

"Regulations of the United States Department of Transportation" means the regulations in 49 CFR Parts 100-189.

"Rem" means the special unit of any of the quantities expressed as dose equivalent. The dose equivalent in rems is equal to the absorbed dose in rad multiplied by the quality factor (1 rem = 0.01 Sv).

"Research and development" means (i) theoretical analysis, exploration, or experimentation; or (ii) the extension of investigative findings and theories of a scientific or technical nature into practical application for experimental and demonstrative purposes, including the experimental production and testing of models, devices, equipment, materials, and processes. Research and development does not include the internal or external administration of radiation or radioactive material to human beings.

"Residential location" means any area where structures in which people lodge or live are located, and the grounds on which such structures are located including, but not limited to, houses, apartments, condominiums, and garages.

"Residual radioactive material" means (i) waste (that the Secretary of Energy determines to be radioactive) in the form of tailings resulting from the processing of ores for the extraction of uranium and other valuable constituents of the ores and (ii) other waste (that the Secretary of Energy determines to be radioactive) at a processing site that relates to such processing, including any residual stock of unprocessed ores or low-grade materials. This term is used only with respect to materials at sites subject to remediation under Title I of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, as amended.

"Residual radioactivity" means radioactivity in structures, materials, soils, groundwater, and other media at a site resulting from activities under the licensee's control. This includes radioactivity from all licensed and unlicensed sources used by the licensee, but excludes background radiation. It also includes radioactive materials remaining at the site as a result of routine or accidental releases of radioactive materials at the site and previous burials at the site, even if those burials were made in accordance with the provisions of Part IV (12VAC5-481-600 et seq.) of this chapter.

"Residual waste" means low-level radioactive waste resulting from processing or decontamination activities that cannot be easily separated into distinct batches attributable to specific waste generators. This waste is attributable to the processor or decontamination facility, as applicable.

"Respiratory protective device" means an apparatus, such as a respirator, used to reduce an individual's intake of airborne radioactive materials.

"Restricted area" means an area, access to which is limited by the licensee or registrant for the purpose of protecting individuals against undue risks from exposure to radiation and radioactive materials. Restricted area does not include areas used as residential quarters, but separate rooms in a residential building may be set apart as a restricted area.

"Roentgen" means the special unit of exposure. One roentgen (R) equals 2.58E-4 coulombs per kilogram of air (see "Exposure" and 12VAC5-481-240).

"S-tube" means a tube through which the radioactive source travels when inside a radiographic exposure device.

"Sanitary sewerage" means a system of public sewers for carrying off waste water and refuse, but excluding sewage treatment facilities, septic tanks, and leach fields owned or operated by the licensee or registrant.

"Scan" means the complete process of collecting X-ray transmission data for the production of a tomogram. Data can be collected simultaneously during a single scan for the production of one or more tomograms.

"Scan increment" means the amount of relative displacement of the patient with respect to the CT X-ray system between successive scans measured along the direction of such displacement.

"Scan sequence" means a preselected set of two or more scans performed consecutively under preselected CT conditions of operation.

"Scan time" means the period of time between the beginning and end of X-ray transmission data accumulation for a single scan.

"Scattered radiation" means ionizing radiation emitted by interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, the interaction being accompanied by a change in direction of the radiation. Scattered primary radiation means that scattered radiation which has been deviated in direction only by materials irradiated by the useful beam.

"Sealed source" means any radioactive material that is encased in a capsule designed to prevent leakage or escape of any radioactive material.

"Sealed Source and Device Registry (SSD)" means the national registry that contains the registration certificates, maintained by the NRC, that summarize the radiation safety information for sealed sources and devices, and describes the licensing and use conditions approved for the product.

"Secondary dose monitoring system" means a system which will terminate irradiation in the event of failure of the primary dose monitoring system.

"Secondary protective barrier" (See "Protective barrier").

"Seismic area" means any area where the probability of a horizontal acceleration in rock of more than 0.3 times the acceleration of gravity in 250 years is greater than 10%, as designated by the United States Geological Survey.

"Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)" means an atmosphere-supplying respirator for which the breathing air source is designed to be carried by the user.

"Shadow tray" means a device attached to the radiation head to support auxiliary beam blocking material.

"Shallow dose equivalent (Hs)," which applies to the external exposure of the skin or an extremity, means the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 0.007 centimeter (7 mg/cm2).

"Shielded position" means the location within the radiographic exposure device or storage container which, by manufacturer's design, is the proper location for storage of the sealed source.

"Shielded-room radiography" means industrial radiography conducted in a room shielded so that radiation levels at every location on the exterior meet the limitations specified in 12VAC5-481-640.

"Shipper" means the licensed entity (i.e., the waste generator, waste collector, or waste processor) who offers low-level radioactive waste for transportation, typically consigning this type of waste to a licensed waste collector, waste processor, or land disposal facility operator.

"Shipping paper" means NRC Form 540 and, if required, NRC Form 540A, which includes the information required by DOT in 49 CFR Part 172.

"Shutter" means a device attached to the tube housing assembly which can intercept the entire cross sectional area of the useful beam and which has a lead equivalency not less than that of the tube housing assembly.

"SI" means the abbreviation for the International System of Units.

"SID" (See "Source-image receptor distance").

"Sievert" (Sv) means the SI unit of any of the quantities expressed as dose equivalent. The dose equivalent in sievert is equal to the absorbed dose in gray multiplied by the quality factor (1 Sv = 100 rem).

"Simulator (radiation therapy simulation system)" means any X-ray system intended for localizing the volume to be exposed during radiation therapy and reproducing the position and size of the therapeutic irradiation field.

"Single tomogram system" means a CT X-ray system that obtains X-ray transmission data during a scan to produce a single tomogram.

"Site area emergency" means events may occur, are in progress, or have occurred that could lead to a significant release of radioactive material and that could require a response by offsite response organizations to protect persons offsite.

"Site boundary" means that line beyond which the land or property is not owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the licensee.

"Site closure and stabilization" means those actions that are taken upon completion of operations that prepare the disposal site for custodial care and that assure that the disposal site will remain stable and will not need ongoing active maintenance.

"Source" means the focal spot of the X-ray tube.

"Source assembly" means an assembly that consists of the sealed source and a connector that attaches the source to the control cable. The source assembly may include a ballstop to secure the source in the shielded position.

"Source changer" means a device designed and used for replacement of sealed sources in radiographic exposure devices, including those source changers also used for transporting and storage of sealed sources.

"Source holder" means a housing or assembly into which a radioactive source is placed for the purpose of facilitating the handling and use of the source in well-logging operations.

"Source-image receptor distance" means the distance from the source to the center of the input surface of the image receptor.

"Source material" means:

1. Uranium or thorium, or any combination thereof, in any physical or chemical form; or

2. Ores that contain by weight one-twentieth of 1.0% (0.05%) or more of uranium, thorium or any combination of uranium and thorium. Source material does not include special nuclear material.

"Source of radiation" means any radioactive material or any device or equipment emitting, or capable of producing, radiation.

"Source-skin distance (SSD)" means the distance between the source and the skin entrance plane of the patient.

"Source traceability" means the ability to show that a radioactive source has been calibrated either by the national standards laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or by a laboratory that participates in a continuing measurement quality assurance program with National Institute of Standards and Technology or other equivalent national or international program.

"Special form radioactive material" means radioactive material that satisfies the following conditions:

1. It is either a single solid piece or is contained in a sealed capsule that can be opened only by destroying the capsule;

2. The piece or capsule has at least one dimension not less than five millimeters (0.2 in.); and

3. It satisfies the test requirements specified by the NRC. A special form encapsulation designed in accordance with the NRC requirements in effect on June 30, 1983, and constructed prior to July 1, 1985, may continue to be used. A special form encapsulation either designed or constructed after April 1, 1998, must meet requirements of this definition applicable at the time of its design or construction.

"Special nuclear material" means:

1. Plutonium, uranium-233, uranium enriched in the isotope 233 or in the isotope 235, and any other material the NRC, pursuant to the provisions of section 51 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, determines to be special nuclear material, but does not include source material; or

2. Any material artificially enriched by any of the foregoing but does not include source material.

"Special nuclear material in quantities not sufficient to form a critical mass" means uranium enriched in the isotope U-235 in quantities not exceeding 350 grams of contained U-235; uranium-233 in quantities not exceeding 200 grams; plutonium in quantities not exceeding 200 grams; or any combination of them in accordance with the following formula: For each kind of special nuclear material, determine the ratio between the quantity of that special nuclear material and the quantity specified above for the same kind of special nuclear material. The sum of such ratios for all of the kinds of special nuclear material in combination shall not exceed 1. For example, the following quantities in combination would not exceed the limitation and are within the formula:

"Specific activity" of a radionuclide means the radioactivity of a radionuclide per unit mass of that nuclide. The specific activity of a material in which the radionuclide is essentially uniformly distributed is the radioactivity per unit mass of the material.

"Spot film" means a radiograph that is made during a fluoroscopic examination to permanently record conditions that exist during that fluoroscopic procedure.

"Spot-film device" means a device intended to transport and/or position a radiographic image receptor between the X-ray source and fluoroscopic image receptor. It includes a device intended to hold a cassette over the input end of an image intensifier for the purpose of making a radiograph.

"Stability" means structural stability.

"State inspector" means an employee of the Virginia Department of Health designated to perform those duties or functions assigned the Radiological Health Program.

"Stationary beam radiation therapy" means radiation therapy without displacement of one or more mechanical axes relative to the patient during irradiation.

"Stationary X-ray equipment" (See "X-ray equipment").

"Stochastic effect" means a health effect that occurs randomly and for which the probability of the effect occurring, rather than its severity, is assumed to be a linear function of dose without threshold. Hereditary effects and cancer incidence are examples of stochastic effects. For purposes of these regulations, "probabilistic effect" is an equivalent term.

"Storage" means a condition in which a device or source is not being used for an extended period of time, and has been made inoperable.

"Storage area" means any location, facility, or vehicle that is used to store and secure a radiographic exposure device, a radiation machine, or a storage container when it is not used for radiographic operations. Storage areas are locked or have a physical barrier to prevent accidental exposure, tampering, or unauthorized removal of the device, machine, or container.

"Storage container" means a device in which sealed sources or radiation machines are secured and stored.

"Stray radiation" means the sum of leakage and scattered radiation.

"Subsurface tracer study" means the release of a substance tagged with radioactive material for the purpose of tracing the movement or position of the tagged substance in the well-bore or adjacent formation.

"Supplied-air respirator (SAR) or airline respirator" means an atmosphere-supplying respirator for which the source of breathing air is not designed to be carried by the user.

"Surface contaminated object" (SCO) means a solid object that is not itself classed as radioactive material, but that has radioactive material distributed on any of its surfaces. An SCO must be in one of two groups with surface activity not exceeding the following limits:

1. SCO-I: A solid object on which:

a. The nonfixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm², or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm², does not exceed four becquerel per cm² (1 E-04 μCi/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 0.4 becquerel per cm² (1 E-05 μCi/cm²) for all other alpha emitters;

b. The fixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm², or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm², does not exceed 4 E+04 becquerel per cm² (1.0 μCi/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 4 E+03 becquerel per cm² (0.1 μCi/cm²) for all other alpha emitters; and

c. The nonfixed contamination plus the fixed contamination on the inaccessible surface averaged over 300 cm², or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm², does not exceed 4 E+04 becquerel per cm² (1 μCi/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 4 E+03 Becquerel per cm² (0.1 μCi/cm²) for all other alpha emitters.

2. SCO-II: A solid object on which the limits for SCO-I are exceeded and on which:

a. The nonfixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm², or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm², does not exceed 400 becquerel per cm² (1 E-02 μCi/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters or 40 becquerel per cm² (1 E-03 μCi/cm²) for all other alpha emitters;

b. The fixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm², or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm², does not exceed 8 E+05 becquerel per cm² (20 μCi/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 8 E+04 becquerel per cm² (2 μCi/cm²) for all other alpha emitters; and

c. The nonfixed contamination plus the fixed contamination on the inaccessible surface averaged over 300 cm², or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm², does not exceed 8 E+05 becquerel per cm² (20 μCi/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 8 E+04 becquerel per cm² (2 μCi/cm²) for all other alpha emitters.

"Surveillance" means monitoring and observation of the disposal site for purposes of visual detection of need for maintenance, custodial care, evidence of intrusion, and compliance with other license and regulatory requirements.

"Survey" means an evaluation of the radiological conditions and potential hazards incident to the production, use, transfer, release, disposal, or presence of radioactive material or other sources of radiation. When appropriate, such an evaluation includes a physical survey of the location of radioactive material and measurements or calculations of levels of radiation, or concentrations or quantities of radioactive material present.

"Target" means that part of an X-ray tube or accelerator onto which a beam of accelerated particles is directed to produce ionizing radiation or other particles.

"Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM)" means, as used in Part XVI (12VAC5-481-3460 et seq.) of this chapter, naturally occurring radionuclides whose concentrations are increased by or as a result of past or present human practices. TENORM does not include background radiation or the natural radioactivity of rocks or soils. TENORM does not include uranium or thorium in "source material" as defined in the AEA and NRC regulations.

"Technique factors" means the following conditions of operation:

1. For capacitor energy storage equipment, peak tube potential in kV and quantity of charge in mAs;

2. For field emission equipment rated for pulsed operation, peak tube potential in kV, and number of X-ray pulses;

3. For CT X-ray systems designed for pulsed operation, peak tube potential in kV, scan time in seconds, and either tube current in Ma, X-ray pulse width in seconds, and the number of X-ray pulses per scan, or the product of tube current, X-ray pulse width, and the number of X-ray pulses in mAs;

4. For CT X-ray systems not designed for pulsed operation, peak tube potential in kV, and either tube current in Ma and scan time in seconds, or the product of tube current and exposure time in mAs and the scan time when the scan time and exposure time are equivalent; and

5. For all other equipment, peak tube potential in kV, and either tube current in Ma and exposure time in seconds, or the product of tube current and exposure time in mAs.

"Teletherapy physicist" means an individual identified as a qualified teletherapy physicist on an agency license.

"Teletherapy" means therapeutic irradiation in which the source of radiation is at a distance from the body.

"Temporary job site" means any location where industrial radiography, wireline service, well-logging, portable gauge or XRF use is performed and where licensed material may be stored other than those location(s) of use authorized on the license.

"Tenth-value layer (TVL)" means the thickness of a specified material that attenuates X-radiation or gamma radiation to an extent such that the air kerma rate, exposure rate, or absorbed dose rate is reduced to one-tenth of the value measured without the material at the same point.

"Termination of irradiation" means the stopping of irradiation in a fashion that will not permit continuance of irradiation without the resetting of operating conditions at the control panel.

"Test" means the process of verifying compliance with an applicable regulation.

"Therapeutic radiation machine" means X-ray or electron-producing equipment designed and used for external beam radiation therapy.

"These regulations" mean all parts of these regulations.

"Tight-fitting facepiece" means a respiratory inlet covering that forms a complete seal with the face.

"Tomogram" means the depiction of the X-ray attenuation properties of a section through the body.

"Tomographic plane" means that geometric plane which is identified as corresponding to the output tomogram.

"Tomographic section" means the volume of an object whose X-ray attenuation properties are imaged in a tomogram.

"Total effective dose equivalent" (TEDE) means the sum of the effective dose equivalent for external exposures and the committed effective dose equivalent for internal exposures.

"Total organ dose equivalent" (TODE) means the sum of the deep dose equivalent and the committed dose equivalent to the organ receiving the highest dose as described in 12VAC5-481-1040.

"Traceable to a National Standard" (See "Instrument traceability" or "Source traceability").

"Transfer" means, as used in Part XVI (12VAC5-481-3460 et seq.) of this chapter, the physical relocation of NORM containing materials not directly associated with commercial distribution within a business's operation or between general or specific licensees. This term does not include a change in legal title to NORM containing materials that does not involve physical movement of those materials.

"Transport container" means a package that is designed to provide radiation safety and security when sealed sources are transported and which meets all applicable requirements of the United States Department of Transportation.

"Transport index (TI)" means the dimensionless number, rounded up to the next tenth, placed on the label of a package to designate the degree of control to be exercised by the carrier during transportation. The transport index is the number determined by multiplying the maximum radiation level in millisievert (mSv) per hour at one meter (3.3 feet) from the external surface of the package by 100 (equivalent to the maximum radiation level in millirem per hour at one meter (3.3 ft)).

"Treatment site" means the correct anatomical description of the area intended to receive a radiation dose, as described in a written directive.

"Tritium neutron generator target source" means a tritium source used within a neutron generator tube to produce neutrons for use in well-logging applications.

"Tube" means an X-ray tube, unless otherwise specified.

"Tube housing assembly" means the tube housing with tube installed. It includes high-voltage and/or filament transformers and other appropriate elements when such are contained within the tube housing.

"Tube rating chart" means the set of curves which specify the rated limits of operation of the tube in terms of the technique factors.

"Type A quantity" means a quantity of radioactive material, the aggregate radioactivity of which does not exceed A1 for special form radioactive material or A2 for normal form radioactive material, where A1 and A2 are given in Table A-1 of 12VAC5-481-3770 or may be determined by procedures described in Table A-1 of 12VAC5-481-3770.

"Type B quantity" means a quantity of radioactive material greater than a Type A quantity.

"Underwater irradiator" means an irradiator in which the sources always remain shielded under water and humans do not have access to the sealed sources or the space subject to irradiation without entering the pool.

"Underwater radiography" means radiographic operations performed when the radiographic exposure device or radiation machine and/or related equipment are beneath the surface of the water.

"Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest" or "uniform manifest" means the combination of NRC Forms 540 and 541, and, if necessary, 542, and their respective continuation sheets as needed, or equivalent.

"Unirradiated uranium" means uranium containing not more than 2 x 103 Bq of plutonium per gram of uranium-235, not more than 9 x 106 Bq of fission products per gram of uranium-235, and not more than 5 x 10-3 g of uranium-236 per gram of uranium-235.

"Unrefined and unprocessed ore" means ore in its natural form prior to any processing, such as grinding, roasting, beneficiating, or refining.

"Unrestricted area" means an area, access to which is neither limited nor controlled by the licensee or registrant. For purposes of these regulations, "uncontrolled area" is an equivalent term.

"Uranium—natural, depleted, enriched"

1. "Natural uranium" means uranium with the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes, which is approximately 0.711 weight percent uranium-235, and the remainder by weight essentially uranium-238.

2. "Depleted uranium" means uranium containing less uranium-235 than the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes.

3. "Enriched uranium" means uranium containing more uranium-235 than the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes.

"Uranium sinker bar" means a weight containing depleted uranium used to pull a logging tool down toward the bottom of a well.

"Useful beam" means the radiation emanating from the tube housing port or the radiation head and passing through the aperture of the beam limiting device when the exposure controls are in a mode to cause the system to produce radiation.

"User seal check (fit check)" means an action conducted by the respirator user to determine if the respirator is properly seated to the face. Examples include negative pressure check, positive pressure check, irritant smoke check, or isoamyl acetate check.

"Variable-aperture beam-limiting device" means a beam-limiting device which has capacity for stepless adjustment of the X-ray field size at a given SID.

"Very high radiation area" means an area, accessible to individuals, in which radiation levels from radiation sources external to the body could result in an individual receiving an absorbed dose in excess of five Gy (500 rad) in one hour at one meter from a source of radiation or one meter from any surface that the radiation penetrates.

"Virtual source" means a point from which radiation appears to originate.

"Visible area" means that portion of the input surface of the image receptor over which incident X-ray photons are producing a visible image.

"Visiting authorized user" means an authorized user who is not identified on the license of the licensee being visited.

"Waste" means those low-level radioactive wastes containing source, special nuclear, or byproduct material that are acceptable for disposal in a land disposal facility. For the purposes of this definition, low-level radioactive waste means radioactive waste not classified as high-level radioactive waste, transuranic waste, spent nuclear fuel, or byproduct material as defined in subdivisions 2, 3, and 4 of the definition of byproduct material.

"Waste collector" means an entity, operating under a specific license, whose principal purpose is to collect and consolidate waste generated by others, and to transfer this waste, without processing or repackaging the collected waste, to another licensed waste collector, licensed waste processor, or licensed land disposal facility.

"Waste description" means the physical, chemical and radiological description of a low-level radioactive waste as called for on NRC Form 541.

"Waste generator" means an entity, operating under a license, who (i) possesses any material or component that contains radioactivity or is radioactively contaminated for which the licensee foresees no further use, and (ii) transfers this material or component to a licensed land disposal facility or to a licensed waste collector or processor for handling or treatment prior to disposal. A licensee performing processing or decontamination services may be a "waste generator" if the transfer of low-level radioactive waste from its facility is defined as "residual waste."

"Waste handling licensees" mean persons licensed to receive and store radioactive wastes prior to disposal and/or persons licensed to dispose of radioactive waste.

"Waste processor" means an entity, operating under a specific license, whose principal purpose is to process, repackage, or otherwise treat low-level radioactive material or waste generated by others prior to eventual transfer of waste to a licensed low-level radioactive waste land disposal facility.

"Waste type" means a waste within a disposal container having a unique physical description (i.e., a specific waste descriptor code or description; or a waste sorbed on or solidified in a specifically defined media).

"Wedge filter" means a filter that effects continuous change in transmission over all or a part of the useful beam.

"Week" means seven consecutive days starting on Sunday.

"Weighting factor (wT)" for an organ or tissue (T) means the proportion of the risk of stochastic effects resulting from irradiation of that organ or tissue to the total risk of stochastic effects when the whole body is irradiated uniformly. For calculating the effective dose equivalent, the values of wT are:

 

Organ Dose Weighting Factors

 

 

Organ or Tissue

wT

 

 

Gonads

0.25

 

 

Breast

0.15

 

 

Red bone marrow

0.12

 

 

Lung

0.12

 

 

Thyroid

0.03

 

 

Bone surfaces

0.03

 

 

Remainder

0.30a/

 

 

Whole Body

1.00b/

 

 

a/0.30 results from 0.06 for each of five "remainder" organs, excluding the skin and the lens of the eye, that receive the highest doses.

 

b/For the purpose of weighting the external whole body dose for adding it to the internal dose, a single weighting factor, wT = 1.0, has been specified. The use of other weighting factors for external exposure will be approved on a case-by-case basis until such time as specific guidance is issued.

"Well-bore" means a drilled hole in which wireline service operations or subsurface tracer studies are performed.

"Well-logging" means all operations involving the lowering and raising of measuring devices or tools that may contain sources of radiation into well-bores or cavities for the purpose of obtaining information about the well or adjacent formations.

"Whole body" means, for purposes of external exposure, head, trunk including male gonads, arms above the elbow, or legs above the knee.

"Wireline" means a cable containing one or more electrical conductors that is used to lower and raise logging tools in the well-bore.

"Wireline service operation" means any evaluation or mechanical service that is performed in the well-bore using devices on a wireline.

"Worker" means an individual engaged in work under a license or registration issued by the agency and controlled by a licensee or registrant but does not include the licensee or registrant.

"Working level (WL)" means any combination of short-lived radon daughters in one liter of air that will result in the ultimate emission of 1.3E+5 MeV of potential alpha particle energy. The short-lived radon daughters of radon-222 are polonium-218, lead-214, bismuth-214, and polonium-214; and those of radon-220 are polonium-216, lead-212, bismuth-212, and polonium-212.

"Working level month" (WLM) means an exposure to one working level for 170 hours. Two thousand working hours per year divided by 12 months per year is approximately equal to 170 hours per month.

"Written directive" means an order in writing for a specific patient, dated and signed by an authorized user prior to the administration of a radiopharmaceutical or radiation, except as specified in subdivision 6 below, containing the following information:

1. For any administration of quantities greater than 1.11 megabecquerels (30 mCi) of sodium iodide I-125 or I-131: the radionuclide, and dosage; or

2. For a therapeutic administration of a radiopharmaceutical other than sodium iodide I-125 or I-131: the radiopharmaceutical, dosage, and route of administration; or

3. For gamma stereotactic radiosurgery: target coordinates, collimator size, plug pattern, and total dose; or

4. For teletherapy: the total dose, dose per fraction, treatment site, and overall treatment period; or

5. For high-dose-rate remote afterloading brachytherapy: the radionuclide, treatment site, and total dose; or

6. For all other brachytherapy,

a. Prior to implantation: the radionuclide, number of sources, and source strengths; and

b. After implantation but prior to completion of the procedure: the radionuclide, treatment site, and total source strength and exposure time (or, equivalently, the total dose).

"X-ray exposure control" means a device, switch, button or other similar means by which an operator initiates and/or terminates the radiation exposure. The X-ray exposure control may include such associated equipment as timers and back-up timers.

"X-ray equipment" means an X-ray system, subsystem, or component thereof. Types of X-ray equipment are as follows:

1. "Mobile X-ray equipment" means X-ray equipment mounted on a permanent base with wheels and/or casters for moving while completely assembled.

2. "Portable X-ray equipment" means X-ray equipment designed to be hand-carried.

3. "Stationary X-ray equipment" means X-ray equipment that is installed in a fixed location.

"X-ray field" means that area of the intersection of the useful beam and any one of the sets of planes parallel to and including the plane of the image receptor, whose perimeter is the locus of points at which the exposure rate is one-fourth of the maximum in the intersection.

"X-ray high-voltage generator" means a device which transforms electrical energy from the potential supplied by the X-ray control to the tube operating potential. The device may also include means for transforming alternating current to direct current, filament transformers for the X-ray tube(s), high-voltage switches, electrical protective devices, and other appropriate elements.

"X-ray system" means an assemblage of components for the controlled production of X-rays. It includes minimally an X-ray high-voltage generator, an X-ray control, a tube housing assembly, a beam-limiting device, and the necessary supporting structures. Additional components that function with the system are considered integral parts of the system.

"X-ray table" means a patient support device with its patient support structure (tabletop) interposed between the patient and the image receptor during radiography and/or fluoroscopy. This includes, but is not limited to, any stretcher equipped with a radiolucent panel and any table equipped with a cassette tray (or bucky), cassette tunnel, image intensifier, or spot-film device beneath the tabletop.

"X-ray tube" means any electron tube that is designed for the conversion of electrical energy into X-ray energy.

"Year" means the period of time beginning in January used to determine compliance with the provisions of these regulations. The licensee or registrant may change the starting date of the year used to determine compliance by the licensee or registrant provided that the change is made at the beginning of the year. If a licensee or registrant changes in a year, the licensee or registrant shall assure that no day is omitted or duplicated in consecutive years.

Statutory Authority

§32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 25, eff. September 20, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 18, eff. June 12, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2008.

12VAC5-481-390

Article 2
Exemptions from the Regulatory Requirements

12VAC5-481-390. Source material.

The following regulations, Carriers (10 CFR 40.12 (a)) and Unimportant quantities of source material (10 CFR 40.13) are applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Statutory Authority

§32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 25, eff. September 20, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 18, eff. June 12, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2008.

12VAC5-481-400

12VAC5-481-400. Radioactive material other than source material.

A. Exempt concentrations. The following regulation, Exempt concentrations (10 CFR 30.14) is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia and include the regulation of natural occurring and accelerator produced radioactive materials (NARM).

B. Exempt quantities. The following regulation, Exempt quantities (10 CFR 30.18) is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia and include the regulation of NARM. The exemption stated in paragraph (b) of 10 CFR 30.18 does not apply for radium-226.

C. Exempt items. The following regulation, Certain items containing byproduct material (10 CFR 30.15) is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia and include the regulation of NARM. The following item is specifically included: 37 kBq (1μCi) of radium-226 per timepiece in timepieces acquired prior to September 1, 1980.

D. Self-luminous products containing radioactive material. The following regulation, Self-luminous products containing tritium, krypton-85, or promethium-147 (10 CFR 30.19) is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia and includes the regulation of NARM. In addition, any person is exempt from these regulations to the extent that such person receives, possesses, uses, transfers, or owns articles containing less than 3.7 kBq (0.1 μCi) of radium-226 that were acquired prior to September 1, 1980.

E. Gas and aerosol detectors containing radioactive material.

1. The following regulation, Gas and aerosol detectors containing byproduct material (10CFR 30.20) is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia and include the regulation of NARM.

2. Gas and aerosol detectors previously manufactured and distributed to general licensees in accordance with a specific license issued by an agreement state shall be considered exempt under subdivision 1 of this subsection, provided that the device is labeled in accordance with the specific license authorizing distribution of the generally licensed device, and provided further that they meet the requirements of 12VAC5-481-480 C.

3. Gas and aerosol detectors containing NARM previously manufactured and distributed in accordance with a specific license issued by a licensing state shall be considered exempt under subdivision 1 of this subsection, provided that the device is labeled in accordance with the specific license authorizing distribution, and provided further that they meet the requirements of 12VAC5-481-480 C.

F. Resins containing Scandium-46 and designed for sand consolidation in oil wells.

The following regulations, Resins containing Scandium-46 and designed for sand consolidation in oil wells (10 CFR 30.16) is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

G. F. Radioactive drug: Capsules containing carbon-14 urea for "in-vivo" diagnostic use for humans. The following regulation, Capsules containing carbon-14 urea for "in-vivo" diagnostic use for humans (10 CFR 30.21(a), (b) and (d)) is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

H. G. Special nuclear material. The following regulations regulation, Carriers (10 CFR 70.12) and Department of Defense (10 CFR 70.13) are is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Statutory Authority

§32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 25, eff. September 20, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 18, eff. June 12, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2008.

12VAC5-481-450

12VAC5-481-450. General requirements for the issuance of specific licenses.

A. A license application will be approved if the agency determines that:

1. The applicant is qualified by reason of training and experience to use the material in question for the purpose requested in accordance with these regulations in such a manner as to minimize danger to public health and safety or property;

2. The applicant's proposed equipment, facilities, and procedures are adequate to minimize danger to public health and safety or property;

3. The issuance of the license will not be inimical to the health and safety of the public;

4. The applicant has described in the application how facility design and procedures for operation will minimize, to the extent practicable, contamination of the facility and the environment, facilitate eventual decommissioning, and minimize, to the extent practicable, the generation of radioactive waste; and

5. The applicant satisfies any applicable special requirements in 12VAC5-481-460, 12VAC5-481-470, 12VAC5-481-480, Part V (12VAC5-481-1170 et seq.), Part VII (12VAC5-481-1660 et seq.), Part XI (12VAC5-481-2330 et seq.), Part XII (12VAC5-481-2660 et seq.), Part XIV (12VAC5-481-3140 et seq.) or Part XVI (12VAC5-281-3460 et seq.) of this chapter.

B. Environmental report, commencement of construction. In the case of an application for a license to receive and possess radioactive material for commercial waste disposal by land burial, or for the conduct of any other activity that the agency determines will significantly affect the quality of the environment, the agency, before commencement of construction of the plant or facility in which the activity will be conducted, has concluded, after weighing the environmental, economic, technical and other benefits against environmental costs and considering available alternatives, that the action called for is the issuance of the proposed license, with any appropriate conditions to protect environmental values. Commencement of construction prior to such conclusion shall be grounds for denial of a license to receive and possess radioactive material in such plant or facility. As used in this subsection the term "commencement of construction" means any clearing of land, excavation, or other substantial action that would adversely affect the environment of a site. The term does not mean site exploration, necessary roads for site exploration, borings to determine foundation conditions, or other preconstruction monitoring or testing to establish background information related to the suitability of the site or the protection of environmental values.

C. Financial assurance and records for decommissioning.

1. A person applying for a specific license authorizing the possession and use of unsealed radioactive material shall submit a decommissioning funding plan as described in subdivision 6 of this subsection with the license application for any of the following types of materials:

a. Unsealed radioactive material with a half-life greater than 120 days and in quantities greater than 105 times the applicable quantities listed in 12VAC5-481-3750.

b. Unsealed radioactive material involving a combination of isotopes with R divided by 105 being greater than one, where R is defined as the sum of the ratios of the quantity of each isotope to the applicable value in 12VAC5-481-3750.

2. A person applying for a specific license authorizing the possession and use of radioactive material not covered by subdivision 1 of this subsection with a half-life greater than 120 days and in quantities specified in subdivision 5 of this subsection shall do either of the following:

a. Submit a decommissioning funding plan as described in subdivision 6 of this subsection.

b. Submit a written certification, signed by the chief financial officer or other individual designated by management to represent the licensee, that financial assurance has been provided in the amount prescribed in subdivision 5 of this subsection using one of the methods described in subdivision 6 of this subsection and a signed original of the financial instrument obtained to satisfy the requirements of subdivision 7 of this subsection. The written certification may state that the appropriate assurance will be obtained after the application has been approved and the license issued by the agency but before receipt of radioactive material by the applicant. If the applicant defers execution of the financial instrument until after the license has been issued, the applicant shall submit to the agency a signed original of the financial instrument obtained before receipt of licensed material.

3. The following are exempt from the requirements of this subsection:

a. A state, local or other government agency, except for a government agency licensed to handle or process radioactive waste.

b. A person authorized to possess only radioactive materials with a half-life of 65 days or less.

c. Other persons exempted by the agency based on a review of the license application.

4. Implementation.

a. A person who possesses a specific license authorizing the possession and use of radioactive material issued on or after the effective date as stated in 12VAC5-481-160 that is of a type described in subdivision 1 of this subsection, shall provide financial assurance for decommissioning under this section.

b. A person who possesses a specific license issued before the effective date as stated in 12VAC5-481-160 shall do one of the following:

(1) For a license authorizing the use of radioactive material meeting the criteria of subdivision 1 of this subsection, submit a decommissioning funding plan as described in subdivision 6 of this subsection and a certification of financial assurance for at least $1,125,000, under the criteria in subdivision 5 of this subsection, with any application for license renewal.

(2) For a license authorizing the use of radioactive material meeting the criteria of subdivision 2 of this subsection, submit a decommissioning funding plan as described in subdivision 6 of this subsection or a certification of financial assurance for decommissioning according to the criteria of subdivision 5 of this subsection with any application for license renewal.

c. The term of the financial assurance shall be from the issuance or renewal of the license until the agency terminates the license.

d. A licensee's financial assurance arrangements may be reviewed annually by the agency to recognize any increases or decreases resulting from inflation or deflation, changes in engineering plans, activities performed or any other condition affecting costs for decommissioning to ensure that sufficient funding is available to cover liability that remains until license termination.

5. Required amounts for financial assurance.

a. A licensee shall provide the following minimum amounts of financial assurance for decommissioning, unless otherwise specified by the agency:

(1) $1,125,000 if the quantity of material is greater than 104 but less than or equal to 105 times the applicable quantities of 12VAC5-481-3750 in unsealed form. For a combination of isotopes, R divided by 104 is greater than one but R divided by 105 is less than or equal to one.

(2) $225,000 if the quantity of material is greater than 103 but less than or equal to 104 times the applicable quantities of 12VAC5-481-3750 in unsealed form. For a combination of isotopes, R divided by 103 is greater than one but R divided by 104 is less than or equal to one.

(3) $113,000 if the quantity of material is greater than 1010 times the applicable quantities of 12VAC5-481-3750 in sealed sources or plated foils. For a combination of isotopes, R divided by 1010 is greater than one.

b. The agency may eliminate, reduce or raise the required amount of financial assurance under subdivision 5 a of this subsection for an individual applicant or licensee based on the cost estimate for decommissioning included in the decommissioning funding plan required under subdivision 6 a of this subsection.

6. Decommissioning funding plan.

a. A decommissioning funding plan shall include all the following information:

(1) A cost estimate for decommissioning that considers all of the following:

(a) Probable extent of contamination through the use or possession of radioactive material at the facility or site and the projected cost of removal of the contamination to a level specified by the agency. The evaluation shall encompass probable contaminating events associated with the licensee's or applicant's operation and shall be based on factors such as quantity, half-life, radiation hazard, toxicity and chemical and physical forms.

(b) The extent of possible offsite property damage caused by operation of the facility or site.

(c) The cost of removal and disposal of radiation sources that are or would be generated, stored, processed or otherwise present at the licensed facility or site.

(d) The costs involved in reclaiming the property on which the facility or site is located and all other properties contaminated by radioactive material authorized under the license.

(2) A description of the method of assuring funds for decommissioning according to subdivision 7 of this subsection.

(3) A description of the method for adjusting cost estimates and associated funding levels periodically over the life of the facility.

b. The decommissioning funding plan shall also contain the licensee's certification that financial assurance has been provided in the amount of the cost estimate for decommissioning and a signed original of the financial instrument obtained to satisfy the requirements of subdivision 7 of this subsection.

7. A licensee may use any of the following methods to provide financial assurance for decommissioning:

a. Prepayment. Prepayment is the deposit prior to operation into an account segregated from licensee assets and outside the licensee's administrative control of cash or liquid assets in an amount sufficient to pay decommissioning costs. Prepayment may be in the form of a trust, escrow account, government fund, certificate of deposit or deposit of government securities.

b. Surety method, insurance or other guarantee. Payment of future decommissioning costs shall be guaranteed by a surety method, insurance or other guarantee. A surety method may be in the form of a surety bond, letter of credit or line of credit. Self insurance, or any method that essentially constitutes self-insurance, may not be used as a method of providing financial assurance. Any surety method or insurance used to provide financial assurance for decommissioning must meet all of the following criteria:

(1) The surety method or insurance shall be open-ended or, if written for a specified term, renewed automatically unless 90 days or more prior to the renewal date, the issuer notifies the agency, the beneficiary and the licensee of its intention not to renew. The surety method or insurance shall also provide that the full face amount be paid to the beneficiary automatically prior to the expiration without proof of forfeiture if the licensee fails to provide a replacement acceptable to the agency within 30 days after receipt of notification of cancellation.

(2) The surety method or insurance shall be payable to a trust established for decommissioning costs. The agency shall approve the trustee and the trust.

(3) The surety method or insurance shall remain in effect until the agency terminates the license.

c. External sinking fund. An external sinking fund may be used in which deposits are made at least annually, coupled with a surety method or insurance, the value of which may decrease by the amount being accumulated in the sinking fund. An external sinking fund may be in the form of a trust, escrow account, government fund, certificate of deposit or deposit of government securities. The surety or insurance provisions shall meet the requirements of subdivision 7 b of this subsection.

d. Statement of intent. A state or local government licensee exempt under subdivision 3 of this subsection shall submit a written statement of intent containing a cost estimate for decommissioning or an amount based on subdivision 5 of this subsection. The cost estimate shall indicate that funds for decommissioning will be obtained when necessary.

8. A licensee shall keep the following records of information related to decommissioning of a facility in an identified location until the site is released for unrestricted use:

a. Records of spills or other unusual occurrences involving the spread of radioactive contamination in and around the facility, equipment or site. The records may be limited to instances where contamination remains after any cleanup procedures or when there is reasonable likelihood that radioactive contaminants may have spread to inaccessible areas or into porous materials such as concrete. The records shall include any known information on identification of involved nuclides, quantities, forms and concentrations.

b. As-built drawings and modifications of structures and equipment in restricted areas where radioactive materials are used or stored, and of locations of possible inaccessible contamination such as buried pipes that may contain radioactive contaminants. If required drawings are referenced, each relevant document does not need to be indexed individually. If drawings are not available, a licensee shall substitute appropriate records of available information concerning the areas and locations of inaccessible contamination.

Note: As-built architectural and engineering drawings need to reflect the final details of the structures and equipment as they were constructed.

c. Except for areas containing only sealed sources that have not leaked or where no contamination remains after a leak, or byproduct materials with half-lives of less than 65 days, a list containing all the following:

(1) All areas currently and formerly designated as restricted areas.

(2) All areas outside of restricted areas that require documentation under subdivision 8 (c) 1 of this subsection.

(3) All areas outside of restricted areas where current and previous wastes have been buried as documented under 12VAC5-481-1060.

(4) All areas outside of restricted areas that contain radioactive material such that, if the license expired, the licensee would be required to either decontaminate the area to meet the criteria for decommissioning in 12VAC5-481-510 or apply for approval for disposal under 12VAC5-481-920.

d. Records of the cost estimate performed for the decommissioning funding plan or the amount certified for decommissioning and records of the funding method used for assuring funds.

9. A licensee shall keep the records in subdivision 8 of this subsection until the site is decommissioned and approved by the agency for unrestricted use.

10. Prior to a licensed activity being transferred to another licensee under 12VAC5-481-500 B, the original licensee shall transfer all records under subdivision 8 of this subsection to the new licensee. The new licensee shall be responsible for maintaining the records until their license is terminated by the agency.

11.  A person applying for a specific license authorizing the possession and use of more than 100 mCi of source material in a readily dispersible form shall submit a decommissioning funding plan as described in subdivision 6 of this subsection.

12.  A person applying for a specific license authorizing the possession and use of quantities of source material greater than 10 mCi but less than or equal to 100 mCi in a readily dispersible form shall either:

a. Submit a decommissioning funding plan as described in subdivision 6 of this subsection; or

b. Submit a certification that financial assurance for decommissioning has been provided in the amount of $225,000 using one of the methods described in subdivision 7 of this subsection.

Statutory Authority

§32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 25, eff. September 20, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 18, eff. June 12, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2008.

12VAC5-481-480

12VAC5-481-480. Special requirements for a specific license to manufacture, assemble, repair, or distribute commodities, products, or devices that contain radioactive material.

A. Reserved.

B. Licensing the distribution of radioactive material in exempt quantities. (Authority to transfer possession or control by the manufacturer, processor, or producer of any equipment, device, commodity, or other product containing radioactive material whose subsequent possession, use, transfer, and disposal by all other persons are exempted from regulatory requirements may be obtained only from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001.)

C. Licensing the manufacture or initial transfer of devices to persons generally licensed under 12VAC5-481-430 B.

1. An application for a specific license to manufacture or initially transfer devices containing radioactive material, excluding special nuclear material, to persons generally licensed under 12VAC5-481-430 B or equivalent regulations of the NRC, or another agreement state will be approved if:

a. The applicant satisfies the general requirements of 12VAC5-481-450;

b. The applicant submits sufficient information relating to the design, manufacture, prototype testing, quality control, labels, proposed uses, installation, servicing, leak testing, operating and safety instructions, and potential hazards of the device to provide reasonable assurance that:

(1) The device can be safely operated by persons not having training in radiological protection,

(2) Under ordinary conditions of handling, storage, and use of the device, the radioactive material contained in the device will not be released or inadvertently removed from the device, and it is unlikely that any person will receive in any period of one calendar quarter a dose in excess of 10% of the limits specified in 12VAC5-481-640, and

(3) Under accident conditions such as fire and explosion associated with handling, storage, and use of the device, it is unlikely that any person would receive an external radiation dose or dose commitment in excess of the dose to the appropriate organ as specified in 12VAC5-481-3580, Column IV; and

c. Each device bears a durable, legible, clearly visible label or labels approved by the agency, which contain in a clearly identified and separate statement:

(1) Instructions and precautions necessary to assure safe installation, operation, and servicing of the device; documents such as operating and service manuals may be identified in the label and used to provide this information;

(2) The requirement, or lack of requirement, for leak testing, or for testing any "on-off" mechanism and indicator, including the maximum time interval for such testing, and the identification of radioactive material by isotope, quantity of radioactivity, and date of determination of the quantity, and

(3) The information called for in one of the following statements, as appropriate, in the same or substantially similar form:

(a) The receipt, possession, use, and transfer of this device, Model __________, Serial No. __________, are subject to a general license or the equivalent and the regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or a state with which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has entered into an agreement for the exercise of regulatory authority. This label shall be maintained on the device in a legible condition. Removal of this label is prohibited.

CAUTION—RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

____________________Name of manufacturer or initial transferor

(b) The receipt, possession, use, and transfer of this device, Model __________, Serial No. ___________, are subject to a general license or the equivalent, and the regulations of a licensing state. This label shall be maintained on the device in a legible condition. Removal of this label is prohibited. (The model, serial number, and name of the manufacturer or distributor may be omitted from this label provided the information is elsewhere specified in labeling affixed to the device.)

CAUTION—RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

____________________Name of manufacturer or initial transferor

2. In the event the applicant desires that the device be required to be tested at intervals longer than six months, either for proper operation of the "on-off" mechanism and indicator, if any, or for leakage of radioactive material or for both, the applicant shall include in the application sufficient information to demonstrate that such longer interval is justified by performance characteristics of the device or similar devices and by design features that have a significant bearing on the probability or consequences of leakage of radioactive material from the device or failure of the "on-off" mechanism and indicator. In determining the acceptable interval for the test for leakage of radioactive material, the agency will consider information that includes, but is not limited to:

a. Primary containment or source capsule;

b. Protection of primary containment;

c. Method of sealing containment;

d. Containment construction materials;

e. Form of contained radioactive material;

f. Maximum temperature withstood during prototype tests;

g. Maximum pressure withstood during prototype tests;

h. Maximum quantity of contained radioactive material;

i. Radiotoxicity of contained radioactive material; and

j. Operating experience with identical devices or similarly designed and constructed devices.

3. In the event the applicant desires that the general licensee under 12VAC5-481-430 B, or under equivalent regulations of the NRC, or another agreement state, be authorized to install the device, collect the sample to be analyzed by a specific licensee for leakage of radioactive material, service the device, test the "on-off" mechanism and indicator, or remove the device from installation, the applicant shall include in the application written instructions to be followed by the general licensee, estimated calendar quarter doses associated with such activity or activities, and basis for such estimates. The submitted information shall demonstrate that performance of such activity or activities by an individual untrained in radiological protection, in addition to other handling, storage, and use of devices under the general license, is unlikely to cause that individual to receive a calendar quarter dose in excess of 10% of the limits specified in 12VAC5-481-640.

4. Each person licensed under this subsection to distribute devices to generally licensed persons shall:

a. Furnish a copy of the general license contained in 12VAC5-481-430 B to each person to whom he directly or through an intermediate person transfers radioactive material in a device for use pursuant to the general license contained in 12VAC5-481-430 B;

b. Furnish a copy of the general license contained in the NRC's, or another agreement state's, regulation equivalent to 12VAC5-481-430 B, or alternatively, furnish a copy of the general license contained in 12VAC5-481-430 B to each person to whom he directly or through an intermediate person transfers radioactive material in a device for use pursuant to the general license of the NRC, or another agreement state. If a copy of the general license in 12VAC5-481-430 B is furnished to such a person, it shall be accompanied by a note explaining that the use of the device is regulated by the NRC, or another agreement state, under requirements substantially the same as those in 12VAC5-481-430 B;

c. Report to the agency all transfers of such devices to persons for use under the general license in 12VAC5-481-430 B. Such report shall identify each general licensee by name and address, an individual by name and/or position who may constitute a point of contact between the agency and the general licensee, the type and model number of device transferred, and the quantity and type of radioactive material contained in the device. If one or more intermediate persons will temporarily possess the device at the intended place of use prior to its possession by the user, the report shall include identification of each intermediate person by name, address, contact, and relationship to the intended user. If no transfers have been made to persons generally licensed under 12VAC5-481-430 B during the reporting period, the report shall so indicate. The report shall cover each calendar quarter and shall be filed within 30 days thereafter;

d. Furnish reports to other agencies.

(1) Report to the NRC all transfers of such devices to persons for use under the NRC's general license in 10 CFR 31.5.

(2) Report to the responsible state agency all transfers of devices manufactured and distributed pursuant to this subsection for use under a general license in that state's regulations equivalent to 12VAC5-481-430 B.

(3) Such reports shall identify each general licensee by name and address, an individual by name and/or position who may constitute a point of contact between the agency and the general licensee, the type and model of the device transferred, and the quantity and type of radioactive material contained in the device. If one or more intermediate persons will temporarily possess the device at the intended place of use prior to its possession by the user, the report shall include identification of each intermediate person by name, address, contact, and relationship to the intended user. The report shall be submitted within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter in which such a device is transferred to the generally licensed person.

(4) If no transfers have been made to NRC general licensees during the reporting period, this information shall be reported to the NRC.

(5) If no transfers have been made to general licensees within a particular state during the reporting period, this information shall be reported to the responsible state agency upon request of that agency; and

e. Keep records showing the name, address, and the point of contact for each general licensee to whom he directly or through an intermediate person transfers radioactive material in devices for use pursuant to the general license provided in 12VAC5-481-430 B, or equivalent regulations of the NRC or another agreement state. The records shall show the date of each transfer, the radionuclide and the quantity of radioactivity in each device transferred, the identity of any intermediate person, and compliance with the report requirements of subdivision 4 of this subsection.

f. If a notification of bankruptcy has been made under 12VAC5-481-500 E or the license is to be terminated, each person licensed under this section shall provide, upon request, to the agency, the NRC and to any appropriate agreement state, records of final disposition required under subdivision 4 e of this subsection.

g. The licensee shall maintain all information concerning transfers and receipts of devices that supports the reports required by this section. Records required by this section must be maintained for a period of three years following the date of the recorded event.

D. Special requirements for the manufacture, initially transfer, assembly, or repair of luminous safety devices for use in aircraft. An application for a specific license to manufacture, assemble, or repair luminous safety devices containing tritium or promethium-147 for use in aircraft, for distribution to persons generally licensed under 12VAC5-481-430 D will be approved if:

1. The applicant satisfies the general requirements specified in 12VAC5-481-450; and

2. The applicant satisfies the requirements of 10 CFR 32.53, 32.54, 32.55, 32.56, 32.101 and 32.110, or their equivalent.

E. Special requirements for license to manufacture or initially transfer calibration sources containing americium-241, plutonium or radium-226 for distribution to persons generally licensed under 12VAC5-481-430 F. An application for a specific license to manufacture calibration and reference sources containing americium-241, plutonium or radium-226 to persons generally licensed under 12VAC5-481-430 F will be approved if:

1. The applicant satisfies the general requirement of 12VAC5-481-450; and

2. The applicant satisfies the requirements of 10 CFR 32.57, 32.58, 32.59, 32.102 and 10 CFR 70.39 or their equivalent.

F. Reserved.

G. Manufacture and distribution of radioactive material for certain in vitro clinical or laboratory testing under general license. An application for a specific license to manufacture or distribute radioactive material for use under the general license of 12VAC5-481-430 G will be approved if:

1. The applicant satisfies the general requirements specified in 12VAC5-481-450.

2. The radioactive material is to be prepared for distribution in prepackaged units of:

a. Carbon-14 in units not exceeding 370 kBq (10 μCi) each.

b. Cobalt-57 in units not exceeding 370 kBq (10 μCi) each.

c. Hydrogen-3 (tritium) in units not exceeding 1.85 MBq (50 μCi) each.

d. Iodine-125 in units not exceeding 370 kBq (10 μCi) each.

e. Mock iodine-125 in units not exceeding 1.85 kBq (0.05 μCi) of iodine-129 and 185 Bq (0.005 μCi) of americium-241 each.

f. Iodine-131 in units not exceeding 370 kBq (10 μCi) each.

g. Iron-59 in units not exceeding 740 kBq (20 μCi) each.

h. Selenium-75 in units not exceeding 370 kBq (10 μCi) each.

3. Each prepackaged unit bears a durable, clearly visible label:

a. Identifying the radioactive contents as to chemical form and radionuclide, and indicating that the amount of radioactivity does not exceed 370 kBq (10 μCi) of iodine-125, iodine-131, carbon-14, cobalt-57, or selenium-75; 1.85 MBq (50 μCi) of hydrogen-3 (tritium); 740 kBq (20 μCi) of iron-59; or mock iodine-125 in units not exceeding 1.85 kBq (0.05 μCi) of iodine-129 and 185 Bq (0.005 μCi) of americium-241 each; and

b. Displaying the radiation caution symbol described in 12VAC5-481-850 and the words, "CAUTION, RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL," and "Not for Internal or External Use in Humans or Animals."

4. One of the following statements, as appropriate, or a substantially similar statement that contains the information called for in one of the following statements, appears on a label affixed to each prepackaged unit or appears in a leaflet or brochure that accompanies the package:

a. This radioactive material may be received, acquired, possessed, and used only by physicians, veterinarians, clinical laboratories or hospitals and only for in vitro clinical or laboratory tests not involving internal or external administration of the material, or the radiation therefrom, to human beings or animals. Its receipt, acquisition, possession, use, and transfer are subject to the regulations and a general license of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or of a state with which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has entered into an agreement for the exercise of regulatory authority.

____________________ Name of manufacturer

b. This radioactive material may be received, acquired, possessed, and used only by physicians, veterinarians, clinical laboratories or hospitals and only for in vitro clinical or laboratory tests not involving internal or external administration of the material, or the radiation therefrom, to human beings or animals. Its receipt, acquisition, possession, use, and transfer are subject to the regulations and a general license of a licensing state.

____________________ Name of manufacturer

5. The label affixed to the unit, or the leaflet or brochure which accompanies the package, contains adequate information as to the precautions to be observed in handling and storing such radioactive material. In the case of the Mock Iodine-125 reference or calibration source, the information accompanying the source must also contain directions to the licensee regarding the waste disposal requirements set out in 12VAC5-481-910.

H. Licensing the manufacture and distribution of ice detection devices. An application for a specific license to manufacture and distribute ice detection devices to persons generally licensed under 12VAC5-481-430 H will be approved if:

1. The applicant satisfies the general requirements of 12VAC5-481-450; and

2. The criteria of 10 CFR 32.61, 32.62, 32.103 and 32.110 are met.

I. Manufacture, preparation, or transfer for commercial distribution of drugs containing radioactive material for medical use under Part VII (12VAC5-481-1660 et seq.).

1. An application for a specific license to manufacture, prepare, or transfer for commercial distribution drugs containing radioactive material for use by persons authorized pursuant to Part VII (12VAC5-481-1660 et seq.) will be approved if:

a. The applicant satisfies the general requirements specified in 12VAC5-481-450;

b. The applicant submits evidence that the applicant is at least one of the following:

(1) Registered or licensed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a drug manufacturer the owner or operator of a drug establishment that engages in the manufacture, preparation, propagation, compounding, or processing of a drug under 21 CFR 207.20(a);

(2) Registered or licensed with a state agency as a drug manufacturer;

(3) Licensed as a pharmacy by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy;

(4) Operating as a nuclear pharmacy within a federal medical institution; or

(5) A PET drug production facility registered with a state agency.

c. The applicant submits information on the radionuclide; the chemical and physical form; the maximum activity per vial, syringe, generator, or other container of the radioactive drug; and the shielding provided by the packaging to show it is appropriate for the safe handling and storage of the radioactive drugs by medical use licensees; and

d. The applicant satisfies the following labeling requirements:

(1) A label is affixed to each transport radiation shield, whether it is constructed of lead, glass, plastic, or other material, of a radioactive drug to be transferred for commercial distribution. The label must include the radiation symbol and the words "CAUTION, RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL" or "DANGER, RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL"; the name of the radioactive drug or its abbreviation; and the quantity of radioactivity at a specified date and time. For radioactive drugs with a half life greater than 100 days, the time may be omitted.

(2) A label is affixed to each syringe, vial, or other container used to hold a radioactive drug to be transferred for commercial distribution. The label must include the radiation symbol and the words "CAUTION, RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL" or "DANGER, RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL" and an identifier that ensures that the syringe, vial, or other container can be correlated with the information on the transport radiation shield label.

2. A licensee authorized to manufacture, prepare or transfer for commercial distribution radioactive drugs shall ensure that any individual preparing the drugs is one of the following:

a. An authorized nuclear pharmacist (ANP) as defined in 12VAC5-481-10;

b. An individual that meets the requirements specified in 12VAC5-481-1770 and 12VAC5-481-1790, and the licensee has received an approved license amendment identifying this individual as an ANP;

c. A pharmacist, as defined in 12VAC5-481-10, designated as an ANP if:

(1) The individual was a nuclear pharmacist preparing only radioactive drugs containing accelerator-produced radioactive material, and

(2) The individual practiced at a pharmacy at a government agency or federally recognized Indian Tribe before November 30, 2007, or at all other pharmacies before August 8, 2009, or an earlier date as noticed by the NRC; or

d. An individual under the supervision of an ANP as specified in 12VAC5-481-1710.

3. Shall provide to the agency no later than 30 days after the date that the licensee allows, under subdivision 2 a or c in this subsection, the individual to work as an ANP:

a. The individual's certification by a specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the NRC with the written attestation signed by a preceptor as required by 12VAC5-481-1770;

b. An NRC or another agreement state license;

c. NRC master materials licensee permit;

d. The permit issued by a licensee or NRC master materials permittee of broad scope or the authorization from a commercial nuclear pharmacy authorized to list its own authorized nuclear pharmacist; or

e. Documentation that only accelerator-produced radioactive materials were used in the practice of nuclear pharmacy at a government agency or federally recognized Indian Tribe before November 30, 2007, or at all other locations of use before August 8, 2009, or an earlier date as noticed by the NRC; and

f. The Virginia Board of Pharmacy's license.

4. A licensee shall possess and use instrumentation to measure the radioactivity of radioactive drugs. The licensee shall have procedures for use of the instrumentation. The licensee shall measure, by direct measurement or by combination of measurements and calculations, the amount of radioactivity in dosages of alpha, beta, or photon-emitting radioactive drugs prior to transfer for commercial distribution. In addition, the licensee shall:

a. Perform tests before initial use, periodically, and following repair, on each instrument for accuracy, linearity, and geometry dependence, as appropriate for the use of the instrument; and make adjustments when necessary; and

b. Check each instrument for constancy and proper operation at the beginning of each day of use.

5. Nothing in this subsection relieves the licensee from complying with applicable FDA, other federal, and state requirements governing radioactive drugs.

6. Each licensee preparing technetium-99m radiopharmaceuticals from molybdenum-99/technetium-99m generators or rubidium-82 from strontium-82/ryubidium-82 generators shall test the generator eluates for molybdenum-99 breakthrough or strontium-82 and strontium-85 contamination in accordance with 12VAC5-481-1930. The licensee shall record the results of each test and retain each record for three years after the record is made.

J. Manufacture and distribution of sources or devices containing radioactive material for medical use. An application for a specific license to manufacture and distribute sources and devices containing radioactive material to persons licensed pursuant to Part VII (12VAC5-481-1660 et seq.) of this chapter for use as a calibration, transmission or reference source or for the uses listed in 12VAC5-481-2010, 12VAC5-481-2020, 12VAC5-481-2040 and 12VAC5-481-2060 will be approved if:

1. The applicant satisfies the general requirements in 12VAC5-481-450;

2. The applicant submits sufficient information regarding each type of source or device pertinent to an evaluation of its radiation safety, including:

a. The radioactive material contained, its chemical and physical form, and amount,

b. Details of design and construction of the source or device,

c. Procedures for, and results of, prototype tests to demonstrate that the source or device will maintain its integrity under stresses likely to be encountered in normal use and accidents,

d. For devices containing radioactive material, the radiation profile of a prototype device,

e. Details of quality control procedures to assure that production sources and devices meet the standards of the design and prototype tests,

f. Procedures and standards for calibrating sources and devices,

g. Legend and methods for labeling sources and devices as to their radioactive content, and

h. Instructions for handling and storing the source or device from the radiation safety standpoint; these instructions are to be included on a durable label attached to the source or device or attached to a permanent storage container for the source or device provided, that instructions that are too lengthy for such label may be summarized on the label and printed in detail on a brochure that is referenced on the label;

3. The label affixed to the source or device, or to the permanent storage container for the source or device, contains information on the radionuclide, quantity, and date of assay, and a statement that the source or device is licensed by the agency for distribution to persons licensed pursuant to 12VAC5-481-1830, 12VAC5-481-2010, 12VAC5-481-2020 and 12VAC5-481-2040 or under equivalent licenses of the NRC, or another agreement state, provided that such labeling for sources that do not require long term storage may be on a leaflet or brochure that accompanies the source;

4. In the event the applicant desires that the source or device be required to be tested for leakage of radioactive material at intervals longer than six months, the applicant shall include sufficient information to demonstrate that such longer interval is justified by performance characteristics of the source or device or similar sources or devices and by design features that have a significant bearing on the probability or consequences of leakage of radioactive material from the source; and

5. In determining the acceptable interval for test of leakage of radioactive material, the agency will consider information that includes, but is not limited to:

a. Primary containment or source capsule,

b. Protection of primary containment,

c. Method of sealing containment,

d. Containment construction materials,

e. Form of contained radioactive material,

f. Maximum temperature withstood during prototype tests,

g. Maximum pressure withstood during prototype tests,

h. Maximum quantity of contained radioactive material,

i. Radiotoxicity of contained radioactive material, and

j. Operating experience with identical sources or devices or similarly designed and constructed sources or devices.

K. Requirements for license to manufacture and distribute industrial products containing depleted uranium for mass-volume applications.

1. An application for a specific license to manufacture industrial products and devices containing depleted uranium for use pursuant to 12VAC5-481-420 C or equivalent regulations of the NRC or another agreement state will be approved if:

a. The applicant satisfies the general requirements specified in 12VAC5-481-450;

b. The applicant submits sufficient information relating to the design, manufacture, prototype testing, quality control procedures, labeling or marking, proposed uses, and potential hazards of the industrial product or device to provide reasonable assurance that possession, use, or transfer of the depleted uranium in the product or device is not likely to cause any individual to receive in any period of one calendar quarter a radiation dose in excess of 10% of the limits specified in 12VAC5-481-640; and

c. The applicant submits sufficient information regarding the industrial product or device and the presence of depleted uranium for a mass-volume application in the product or device to provide reasonable assurance that unique benefits will accrue to the public because of the usefulness of the product or device.

2. In the case of an industrial product or device whose unique benefits are questionable, the agency will approve an application for a specific license under this subsection only if the product or device is found to combine a high degree of utility and low probability of uncontrolled disposal and dispersal of significant quantities of depleted uranium into the environment.

3. The agency may deny any application for a specific license under this subsection if the end use(s) of the industrial product or device cannot be reasonably foreseen.

4. Each person licensed pursuant to subdivision 1 of this subsection shall:

a. Maintain the level of quality control required by the license in the manufacture of the industrial product or device, and in the installation of the depleted uranium into the product or device;

b. Label or mark each unit to:

(1) Identify the manufacturer or initial transferor of the product or device and the number of the license under which the product or device was manufactured or initially transferred, the fact that the product or device contains depleted uranium, and the quantity of depleted uranium in each product or device; and

(2) State that the receipt, possession, use, and transfer of the product or device are subject to a general license or the equivalent and the regulations of the NRC or another agreement state;

c. Assure that the depleted uranium before being installed in each product or device has been impressed with the following legend clearly legible through any plating or other covering: "Depleted Uranium";

d. Do the following:

(1) Furnish a copy of the general license contained in 12VAC5-481-420 C and a copy of agency form "Certificate - Use of Depleted Uranium under a General License" to each person to whom depleted uranium in a product or device for use pursuant to the general license contained in 12VAC5-481-420 C is transferred, or

(2) Furnish a copy of the general license contained in the NRC's or another agreement state's regulation equivalent to 12VAC5-481-420 B and a copy of the NRC's or another agreement state's certificate, or alternatively, furnish a copy of the general license contained in 12VAC5-481-420 C and a copy of agency form "Certificate - Use of Depleted Uranium under a General License" to each person to whom depleted uranium in a product or device for use pursuant to the general license of the NRC or another agreement state is transferred, with a note explaining that use of the product or device is regulated by the NRC or another agreement state under requirements substantially the same as those in 12VAC5-481-420 C;

e. Report to the agency all transfers of industrial products or devices to persons for use under the general license in 12VAC5-481-420 C. Such report shall identify each general licensee by name and address, an individual by name and/or position who may constitute a point of contact between the agency and the general licensee, the type and model number of device transferred, and the quantity of depleted uranium contained in the product or device. The report shall be submitted within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter in which such a product or device is transferred to the generally licensed person. If no transfers have been made to persons generally licensed under 12VAC5-481-420 C during the reporting period, the report shall so indicate;

f. Do the following:

(1) Report to the NRC all transfers of industrial products or devices to persons for use under the NRC general license in 10 CFR 40.25,

(2) For devices transferred to another agreement state, report to the responsible state agency all transfers of devices manufactured and distributed pursuant to this subsection for use under a general license in that state's regulations equivalent to 12VAC5-481-420 C,

(3) Such report shall identify each general licensee by name and address, an individual by name and/or position who may constitute a point of contact between the agency and the general licensee, the type and model number of the device transferred, and the quantity of depleted uranium contained in the product or device. The report shall be submitted within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter in which such product or device is transferred to the generally licensed person,

(4) If no transfers have been made to NRC licensees during the reporting period, this information shall be reported to the NRC, and

(5) If no transfers have been made to general licensees within another agreement state during the reporting period, this information shall be reported to the responsible state agency upon the request of that agency; and keep records showing the name, address, and point of contact for each general licensee to whom he transfers depleted uranium in industrial products or devices for use pursuant to the general license provided in 12VAC5-481-420 C or equivalent regulations of the NRC or another agreement state. The records shall be maintained for a period of two years and shall show the date of each transfer, the quantity of depleted uranium in each product or device transferred, and compliance with the report requirements of this section.

L. An application for a specific license to manufacture, or initially transfer for sale or distribution, synthetic plastic resins containing scandium-46 for use pursuant to 12VAC5-481-400 F will be approved if:

1. The applicant satisfies the general requirements specified in 12VAC5-481-450 of this chapter;

2. The product is designed to be used only for sand-consolidation in oil wells;

3. The applicant submits the following information:

a. The general description of the product to be manufactured or initially transferred.

b. A description of control procedures to be used to assure that the concentration of scandium-46 in the final product at the time of distribution will not exceed 1.4 x 10-3 μCi/ml.

4. Each container of such product will bear a durable, legible label approved by the agency, which contains the following information:

a. The product name;

b. A statement that the product contains radioactive scandium and is designed and manufactured only for sand-consolidation in oil wells;

c. Instructions necessary for proper use; and

d. The manufacturer's name.

M. L. Serialization of nationally tracked sources. Each licensee who manufactures a nationally tracked source shall assign a unique serial number to each nationally tracked source. Serial numbers must be composed only of alpha-numeric characters.

Statutory Authority

§32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 25, eff. September 20, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 18, eff. June 12, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2008.

12VAC5-481-2870

12VAC5-481-2870. Detection of leaking sources.

The following regulation, Detection of leaking sources (10 CFR 36.58) (10 CFR 36.59) is applicable in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Statutory Authority

§32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 25, eff. September 20, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 18, eff. June 12, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2008.

12VAC5-481-3160

Article 2
Prohibition

12VAC5-481-3160. Agreement with well owner.

A. No licensee shall perform wireline service operations with a sealed source(s) unless, prior to commencement of the operation, the licensee has a written agreement with the well operator, well owner, drilling contractor, or land owner that:

1. In the event a sealed source is lodged downhole, a reasonable effort at recovery will be made;

2. No person may attempt to recover a sealed source in a manner which, in the licensee's opinion, could result in its rupture; and

3. In the event a decision is made to abandon the sealed source downhole, the requirements of 12VAC5-481-3370 C shall be met;

4. The radiation monitoring required in 12VAC5-481-3340 will be performed; and

5. If the environment, any equipment, or personnel are contaminated with licensed material, they must be decontaminated before release from the site or release for unrestricted use.

B. The licensee shall retain a copy of the written agreement for three years after the completion of the well logging operation.

Statutory Authority

§32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 25, eff. September 20, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 18, eff. June 12, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2008.

12VAC5-481-3710

12VAC5-481-3710. Requirements for transfers of low-level radioactive waste intended for disposal at licensed land disposal facilities and manifests.

A. Manifest.

1. A waste generator, waste collector, or waste processor that transports, or offers for transportation, low-level radioactive waste intended for ultimate disposal at a licensed low-level radioactive waste land disposal facility must prepare a manifest reflecting information requested on applicable NRC Forms 540 (Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest (Shipping Paper)) and 541 (Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest (Container and Waste Description)) and, if necessary, on an applicable NRC Form 542 (Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest (Manifest Index and Regional Compact Tabulation)). NRC Forms 540 and 540A must be completed and must physically accompany the pertinent low-level waste shipment.

2. Upon agreement between shipper and consignee, NRC Forms 541, 541A, 542, and 542A may be completed, transmitted, and stored in electronic media with the capability for producing legible, accurate, and complete records on the respective forms.

3. Licensees are not required by the agency, the NRC, or another agreement state to comply with the manifesting requirements of this subpart when they ship:

a. Low-level radioactive waste for processing and expect its return, such as for storage under their license, prior to disposal at a licensed land disposal facility;

b. Low-level radioactive waste that is being returned to the licensee that is the waste generator or generator; or

c. Radioactively contaminated material to a waste processor that becomes the processor's residual waste.

4. For guidance in completing the forms required under subdivision 1 of this subsection, refer to the instructions that accompany the forms. Copies of manifests required by this subpart may be legible carbon copies, photocopies, or computer printouts that reproduce the data in the format of the uniform manifest.

5. NRC Forms 540, 540A, 541, 541A, 542, and 542A, and the accompanying instructions, in hard copy, may be obtained from the Information and Records Management Branch, Office of Information Resources Management, by writing or calling the Office of Information Services, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (800) 368-5642, or by visiting the NRC's website at www.nrc.gov. The forms are available online at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms.

6. This section includes information requirements of the DOT, as codified in 49 CFR Part 172. Information on hazardous, medical, or other waste, required to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, as codified in 40 CFR Part 259, 261 or elsewhere, is not addressed in this section and must be provided on the required EPA forms. However, the required EPA forms must accompany the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest required by this section.

B. General information. The shipper of the radioactive waste must provide the following information on the uniform manifest:

1. The name, facility address, and telephone number of the licensee shipping the waste;

2. An explicit declaration indicating whether the shipper is acting as a waste generator, waste collector, waste processor, or a combination of these identifiers for purposes of the manifested shipment; and

3. The name, address, and telephone number, or the name and EPA identification number for the carrier transporting the waste.

C. Shipment information. The shipper of the radioactive waste must provide the following information regarding the waste shipment on the uniform manifest:

1. The date of the waste shipment;

2. The total number of packages or disposal containers;

3. The total disposal volume and disposal weight in the shipment;

4. The total radionuclide activity in the shipment;

5. The activity of each of the radionuclides H-3, C-14, Tc-99, and I-129 contained in the shipment; and

6. The total masses of U-233, U-235, and plutonium in special nuclear material and the total mass of uranium and thorium in source material.

D. Disposal container and waste information. The shipper of the radioactive waste must provide the following information on the uniform manifest regarding the waste and each disposal container of waste in the shipment:

1. An alphabetic or numeric identification that uniquely identifies each disposal container in the shipment;

2. A physical description of the disposal container, including the manufacturer and model of any high integrity container;

3. The volume displaced by the disposal container;

4. The gross weight of the disposal container, including the waste;

5. For waste consigned to a disposal facility, the maximum radiation level at the surface of each disposal container;

6. A physical and chemical description of the waste;

7. The total weight percentage of chelating agent for any waste containing more than 0.1% chelating agent by weight, plus the identity of the principal chelating agent;

8. The approximate volume of waste within a container;

9. The sorbing or solidification media, if any, and the identity of the solidification media vendor and brand name;

10. The identities and activities of individual radionuclides contained in each container, the masses of U-233, U-235, and plutonium in special nuclear material, and the masses of uranium and thorium in source material. For discrete waste types, such as activated materials, contaminated equipment, mechanical filters, sealed source or devices, and wastes in solidification or stabilization media, the identities and activities of individual radionuclides associated with or contained on these waste types within a disposal container must be reported; and

11. The total radioactivity within each container.

E. Uncontainerized waste information. The shipper of the radioactive waste must provide the following information on the uniform manifest regarding a waste shipment delivered without a disposal container:

1. The approximate volume and weight of the waste;

2. A physical and chemical description of the waste;

3. The total weight percentage of chelating agent if the chelating agent exceeds 0.1% by weight, plus the identity of the principal chelating agent;

4. For waste consigned to a disposal facility, the classification of the waste according to 12VAC5-481-2571. Waste not meeting the structural stability requirements of 12VAC5-481-2572 must be identified;

5. The identities and activities of individual radionuclides contained in the waste, the masses of U-233, U-235, and plutonium in special nuclear material, and the masses of uranium and thorium in source material; and

6. For wastes consigned to a disposal facility, the maximum radiation levels at the surface of the waste.

F. Multigenerator disposal container information.

1. This subsection applies to disposal containers enclosing mixtures of waste originating from different generators. The origin of the low-level radioactive waste resulting from a waste processor's activities may be attributable to one or more generators, including waste generators. This subsection also applies to mixtures of wastes shipped in an uncontainerized form, for which portions of the mixture within the shipment originate from different generators.

2. For homogeneous mixtures of waste, such as incinerator ash, the shipper must provide the waste description applicable to the mixture and the volume of the waste attributed to each generator.

3. For heterogeneous mixtures of waste, such as the combined products from a large compactor, the shipper must identify each generator contributing waste to the disposal container and for discrete waste types, such as activated materials, contaminated equipment, mechanical filters, sealed source or devices, and wastes in solidification or stabilization media, the identities and activities of individual radionuclides contained on these waste types within the disposal container. For each generator, the shipper must provide the following:

a. The volume of waste within the disposal container;

b. A physical and chemical description of the waste, including the solidification agent, if any;

c. The total weight percentage of chelating agents for any disposal container containing more than 0.1 percent chelating agent by weight, plus the identity of the principal chelating agent;

d. The sorbing or solidification media, if any, and the identity of the solidification media vendor and brand name if the media is claimed to meet stability requirements in 12VAC5-481-2572; and

e. Radionuclide identities and activities contained in the waste, the masses of U-233, U-235, and plutonium in special nuclear material, and the masses of uranium and thorium in source material, if contained in the waste.

G. Certification. An authorized representative of the waste generator, waste processor, or waste collector must certify by signing and dating the shipment manifest that the transported materials are properly classified, described, packaged, marked, and labeled and are in proper condition for transportation according to the applicable regulations of the DOT and the agency, NRC or another agreement state. A waste collector, in signing the certification, is certifying that nothing has been done to the collected waste that would invalidate the waste generator's certification.

H. Control and tracking; transfers. A licensee that transfers radioactive waste to a land disposal facility or a licensed waste collector must comply with subdivisions 1 through 9 of this subsection. A licensee that transfers waste to a licensed waste processor for waste treatment or repackaging must comply with subdivisions 4 through 9 of this subsection. A licensee shall:

1. Prepare all wastes so that the waste is classified according to 12VAC5-481-2571, and meets the waste characteristics requirements in 12VAC5-481-2572;

2. Label each disposal container of waste, or transport package if potential radiation hazards preclude labeling of the individual disposal container, to identify whether it is Class A waste, Class B waste, Class C waste, or greater than Class C waste, according to 12VAC5-481-2571;

3. Conduct a quality assurance program to ensure compliance with 12VAC5-481-2571 and 12VAC5-481-2572. The program must include management evaluation of audits;

4. Prepare the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest as required by this part;

5. Forward a copy or electronically transfer the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest to the intended consignee so that receipt of the manifest precedes the low-level radioactive waste shipment or the manifest is delivered to the consignee with the waste at the time the waste is transferred to the consignee, or both;

6. Include NRC Form 540, and Form 540A if required, with the shipment regardless of the option chosen in subdivision 5 of this subsection;

7. Receive acknowledgment of the receipt of the shipment in the form of a signed copy of NRC Form 540;

8. Retain a copy of or electronically store the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest and documentation of acknowledgment of receipt as the record of transfer of licensed material as required by Part I (12VAC5-481-10 et seq.), Part III (12VAC5-481-380 et seq.), Part IV (12VAC5-481-600 et seq.) and Part X (12VAC5-481-2250 et seq.); and

9. For any shipment or any part of a shipment for which acknowledgment of receipt has not been received within the times set forth in this part, conduct an investigation according to subsection L of this section.

I. Control and tracking; prepackaged waste. A waste collector licensee that handles only prepackaged waste must:

1. Acknowledge receipt of the waste from the shipper within one week of receipt by returning a signed copy of NRC Form 540;

2. Prepare a new manifest to reflect consolidated shipments that meet the requirements of this section. The waste collector must ensure that, for each container of waste in the shipment, the manifest identifies the generator of that container of waste;

3. Forward a copy or electronically transfer the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest to the intended consignee so that receipt of the manifest precedes the low-level radioactive waste shipment or the manifest is delivered to the consignee with the waste at the time the waste is transferred to the consignee, or both;

4. Include NRC Form 540, and 540A if required, with the shipment regardless of the option chosen in subdivision 4 of this subsection;

5. Receive acknowledgment of the receipt of the shipment in the form of a signed copy of NRC Form 540;

6. Retain a copy of or electronically store the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest and documentation of acknowledgment of receipt as the record of transfer of licensed material as required under Part I (12VAC5-481-10 et seq.), Part III (12VAC5-481-380 et seq.), Part IV (12VAC5-481-600 et seq.) and Part X (12VAC5-481-2250 et seq.);

7. For any shipment or any part of a shipment for which acknowledgment of receipt has not been received within the times set forth in this section, conduct an investigation according to subsection L of this section; and

8. Notify the shipper and the agency when any shipment, or part of a shipment, has not arrived within 60 days after receipt of an advance manifest, unless notified by the shipper that the shipment has been canceled.

J. Control and tracking; treatment or repackaging. A licensed waste processor that treats or repackages waste must:

1. Acknowledge receipt of the waste from the shipper within one week of receipt by returning a signed copy of NRC Form 540;

2. Prepare a new manifest that meets the requirements of this section. Preparation of the new manifest reflects that the waste processor is responsible for meeting these requirements. For each container of waste in the shipment, the manifest must identify the waste generators, the preprocessed waste volume, and the other information as required under subsection F of this section;

3. Prepare all wastes so that the waste is classified according to 12VAC5-481-2571, and meets the waste characteristics requirements in 12VAC5-481-2572;

4. Label each package of waste to identify whether it is Class A waste, Class B waste, or Class C waste, in accordance with 12VAC5-481-2571 and 12VAC5-481-2572;

5. Conduct a quality assurance program to ensure compliance with 12VAC5-481-2571 and 12VAC5-481-2572. The program must include management evaluation of audits;

6. Forward a copy or electronically transfer the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest to the intended consignee so that receipt of the manifest precedes the low-level radioactive waste shipment or the manifest is delivered to the consignee with the waste at the time the waste is transferred to the consignee, or both;

7. Include NRC Form 540, and Form 540A if required, with the shipment regardless of the option chosen in subdivision 6 of this subsection;

8. Receive acknowledgment of the receipt of the shipment in the form of a signed copy of NRC Form 540;

9. Retain a copy of or electronically store the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest and documentation of acknowledgment of receipt as the record of transfer of licensed material as required by Part I (12VAC5-481-10 et seq.), Part III (12VAC5-481-380 et seq.), Part IV (12VAC5-481-600 et seq.) and Part X (12VAC5-481-2250 et seq.);

10. For any shipment or any part of a shipment for which acknowledgment of receipt has not been received within the times set forth in this part, conduct an investigation according to subsection L; and

11. Notify the shipper and the agency when any shipment, or part of a shipment, has not arrived within 60 days after receipt of an advance manifest, unless notified by the shipper that the shipment has been canceled.

K. Control and tracking; land disposal facility. A land disposal facility operator shall:

1. Acknowledge receipt of the waste within one week of receipt by returning, as a minimum, a signed copy of NRC Form 540 to the shipper. The shipper to be notified is the licensee that last possessed the waste and transferred the waste to the operator. If any discrepancy exists between materials listed on the uniform low-level radioactive waste manifest and materials received, copies or electronic transfer of the affected forms must be returned indicating the discrepancy;

2. Maintain copies of all completed manifests and electronically store the information required by 12VAC5-481-2630, until the agency terminates the license; and

3. Notify the shipper and the agency when any shipment, or part of a shipment, has not arrived within 60 days after receipt of an advance manifest, unless notified by the shipper that the shipment has been canceled.

L. Investigation. A shipment or part of a shipment for which acknowledgment is not received within the times set forth in this part must:

1. Be investigated by the shipper if the shipper has not received notification or receipt within 20 days after transfer; and

2. Be traced and reported. The investigation must include tracing the shipment and filing a report with the agency. A licensee that conducts a trace investigation must file a written report with the agency within two weeks of completing the investigation.

Statutory Authority

§32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 18, eff. June 12, 2008; amended, Volume 25, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2008.