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Published on: May 7, 2021
Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Protection Rad Neshaps Radionuclide Inventory Web Database and Rad Neshaps Source
Patricia A Scofield1, Linda L Smith, David N Johnson
1*Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831.
The Environmental Protection Agency limits public radiation dose from U.S. Department of Energy facilities to 0.1 mSv annually. New databases track unmonitored radionuclide emissions at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to ensure compliance with National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Radiation Protection
- Regulatory Compliance
Background:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established emission standards for radionuclides under 40 CFR 61, Subpart H.
- The annual effective dose limit for the public from Department of Energy (DOE) facilities is 0.1 mSv.
- All DOE facilities on the Oak Ridge Reservation must collectively meet this 0.1 mSv annual dose limit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To maintain radiological source and inventory information for unmonitored emission sources at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
- To support the annual Radionuclide National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (Rad NESHAPs) report required by 40 CFR 61.94.
- To provide supporting documentation for facility compliance audits and track doses for Oak Ridge Reservation facilities.
Main Methods:
- Development of the Environmental Protection Rad NESHAPs Inventory Web Database to manage data for unmonitored sources.
- Annual updates to the inventory database for emissions data compilation.
- Development of a Rad NESHAPs source and dose database to import data from Clean Air Act Assessment Package-1988 (CAAP-88) model files.
Main Results:
- The developed databases maintain comprehensive radiological source and inventory information.
- Emissions data is compiled for the annual Rad NESHAPs report, ensuring regulatory compliance.
- Facility-specific and Oak Ridge Reservation-wide source inventories and associated doses are tracked.
Conclusions:
- The databases are essential tools for managing unmonitored radiological sources at ORNL.
- These systems facilitate accurate reporting and compliance with national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants.
- Comprehensive dose tracking ensures adherence to the 0.1 mSv annual effective dose limit for the public.
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