§61.41. Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity. — Inbound Citations

(k) A description of the radiation safety program for control and monitoring of radioactive effluents to ensure compliance with the performance objective in § 61.41 of this part and occupational radiation exposure to ensure compliance with the requirements of part 20 of this chapter and to control contamination of personnel, vehicles, equipment, buildings, and the disposal site. Both routine operations and accidents must be addressed. The program description must include procedures, instrumentation, facilities, and equipment.

(a) Pathways analyzed in demonstrating protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity must include air, soil, groundwater, surface water, plant uptake, and exhumation by burrowing animals. The analyses must clearly identify and differentiate between the roles performed by the natural disposal site characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate that there is reasonable assurance that the exposure to humans from the release of radioactivity will not exceed the limits set forth in § 61.41.

As used in this part:

(b) The applicant's proposed disposal site, disposal design, land disposal facility operations (including equipment, facilities, and procedures), disposal site closure, and postclosure institutional control are adequate to protect the public health and safety in that they provide reasonable assurance that the general population will be protected from releases of radioactivity as specified in the performance objective in § 61.41, Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity.

Land disposal facilities must be sited, designed, operated, closed, and controlled after closure so that reasonable assurance exists that exposures to humans are within the limits established in the performance objectives in §§ 61.41 through 61.44.

Operations at the land disposal facility must be conducted in compliance with the standards for radiation protection set out in part 20 of this chapter, except for releases of radioactivity in effluents from the land disposal facility, which shall be governed by § 61.41 of this part. Every reasonable effort shall be made to maintain radiation exposures as low as is reasonably achievable.