La. Admin. Code tit. 33 § XV-1503

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XV-1503 - Definitions

A. As used in this Chapter, the following definitions apply.

A₁- the maximum activity of special form radioactive material permitted in a Type A package. This value is listed in 10 CFR Part 71, Appendix A, Table A-1, A-2, A-3, or A-4, incorporated by reference in LAC 33:XV.1599.A, or may be derived in accordance with the procedure prescribed in LAC 33:XV.1599.B-F.

A₂- the maximum activity of radioactive material, other than special form, low specific activity (LSA), and surface contaminated object (SCO) material, permitted in a Type A package. This value is listed in 10 CFR Part 71, Appendix A, Table A-1, A-2, A-3, or A-4, incorporated by reference in LAC 33:XV.1599.A, or may be derived in accordance with the procedure prescribed in LAC 33:XV.1599.B-F.

Carrier- 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.

Certificate Holder- a person who has been issued a certificate of compliance or other package approval by the U.S. NRC.

Certificate of Compliance (CoC) - the certificate issued by the U.S. NRC that approves the design of a package for the transportation of radioactive material.

Close Reflection by Water- immediate contact by water of sufficient thickness for maximum reflection of neutrons.

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

Contamination-the presence of a radioactive substance on a surface in quantities in excess of 0.4 Bq/cm² (1 x 10⁵ [MICRO]Ci/cm²) for beta and gamma emitters and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 0.04 Bq/cm² (1 x 10⁶ [MICRO]Ci/cm²) for all other alpha emitters.

a.Fixed Contamination-contamination that cannot be removed from a surface during normal conditions of transport.

b.Non-Fixed Contamination-contamination that can be removed from a surface during normal conditions of transport.

Containment System- the assembly of components of the packaging intended to retain the radioactive material during transport.

Conveyance- for transport by public highway or rail, any transport vehicle or large freight container; 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 for transport by aircraft, any aircraft.

Criticality Safety Index (CSI)-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, overpacks, or freight containers containing fissile material during transportation. Determination of the criticality safety index is described in LAC 33:XV.1511 and 1512 and in 10 CFR 71.59. The criticality safety index for an overpack, freight container, consignment or conveyance containing fissile material packages is the arithmetic sum of the criticality safety indices of all the fissile material packages contained within the overpack, freight container, consignment or conveyance.

Deuterium- for the purposes of LAC 33:XV.1505.C and 1511, deuterium and any deuterium compound, including heavy water, in which the ratio of deuterium atoms to hydrogen atoms exceeds 1:5000.

Exclusive Use- 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.

Fissile Material- the radionuclides plutonium-239, plutonium-241, uranium-233, uranium-235, 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 LAC 33:XV.1505.C.

Graphite- for the purposes of LAC 33:XV.1505.C and 1511, graphite with a boron equivalent content less than 5 parts per million and density greater than 1.5 grams per cubic centimeter.

Licensed Material- byproduct, source, or special nuclear material that is received, possessed, used, or transferred under a general or specific license issued by the department in accordance with this Chapter.

Low Specific Activity (LSA) Material-radioactive material with limited specific activity that is nonfissile or that is excepted under LAC 33:XV.1505.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 shall be in one of three groups:

a. LSA-I:

i. uranium and thorium ores, concentrates of uranium and thorium ores, and other ores containing naturally occurring radionuclides that are intended to be processed for the use of these radionuclides;

ii. natural uranium, depleted uranium, natural thorium, or their compounds or mixtures, provided they are unirradiated and in solid or liquid form;

iii. radioactive material other than fissile material, for which the A2 value is unlimited; or

iv. 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 LAC 33:XV.1599.E.

b. LSA-II:

i. water with tritium concentration up to 0.8 TBq/liter (20.0 Ci/liter); or

ii. other radioactive material in which the activity is distributed throughout, and the estimated average specific activity does not exceed 10^-4 A2/g for solids and gases, and 10^-5 A2/g for liquids.

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

i. 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 (e. g., concrete, bitumen, ceramic, etc.);

ii. 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

iii. the estimated average specific activity of the solid, excluding any shielding material, does not exceed 2 x 10^-3 A2/g.

Low Toxicity Alpha Emitters- natural uranium, depleted uranium, and 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.

Maximum Normal Operating Pressure- the maximum gauge pressure that would develop in the containment system in a period of one year under the heat condition specified in 10 CFR 71.71(c)(1), in the absence of venting, external cooling by an ancillary system, or operational controls during transport.

Natural Thorium- thorium with the naturally occurring distribution of thorium isotopes (essentially 100 weight percent thorium-232).

Normal Form Radioactive Material- radioactive material which has not been demonstrated to qualify as special form radioactive material.

Optimum Interspersed Hydrogenous Moderation- the presence of hydrogenous material between packages to such an extent that the maximum nuclear reactivity results.

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

a.Fissile Material Package, Type AF Package, Type BF Package, Type B(U)F Package, or Type B(M)F Package- a fissile material packaging together with its fissile material contents.

b.Type A Package- a Type A packaging together with its radioactive contents. A Type A package is defined and must comply with the U.S. DOT regulations in 49 CFR Part 173.

c.Type B Package- a Type B packaging together with its radioactive contents. On approval, a Type B package design is designated by the NRC as B(U) unless the package has a maximum normal operating pressure of more than 700 kPa (100 lb/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 U.S. 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- the assembly of components necessary to ensure compliance with the packaging requirements of this Chapter. 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.

Regulations of theU.S.Department of Transportation- the regulations in 49 CFR Parts 100-189.

Special Form Radioactive Material-radioactive material that satisfies the following conditions:

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

b. the piece or capsule has at least one dimension not less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inch); and

c. it satisfies the requirements of 10 CFR 71.75. A special form encapsulation designed in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 71.4 in effect on June 30, 1983 (see 10 CFR Part 71, revised as of January 1, 1983), and constructed prior to July 1, 1985; a special form encapsulation designed in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 71.4 in effect on March 31, 1996 (see 10 CFR Part 71, revised as of January 1, 1996), and constructed before April 1, 1998; and special form material that was successfully tested before September 10, 2015 in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 71.75(d) in effect before September 10, 2015 may continue to be used. Any other special form encapsulation shall meet the specifications of this definition.

Specific Activity of a Radionuclide- the radioactivity of the 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.

Spent Nuclear Fuel or Spent Fuel- fuel that has been withdrawn from a nuclear reactor following irradiation, has undergone at least one year's decay since being used as a source of energy in a power reactor, and has not been chemically separated into its constituent elements by reprocessing. Spent fuel includes the special nuclear material, byproduct material, source material, and other radioactive materials associated with fuel assemblies.

State- a State of the United States, or the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

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

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

i. the non-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 Bq/cm² (10^-4 microcurie/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 0.4 Bq/cm² (10^-5 microcurie/cm²) for all other alpha emitters;

ii. 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 4x10⁴ Bq/cm² (1.0 microcurie/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 4x10³ Bq/cm² (0.1 microcurie/cm²) for all other alpha emitters; and

iii. the non-fixed 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 4x10⁴ Bq/cm² (1 microcurie/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 4x10³ Bq/cm² (0.1 microcurie/cm²) for all other alpha emitters.

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

i. the non-fixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300 cm² (or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm²) does not exceed 400 Bq/cm² (10^-2 microcurie/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters or 40 Bq/cm² (10^-3 microcurie/cm²) for all other alpha emitters;

ii. 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 8x10⁵ Bq/cm² (20 microcuries/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters or 8x10⁴ Bq/cm² (2 microcuries/cm²) for all other alpha emitters; and

iii. the non-fixed 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 8x10⁵ Bq/cm² (20 microcuries/cm²) for beta and gamma and low toxicity alpha emitters, or 8x10⁴ Bq/cm² (2 microcuries/cm²) for all other alpha emitters.

Transport Index- the dimensionless number (rounded up to the first decimal place) 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 1 meter (3.3 ft) from the external surface of the package by 100, and is equivalent to the maximum radiation level in millirem per hour at 1 meter (3.3 ft).

Type A Quantity- 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 10 CFR Part 71, Appendix A, incorporated by reference in LAC 33:XV.1599.A, or may be determined by procedures described in LAC 33:XV.1599.E.

Type B Quantity- a quantity of radioactive material greater than a Type A quantity.

Unirradiated Uranium- 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 grams of uranium-236 per gram of uranium-235.

Uranium: Natural, Depleted, Enriched-

a.Natural Uranium-uranium (which may be chemically separated) with the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes (approximately 0.711 weight percent uranium-235, and the remainder by weight essentially uranium-238).

b.Depleted Uranium- uranium containing less uranium-235 than the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes.

c.Enriched Uranium- uranium containing more uranium-235 than the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes.

U.S.DOT- the U.S. Department of Transportation.

La. Admin. Code tit. 33, § XV-1503

Promulgated by the Department of Environmental Quality, Nuclear Energy Division, LR 13:569 (October 1987), amended by the Office of Environmental Assessment, Environmental Planning Division, LR 26:1265 (June 2000), amended by the Office of Environmental Assessment, LR 31:55 (January 2005), amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Affairs Division, LR 34:2103 (October 2008), Amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Affairs and Criminal Investigations Division, LR 451181 (9/1/2019).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:2104(B) and 2113.