Working With Other Organizations
TENORM
EPA is coordinating with other organizations that are also working to solve the problem of Technologically-Enhanced, Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM). These organizations include:
- Federal Agencies: Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards
- State Programs, Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors
- International Organizations, International Atomic Energy Agency
Federal Agencies: Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards
Federal agencies that have radiation responsibilities participate in the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards. ISCORS establishes subcommittees to coordinate federal efforts on particular topics to avoid duplicate or contradictory approaches; one of them focuses on Technologically-Enhanced, Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Materials.
ISCORS also established a subcommittee to examine radiation found in sewage sludge and the ash from its incineration. The sources of radiation may be Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensees, industrial discharges, and TENORM. The Subcommittee on Sewage Sludges, has completed two projects that focused on the production of radioactively contaminated wastes at Publicly-Owned Treatment Works (POTWs):
- ISCORS Sewage Sludge Subcommittee Pilot POTW Survey
- Nationwide Publicly-Owned Treatment Works (POTW) Survey
State Programs, Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors
Many states in the U.S. currently have, or are developing, regulations to protect people from TENORM radiation. EPA is working with the states through its Regional Offices.
The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) is the organization through which state radiation protection programs coordinate their efforts. You can learn more about them from the CRCPD web site .
CRCPDs Commission on NORM, has developed a model regulation for TENORM, Part N of Suggested State Regulation on Control of Radiation from Commission on NORM (PDF) (18pp, 265Kb [about pdf format] )
International Programs, International Atomic Energy Agency
EPA also interacts with international organizations and countries that are evaluating or regulating TENORM.
Currently, we are working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on TENORM issues.