Nuclear Waste Regulations

The regulation of radioactive materials is essential to prevent the harming of people and the environment.

Each country has its own governing bodies which regulate the management of radioactive materials, generally the bodies regulating the management of radioactive waste are:

• A radioactive materials regulatory agency eg. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commision (NRC) (USA);
• Other Federal agencies;
• State governments.

All countries have different regulations regarding the management of radioactive waste, however they are all based on the International standards set out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Under Article III of the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA is authorised to establish standards of safety for protection against ionising radiation.

The Radiation and Waste Safety Standards developed by the IAEA, are based on recommendations made by a number of international bodies, principally the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), and estimates of radiation risk made by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).

Generally, the radioactive materials that the agencies are responsible for include:

• Source material (uranium and thorium)
• Special nuclear material (enriched uranium and plutonium)
• Byproduct material or radioactive waste (material made radioactive in a reactor and residues from the milling of uranium and thorium)

Naturally occurring radioactive materials such as radium and radon, and radioactive materials produced in particle accelerators, such as cobalt-57, as well as radiation producing machines, such as particle accelerators and X-ray machines (both medical and industrial) are generally regulated by State governments.

The regulatory agencies main responsibilities are:

• Dose limits for radiation workers and members of the public;
• Monitoring and labeling radioactive materials;
• Posting radiation areas;
• Reporting the theft or loss of radioactive material;
• Safe transportation of radioactive materials;
• Prevent unauthorized disposal of radioactive material.