Updates to TENORM Management in the United States

Management of TENORM in the United States of America is primarily left to the states to address. While based on federal statutes, states have chosen a variety of regulatory approaches to management and disposal of TENORM. Some of the states have chosen to address it on a case by case basis, whereas other states have formal programmes. Stakeholders, including members of the public and affected industries, are asking for greater clarity on the basic standards of care for management and disposal of TENORM. This paper focuses on TENORM associated with the oil and gas industry, whose practices in recent years have prompted some states to update their regulations. Examples of pending studies and legal actions will also be discussed. (author)