Meeting licensing restrictions from a regulator's perspective

The State of South Carolina was delegated the authority by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to regulate the receipt, possession, use and disposal of radioactive material as an Agreement State. Since 1970, the state has been the principal regulatory authority for the Barnwell Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility operated by Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc. The radioactive material license issued authorizing the receipt and disposal of low level waste has experienced many changes necessitated by technical advancements which led to stricter controls and restrictions for shallow land disposal. Low level waste has evolved from simple contaminated items with minimal radioactivity, to complex waste streams requiring elaborate processing and containment of high quantities of radionuclides. Waste streams also require extensive analysis and qualification to meet many of the restrictions imposed at the burial facility and comply with national standards and regulations for classification. This paper presents a chronological history of many of these restrictions, the rationale for them, and the waste generators' abilities and inabilities to comply. In addition, case histories of some examples are discussed