United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

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• United NationsEconomic Commission for Europe

Monitoring of Radiologically Contaminated Scrap
Metal The United States Experience April 5-7,
2004 Geneva, Switzerland Prepared by Deborah
Kopsick, US EPA Ray Turner, David J. Joseph
Company S.Y. Chen, Argonne National Laboratory
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Why are We Here?

• Increased concerns among governments over
  radioactive materials in scrap metal.
• Hundreds of thousands of orphaned sources still
  unaccounted for worldwide.
• Increased scrap shipments across international
  boundaries.

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Recent Developments Prompting Action

• Growing awareness of the potential for accidents
  occurring (Better reporting? More demolition?
  Aging industry?).
• Some accidents have serious, even fatal,
  consequences, often to the public.
• Growing awareness of problems with orphan
  sources.
• Potential exists for orphan sources to become
  Radiation Dispersal Devices (RDDs).
• Increase in international shipments of scrap
  metal.

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The Initiative Focuses on Protecting Commerce But
Also Overlaps with Other Existing Initiatives
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Overview of U.S. Radiation Control Border
Programs

• The U.S. has taken a very aggressive approach to
  monitoring for unwanted radioactive material in
  imported goods.
• By September 2004, 90 of all seaports will have
  radiation monitoring for all incoming container
  cargo
• 361 sea and river ports,
• Several million cargo containers a year,
• Previously only 3 were monitored by hand.
• 248 portal monitors in use at land border
  crossings with Canada and Mexico.
• Currently, scrap metal is only monitored at 3
  seaports.

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Goals for This Meeting

• Share information on USEPA/US Customs Seaport
  Monitoring Pilot Project.
• Learn from other nations, experiences in scrap
  metal radiation monitoring.
• Discuss issues identified in UNECE Questionnaire,
  identifying areas of international consensus, as
  well as areas where additional examination is
  necessary.
• Is it possible to develop an internationally
  acceptable scrap metal radiation monitoring and
  response protocol?

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US EPA/Customs Seaport Pilot Project

• Established before 9/11 attacks to monitor scrap
  metal imported into the U.S. for radioactive
  material.
• Pilot established in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
  in August 2001, later expanded to Charleston,
  South Carolina.
• Pilot project focused on monitoring imported
  sea-going bulk cargoes of scrap metals.
• More than 2,000,000 metric tons of scrap metal
  monitored to date.

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Pilot Objective

• Study the issue of importing scrap metal
  inadvertently contaminated with radiologically
  contaminated materials
• How much radioactive material is entering the
  scrap metal supply from imported sources?
• How effective are available monitoring technologie
  s suitable to be used during the ship off-loading
  process?
• Can a protocol be developed that would allow
  on-site dock personnel to operate the monitoring
  equipment?

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Anticipated Project Outcomes

• Collect data to understand the scope of how much
  unwanted radioactive material is entering the
  U.S. through imported scrap metal.
• Initiate development of U.S. monitoring standards
  modeled after accepted international monitoring
  protocols.

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Operations Protocol
Shipment of scrap metal enters the port for
offloading
Scrap metal is off-loaded from ship with
grapples equipped with radiation detectors
USEPA representativewith hand-held
radiationdetector surveyssuspect material
Segregatesuspectmaterial
Yes
Radiationalarm occurs
No
Shipmentproceeds
Notify the State, whichwill follow its
normalnotification andresponse procedures
Find sourceand isolate
USEPAcollects data
Rest ofshipment proceeds
Buyer works with sellerto dispose of
contaminatedmaterial with state andfederal
oversight
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Grapple Monitor Testing Protocol

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Review and analyze field observed problems
• Develop an effective routine performance range
• Develop a field testing protocol
• Quality Control Tracking
• Radiation sensitivity estimation
• Theoretical, laboratory, and field technical
  support

Chiaro, Peter, ORNL, 2004
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Results

• The monitors, procedures, and protocols used
  provide a framework for future efforts to detect,
  identify, and isolate radioactive materials in
  scrap metal.
• The monitors can be operated and maintained by
  on-site dock personnel.
• The detection system provides assurance against
  the importing of contaminated scrap metal, based
  on field, laboratory, and theoretical testing.

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Accomplishments

• 10 Detection systems installed and tested
• Equipment
• Protocols
• Training
• Monitored more than 300,000 tons of scrap thus
  far in Darrow, Louisiana
• Data collected
• System worked/system issues identified and
  corrected
• System operating procedures validated
• Modeled detection capabilities
• Expanded to Charleston, South Carolina, in 2003
• Monitored more than 1.7 million tons in
  Charleston in 12 months

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Next Steps for the Pilot Study

• Continue to collect data and monitor ports for
  imported radioactive metals.
• Expect to expand to other seaports.
• Work with the international community to collect
  data to determine the extent that importing
  contaminated metals is a problem and steps other
  countries are taking to prevent this problem.
• Determine need for additional EPA action.

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Discussion of RadiationMonitoring Capabilities
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Issues with Land Scrap Metal Monitoring Systems

• Different types of detectors will allow detection
  of different types of radiation.
• The location of the detector is critical to
  successful detection.
• The location of the source within the scrap load
  (amount of shielding) will determine if it can be
  detected.

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Radiation Monitors May Be Limited in Their
Capabilities
Even the best systems do not always detect a
source that could cause a multimillion dollar
cleanup!

• Sodium Iodide Does not detect neutrons
• High stopping power
• Good for handheld devices
• Large area detectors impractical costly
• Plastic Scintillator Does detect neutrons
• Moderate stopping power
• Good for hand-held devices and fixed monitors
• Large area detectors practical

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Self-Shielding of Scrap Hinders Detection
Capability
Vehicle Count Rate for a Truck Shipment
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The Detection Capability Increases with Large
Area Detectors
Small Areas Detector misses radiation
Truck filled with scrap
Large area detector picks up radiation
Typically have 18 to 24 spread
Lamastra, A. 2003
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1996 SMA Test (Side Detectors) Shows Detection
Is Highly Dependent on Scrap Thickness

• Detection category
• Easy ( ? 6 Shred)
• Moderate (7-13 Shred)
• Hard (14-16 Shred)
• Very Hard (17-19 Shred)
• Extremely Hard (20-22 Shred)
• Almost Impossible ( gt 22 Shred)

Overall percentage 100 100 84 69 6 0
Lamastra, A, 1998
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Location and Type of Monitoring Can Also Affect
Detectability

• Monitoring location will impact system
  sensitivity, and the production and ease of
  returning scrap to the owner.
• Scale or plant entrance fixed monitors
• Conveyor monitors
• Charge bucket monitors
• Grapple monitors
• Dust monitors (too late to prevent)
• The smaller the amount of scrap monitored, the
  better the chances of detecting the radiation
  source.

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Waste Disposition A US EPA Source Roundup
Program Offers A Viable Option

• Round-up of known discreet orphan sources in 1
  state.
• 36 - 137Cesium sources were returned to the
  manufacturer.
• Successful, inexpensive pilot, which led to
  nationwide, federally funded orphan source
  program available to states.

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Path Forward

• International trade can bring opportunities as
  well as problems.
• Effective regulations and guidance are needed to
  ensure that the public and industry are protected
  and that international commerce is not adversely
  affected.
• Monitoring systems and protocols need to be
  established, communicated, and implemented
  internationally.

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United States Contacts

• International contact
• Debbie Kopsick
• Kopsick.deborah_at_epa.gov 202-343-9238
• Consultants
• S.Y. Chen, Ph.D.
• SYCHEN_at_anl.gov 630-252-7695
• Ray Turner
• RT_at_rmrecycling.com 513-703-0981