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NSLS ESH Highlight #27

Disposal of Waste Metals from "Activation Areas"

Date: August 7, 2002 (Rev. 5/19/06)
Editor: NSLS ESH Staff

NSLS and DUV-FEL accelerator vault and ring doorways are posted as follows:

Caution
Radioactive Material Area
Activation Check Required

Items physically attached to the electron beam chambers and electron beam stops during operation must be checked for induced radioactivity before they are released from this area.

[Contact Frank Zafonte, x5565, or Nate Foster, x5496, to conduct radiation surveys]

Surveys Required

A posted table and a roll of yellow radiation tape will be near each "Activation Area" primary exit for metal items that require surveying before disposal. Place all such items on this table and label them with the tape. Radiological Control Technicians (RCT) will survey each item, remove the tape if the item is activation-free, and place the item into a dedicated "Suspect Metal" waste container. Typical items to be surveyed would be sections of beam pipe and items attached to the beam pipe such as metal hose fittings, beam pipe section copper gaskets, RF connectors on PUEs, heating tapes and temperature sensors on the beam chambers, and any clamps or other fittings and hardware that held the above items in place on the chamber (Note: hoses, cables and wires connected to the listed items should be cut off and disposed of as regular trash or metal scrap). Vacuum components that require a bleedup before removal and any items removed from the electron beam chamber that will not be discarded should not be left on the table. These should be surveyed in place by the RCTs prior to release. If there is doubt about an item, contact John Aloi (x7018), Andrew Ackerman (x5431), or Nick Gmür (x2490). Items at or near electron loss points require additional scrutiny.

Surveys Not Required

Items that do not need to be surveyed prior to release include components from front ends and beamlines that see only synchrotron radiation such as water-cooled masks, vacuum valves, shutters, and the hose fittings and connectors attached to them . These objects are not subject to being struck by high energy electrons and activated. Likewise, other material from the accelerator enclosures such as cabling from cable trays, rack-mounted electronic chassis, and plastic water hoses are not subject to activation and do not require a survey.

Suspect Item/Storage

For those metal items that were surveyed and found to be activation-free, DOE has imposed a temporary disposal moratorium requiring all DOE sites to consider metal used in Radiological Areas as "suspect" for the purpose of recycling. If you plan to keep the item for future use, or if you have items that were released from activation areas in the past, each item should be tagged indicating "Suspect Metal", origin, and date of survey/release. It is important that we know each item's history and that we do not let these items be released for general use outside BNL.

Suspect Item/Disposal

If you plan to dispose of a surveyed "Suspect Metal" item as recycled metal waste, contact Bob Kiss (x4926, pager 5827) to pick up the item and place it in the barrel labeled specifically for "Suspect Metal Waste" inside the caged metal waste area east of Bldg. 725.

DON'T LEAVE SUSPECT METAL WASTE THAT CUSTODIANS MIGHT DISPOSE OF!