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Stakeholders and Partners
Radiation Source Reduction & Management
- About Source Reduction & Management
- Life-Cycle Analysis & Product Stewardship
- Sealed Radioactive Sources
- Common Industrial Uses
- Commonly-Used Radionuclides
- Alternative Technologies
- Alternatives: Development & Acceptance
- Alternative Technology Projects
- Stakeholders and Partners
and Response Orphan Source Recovery
EPA works closely with other government and private sector organizations to develop and promote the use of alternatives to radiation-based industrial devices.
On this page:
Key Stakeholders
Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Radiation and Indoor Air
Radiation Protection Program
EPA's Radiation Protection Program leads the Agency's efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of radioactive materials in industrial devices. It coordinates stakeholders, strategic planning, and technical support in such areas as pollution prevention, source reduction, life-cycle design, partnership programs, and radiation protection issues.
Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
Design for Environment (DfE)
The DfE program works with individual industry sectors to compare and improve existing and alternative products. They address performance, human health and environmental risks, and costs. The goal is to facilitate the identification, adoption, and innovation of clean products, processes, technologies, and management systems.
Contact: Clive Davies Tel: 202-564-3821 Email: davies.clive@epa.gov.
Business and Industry Associations
- Participants in the Product Stewardship Institute Stakeholder Dialogue Session, 2003. For a list of participants see www.productstewardship.us
- In the future, manufacturers, end users, agency officials, and non-profit organizations will provide direction and content for the development of outreach and educational materials.
Research Community
University, government and other research organizations provide the Expert Panel with expertise and advice on helping stakeholders meet alternative technology objectives.
Nongovernmental Organizations
- EPA enlisted the Product Stewardship Institute, to help lay the ground work for a government-industry radiation alternative technology partnership. The partnership is patterned after successful product stewardship partnerships with carpet and paint industries.
- Other organizations, such as American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors participate as well.
Federal and State Expert Panel
The Expert Panel ensures communication among federal agencies and between federal agencies and state agencies. It also functions as a “sounding board” for EPA proposed initiatives. The Expert Panel meets quarterly.
- Federal agencies (EPA, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Food and Drug Administration)
- State agencies (Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey),
- The need for a panel emerged out of the original alternative technology dialogue initiative started by the Product Stewardship Institute with the support of EPA in 2003. The panel has met via conference call since June 2006.
- The Expert Panel has reviewed reports by EPA, consultants, and grant recipients; discussed emerging alternative technologies; and provided advice to EPA regarding program focus, strategic targets, priority products and industry sectors to pursue, and regulatory issues and barriers.
Radiation Source Protection and Security Task Force
The Radiation Source Protection Security Task Force is one of several task forces established under Section 651 (d) the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) (Public Law 109-58). It is charged with evaluating and providing recommendations relating to security of radiation sources in the United States from potential terrorists threats, including acts of sabotage theft, or use of a radiological source in a radiological dispersal device (RDD); providing recommendations for appropriate regulatory and legislative changes to the Congress and the President.
The August 15, 2006, Radiation Source Protection Security Task Force Report, 2006 and Transmittal letter to the President are available on-line.(PDF) (257 pp, 5.66MB About PDF)
Highlights of the Task Force Study Findings
In the United States, there are millions of sources of radioactive material and tens of thousands of authorized users (licensees).
- The amount of radioactive material authorized for these licenses ranges from one-millionth of a curie (1 µCi), such as sources used in gauges, to millions of curries, such as sources used in large irradiators.
- Approximately 44,000 Category 1 and 2 sources are possessed by 1,400 Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Agreement State licensees.
- DOD controls approximately 2300 additional risk-significant sources in 25 locations.
- The majority of sources are Category 3, 4 and 5. The EPACT Task Force concluded that either Category 4 or 5 and poses little risk for use in an RDD. (EPACT Task Force transmittal letter to President)
While the Task Force concluded that Category 4 and 5 devices pose little risk for use in an RDD. Category 3, 4, and 5 devices frequently fall out of control into the public domain where they can result in exposures to adults and children or contamination in the environment. Worker accidents involving Category 3, 4, and 5 sources also present the potential for unnecessary radiation exposure or environmental contamination. Licensees possessing radioactive material must comply with NRC or Agreement State requirements including proper training, management and tracking of radioactive source inventories and disposal. Licensees of a device whether it is a Category 1 or 5 are subject to inspections, enforcement actions and fines.
Conclusions of the Task Force
The task group of federal agencies and a state representative reviewed the status of programs related to the protection and security of radiation sources and concluded the following:
Since September 11, 2001, Federal Agencies have implemented or are in the process of implementing actions to increase security. While implementation of some of these activities is still in progress, the actions that to date have substantially enhanced security. Nevertheless, completion of ongoing activities should continue to be a high priority. (EPACT Report, p.1
Members of the Task Force
- Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Chair)
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Secretary of Defense
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Transportation
- Attorney General
- Secretary of State
- Director of National Intelligence
- Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
- Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Director for the Federal Bureau of Investigations
- Other Invited Agencies
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Organization of Agreement States and Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors