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Orphan Source Recovery Efforts
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
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
NRC is increasing regulatory control and increasing frequency of inspections and fines resulting from mishandling of licensed sources. The Agency has also developed a secure database to track sources.
You can read more about the actions NRC is taking on its Website.
Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors(CRCPD)
CRCPD manages a Nuclear Regulatory Commission-funded program for disposing of found orphan sources: CRCPD National Orphan Radioactive Material Disposition Program 
CRCPD and DOE/NNSA have created a program entitled 'Source Collection and Threat Reduction' or 'SCATR' to collect sources being stored and not used that could - as an aggregate - be used for malicious intent. DOE recognizes that the availability of disposal of such sources is limited and expensive; and has initiated this rare opportunity for licensees to have financial assistance in properly securing and disposing of these sources through this CRCPD program
- State of Florida
The State of Florida is participating in this pilot project (PDF) (3 pp, 340K About PDF)(June, 2007).
Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE is providing disposal of found orphan sources through its Off-Site Source Recovery Program, which is managed at DOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Off-Site Source Recovery Project (OSRP) is a U.S. Government activity sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Office of Global Threat Reduction and is managed at Los Alamos National Laboratory through the Nuclear Nonproliferation Division.
OSRP has an NNSA sponsored mission to remove excess, unwanted, abandoned, or orphan radioactive sealed sources that pose a potential risk to health, safety, and national security. After September 11, 2001, the mission expanded from environmental concerns to address broader public safety and national security requirements. They recover transuranic sources and beta/gamma emitting sources, which are of concern to both the U.S. government and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
OSRP has been able to recover more than 15,000 sources from over 600 sites in 49 States, the DC area, Puerto Rico and a number of foreign countries.
Unwanted radioactive sealed sources should be registered with OSRP. For registration information, questions, and comments, send e-mail messages to osrp@lanl.gov or call toll-free 877-676-1749.