Working with Radioactive and Mixed Waste

Vincent D. Reynolds, MBA, P.E.

Course Outline

This course will provide regulatory guidelines and management responsibilities to that can aid in effectively remediate radioactive sites. Some technical information is provided however this course is not intended to provide detailed technical recommendations or sophisticated scientific procedures.

This 6 hour course will examine the regulatory guidelines and management responsibilities that will aid the reader to successfully remediate radioactive contaminated sites. The health and safety of personnel working on remediation sites will also be discussed.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student would have learned the following:

• How to define radioactivity;
• The meaning of a curie (Ci);
• The definition of radiation;
• The relation between rems and sievert;
• The purpose of the Comprehensive Environmental, Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA);
• The length of time that radioactive materials have been used by the DOD and Civilians;
• The role of Health Physicians and Health Technicians;
• Disposal options for radioactive materials;
• The primary regulations used for remediation of radioactive materials;
• The primary method used to remediate sites that has been found to be cost effective and acceptable to the regulators and the public;
• The basic objective for radioactive waste sites;
• The units used to express “dose;”
• The meaning of ALARA;
• The different types of radioactive scans used;
• The separate tasks that are part of the CERCLA process;
• The length of time for chemical degradation to occur;
• The purpose of the Clean Water Act (CWA);
• The purpose of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act;
• The purpose of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954;
• The purpose of the low-level radioactive waste policy act;
• Types of remediation methods used to remove radioactive chemical elements;
• The purpose of the Energy R organization Act;
• Methods to measure the dosimetry of personnel working with radioactive materials; and
• The primary regulations used for remediation of radioactive materials.
  
  
  

Intended Audience and Benefit

This course is intended for project managers, environmental engineers, persons working in hazardous waste or anyone with an interest in management guidelines for radioactive and mixed waste.

Course Introduction

Radioactive waste, rather alone or combined with hazardous or toxic components can be dangerous when exposed to the environment. This course will provide regulatory guidelines and management responsibilities to that can aid in effectively remediate radioactive sites. Some technical information is provided however this course is not intended to provide detailed technical recommendations or sophisticated scientific procedures.

This 6 hour course will examine the regulatory guidelines and management responsibilities that will aid the reader to successfully remediate radioactive contaminated sites. The health and safety of personnel working on remediation sites will also be discussed.

Course Content

This course should be studied by project managers, military engineers, environmental engineers, persons working in hazardous waste or anyone with an interest in management guidelines for radioactive and mixed waste. The course materials are based solely on the engineer manual “Working with Radioactive and Mixed Waste” as found on the website of the Army Corps of engineers. You are required to study Chapters 1 through 13 of this document.

Working with Radioactive and Mixed Waste

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Course Summary

The information presented in this course could be used to enhance the student’s knowledge of Working with Radioactive and Mixed Waste by studying the regulatory and management responsibilities.  

Using good engineering judgment is always paramount in any situation. Utilizing good judgment and the knowledge gained in this course will aid the reader in the safe and efficient remediation of radioactive contaminated sites.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://www.usace.army.mil/
http://www.epa.gov
http://www.nrc.gov/waste.html

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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