The term “91(b)” refers to highly classified radioactive material (RAM) covered under Section 91(b) of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) of 1954 associated with current nuclear weapons material, legacy nuclear weapons maintenance wastes, residuals from nuclear weapons accident/incidents, some residuals from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, and residuals from nuclear reactor operations.
1.2.3. Installations located in the United States that possess residual 91(b) RAM-contaminated buildings, burial sites, etc. from past (legacy) nuclear weapons accidents, incidents and maintenance, or dismantled/decommissioned 91(b) nuclear reactors (still under AF possession), or other residual 91(b) RAM must comply with this Instruction.
AIR FORCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS INTRINSIC RADIATION AND 91(B) RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL SAFETY PROGRAM
Managing Low Level Radioactive Waste Burial Sites
Specific policies and procedures for managing low level radioactive waste sites are outlined AFI 40-201. The requirements specify the Base RSO is responsible for annually surveying radioactive waste burial sites and reporting on the site condition. Any further site characterization must be coordinated with local and MAJCOM authorities and appropriate AF authorities. Additional guidance has been published in the HQ AFMOA/SGPR (Radioisotope Committee Secretariat) letter, “Clarification of AFI 40-201 Paragraph 3.1, Managing Low Level Radioactive Waste Burial Sites, 31 August 1995. The guidance outlines site characterization policies for the three types of radioactive waste burial sites typically located on Air Force facilities. The guidance is summarized below:
- Sites containing or suspected to contain materials regulated under Part 91b of the Atomic Energy Act (such as source material resulting from nuclear weapons maintenance activities or accidents) are not regulated by the NRC. Questions regarding the characterization of these sites should be referred to the Air Force Safety Center, Weapons, Space and Nuclear Safety Division (AFSC/SEW), Kirtland AFB, NM.
- Characterization plans for sites containing or suspected to contain Byproduct, Source, or Special Nuclear material must be submitted to the RIC for review. The RIC will submit the plans to the NRC for approval.
- Characterization of sites containing or suspected to contain Naturally Occurring or Accelerator-Produced Radioactive materials are regulated by the EPA. Site remediation is managed in accordance with the policies for remediation of hazardous waste burial sites as specified by USAF/ILE.
SAF/AAII
1000 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330-100
Source: https://www.foia.af.mil/Resources/FOIA/
OR
AFSEC Freedom of Information Act Office
AFSEC/JAR
9700 G. Ave
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117
Commercial: (505) 853-8794
DSN: 253-8794
Fax Number: (505) 853-0565
Fax DSN: 253-0565
Email: [email protected]
AFI40-201 13 APRIL 2007
91(a) Material—Radioactive material exempted from NRC licensing controls under Section 91(a) of theAtomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, in the interest of national defense. These include materials associated with nuclear weapons.
91(b) Material—Radioactive material exempted from NRC licensing controls under Section 91(b) of theAtomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, in the interest of national defense. These include materials in nuclear weapons
Radioactive Waste—Waste that contains radioactive material. Radioactive waste can be generally classed in one of four categories:
- High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLRW)—HLRW is spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants and waste material from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel.
- Transuranic Waste—Waste material that contains transuranic elements with half-lives greater than20 years and concentrations greater than 100 nanoCuries per gram. A transuranic is an element with an atomic number greater than 92 (e.g. plutonium, americium, curium).
- Low-level Radioactive Waste (LLRW)—LLRW is any radioactive waste that is not HLRW, uranium tailings, or transuranic waste.
- Mixed Waste—Waste that contains hazardous waste and source, special nuclear, or byproduct material subject to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (i.e., material regulated by the Nuclear RegulatoryCommission).
https://fas.org/irp/doddir/usaf/afi40-201.pdf
AFI91-108 12 FEBRUARY 2015
Terms
91(a) Material—Radioactive material exempted from NRC licensing controls under Section 91(a) of the AEA of 1954, as amended, in the interest of national defense, under the possession of the DOE.
91(b) Material—Radioactive material exempted from NRC licensing controls under Section 91(b) of the AEA of 1954, as amended, in the interest of national defense, under the possession of the DOD. These include materials in nuclear weapons.
91(b) Permit—Written authorization from the Air Force Safety Center for Air Force organizations to receive, possess, use, store, transport, transfer and dispose of some radioactive materials defined under Section 91(b) of the AEA of 1954. Permits are similar, in function, to USAF Radioactive Materials Permits issued by the USAF Radioisotope Committee, as defined under AFI 40-201.
Low—Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW)—LLRW is any radioactive waste that is not high level radioactive waste, uranium tailings, or transuranic waste.
Legacy RAM Sites—Sites contaminated from historical nuclear weapons maintenance, accidents, or reactor residuals. This covers maintenance on unsealed weapons and accidents that occurred during the 1950s and 1960s.
Mixed Waste—Waste that contains hazardous waste and source, special nuclear, or byproduct material subject to the AEA of 1954 (i.e., material regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission).
Radioactive Material—Materials with unstable nuclei decay by nuclear transformation. Transformations can emit ionizing radiations: alpha or beta particles, gamma radiation or radiation and/or neutrons.
https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_se/publication/afi91-108/afi91-108.pdf
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