Radiation Control Rules:
Waste Management and Radiation Control Laws and Rules

Jump to:

The Radiation Control Act, Utah Code Title 19 Chapter 3, provides the Department of Environmental Quality’s Waste Management and Radiation Control Board the authority to make rules to protect the public and environment from significant sources of radiation. The Board has established rules in order to develop a total Radiation Control Program within the State of Utah. Although limits are set for maximum permissible doses and concentrations, it is the policy of the Division that radiation levels and exposures from all sources of radiation will be reduced to the lowest level that can reasonably be achieved. Serious efforts will be made to reduce radiation exposures and releases of radioactive material in effluents to unrestricted areas to as low as is reasonably achievable.

The Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control is the Department’s agent in administering these rules. The objective of these rules is to obtain optimum benefits from uses of sources of radiation while minimizing the risks. To achieve this objective requires knowledge of technical factors and understanding of their relative importance. The Division’s staff have received sound basic training, and participate in a continuing education program in order to effectively administer the rules. The Division is devoted to minimizing unproductive radiation exposures to human beings and to reduce the unnecessary release of radioactive materials to the environment.

Since the rulemaking process is continuing in nature, the reader is also directed to the Utah State Bulletin, which provides public notice or rule amendments. Rulemaking public notices are also available for those wanting to review them.

NOTE: References to Titles, Chapters, Parts, Sections and Subsections refer to the Utah Administrative Code. References to CFR refer to the Code of Federal Regulations. References to R313 refer to the Utah Radiation Control Rules.

Copies of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) can be obtained from the National Archives Code of Federal Regulations eCFR website.

You may view and download the Radiation Control rules online by clicking the rule section links below. Persons specifically interested in the rules related to the use of x-ray machines should review relevant parts of rules R313-12, -14, -15, -16, -18, -28, -30, -35, and -70 below.

Rules

  • R313-12
    This section contains general provisions for the radiation control program including definitions, units of exposure and dose, and units of radioactivity. Requirements for keeping records, allowing access for inspections, and completion of tests to verify compliance are also contained in this section.
  • R313-14
    This section contains rules about enforcement of violations of Rule R313 including the categorization of violations into severity levels. Requirements for responding to a Notice of Violation are found in this section. Escalated enforcement sanctions and conditions for their use are contained in this section.
  • R313-15
    This section contains the standards for protection against radiation to protect workers and the public. Radiation dose limits for members of the public, the embryo/fetus, minors, and occupational workers are contained in this section.
  • R313-16
    This section contains the general requirements applicable to the installation, registration, inspection, and use of radiation machines (x-ray units). These rules require registrant’s to develop a radiation safety program. Requirements for installation, servicing, change in ownership, and inspection of radiation machines are contained in this section.
  • R313-17
    This section contains the rules for administrative procedures to be followed by the Director including rules for public notice and comment and special procedures for decisions associated with licenses for uranium mills and disposal of byproduct material.
  • R313-18
    This section contains the requirements for notices, instructions and reports  to workers by radioactive material licensees, x-ray machine registrants, and individuals engaged in work under a radioactive material license or x-ray equipment registration. The section also contains rules governing inspections.
  • R313-19
    This section contains requirements of general applicability to the licensing of radioactive material. This section contains rules regarding deliberate misconduct, exemptions from the rules, types of licenses, prelicensing inspections, reciprocal recognition of licenses, the terms and conditions of licenses, the transfer of material, and reporting requirements.  The section contains rules on the modification, revocation and termination of licenses. This section contains lists of exempt concentrations and quantities of radioactive materials and the rules for transportation of radioactive materials.
  • R313-21
    This section contains the rules for general licenses for the possession and use of radioactive material contained in certain items and a general license for ownership of radioactive material.
  • R313-22
    This section contains the requirements for the issuance of specific licenses for ownership of radioactive material.
  • R313-24
    This section contains the requirements for uranium mills and facilities involved in source material mill tailings disposal. The types of operations regulated by this section include possession and use of source material in milling operations such as conventional milling, in-situ leaching, or heap-leaching. This section includes requirements for the possession of byproduct material from source material milling operations, as well as, possession and maintenance of a facility in standby mode. In addition, the requirements for the receipt of byproduct material from other persons for possession and disposal or for possession and disposal incidental to the byproduct material generated by the licensee’s source material milling operations are contained in this section.
  • R313-25
    This section contains the requirements for the issuance of licenses for the land disposal of radioactive wastes received from other persons.
  • R313-26
    This section contains the requirements for the issuance of permits to generators for accessing a radioactive waste land disposal facility located within Utah and requirements for the shippers of the waste.
  • R313-28
    This section contains details the operating standards and use restrictions for various types of x-ray machines used in the healing arts.
  • R313-30
    This section contains the requirements applicable to registrants who use x-ray or electron beams in the treatment of cancer.
  • R313-32
    This section contains the requirements and provisions for the medical use of radioactive material including for the protection of public health and safety.  This section also contains the requirements for issuance of specific licenses authorizing the medical use of radioactive material.
  • R313-34
    This section contains the requirements for the issuance of licenses authorizing the use of sealed sources containing radioactive materials in irradiators used to irradiate objects or materials using gamma radiation.
  • R313-35
    This section contains the requirements applicable to registrants who use x-ray machines for industrial radiographic applications, analytical applications, or other non-medical applications such as veterinarians, educators, research scientists, and package inspection personnel.
  • R313-36
    This section contains the requirements for the issuance of licenses and the radiation safety requirements for persons utilizing sources of radiation for industrial radiography.
  • R313-37
    This section contains the requirements for the physical protection program for a licensee that possesses an aggregated category 1 or category 2 quantity of radioactive material.
  • R313-38
    This section contains the requirements for the issuance of a license authorizing the use of licensed materials including sealed sources, radioactive tracers, radioactive markers, and uranium sinker bars in well logging in a single well. This section also contains the radiation safety requirements for persons using licensed materials in these operations.
  • R313-70
    This section contains the rules for payment of fees collected by the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control for the radiation control programs.  The section contains the categories and types of fees for radioactive material licenses, radiation machine registration, and other fees for services.

Last Updated:

Tags:

Back to top