Radioactive waste generated on campus is not to be discarded
into the regular sanitary waste disposal system. Specific rules, regulations,
and guidelines must be followed for the disposal of radioactive waste.
Emphasis is placed on segregation of different types of waste according
to radionuclide, half-life, chemical form, physical form, or combination
thereof. Under the university’s radioactive materials license, radioactive
waste with a half-life shorter than 90 days can be held for decay under
the decay-in-storage program and safely disposed of as non-radioactive
waste once the nominal radioactivity levels have become indistinguishable
from background levels. All other radioactive waste must be collected and
packaged for disposal to an outside licensed disposal facility. Radioactive
waste burial sites charge by the cubic foot, so all radionuclide users
are asked to make a conscious effort to minimize the volume of radioactive
waste generated in their laboratories. All radioactive waste streams need
to have prior approval by the Radiation Safety Office before generation
is started. The following guidelines are to be used in the disposal of
radioactive waste.
Note: Waste will only be accepted
in radioactive containers supplied by the UNM Radiation Safety Office.
