Classification & manifests
Alpha-bearing waste is classified and documented differently from beta/gamma streams in most jurisdictions. Confirm rules with your state regulator and licensed waste broker in writing before generating the first kilogram of waste — not after.
Documentation checklist
Jurisdictional classification
Class A/B/C designations and waste-class concentration limits depend on isotope and form. Update manifest templates to list Ac-225 explicitly with its progeny acknowledged. Confirm with your Agreement State or NRC regional office which class your typical stream falls into.
Broker coordination
If any waste leaves the site, confirm in writing that your broker accepts alpha-bearing streams from your facility — including documented acknowledgment of the daughter chain. Some brokers accept beta/gamma routinely but not alpha; finding out at the dock is too late.
Records retention
Retain manifests, release-survey records, and chain-of-custody documentation for the duration required by your regulator — typically several years after final disposal. Store with the rest of the RAM program records, not in a separate waste binder.
A common first inspection question on waste is 'show me a release survey record from last quarter.' Being able to pull it in under a minute tends to move the inspector along; struggling to find it usually turns the next couple of hours into a records conversation.
- 10 CFR §20.2001 — General requirements for waste disposal.
- 10 CFR §20.2006 — Transfer for disposal and manifests.