Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual, Revision 2
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of War (DOW), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are announcing th...
Department of Energy, Department of War, Environmental Protection Agency, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION:
Notice of availability.
SUMMARY:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of War (DOW), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are announcing the availability for use of Revision 2 of the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM). MARSSIM provides information on planning, conducting, evaluating, and documenting environmental radiological surveys of surface soils and building surfaces for demonstrating compliance with regulations. The manual has not been updated since 2001; updates prior to 2001 primarily consisted of minor non-technical edits. Revision 2 updates the science, clarifies methods, and implements lessons learned from over 25 years of use. MARSSIM Revision 2 is available from
https://www.epa.gov/radiation/multi-agency-radiation-survey-and-site-investigation-manual-marssim.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Any of the following points of contact for each agency for technical information: DOE: H. Mike Stewart, Office of Environmental Compliance and Radiation Protection, EH-11, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, telephone number: (202) 586-6444, email address:
mike.stewart@hq.doe.gov;
DOW: Gerald A. Falo, Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen, DHA Public Health, 8977 Sibert Road, Building E-1570, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010, telephone number: (410) 436-4852, email address:
gerald.a.falo.civ@health.mil;
EPA: Kathryn Snead, Office of Air and Radiation, Mail Stop 6608T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460-1000, telephone number: (202) 343-9228, email address:
snead.kathryn@epa.gov;
NRC: Joseph Kanney, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop O5-G10, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone number: (301) 415-1920, email address:
joseph.kanney@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Acronyms
CCD continuously collected data
DOE Department of Energy
DOW Department of War
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
LBGR lower bound of the gray region
MARSSIM multi-agency radiation survey and site investigation manual
MQOs measurement quality objectives
NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission
SAB science advisory board
SI international system of units
TENORM technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material
Table of Contents
I. General Information
2
A. Summary of Revisions
2
B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?
4
I. General Information
A. Summary of Revisions
MARSSIM provides information on planning, conducting, evaluating, and documenting environmental radiological surveys of surface soil and building surfaces for demonstrating compliance with regulations. MARSSIM, Revision 2, updates this multi-agency consensus document.
MARSSIM was originally developed by the technical staff of the four Federal agencies (DOE, DOW, EPA and NRC) having authority for control of radioactive materials.[1]
The four agencies issued Revision 1 to MARSSIM in August 2000, and additional edits to Revision 1 in June 2001. MARSSIM has not been updated since 2001; updates prior to 2001 primarily consisted of minor non-technical edits. Revision 2 updates the science, clarifies methods, and implements lessons learned from over 25 years of use in industry.
A summary of changes in MARSSIM Revision 2 includes but is not limited to the following: (1) added measurement quality objectives (MQOs) and measurement uncertainty, (2) expanded measurement methods to include site-specific scanning surveys, (3) updated survey instrumentation information, (4) added Scenario B (“assumed to meet the criteria until proven otherwise”), (5) added information on continuously
( printed page 48104)
collected data (CCD) surveys, (6) improved description of the lower bound of the gray region (LBGR), (7) increased information on manned and unmanned aerial radiological surveys, (8) updated references, (9) changed English units to International System of Units (SI), (10) removed the term “Area Factor,” (11) included additional examples, (12) reorganized information for clarity, (13) addressed comments on composite samples, surrogate ratios, and Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM), and (14) increased emphasis on regulator interface during survey design.
MARSSIM benefited from extensive internal, public, and technical peer review and comment. Before the publication of the draft for public comment, the four Federal agencies performed an extensive internal review that identified several key areas of needed improvement. After addressing internal comments, the four federal agencies announced a sixty-day open public comment period [2]
and an additional forty-five day open public comment period.[3]
The document simultaneously received formal technical peer review under the auspices of the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB). The four federal agencies completed additional changes to address public and technical peer review comments, resulting in MARSSIM, Revision 2.[4]
B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?
1. Docket.
EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0276. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically through
www.regulations.gov
or in hard copy at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The Docket Center's hours of operations are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (except Federal Holidays). For further information on the EPA Docket Center services and the current status, see:
https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
Director, Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting, Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security, Department of Energy.
Patricia Helene Passman,
Colonel, U.S. Army, Director, Occupational and Environmental Safety, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness/Assistant Secretary of War for Readiness/Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Safety and Occupational Health.
Sharon White,
Acting Director, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, Environmental Protection Agency.
John Tappert,
Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Nuclear Regulatory Commission.