Day One - Main ConferenceWednesday, 22 October 2025

Managing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) remains a significant challenge for many countries worldwide. While considerable progress has been made in assessing radiation exposure, detecting natural radionuclides, characterizing materials, estimating risks, and establishing regulatory frameworks, these efforts often lack alignment with national policies and strategic planning. A comprehensive inventory of NORM-related facilities and waste streams is still missing in many regions, hindering effective decision-making.

Critical infrastructure gaps persist—particularly in the availability of disposal routes for NORM waste, cost assessments for various management options, and laboratory capabilities for radionuclide analysis supported by standardized sampling protocols.

Yet, within these challenges lie powerful opportunities. In the context of sustainability, many NORM waste streams could be reclassified as residues, by-products, or even co-products with potential for beneficial use. This shift in perspective—from liability to asset—can catalyse a transition from a linear to a circular economy model. The traditional "take–make–dispose" approach is no longer viable, as it leads to the accumulation of materials that may pose greater risks than their reuse or repurposing.

The decommissioning of NORM-related facilities, particularly offshore oil and gas platforms, is expected to place additional pressure on national systems. However, with proactive dialogue among stakeholders and a commitment to innovation, these pressures can be transformed into collaborative opportunities.

The presentation will promote the idea of the creation of a platform to explore sustainable, safe, and forward-looking solutions for NORM management highlighting the importance of international cooperation, knowledge exchange, and strategic partnerships between countries with varying levels of experience where challenges become catalysts for innovation and sustainability.

The presentation will explore the current state of federal oversight, highlighting recent developments in risk assessment methodologies, disposal guidance, and collaborative efforts with state regulators and industry stakeholders. Particular attention will be given to emerging concerns in the oil and gas sector, water treatment facilities, and mining operations where NORM/TENORM management presents unique challenges.

In April of 2025 the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors Part N working group finalized draft revisions to the suggested state regulations for licensure of NORM. The draft regulations are a stark departure from previous versions, but should promote the regulatory flexibility required of states and stakeholders. This presentation will provide an overview of that regulatory framework, discuss feedback received from industry and where we go from here.

This debate examines the fragmented regulatory landscape governing NORM/TENORM across jurisdictions, highlighting the urgent need for harmonised approaches as industries increasingly operate across borders. With divergent standards creating compliance challenges and potential safety gaps, stakeholders from regulatory bodies, industry representatives, and international partners will explore pathways toward regulatory convergence. The discussion will address how harmonisation can enhance radiation safety while maintaining operational feasibility, with particular focus on the oil and gas sector's unique NORM management challenges and the development of consistent frameworks that protect workers, the public, and the environment.

This session examines the diverse waste streams containing NORM across industries, with particular focus on identification, characterisation, and monitoring protocols. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies globally, stakeholders face growing challenges in waste stream management and compliance. The discussion will explore established and emerging monitoring technologies, disposal methodologies, and regulatory frameworks governing NORM waste. This presentation will provide concrete, practical recommendations that will help you identify, monitor and manage your most difficult waste streams.

With increasing focus on well closure programs and environmental protection, participants will explore comprehensive approaches to TENORM detection, monitoring, and management during well plugging operations. The session will examine current protocols, regulatory requirements, and best practices while addressing the complexities of methane emissions, radiation monitoring, and material disposal in abandoned well remediation projects.

Key Takeaways

• Gaps in TENORM surveillance during well closures
• Environmental risks from unmonitored spills and leaks
• Methane emission monitoring and management
• Current state and federal requirements for TENORM management
• Proper plugging procedures for TENORM-contaminated wells

This session delves into the complexities of NORM/TENORM waste monitoring and radiation management within conventional oil and gas operations. The session addresses the industry's evolving challenges in NORM/TENORM management, regulatory compliance, and the implementation of comprehensive monitoring programs while highlighting best practices for worker protection and environmental stewardship.

Key Takeaways

• Integration of smart monitoring technologies with existing operations
• Personal dosimetry requirements and best practices
• Training programs and safety protocols
• Storage and disposal monitoring requirements
• Current regulatory framework for TENORM monitoring

O&G operators face unique technical, environmental, and regulatory hurdles in safely addressing NORM-contaminated equipment, particularly subsea pipelines. The session will examine current monitoring methodologies, risk assessment frameworks, and disposal strategies while highlighting critical research gaps. With perspectives from industry operators, regulators, and environmental scientists, the discussion will identify innovative approaches to NORM management that balance environmental protection, operational feasibility, and cost-effectiveness in the evolving landscape of NORM decommissioning in offshore oil & gas.

Sample matrix has a significant effect on the way samples must be analyzed. The effects we will be primarily talking about are the analyses of radiological isotopes. Radiological isotopes must be chemically separated from other isotopes and with methods designed for drinking water or clean wastewater matrixes, which creates a large problem with samples from the oil and gas industry. Common matrix issues that will be discussed are high dissolved solids, metals and minerals, dissolved and undissolved organic compounds. This presentation describes some of the complexities involved in chemical separation and analysis of O&G samples.

Over six decades of uranium ore exploration, mining, and milling in Europe have resulted in a significant legacy of waste rock piles, below-grade ore heaps, and milling residues disposal sites, collectively known as Uranium Mine and Mill Tailings (UMMT). While these legacies are smaller in extent and volume compared to other types of mining, the associated radioactivity levels can be concerning. The session will highlight the unique management approaches necessitated by the strategic importance of uranium and its links to national defense & nuclear power, which have historically placed these activities outside civilian regulatory oversight.

Key Takeaways:

• The strategic importance of uranium - Understanding the historical & modern development of uranium mining and milling
• Needs and status of uranium mining and potential environmental impact for the next generation of SMRs and microreactors
• Radioactive contamination of air, soil, and water, and the long-term health effects on surrounding communities.
• How it will be handled in next 5 to 10 years?

As global demand for these strategic resources intensifies amid energy transition initiatives, the industry faces distinctive radiological management challenges due to the frequent co-occurrence of thorium and uranium in rare earth deposits. Residual wastes containing NORM at mining and/or processing sites may require assessment, management and/ or control for long term rad and environmental protection purposes. This session includes risk mitigation protocols, means of regulatory compliance and monitoring tools along with control of radiation exposure to workers and public environment from NORM associated with REE & minerals sector.

Radon management is a critical component of NORM management, particularly in industries such as mining, oil and gas, and water treatment. This session will explore the latest research findings, technological advancements, and practical guidelines for effective radon mitigation and management. The session will provide a comprehensive overview of best practices for radon measurement, mitigation strategies, and regulatory compliance. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the environmental and health impacts of radon, innovative control technologies, and the importance of integrating radon management into broader NORM handling protocols.

Key Takeaways:

• Insights into international safety standards and regulatory frameworks for radon and NORM management, ensuring effective radiation protection
• Advanced monitoring techniques and measurement protocols for radon in NORM-affected facilities
• Integration of modern radon mitigation technologies with existing NORM management protocols
• Exploring cutting-edge radon control technologies used in buildings and industrial sites, including innovative mitigation methods and techniques
• Assessing the environmental and health impacts of radon exposure, including the effects on workers and the general public

Proper implementation of gamma ray spectroscopy for environmental radioactivity measurements can often be challenging when trying to achieve high accuracy and high precision results. Phenomena such as gamma-ray self-attenuation can potentially add to the overall uncertainty in measurements, especially for samples that are large (100-500 grams) and contain high-Z materials in significant quantities. As well true coincidence counting can also result in underestimating radioactivity measurements. As an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and being a novice in learning about radioactivity measurements I will lay a template of the rigorous training I underwent to achieve reliable results in both this challenging and rewarding area.