Day Two - Main ConferenceThursday, 23 October 2025

The session will host 6 roundtables with unique discussion topics. An industry moderator will be appointed on the day to facilitate each session, and attendees can join one session only. Discussions will run for 30 minutes, and the findings of the discussion will be summarised and presented by each moderator. Registration is free and will happen during the morning registration.

• TENORM Challenges in Oil & Gas
• Occupational and environmental health measures for NORM
• Circularity & valorisation of residues

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.

Recent decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States in 2022 and 2024, known as the Major Questions Doctrine and the Chevron decision, have created significant challenges for federal regulation of Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM) in the absence of specific legislation and regulatory authority from Congress. This shifting legal landscape has made it increasingly difficult for federal agencies to enact comprehensive regulations for TENORM.

At present, oversight and management of TENORM exposures are primarily handled by individual states, utilizing their inherent police powers to safeguard public health. This decentralized approach has resulted in fifty distinct regulatory frameworks across the country. The variability among state regulations may lead to inconsistencies in the protection of workers, the general public, and the environment. Although Congress has granted specific authority over certain naturally occurring isotopes through various environmental statutes, this authority has not been applied consistently, leaving gaps in federal oversight.

Currently, there are no federal cleanup standards for TENORM, except for uranium mill tailings managed under the Atomic Energy Act (AEA). Following the Fukushima accident, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued updated guidance (GSR-1) outlining basic requirements for federal regulation of radiation, including natural sources. GSR-1 provides a comprehensive framework detailing what is required at the federal level. Additionally, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Report #180 offers recommendations regarding justification, optimization, and dose limits, as well as reference levels and dose constraints, specifically addressing natural sources of radiation.

Based on these developments, the author advocates for a clear and structured process: Legislate, Regulate, Delegate, and Appropriate. This approach emphasizes the need for Congress to enact targeted legislation, followed by the development of robust regulations, delegation of appropriate responsibilities, and allocation of necessary resources. However, the policies of the current Administration have leaned toward deregulation and the relaxation of standards, rather than efforts to improve the regulatory system for TENORM

Though transport is a very minor cost in the NORM waste cycle, lack of harmonization and over-regulation creates problems for transport of all NORM materials between countries and states. Raising the awareness of this issue with both industry and the public, while keeping potential risks in context, is an important part of any NORM transport strategy. This panel will help industry understand and strive to comply with international, national and local regulations governing the safe and secure transport of radioactive materials, since inappropriately shipped materials can have a negative impact on our industry.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding guidelines and maintaining communication with relevant authorities and international agencies
• Things to consider making NORM transport economically feasible and sustainable
• If disposal facility is not in your state, what are the ways of packaging, transport, threshold limit and guidelines to follow?
• Skills & training required for industry to manage transport
• Current tools and future technology for safe and secure transport

The disposal of NORM is a critical challenge for all industries, requiring robust strategies to ensure environmental safety and regulatory compliance. This session will explore the latest advancements in the treatment and disposal of NORM/TENORM, focusing on innovative technologies and best practices. Driven by market leaders, the session will provide a comprehensive overview of the methodologies employed to manage NORM wastes, including immobilisation techniques, specialised landfill sites, and the integration of sustainable practices.

Key Takeaways

• Evolution of NORM waste disposal practices
• Risk assessment and management strategies
• Smart monitoring and tracking systems
• Case studies of successful waste management programs
• Environmental protection measures
• Pros & Cons of disposal options
• Inherent risks/opportunities based on disposal mechanism (landfill, subsurface injection, bury in place)

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.

To analyze NORM/TENORM generated by the industry, both laboratory and field methods can be used utilizing gamma spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting, gross alpha/beta counting, radon, and other measurement techniques and methods.

Whatever survey or laboratory methods and instruments are used, they should provide correct, traceable results predefined by data quality objectives (DQO).

It will require the use of fit for the purpose Reference Materials (RM), Calibration standards, Laboratory QC samples, sources for daily checks of the instruments etc. It also requires participation in Proficiency Testing (PT) program.

Some examples of specific calibration standards, RM and PT samples for non-destructive and destructive methodologies supporting NORM metrology are discussed.

The reuse of radionuclide materials presents a promising avenue for sustainable waste management, offering potential benefits for both environmental protection and economic efficiency. This session explores innovative approaches and successful case studies in the beneficial reuse of NORM residues, with a particular focus on phosphogypsum and other NORM-containing materials.

The discussion will examine how industries are transforming traditional waste management paradigms into circular economy opportunities while ensuring regulatory compliance and stakeholder acceptance. Key industry examples, regulatory frameworks, and emerging technologies that enable safe and economically viable reuse options will be presented.

Key takeaways:

• Circular economy applications like phosphogypsum utilisation
• Reclassification of NORM waste as resources and compliance requirements for reuse
• Technical considerations for recycling and aspects for commercialising the NORM residues

Discussion of relative risks to workers from exposure to NORM in the oil and gas industries. This panel follows other, similar discussions in previous conferences concerning occupational exposure to naturally occurring oil and gas radionuclides. This is a timely subject for any industry wherein worker exposure to radionuclide may occur given the recent Executive Order 14300, wherein the "sound scientific basis" of current regulatory models that assume no safe threshold of radiation exposure continues to be challenged.