Day Two - Main ConferenceThursday, 22 October 2026

The proposed presentation will review issues associated with the transfer of radon and its associated radiological dose exposure to indoor environments via usage of groundwater in enclosed spaces. The presentation will provide a brief review of the scientific literature on ground water potential for high radon contamination in well water and touch on geologic areas of the United States with recognized radon groundwater issues. The presentation will include a discussion of water use activities known to act as the primary sources of release from groundwater in indoor environments, as well as discuss the relative expected impacts on indoor radon concentrations from well water usage in residential versus occupational environments.

Key takeaways:

• Understanding the mechanisms by which radon transfers from well water to indoor environments during routine water use.
• Insights from scientific literature on geological settings in the United States associated with elevated radon concentrations in groundwater.
• Identifying water uses—such as showering, washing, and other enclosed‑space activities—that act as primary release pathways from groundwater.
• Comparing the relative contribution of well‑water radon to indoor concentrations and dose in homes versus workplaces, and what this means for risk management.

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

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)

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 presentation covers the growing need of critical minerals, regulatory compliance and monitoring tools along with control of radiation exposure to workers and public environment from NORM associated with REE & minerals sector.

Key takeaways:

• Understanding how thorium and uranium concentrate across mining, beneficiation, and processing stages, and where NORM profiles typically emerge in residues, tailings, and process streams.
• Practical approaches to assessing and controlling NORM‑bearing wastes for long‑term radiological and environmental protection at operating and legacy sites.
• Navigating applicable mining, environmental, and radiation regulations for REE and critical minerals projects, including monitoring, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
• Implementing fit‑for‑purpose monitoring tools and exposure controls to manage occupational and public radiation risk without compromising project viability or timelines.

More than six decades of uranium mining and milling have left a complex legacy of waste rock, tailings, and residual contamination. This panel examines how historical practices, strategic national interests, and evolving regulatory frameworks shape today’s oversight of uranium sites. Panellists will explore current challenges, remediation expectations, and what effective governance must look like as nuclear energy, SMRs, and critical minerals re‑emerge as strategic priorities.

Key Takeaways:

• How historic uranium exploration, mining, and milling—often conducted outside civilian regulatory frameworks—created long‑term environmental and radiological challenges distinct from other mining sectors?
• What renewed interest in uranium for SMRs and microreactors means for new mining activity, environmental impact, and regulatory readiness over the next decade?
• How NEPA and state reviews intersect with NORM and uranium governance, including legacy permits versus modern standards, 11e.(2) byproduct material boundaries, and coordination among BLM, DOE, NRC/Agreement States, and environmental authorities?
• Managing water scarcity, sensitive habitats, cultural and indigenous sites, and improving risk communication around radiological versus chemical hazards through transparent monitoring and engagement.
• Identifying concrete next steps for operators, regulators, and laboratories—assigning ownership, timelines, and inputs to support remediation progress and inform ongoing standards development, including N13.53 revisions.

Rare earth element processing concentrates naturally occurring radionuclides at specific stages, creating distinct radiological and exposure challenges. This technical deep dive walks through REE process streams to show where NORM accumulates, typical U‑238 and Th‑232 decay vectors, radon and thoron emission points, and the operational controls required to manage worker and off‑site dose effectively.

Key takeaways:

• Understanding how beneficiation, cracking, leaching, and separation steps drive radionuclide partitioning into solids, residues, and tailings.
• Typical U‑238, Th‑232 series and K‑40 signatures in REE ores and process streams, and how equilibrium and disequilibrium affect measurement and risk assessment.
• Identifying key emission points for Rn‑222, Rn‑220 (thoron) and contaminated dust, and their implications for occupational and off‑site dose modelling.
• Applying containment, ventilation, water balance, residue conditioning and materials handling controls to manage NORM, reduce releases, and meet regulatory expectations without constraining plant performance.

Organisations handling TENORM‑impacted materials must regularly evaluate their radiation safety programmes, whether operating under a specific or general licence. This session breaks down what a meaningful audit should cover—beyond checklists—focusing on programme content, field implementation, and regulatory expectations to identify gaps before they become compliance or safety issues.

Key takeaways:

• Understanding audit requirements for specific‑license holders versus general licensees, and how regulators assess compliance.
• What auditors expect to see across governance, roles, training, surveys, instrumentation, dose control, waste handling and records.
• How to assess whether radiation safety programmes are actually implemented in the field—not just written well.
• Typical weaknesses in TENORM programmes and why they trigger regulatory attention or corrective actions.
• Turning annual audits into practical improvements that strengthen safety performance and regulatory confidence.

NORM/TENORM remediation often relies on specialist suppliers rather than in‑house capability. This session explains why supplier pre‑qualification is a critical risk‑control function—not a procurement exercise. Using practical examples, it shows how to verify technical, regulatory and operational capability upfront to avoid safety issues, delays, rework and compliance failures across the project lifecycle.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding how oil, gas and mining environments differ from nuclear power, and why supplier oversight still matters for low‑level radioactive materials.
• Evidence‑based criteria to assess real capability in handling, transport, storage and disposal—not just certifications and policies.
• Practical examples of the technical, regulatory and operational checks suppliers should pass before mobilisation.
• Clarifying owner, contractor and specialist responsibilities to avoid gaps during execution.
• How robust pre‑qualification reduces incidents, avoids stoppages, and improves performance, resilience and confidence throughout NORM/TENORM remediation projects.

In the US, radioactive material legally classified as NORM is exempt from the authority of the US Atomic Energy Act (AEA) and regulation and control of NORM is delegated by the Act to the individual States. However, processing of NORM can produce concentrates of naturally occurring radionuclides and byproducts that contain classes of radioactive materials that are formally defined by the Act, and under its authority, specifically “source material” and / or certain types of “byproduct material”. Possession, use and/or distribution of these materials require a specific radioactive material license issued by the USNRC or under the authority delegated to NRC’s Agreement States per Section 274 of the Act. Examples include the milling of uranium or thorium ores and potentially the processing of RE and other critical minerals ores.

Accordingly, workers who interact with these ‘licensed materials” are defined by the AEA as “radiation workers’ and must be provided instructions and radiation safety training in accordance with specific NRC (or Agreement State equivalent) implementing regulations and guidance. This paper describes the necessary radiation safety training programs that have been provided to radiation workers for many years who handle and are potentially exposed to licensed source and / or byproduct materials in their daily activities.

Radiation protection has long operated under conditions of irreducible scientific uncertainty, particularly at low doses and low dose rates. Governance frameworks such as the linear no-threshold (LNT) model and the principle of As Low as Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) were adopted not as claims of biological certainty, but as prudential tools to support transparent and accountable decision-making. Decades of epidemiological studies support the continued use of LNT as a reasonable approach for regulating low-dose exposures. Recent policy initiatives calling for reconsideration of these frameworks, including proposals to adopt deterministic exposure limits without transparent derivation, reflect a shift toward narrative-driven reform. The intersection of policy and science are reflected in Executive Order 14300. This presentation is based on the author’s July 2026 paper in the Journal of Radiological Protection that situates these developments within historical experience, contemporary legal constraints, and the 2025 National Academies framework on mis-, dis-, and malinformation, and evaluates the risks of destabilizing radiation protection governance by substituting symbolic certainty for transparent management of risk and uncertainty.

Ethical Statement: The author has no financial conflicts of interest. He has however, been a volunteer member of numerous committees with ICRP, IAEA, IRPA, NCRP (member PAC-5), HPS (>35 yr) and CRCPD, and former employers ORNL, CDPHE, and EPA. The opinions expressed are those of the author only.

The author used ChatGPT5 for organization and writing assistance.

This discussion will center around portions of Executive Order 14300, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that included many proposed rulemakings. Some may affect all licensees, including TENORM Programs, particularly in Agreement States. In particular, one proposed rule, "Reforming and Modernizing the NRC's Radiation Protection Framework," While the bulk of the EO focuses on a revised nuclear program, some provisions affect all licensees and registrants. While the proposed rule retains LNT as the basis of radiation protection (one of the objectives of the EO), the ALARA approach may be replaced with a graded approach. This may be a huge expense with little change in radiation safety (but considerable cost savings to the companies). Dose limits for the public remain the same, with the exception of removing the 2 mR/h posting requirement. Other proposed rules that may have an impact on state programs include “Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act [retitled from National Environmental Policy Act Requirements and from Streamlining Environmental Reviews Under the National Environmental Policy Act]”; and “Modernizing Materials Licensing.”

The comment periods for the rulemakings will be over prior to the meeting. The debate will therefore be centered around the proposed changes that survive.