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TITLE 25HEALTH SERVICES
PART 1DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
CHAPTER 289RADIATION CONTROL
SUBCHAPTER FLICENSE REGULATIONS
RULE §289.253Radiation Safety Requirements for Well Logging Service Operations and Tracer Studies

    (A) a reasonable effort at recovery will be made in the event a sealed source is lost or lodged downhole;

    (B) a person shall not attempt to recover a sealed source in a manner that, in the licensee's opinion, could result in a source rupture;

    (C) in the event the environment, any equipment, or personnel are contaminated with radioactive material, decontamination to levels specified in §289.202(f), (n), and (eee) of this title shall be performed; and

    (D) the requirements of subsection (dd)(4) of this section shall be met in the event a decision is made to abandon the sealed source downhole.

  (2) No licensee shall perform tracer study operations with a substance tagged with radioactive material in any well or wellbore unless, prior to commencement of the operation, the licensee has a written agreement with the well operator, well owner, drilling contractor or land owner, and the service company to which the licensee's equipment is connected, as applicable, that specifies who will be responsible for ensuring the following requirements are met:

    (A) in the event the service company's personnel or equipment are contaminated with radioactive material, they shall be decontaminated in accordance with §289.202(n) or (ddd) of this title before release from the job site or release for unrestricted use, respectively;

    (B) in the event the well head or job site is contaminated with radioactive material, it shall be decontaminated in accordance with §289.202(ddd) of this title; and

    (C) in the event radioactive material is to be reversed from the well or the well screens out, the licensee shall have established procedures and equipment or facilities to do the following:

      (i) reverse material into a preconstructed steel or lined pit that is specifically established in the event of a screen out; or

      (ii) reverse material into suitable transport container(s) in the event of a screen out.

  (3) The licensee shall maintain, in accordance with subsection (ee)(5) of this section, a copy of the written agreement specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection.

(f) Limits on levels of radiation. Sources of radiation shall be used, stored, and transported in such a manner that the requirements of §289.202 of this title, §289.231 of this title, and §289.257 of this title, as applicable, are met.

(g) Storage precautions.

  (1) Each source of radiation, except accelerators, shall be provided with a storage and/or transport container. Each container shall have a lock (or tamper seal for calibration sources) to prevent unauthorized removal of, or exposure to, the source of radiation.

  (2) Each area or room in which sources of radiation are stored shall be posted in accordance with §289.202(aa)(5) or §289.231(x) of this title, as applicable.

  (3) Sources of radiation, except accelerators, shall be stored downhole or in a bunker in order to minimize the danger from explosion and/or fire.

  (4) Sources of radiation may not be stored in residential locations. This section does not apply to storage of radioactive material in a vehicle in transit for use at temporary job sites, if the licensee complies with subsection (bb)(2) of this section.

  (5) Sources of radiation in storage shall be secured to prevent tampering, or removal by unauthorized individuals.

(h) Transport precautions. Transport containers shall be locked and physically secured to the transporting vehicle to prevent shifting during transport, accidental loss, tampering, or unauthorized removal.

(i) Radiation survey instruments.

  (1) The licensee or registrant shall maintain a sufficient number of calibrated and operable radiation survey instruments at each location where sources of radiation are stored or used to make physical radiation surveys as required by this section and by §289.202(p) or §289.231(s), of this title, as applicable. Instrumentation shall be capable of measuring 0.1 milliroentgen per hour (mR/hr) (1 microsievert per hour (µSv/hr)) through at least 50 mR/hr (500 µSv/hr). (Instrumentation capable of measuring 0.1 mR/hr (1 µSv/hr) through 50 mR/hr (500 µSv/hr) may not be sufficient to determine compliance with DOT requirements.)

  (2) A licensee using tracer material shall have available at each additional authorized use/storage location and temporary job site additional calibrated and operable radiation survey instruments sensitive enough to detect the radioactive surface contamination limits specified in §289.202(eee) of this title.

  (3) Each radiation survey instrument capable of detecting beta and gamma radiation shall be calibrated:

    (A) by a person specifically licensed or registered by the agency, another agreement state or the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to perform such service;

    (B) at intervals not to exceed six months and after each survey instrument repair;

    (C) for the types of radiation used and at energies appropriate for use; and

    (D) at an accuracy within ±20% of the true radiation level at each calibration point.

  (4) The licensee or registrant shall maintain calibration records in accordance with subsection (ee)(5) of this section.

(j) Leak testing of sealed sources.

  (1) Testing and record keeping. Sealed sources shall be tested for leakage and contamination in accordance with this section and §289.201(g) of this title. The licensee shall maintain records of leak tests in accordance with subsection (ee)(5) of this section.

  (2) Each energy compensation source that is not exempt from testing in accordance with §289.201(g)(2) of this title shall be tested at intervals not to exceed three years. In the absence of a certificate from a transferor that a test has been made within the three years before the transfer, the energy compensation source may not be used until tested in accordance with §289.201(g) of this title.

  (3) If a sealed source is found to be leaking in accordance with §289.201(g) of this title, the licensee shall check the equipment associated with the leaking source for radioactive contamination and, if contaminated, have it decontaminated or disposed of by persons specifically authorized by the agency, the NRC, or an agreement state, to perform such services.

(k) Quarterly inventory. Each licensee or registrant shall conduct a physical inventory to account for all sources of radiation received or possessed at intervals not to exceed three months. The licensee or registrant shall make and maintain records of inventories in accordance with subsection (ee)(5) of this section and shall include the following:

  (1) the quantities and kinds of sources of radiation;

  (2) the location where sources of radiation are assigned;

  (3) a unique identification of each source of radiation;

  (4) the date of the inventory; and

  (5) the name of the individual conducting the inventory.

(l) Utilization records. Utilization records shall be maintained by each licensee or registrant in accordance with subsection (ee)(5) of this section and shall include the following information for each source of radiation:

  (1) identification of each source of radiation to include:

    (A) the make and model number and/or serial number (or if absent, a description) of each sealed source used; or

    (B) the radionuclide and activity of tracer materials and radioactive markers used at a particular well site and the disposition of any unused tracer materials.

  (2) the identity of the logging supervisor or individual who is responsible for receiving sources of radiation, to whom assigned; and

  (3) the locations where used and dates of use.

(m) Design and performance criteria for sealed sources used in well logging operations.

  (1) Each sealed source used in well logging applications shall meet the following minimum criteria.

    (A) The sealed source is of doubly encapsulated construction.

    (B) The sealed source contains radioactive material with a chemical/physical form as insoluble and nondispersible as practicable.

    (C) The sealed source meets one of the following requirements:

      (i) for a sealed source manufactured on or before July 14, 1989, the requirements from the United States of America Standards Institute (USASI) N5.10-1968, "Classification of Sealed Radioactive Sources," or the requirements in clause (ii) or (iii) of this subparagraph;

Cont'd...

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