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Mixed Waste (Haz/Radioactive)
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Mixed waste is a term used to define a hazardous waste that also contains radioactive
material, according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The
most likely sources of mixed waste in laboratories are liquid scintillation cocktails
that contain radioactive isotopes and organic solvents. Once a waste is determined
to be a mixed waste, it must be handled in a way that meets the requirements of
both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which oversees radioactive waste,
and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates hazardous waste.
The requirements of these two agencies are generally consistent and compatible.
RCRA generally provides for the NRC to take precedence in case of conflict.
Continue through this section of the EVC to learn about mixed waste laws, regulations
and best practices such as these:
- Exemptions from RCRA storage requirements allowed by the EPA for certain
low-level mixed wastes (LLMW) and naturally occurring and/or accelerator-produced
radioactive material (NARM)
- Requirements for training, inventory, emergency planning and use notification
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