Does your vehicle scale meet the NYS radiation regulations?

New NYS DEC Part 380 Regulation Requires Vehicle Scale Owners to Scan for Radioactive Materials.

Effective May 10^th, 2018 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued changes to the New York Code of Rules and Regulations or 6NYCRR Part 380. This regulation applies to any person disposing of or releasing licensed radioactive material into the environment within New York State.

NYS Requirements

If you are a landfill that accepts at least 20 tons of waste per day averaged over the operating days for a calendar year, you must install and utilize a scale. Landfills that accept less than 20 tons of waste a day must utilize NYS-approved alternative means of quantifying the weight of waste received.

Landfills that accept MSW or drilling and production waste must install a fixed radiation detection unit at a location appropriate for the monitoring of all incoming waste.

Under Section 373-7.1 Radioactive waste detection procedures and requirements:

Landfills that accept MSW or drilling and production wastes must install and operate a fixed radiation detection unit at a location appropriate for the monitoring of all incoming waste.
The investigation alarm setpoint of the radiation detector must be set at least two times but no greater than five times site background radiation levels.
Background radiation readings at the facility must be measured and recorded at least daily.
Field checks of the radiation detector utilizing a known radiation source must be performed and recorded at least weekly.
The radiation detector must be calibrated at least annually or more often as recommended by the manufacturer, and documentation describing the calibration must be maintained at the facility.
Each instance in which the radiation detector is triggered by a waste load must be documented and reported to the department within 24 hours. Recorded information must include the date the waste was received, transporter name, origin of the waste, truck number or other identifying marking, detector reading, disposition of the waste, and date of disposition.

Radiation Detection Hardware

If your existing scale does not have the required radiation detection hardware, there are several manufacturers available in the market. Brady Systems represents RadComm Radiation Detection Systems and can provide equipment that is designed to work in conjunction with your vehicle scale.