North Dakota introduced proposed rule changes late last week that would allow for more disposal of Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM) in the state’s landfills. The proposed rule change would increase the radiation level allowed per year from five picocuries per gram of material to 50 picocuries, which would allow for more in-state disposal compared to producers transporting the waste out of-state at high costs. The changes also require TENORM producers to register with the state’s Department of Health while also requiring the waste be tracked from production to disposal. Landfills could accept up to 25,000 tons of waste per year.
The increased activity in oil and gas exploration, especially in the Marcellus Shale and Bakkan Shale formations, has increased volumes of TENORM in states where that type of waste did not regularly occur. Radioactive contaminants like uranium, thorium, and radium naturally occur within the earth, and the fracking process exposes that material to drill tailings and water, among other things, and brings it to the surface. States like Pennsylvania and North Dakota have undertaken studies to better address the waste stream by looking at how the states’ landfills could handle the increased radiation levels.