Illinois Emergency Management Website

Pat Quinn, Governor

IEMA Links Skip to Content Skip to State Links

Director Monken
Nuclear Safety
Disaster Preparedness, Response & Recovery
Mitigation
Training & Exercises
Publications
Laws & Regulations
News
Freedom of Information
[Search Tips]
Quick Nav:  
   Environmental Safety   

Notices affecting the public, including the issuance of public reports and scheduling of upcoming public meetings conducted by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Division of Nuclear Safety, are included in this section.

LLRW Annual Survey Reports
    Illinois Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Act mandates an annual survey of all low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) generators in Illinois. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) requires all LLRW generators to complete this questionnaire. These are the 26th, 27th and 28th reports based on the response of those surveys.
Illinois Codifies Land Application and Disposal Regulations for Radium Treatment Residuals
    On December 7, 2000 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) finalized their drinking water standards for removal of radionuclides. The regulations became effective in December of 2003 and drinking water treatment facilities were mandated to meet the 5 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) limit for combined radium. As radium is removed from the raw water and manifests itself either in the drinking water treatment media or at a wastewater treatment facility; the management of these treatment residuals is the subject of regulations recently promulgated by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency's (IEMA) Division of Nuclear Safety (DNS).

    Specifically, persons producing or possessing residuals or sludge resulting from the treatment of water or sewage and containing naturally occurring radium from groundwater are exempt from licensure provided they contain a combined radium (Radium-226 and Radium-228) concentration less than or equal to 200 pCi/g (picocuries per gram, dry weight basis). Ultimately, the exemption came about in response to petitions for higher land application rates for radium, agency response efforts at landfills and scrap yards handling treatment residuals and equipment contaminated with radium, the need to create awareness and the agency's responsibility to protect the health and safety of municipal workers. Specific details on requirements for land application, field sampling, disposal, and annual reporting were codified in the resulting rule.

    Additional Information pertaining to the regulation can be found using the below links.

2009 Nuclear Power Plants Environmental Monitoring Report
    The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Division of Nuclear Safety is charged with protecting the citizens of Illinois from the harmful effects of radioactive materials. To that end, the Division of Nuclear Safety monitors the environment around Illinois's seven nuclear power stations for the presence of radionuclides. Samples of water, sediment, fish, milk and vegetables are collected from 132 locations analyzed for man-made and natural radionuclides. In addition, the Agency maintains a network 415 environmental dosimeters to measure and document the ambient gamma radiation levels within a ten-mile radius of each station.

    Click here to read the full 2009 report.

    Click here to read errata for 2009 report.

   CMC   
   LLRW   


In 1983, the State of Illinois and the Commonwealth of Kentucky entered into the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact (CMC). This was in response to a federal policy set out in the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980, which made each state responsible for assuring that disposal capacity is available for certain categories of low-level radioactive waste generated within its borders.

A three-member commission administers the CMC. Presently, the Illinois commissioners are Joe G. Klinger and Mary K. O'Brien. Dr Edward S. Ford is the chairman and commissioner representing Kentucky. Marcia Marr is the executive director for the commission.

This section includes notices of upcoming meetings, and the availability of reports.

Central Midwest Interstate LLRW Compact Commission

The Illinois Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Act established the Illinois Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) Task Group to develop site selection criteria and to provide an independent evaluation of a site proposed for a LLRW disposal facility. The Task Group developed and adopted 25 principle and supplemental criteria to be used in the site selection process. The principle criteria relate to the geographic, geologic, seismologic, tectonic, hydrologic and other scientific conditions best suited for a regional disposal facility. The supplemental criteria include land use, economics, transportation, meteorology and other factors identified by the Task Group that relate to desirable conditions for a regional disposal facility. All sites proposed for the development of a regional disposal facility will be reviewed by the Task Group to ensure they meet the criteria.

This section provides notices of upcoming Task Group meetings and copies of Task Group meeting transcripts.

LLRW Task Group Meetings

 

Environmental Safety

CMC Meeting Notices
LLRW Meeting Notices
Public Notices
Public Announcements
Copyright © IEMA Site Map | Disclaimer | Illinois Privacy Info | Kids Privacy | Web Accessibility | Plug-Ins | Webmaster