Department of Defense-Related Activities in EMB

U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) facilities have historically used/stored radioactive materials.  Many of these facilities operated well before today's radiological regulatory scheme was in place.  Many of these sites have been designated for closure and the property needs to be put to useful and economically productive purposes.   Therefore, it is prudent for the State to verify that radiological contamination at these sites has been properly identified, characterized and removed to a level that would allow the State to concur with the release of property for unrestricted use. 

CDPH's DoD Program in the Environmental Management Branch (EMB) is responsible for assisting the federal government and other state agencies (principally the California Department of Toxic Substance Control and the State Water Resources Control Board's DoD Program) in the cleanup of radiological materials at military facilities prior to release from federal ownership.

While owned by the Federal government, DoD facilities are not under the radiological control of the State of California, but when property is to be transferred to parties other than U.S. government agencies, California's radiation regulations are then enforceable.  Therefore decommissioning standards used for radioactive materials licenses in California are applied to the clean-up efforts at the military facilities.  

Guidance documents from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are available to assist in following the regulations: see NRC Technical Reports in the NUREG Series.

For more information on EMB's DoD activities, please phone at (916) 449-5661 or e-mail Terry.Han@cdph.ca.gov.