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			Radioactive Materials Section The Radioactive Materials Section regulates radioactive materials licensees throughout the state of Washington. A specific license is required to receive, possess, use, transfer, or acquire most radioactive materials. Major Categories of Use How to Apply for a License Current Annual Fee Information Mailing List of Specific Licensees Technical Assistance Providers for Radiological Material Section Statistics Noncompliance Hospitals Laboratories Industrial Contact Information The Radioactive Materials Section charges an annual fee for each license and registration. Fees support all costs associated with operating the Radioactive Materials Section. An annual fee is charged for each license and registration. A new license applicant is charged a new license application fee to cover pre-licensing inspection costs. The annual fee covers services such as amendments, routine inspections and investigations. Licensees are not charged when they need help. A cautionary note to licensees: if you intend to work on a federal facility in any state, you must obtain reciprocal recognition of your Washington license from the appropriate jurisdiction before beginning work. You will be subject to whatever fees are in effect for that locality. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently updated fees for its reciprocity provisions, to view these changes visit the NRC Website and look at item 16 under 10 CFR 170.31. Major Categories of Use There are many diverse uses of radioactive materials licensed or registered by the Radioactive Materials Section. All licensees or registrants fall into the following categories: Industrial Medical Laboratory General License Other Uses Industrial Industrial Radiography - Large sealed sources are used to non-destructively test welds, castings and structural material for cracks and flaws which could render the product or construction unsafe. These radiography sources are extremely hazardous if mishandled and can cause skin burns, loss of fingers and other tissue damage, and potentially death. Contamination is not a problem. Fixed Gauges - Various sizes of sealed sources are used to measure thickness of material, density, fill level, or flow rate in pipes, tanks or other vessels in numerous industries. The sources and their housings are manufactured to stringent specifications to ensure their safety no matter where the gauge is used. In the worst instance in this state, molten steel poured over a gauge destroying the electronics but had no effect on the sealed source. Portable Gauges - Small sealed sources are used in portable test equipment to measure moisture and/or density of road beds, roofing, or agricultural land. The gauges are susceptible to theft and damage. Even the most severely damaged gauges have been easily picked up for return to the manufacturer. No contamination has occurred. Medical Radiopharmaceuticals (unsealed material for diagnostic or therapeutic use) and the radiation from sealed sources for therapeutic use are administered to patients. Most hospitals and some major clinics have nuclear medicine departments. Some clinics and certain private physicians are licensed for diagnostic use and/or therapy treatments of out-patients. In-Vitro - Medical labs, hospitals, private physicians, and veterinarians using extremely limited amounts of radioactive material for in-vitro clinical testing are only required to register with the department. Test kits are limited in quantity and the hazard is low enough to allow any waste to be discarded in the sewerage system or regular trash collection. Laboratory Unsealed radioactive materials may be used to study living systems and to improve or test products or materials. Users include biotechnology firms, colleges, and testing labs. Small sources in gas chromatographs are included in this category. Some of these labs may be licensed for sufficient quantity of material to be subject to our decommissioning funding plan requirement. General License Many industrial facilities and laboratories use relatively small or well shielded sealed sources in equipment designed to be used safely by persons untrained with respect to radiation safety. We maintain records of where these devices are located which have been sold under general license. Some sources are of sufficient quantity to require registration. Other Uses Both sealed and unsealed radioactive materials can be used in a number of ways not easily categorized. Some are essentially unique uses. Other users include broad scope licensees, manufacturers, decontamination and waste brokering, nuclear laundry, calibration of instruments, leak testing services, and product irradiators. Many of these licensees will be required to have a decommissioning funding plan. Contact Information For more information call or email the appropriate person. Send written correspondence to the address below or fax to 360-236-2255. Craig Lawrence, Industrial Licensing 360-236-3229 Curt DeMaris, Medical Licensing 360-236-3223 Anine Grumbles, Laboratory Licensing 360-236-3222 Vicky Dix, General Licensing 360-236-3225 Arden Scroggs, Supervisor 360-236-3221 Joy Redman, Secretary 360-236-3220
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Washington State Department of Health

Office of Radiation Protection                                      Physical Address:
P.O. Box 47827                                                            111 Israel Road SE, TC2
Olympia, Washington 98504-7827                                  Tumwater, Washington 98501
(360) 236-3300

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