Abstract
The concept of clearance was introduced by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1996 and has proven to be very useful for the management of extremely low-level solid materials generated from the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Therefore, the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan began setting clearance levels for solid materials generated from nuclear reactors in 1997, and published related reports in 1999 and 2001, respectively. The European Commission has also published several guides to clear metals, concrete, building and other solid materials from regulatory control. Some organizations, including the IAEA and the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, are still discussing how to establish clearance levels. This paper summarizes the present status of clearance in organizations in Japan and other countries. Also discussed information is compiled to realize the concept of clearance and the related problems.
