| Publication 52 - Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail > 3 Hazardous Materials > 34 Mailability by Hazard Class > 347 Radioactive Materials (Hazard Class 7) Radioactive material is defined in 49 CFR § 173.403 as any material containing radionuclides where both the activity concentration and the total activity in the consignment exceed the values specified in the table in 49 CFR § 173.436 or values derived according to the instructions in 49 CFR § 173.433. The following conditions apply for Hazard Class 7 items: - International Mail: Radioactive materials bearing or required to bear a Class 7 Radioactive White-I, Radioactive Yellow-II, or Radioactive Yellow-III hazardous materials warning label (refer to Exhibit 325.3) are prohibited. Specific admissibility requirements for international shipments of radioactive material are detailed in 622.3 IMM 135.5. Eligible shipments may be sent only via First-Class Package International Service with Registered Mail service, and the radioactive activity content must not exceed one-tenth of the limits outlined in Exhibit 347.22.
- Domestic Mail via Air Transportation: All radioactive materials are prohibited.
- Domestic Mail via Surface Transportation: Radioactive materials bearing or required to bear a Class 7 Radioactive White-I, Radioactive Yellow-II, Radioactive Yellow-III hazardous materials warning label, or the Fissile label (refer to Exhibit 325.3) are prohibited. Each package containing mailable radioactive materials must not exceed the activity limits in Exhibit 347.22, and must be categorized as one of the following UN identification numbers:
- UN2910: Low-risk radioactive material classified as "limited quantity" and "excepted package" under 49 CFR § 172.101.
- UN2911: Low-risk items like clocks, electronic tubes, or similar devices with radioactive materials in gas or solid form, classified as "excepted package" for simplified handling under 49 CFR § 172.101.
- UN2909: Manufactured articles containing only natural or depleted uranium or thorium, categorized as excepted package-articles manufactured from uranium or depleted uranium or natural thorium under 49 CFR § 172.101.
Packages bearing, or required to bear, any Class 7 hazardous materials warning label for radioactive materials, as shown in Exhibit 325.3, are nonmailable. Nonmailable materials found in the mailstream must be reported to appropriate officials in accordance with POM 139.117, as applicable. Emergency procedures are available in 347.5. As stated in 347.2, the only categories of radioactive material that are mailable in international mail or in domestic mail via surface transportation are those that do not have an activity level exceeding the limits in Exhibit 347.22 and are eligible under 49 CFR to be shipped as excepted packages for: - Limited quantities.
- Instruments and articles.
- Articles containing natural uranium or thorium.
The mailer must provide accurate documentation verifying activity levels do not exceed permissible limits, when requested by the Postal Service. Exhibit 347.22 Activity Limits for Mailable Instruments, Articles, and Limited Quantity Radioactive Materials 1. For mixture of radionuclides, refer to 49 CFR § 173.433(d). 2. These values also apply to tritium in activated luminous paint and tritium adsorbed on solid carriers. Mailable Class 7 materials must follow all applicable conditions within the Packaging Instruction 7A in Appendix C. For mailpieces intended for domestic transportation, the radiation level at any point on the external surface of the mailpiece must not exceed 0.5 millirem per hour. The outside of the primary receptacle or the outside of the secondary packaging must be marked "Radioactive." The address side of the mailpiece must clearly and prominently display one of the following markings, as applicable: - Mailable Limited Quantity Shipments: "This package conforms to the conditions and limitations specified in 49 CFR § 173.421 for radioactive material, excepted package-limited quantity of material, UN2910, and is within Postal Service activity limits for mailing."
- Mailable Instruments and Articles: "This package conforms to the conditions and limitations specified in 49 CFR § 173.424 for radioactive material, excepted package-instruments or articles, UN2911, and is within Postal Service activity limits for mailing."
- Mailable Excepted Articles Containing Uranium or Thorium: "This package conforms to the conditions and limitations specified in 49 CFR § 173.426 for radioactive material, excepted package-articles manufactured from natural uranium (or natural thorium), UN2909, and is within Postal Service activity limits for mailing."
Note: For international marking requirements, refer to Packaging Instruction 7A, 622.3 and IMM 135.5. In cases where a nonmailable package of radioactive material is found in the mailstream, the following procedures must be immediately followed: - Place the package at least 15 feet from other mail or personnel. Under no circumstances may the package be dispatched.
- Report the mailpiece to the appropriate officials in accordance with POM 139.117 and 139.118, as applicable.
- If a package of radioactive material is damaged or is leaking, immediately contact the facility safety officer (or designee). The safety officer will:
- Follow the appropriate spill-response procedures.
- Isolate the area around the damaged package to prevent contact with people.
- Isolate any conveyor, belt, chute, or other equipment or conveyance, including mailbags, in which the radioactive material has leaked or may have leaked.
- Rope off or guard the isolated area whenever practical.
- Place a temporary sign indicating the presence of radioactive materials and bearing a warning to stay beyond the edge of the roped area.
The local postmaster or facility manager must immediately request the assistance of qualified persons to check radiation hazards and to supervise the salvage and decontamination. This assistance may be received from the mailer (if known) or from one of the following contacts: - Nearest office of the Department of Energy (DOE) as listed in Exhibit 347.5 or DOE‘s national emergency number and website:
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER Telephone: 202–586–8100 www.doe.gov Local health, fire, or police departments. Local civil defense authorities. Nearby military installations. Nearby scientific laboratories. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, whose national emergency numbers and websites are as follows: NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) Telephone: 301–816–5100 www.nrc.gov ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER Telephone: 800–424–8802 www.epa.gov FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA)
NATIONAL EMERGENCY COORDINATION CENTER Telephone: 202–646–2400 www.fema.gov Exhibit 347.5 DOE Regional Coordinating Offices Department of Energy | Regional Coordinating Offices for Geographical Areas of Responsibility | Regional Coordinating Office | Telephone for Assistance | Areas Served | - Brookhaven, NY
| 631-344-2200 | Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont | - Oak Ridge, TN
| 865-576-1005 | Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia (includes Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) | - Savannah River, SC
| 803-725-3333 | Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina | - Albuquerque, NM
| 505-845-4667 | Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas | - Chicago, IL
| 630-252-4800 | Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin | - Idaho Falls, ID
| 208-526-1515 | Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming | - Oakland, CA
| 925-422-8951 | California, Hawaii, Nevada | - Richland, WA
| 509-373-3800 | Alaska, Oregon, Washington | Headquarters – Washington, DC | 202-586-8100 | |
|
