Colorado facilities with operations that may involve Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM) are facing a regulatory deadline this summer.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will begin enforcing its rules in accordance with 6 CCR 1007-1, Part 20 regarding TENORM on Aug. 14, 2022. By this date, every facility that has products suspected of containing TENORM will have to have completed all testing and registrations.

Part 20 refers to extraction operations across numerous industries, most notably oil and gas, mining, drinking-water treatment, wastewater treatment, waste disposal, feed stock and biosolids. The CCPHE requires these industries or any that may handle, dispose of or produce products known to potentially contain TENORM to perform testing. This will result in an exempt, registered or licensed status, and will keep a facility in compliance with the regulation.

CGRS has provided a guidance document that outlines what material needs tested, how to perform testing and what the results of those tests mean for a facility.