Hazardous materials identified or generated from the facility decommissioning process are subject to intense regulation and present significant potential liabilities. The need to improve characterization and management of these wastes is a primary driver for development of improved decommissioning strategies.
Research laboratory facilities and their associated spaces pose unique decommissioning concerns because of the nature of the use of workspace. The intent of this standard is to address a decommissioning approach specifically for research laboratories that may then be applied to other types of facilities, if appropriate.
The scope of this standard was narrowed to five elements:
1. Provides guidance for the decommissioning of all or parts of laboratory facilities.
2. Provides guidance to determine extent of acceptable risk given the future use of the facility.
3. Provides methodologies to document, monitor and verify the decommissioning process.
4. Identifies stakeholders, their roles, responsibilities and relationships.
5. Provides criteria for development of a decommissioning plan for laboratories that addresses human health, safety and environmental protection and meets the goals of the overall decommissioning process.
Keywords
Laboratory; Decommissioning
Rationale
Conversion of existing Z9.11 standard to ASTM format
