Purpose and Authority

(1) Purpose. 310 CMR 43.00 is composed of criteria for the selection of a superior site for a low- level radioactive waste management facility; guidelines for the application of the criteria; and procedures for conducting selection of a superior site. 310 CMR 43.00 shall be interpreted so as to be compatible with the federal regulatory program for the management of low-level radioactive waste and shall as a primary consideration be protective of the public health, safety and the environment. 310 CMR 43.01 through 43.09 establishes the Department's purpose and authority and the regulations' general applicability. 310 CMR 43.10 through 43.39 establishes location criteria for identifyinga superior site for a low-levelradioactive waste facility. The criteria are intended to identify site characteristics which will contribute to the isolation of the waste, minimize the likelihood of exposure to the public or the environment in the event ofa release and mitigate the incidental adverse impacts from waste management activities at the site. 310 CMR 43.40 through 43.72 specifiesthe procedures for selecting a superior site and guidelines for the collection, analysis and presentation ofdata necessaryto evaluate and characterize a potential site at eachstage ofthe site selection process specified by the Massachusetts Low-LevelRadioactive Waste Management Act (M.G.L. c. 111H, §§ 19 through 24). 310 CMR 43.40 through 43.72 is intended to ensure that the characterization of a potential site is based on accurate, verifiable, comprehensive and well documented data and analytical procedures. 310 CMR 43.40 through 43.72 is also intended to ensure that the scope of data collection and site characterization is compatible with the level of decision making to be applied at each stage of the site selection process. (2) Authority. 310 CMR 43.00 is promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to M.G.L. c. 111H, § 14.