Workgroup Charter

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MARSSIM WORKGROUP CHARTER

This charter provides for the continuance of the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) Workgroup and describes the mission, scope, vision, values, and processes far the Workgroup's activities and products.

MISSION

The mission of the Workgroup is to provide technical processes and methods, which are accepted and endorsed across the Federal government and State governments, that regulators and users of radioactivity can use to measure radioactivity to demonstrate compliance with regulatory criteria.

SCOPE

The scope of the Workgroup's work is focused on compliance for clean-up, clearance, and site closure.

VALUES

The Workgroup places high value on the following attributes of its activities and products: Technical defensibility and robustness Clarity by the use of simple language and straightforward logic - Providing and promoting consistency and compliance with regulatory criteria across the Federal government and State governments Minimization of the duplication of effort by regulators and users Minimization of costs in keeping with the desired quality of the results Wide-spread and consistent dissemination of and training on the Workgroup's products

VISION

Feed-back from the implementers of the Workgroup's products The Workgroup's vision is to build on its successes as an interagency platform to find common resolutions to technical problems and technical issues on the measurement of radioactivity associated with compliance criteria for clean-up, clearance, and site closures.

METRICS

The metrics for success of the Workgroup's products are the extent they are used and the degree to which the values above are met.

STRUCTURE

The structure of the Workgroup is as follows:

  • The Workgroup members are direct employees of Federal Agencies and may include State co-regulators, who are actively engaged in resolving common technical measurement problems and measurement related issues for demonstrating compliance with regulatory criteria on radioactivity. For example, the Workgroup that developed and published the MARSSIM (December 1997) represented the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the State of Florida. In October 2003, the Department of Homeland Security joined the Workgroup.
  • Each Federal agency has a point of contact as a regular attendee who presides for his agency. Other agency staffs are encouraged to participate as the technical issues or agency interests indicate.
  • The Workgroup selects, by consensus, a Chairperson who is a direct employee of a Federal agency and who is not a point of contact.

PROCESSES

The systematic planning process is used as the approach to participation and problem solving, and is described in Guidance for the Data Quality Objectives Process (EPA 230-R-361055, EPA QA/G4, 1994) its revisions or its equivalent, [e.g., Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs, (American Society for Quality Control, ANSI/ASQC E4-1994, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1995)]

  • Workgroup meeting agendas, the way the meetings are conducted, and technical decisions for the Workgroup's products are made by consensus: unanimous agreement that the agenda, meeting conduct. - or technical decision would be supported and defended by agency representatives in a public forum.
  • The Chairperson schedules, conducts, and summarizes Workgroup meetings, and helps keep the Workgroup focused on the task by promoting scheduled milestones.
  • For single meetings, the Workgroup chair and the point of contact functions may be delegated by the regular chair or the regular point of contact, respectively.
  • Meetings are announced and generally open to the public. The public has an opportunity to provide information, without expectation of - feedback or dialogue, to the Workgroup at least once during a meeting.
  • The Workgroup may invite their respective contractors to participate in meetings and provide information as requested by the Workgroup.
  • Meetings are facilitated; the facilitator, usually a Workgroup member. is selected by consensus.
  • Workgroup products that normally require only workgroup consensus for approval include errata, minor addenda, frequently asked questions, reference citations and website updates. These documents will be made available to MARSSIM users as electronic files and via MARSSIM website postings.
  • Workgroup products such as major addenda, supplements, revisions and manual re-writes normally require agency review and approval prior to final publication. These documents will be made available to MARSSIM users as hard-copy publications in addition to electronic files and via MARSSIM website postings.
  • Federal agency acceptance and endorsement of the Workgroup's products, as appropriate, is by signature of a manager with authority to represent the respective agency for these purposes.
  • The Workgroup Chairperson or designee will provide progress and action plans reports to the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards (ISCORS) as requested by the Chair of ISCORS.

MARSSlM WORKGROUP CHARTER APPROVAL

  • Ramachandra K. Bhat, U.S. Air Force
  • Dennis Chambers, Army
  • Steven W. Doremus, Navy
  • Carl V. Gogolak, Department of Homeland Security
  • Alexander Williams, Energy
  • Kathryn Snead, Environmental Protection Agency
  • Robert A. Meck, Nuclear regulatory Commission
  • Captain Colleen F. Petullo, USPHS, Detailed to USEPA, Workgroup Chairperson

Workgroup Charter
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