10 CFR § 40.13 - Unimportant quantities of source material.
(a) Any person is exempt from the regulations in this part and from the requirements for a license set forth in section 62 of the Act to the extent that such person receives, possesses, uses, transfers or delivers source material in any chemical mixture, compound, solution, or alloy in which the source material is by weight less than one-twentieth of 1 percent (0.05 percent) of the mixture, compound, solution or alloy. The exemption contained in this paragraph does not apply to Australian-obligated source material, nor does it include byproduct materials as defined in this part.
(b) Any person is exempt from the regulations in this part and from the requirements for a license set forth in section 62 of the act to the extent that such person receives, possesses, uses, or transfers unrefined and unprocessed ore containing source material; provided, that, except as authorized in a specific license, such person shall not refine or process such ore.
(c) Any person is exempt from the requirements for a license set forth in section 62 of the Act and from the regulations in this part and parts 19, 20, and 21 of this chapter to the extent that such person receives, possesses, uses, or transfers:
(1) Any quantities of thorium contained in (i) incandescent gas mantles, (ii) vacuum tubes, (iii) welding rods, (iv) electric lamps for illuminating purposes: Provided, That each lamp does not contain more than 50 milligrams of thorium, (v) germicidal lamps, sunlamps, and lamps for outdoor or industrial lighting: Provided, That each lamp does not contain more than 2 grams of thorium, (vi) rare earth metals and compounds, mixtures, and products containing not more than 0.25 percent by weight thorium, uranium, or any combination of these, or (vii) personnel neutron dosimeters: Provided, That each dosimeter does not contain more than 50 milligrams of thorium.
(2) Source material contained in the following products:
(i) Glazed ceramic tableware manufactured before August 27, 2013, provided that the glaze contains not more than 20 percent by weight source material;
(ii) Piezoelectric ceramic containing not more than 2 percent by weight source material;
(iii) Glassware containing not more than 2 percent by weight source material or, for glassware manufactured before August 27, 2013, 10 percent by weight source material; but not including commercially manufactured glass brick, pane glass, ceramic tile, or other glass or ceramic used in construction;
(iv) Glass enamel or glass enamel frit containing not more than 10 percent by weight source material imported or ordered for importation into the United States, or initially distributed by manufacturers in the United States, before July 25, 1983. 1
1 On July 25, 1983, the exemption of glass enamel or glass enamel frit was suspended. The exemption was eliminated on September 11, 1984.
(3) Photographic film, negatives, and prints containing uranium or thorium;
(4) Any finished product or part fabricated of, or containing tungsten or magnesium-thorium alloys, provided that the thorium content of the alloy does not exceed 4 percent by weight and that the exemption contained in this subparagraph shall not be deemed to authorize the chemical, physical or metallurgical treatment or processing of any such product or part; and
(5) Uranium contained in counterweights installed in aircraft, rockets, projectiles, and missiles, or stored or handled in connection with installation or removal of such counterweights: Provided, That:
(i) Each counterweight has been impressed with the following legend clearly legible through any plating or other covering: “Depleted Uranium”; 2
2 The requirements specified in paragraphs (c)(5)(i) and (ii) of this section need not be met by counterweights manufactured prior to Dec. 31, 1969, provided that such counterweights were manufactured under a specific license issued by the Atomic Energy Commission and were impressed with the legend required by § 40.13(c)(5)(ii) in effect on June 30, 1969.
(ii) Each counterweight is durably and legibly labeled or marked with the identification of the manufacturer, and the statement: “Unauthorized Alterations Prohibited”; 2 and
(iii) The exemption contained in this paragraph shall not be deemed to authorize the chemical, physical, or metallurgical treatment or processing of any such counterweights other than repair or restoration of any plating or other covering.
(iv) Consistent with § 40.56, the counterweights are not manufactured for a military purpose using Australian-obligated source material.
(6) Natural or depleted uranium metal used as shielding constituting part of any shipping container: Provided, That:
(i) The shipping container is conspicuously and legibly impressed with the legend “CAUTION—RADIOACTIVE SHIELDING—URANIUM”; and
(ii) The uranium metal is encased in mild steel or equally fire resistant metal of minimum wall thickness of one-eighth inch (3.2 mm).
(7) Thorium or uranium contained in or on finished optical lenses and mirrors, provided that each lens or mirror does not contain more than 10 percent by weight thorium or uranium or, for lenses manufactured before August 27, 2013, 30 percent by weight of thorium; and that the exemption contained in this paragraph does not authorize either:
(i) The shaping, grinding or polishing of such lens or mirror or manufacturing processes other than the assembly of such lens or mirror into optical systems and devices without any alteration of the lens or mirror; or
(ii) The receipt, possession, use, or transfer of uranium or thorium contained in contact lenses, or in spectacles, or in eyepieces in binoculars or other optical instruments.
(8) Thorium contained in any finished aircraft engine part containing nickel-thoria alloy, Provided, That:
(i) The thorium is dispersed in the nickel-thoria alloy in the form of finely divided thoria (thorium dioxide); and
(ii) The thorium content in the nickel-thoria alloy does not exceed 4 percent by weight.
(9) The exemptions in this paragraph (c) do not authorize the manufacture of any of the products described.
(10) No person may initially transfer for sale or distribution a product containing source material to persons exempt under this paragraph (c), or equivalent regulations of an Agreement State, unless authorized by a license issued under § 40.52 to initially transfer such products for sale or distribution.
(i) Persons initially distributing source material in products covered by the exemptions in this paragraph (c) before August 27, 2013, without specific authorization may continue such distribution for 1 year beyond this date. Initial distribution may also be continued until the Commission takes final action on a pending application for license or license amendment to specifically authorize distribution submitted no later than 1 year beyond this date.
(ii) Persons authorized to manufacture, process, or produce these materials or products containing source material by an Agreement State, and persons who import finished products or parts, for sale or distribution must be authorized by a license issued under § 40.52 for distribution only and are exempt from the requirements of parts 19 and 20 of this chapter, and § 40.32(b) and (c).