More and more, modern society is incorporating the use of radioactive materials into everyday uses. And with society using more radioactive materials, the odds of it being accidentally disposed of into the solid waste stream increases. There are several radiation systems available which market themselves as being complete and "ready to go". While it is true that a person could purchase one of these systems and would have coverage of the landfill, such a system does not provide the necessary education, response and liability protection programs. Indeed, it would be feasible to foresee a scenario where installing a systems could lead to an increase in liability and employee problems. As a result, Coffin Butte Landfill worked with the author to establish a complete radiation monitoring program. This program encompasses everything from installment of the system to employee education and training. It also examined the myriad and murky depths of federal and state regulation dealing with solid and radioactive waste to help the landfill set an acceptance policy and minimize liability. This led the author to the belief that the combination of federal and state regulations imply a requirement for landfills to have a working radiation monitoring program. Future government action remains uncertain as pertaining to a requirement for landfills to maintain a radiation monitoring system. Indeed, current state regulations are out of sync with federal regulations regarding acceptable public exposures. It is hoped that, with this study's help, Coffin Butte Landfill and Oregon State University will continue with the established relationship and be prepared to respond to regulation changes. / Graduation date: 1999