In December 2009, it was revealed that oil and gas production generates millions of tons of radioactive waste each year, much of which is improperly disposed of without detection, including Radium and Polonium. The specific activity of the waste ranges from 0.1 to 15,000 becquerels per gram. In Germany, according to the Radiation Protection Ordinance of 2001, the material is subject to monitoring at one Becquerel per gram and would have to be disposed of separately. The implementation of this regulation has been left to the industry, which has disposed of the waste carelessly and improperly for decades.