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At least 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

HEPA Filter Waste Management at Select Department of Energy National Laboratories - 17022

High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are routinely used to filter exhaust air at Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory facilities that work with radioactive materials. While the HEPA filter configurations are fairly standardized (such as metal framed with glass micro-fiber media), the range and concentrations of radioactive and potentially other hazardous materials in the used filters presents for a variety of characterization approaches as well as challenges. This paper will summarize, compare and contrast the current HEPA filter waste management experience at a selection of DOE National Laboratories. Topic areas to be explored include process knowledge collection, characterization methods, characterization results, waste packaging and disposition pathways, and problems and success stories. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Waste Management Approach for a Potential Future U.S. Closed Fuel Cycle - 16233

The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy has chartered an effort to develop technologies to enable safe and cost effective recycle of commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF) in the U.S. Part of this effort includes the evaluation of exiting waste management technologies for effective treatment of wastes in the context of current U.S. regulations and development of waste forms and processes with significant cost and/or performance benefits over those existing. This study summarizes the results of these ongoing efforts with a focus on the highly radioactive primary waste streams. The primary streams considered and the recommended waste forms include: •Tritium separated from either a low volume gas stream or a high volume water stream. The recommended waste form is low-water cement in high integrity containers. •Iodine-129 separated from off-gas streams in aqueous processing. There are a range of potentially suitable waste forms. As a reference case, a glass composite material (GCM) formed by the encapsulation of the silver Mordenite (AgZ) getter material in a low-temperature glass is assumed. A number of alternatives with distinct advantages are also considered including a fused silica waste form with encapsulated nano-sized AgI crystals. •Carbon-14 separated from LWR fuel treatment off-gases and immobilized as a CaCO3 in a cement waste form. •Krypton-85 separated from LWR and SFR fuel treatment off-gases and stored as a compressed gas. •An aqueous reprocessing high-level waste (HLW) raffinate waste which is immobilized by the vitrification process in one of three forms: a single phase borosilicate glass, a borosilicate based glass ceramic, or a multi-phased titanate ceramic [e.g., synthetic rock (Synroc)]. •An undissolved solids (UDS) fraction from aqueous reprocessing of LWR fuel that is either included in the borosilicate HLW glass or is immobilized in the form of a metal alloy in the case of glass ceramics or titanate ceramics. •Zirconium-based LWR fuel cladding hulls and stainless steel (SS) fuel assembly hardware that are washed and super-compacted for disposal or as an alternative Zr purification and reuse (or disposal as low-level waste, LLW) by reactive gas separations. •Electrochemical process salt HLW which is immobilized in a glass bonded Sodalite waste form known as the ceramic waste form (CWF). •Electrochemical process UDS and SS cladding hulls which are melted into an iron based alloy waste form. Mass and volume estimates for each of the recommended waste forms based on the source terms from a representative flowsheet are reported.

Fuel Cycle↗
DOE OSTI2020

Waste Shipments to and from the Nevada National Security Site, Radioactive Waste Management Complex (Transportation Report, Q1 FY2020)

This report satisfies the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office commitment to prepare a quarterly summary of waste shipments to the Nevada National Security Site Radioactive Waste Management Complex in Area 5. This report summarizes the first quarter of fiscal year 2020.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

FY 2017 Annual Summary Report for the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites at the Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

The U.S. Department of Energy Standard Disposal Authorization Statement and Tank Closure Documentation (DOE-STD-5002-2017) requires preparation of an Annual Summary Report comparing low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities operations with the Disposal Authorization Statement (DAS) and its supporting technical documents including the performance assessment (PA) and the composite analysis (CA). The fiscal year (FY) 2017 Annual Summary Report for the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites (RWMSs) was prepared by reviewing planned and discovered changes, waste receipts, monitoring results, research and development (R&D) results, and the status of DAS conditions and issues to assess the validity of the DASs, PAs, and CAs.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Solid Waste Management Units and Areas of Concern Annual Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Report for Calendar Year 2015, March 2016

Long-term controls were maintained at 21 Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and Areas of Concern (AOCs) in accordance with the requirements of the Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan for SWMUs and AOCs Granted Corrective Action Complete with Controls in Attachment M of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Operating Permit which took effect February 26, 2015. Maintenance and controls at these SWMUs and AOCs are described and documented in this report. The need for maintenance or repair activities were not identified at any of the inspected SWMUs or AOCs. Four repairs identified in 2014 were completed in 2015. Based upon the inspections performed and site conditions observed, the administrative and physical institutional controls in place at the SWMUs and AOCs are effectively providing continued protection of human health and the environment.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS2014

Waste Management Options for Long-Duration Space Missions: When to Reject, Reuse, or Recycle

The amount of waste generated on long-duration space missions away from Earth orbit creates the daunting challenge of how to manage the waste through reuse, rejection, or recycle. The option to merely dispose of the solid waste through an airlock to space was studied for both Earth-moon libration point missions and crewed Mars missions. Although the unique dynamic characteristics of an orbit around L2 might allow some discarded waste to intersect the lunar surface before re-impacting the spacecraft, the large amount of waste needed to be managed and potential hazards associated with volatiles recondensing on the spacecraft surfaces make this option problematic. A second option evaluated is to process the waste into useful gases to be either vented to space or used in various propulsion systems. These propellants could then be used to provide the yearly station-keeping needs at an L2 orbit, or if processed into oxygen and methane propellants, could be used to augment science exploration by enabling lunar mini landers to the far side of the moon.

Space processing↗
DOE OSTI2017

Solid Waste Management Units And Areas Of Concern Annual Long-Term Monitoring & Maintenance Report For Calendar Year 2016.

Long-term controls were maintained at 21 Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and Areas of Concern (AOCs) in accordance with the requirements of the “Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan for SWMUs and AOCs Granted Corrective Action Complete with Controls” in Attachment M of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Operating Permit, which took effect February 26, 2015. Maintenance and controls at these SWMUs and AOCs are described and documented in this report. Conditions requiring maintenance or repair activities were not identified for any of the inspected SWMUs or AOCs. Based upon the inspections performed and site conditions observed, the administrative and physical institutional controls in place at the SWMUs and AOCs are effectively providing continued protection of human health and the environment. This report does not present monitoring and maintenance activities for SWMU 76, the Mixed Waste Landfill; those activities adhere to the approved MWL LTMM Plan, Section 4.8.1 requiring a separate annual report which will be submitted to the NMED by June 30, 2017.

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DOE OSTI2026

Integrating Immersive Visualization in Molten-Salt Reactor Waste Management for Experimental Design and Planning

Molten-salt reactors (MSRs) represent a promising solution for next-generation nuclear energy, offering advantages in safety, fuel efficiency, and waste minimization. However, their liquid-fueled design presents unique challenges for spent fuel management, making post-shutdown waste characterization essential for developing effective strategies. Despite this need, there is a notable absence of visualization platforms specifically tailored to the unique characteristics and analytical requirements of MSR waste management. Existing tools in the nuclear industry are primarily designed for reactor operations or generic data exploration and lack both integration with MSR-specific multiphysics frameworks and the ability to simultaneously visualize time-dependent thermal fields, chemical composition evolution, and radiation distribution patterns. To address these limitations, this paper presents an immersive virtual reality (VR) visualization platform that processes and displays high-fidelity multiphysics simulation output from the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework in real-time, using Unity. The platform visualizes MSR waste characteristics such as nuclide decay, salt cooling, and corrosion by using Exodus II output data and running on a VR headset. It includes a user-friendly interface with features such as visibility toggling, cross-sectional slicing, and time-series animation for exploring simulation data. These capabilities support experimental design, stakeholder engagement, and public communication by making complex reactor behavior more accessible and understandable. By enhancing spatial reasoning and reducing cognitive load, this immersive environment fosters more effective communication and decision-making in MSR waste management.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1981

Generic waste management requirements for a controlled ecological life support system /CELSS/

Regenerative life support systems for future space missions will require closure of the waste-food loop. Each mission application will generate specific requirements for the waste management system. However, there are generic input and output requirements that can be identified when a probable scenario is chosen. This paper discusses the generic requirements when higher plants are chosen as the primary food source. Attention is focused on the quality and quantity of nutrients necessary for culturing higher plants. The types of wastes to be processed are also discussed. In addition, requirements generated by growing plants on three different substrates are presented. This work suggests that the mineral composition of waste materials may require minimal adjustment to satisfy the plant requirements.

Hoshizaki, T.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Waste Shipments to and from the Nevada National Security Site, Radioactive Waste Management Complex (Q3 Transportation Report, FY20) Transportation Report

This report satisfies the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) commitment to prepare a quarterly summary of waste shipments to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) in Area 5.

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NASA NTRS2023

Decommissioning of Air Sparge System at Vertical Processing Facility, Solid Waste Management Unit 077 Implementation Report

This document discusses the decommissioning of the air sparge (AS) system at the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF), Solid Waste Management Unit 077 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida completed between January 30, 2023, and February 8, 2023. A 2005 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Investigation identified chlorinated volatile organic compound impacts at the site. Following assessment activities, an AS system was in operation intermittently from April 2012 through October 2017, when the system was permanently shutdown due to equipment failure. Trichloroethene and vinyl chloride remained above their groundwater cleanup target levels in several monitoring wells and the site was moved into the Industrial Area Long Term Monitoring Program. VPF continues to be sampled biennially; the most recent event was May 2022. Successful implementation of this decommissioning project will reduce the risk of accidental AS and soil vapor extraction well damage and will lower operating costs associated with maintaining obsolete AS systems. Decommissioning the AS system at VPF included vegetation clearing to access AS wells and associated piping, abandonment of all on site AS wells, temporary electrical outage, and site restoration. At the completion of demobilization and site restoration activities, the site was returned to its original or better than original condition.

Jason J Bublitz↗
NASA NTRS2023

SUBSLAB SOIL GAS SAMPLING PLAN FOR COMMUNICATION, MAINTENANCE, AND STORAGE, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT UNIT (SWMU) 082

HydroGeoLogic, Inc. (HGL) prepared this Subslab Soil Gas (SSSG) Sampling Plan for Communications, Maintenance, and Storage (CM&S), Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 082 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, under Contract Number 80KSC019D0012, Task Order 80KSC021F0097 technical directive #1, awarded on September 26, 2022. As described herein, all SSSG sampling and evaluations will be completed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), OSWER Technical Guide for Assessing and Mitigating the Vapor Intrusion Pathway from Subsurface Vapor Sources to Indoor Air (EPA, 2015).

Jason J Bublitz↗
NASA NTRS2024

Interim Measure Report False Cape Data Collection Annex Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) # 113 Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This report documents the Interim Measure (IM) completed at False Cape Data Collection Annex, Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) #113 (formerly potential release location [PRL] 217), at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. This document has been prepared for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in accordance with HydroGeoLogic, Inc.’s (HGL) Contract 80KSC019D0012, Task Order 80KSC019F0224.

False Cape Data Collection Annex↗
DOE OSTI2019

Developments in the Regulatory Framework of Nuclear Waste Management in Germany - Licensing Procedures for storage of SNF and Public Involvement - 19612

According to article 6 of the German Atomic Energy Act (AtG), storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel requires a license. The competent licensing authority in this field is the Federal Office for Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BfE). According to the Act for selecting a repository site for heat-generating radioactive waste (HAW) (Site Selection Act - StandAG) dating from 2017, BfE has been assigned the task of developing, conducting, and evaluating public participation procedures in the process of site search and selection for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste and SNF. Article 6 AtG applies to interim storage of SNF. If the legally defined licensing conditions by article 6 (2) AtG are met, the storage license applied for has to be granted. For on-site facilities, interim storage has been limited to 40 years. The licensing procedures for interim storage of SNF are carried out in accordance with the general administrative procedural rules. In certain cases due to the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (EIA Act), an EIA has to be carried out. In these cases, a formalized licensing procedure including an involvement of the public is conducted. The Nuclear Licensing Procedure Ordinance (AtVfV) originating from 1977 and reformulated in 1995 defines formalized rules for the public participation procedure which have to be followed strictly. These include a public hearing. The risen objections are evaluated by the licensing authority and taken account of in the licensing decision. The process of repository site selection defined by the StandAG exceeds these formalized procedures significantly: The objective of this process is to achieve a broad social consensus about the site selection procedure and about a repository site that will offer the best possible safety for one million years. Therefore, the process has to be particularly transparent, and involvement of the public - including newly developed forms of public involvement - is an essential part of it. BfE as competent authority in both the fields of repository site search and selection and licensing of interim storage of SNF has recently developed new strategies of involving the public concerning interim storage of SNF. Supplementing the standard licensing procedures, BfE presently informs and involves the public about topical issues regarding the present state and recent developments in the field of interim storage of SNF. Current central topics are for example the return of HAW and MAW from reprocessing of SNF in France and UK as well as perspective longer interim storage periods on the interface with final disposal. Regarding longer interim storage, host communities of interim storage facilities are concerned that interim storage might be extended indefinitely. Additionally, there is a strong fear of transports of radioactive waste and SNF from one place to another. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2020

Calculating Potential Radiological Emissions for Waste Management Activities at INL - 20068

At Idaho National Laboratory (INL), work involving radionuclides is evaluated for potential emissions from a project in order to comply with the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations, 40 CFR 61 Subpart H. Emission calculations are documented in an Air Permitting Applicability Determination (APAD) to analyze unmitigated and mitigated emissions and determine if an Application to Construct (ATC) or continuous monitoring is required. To calculate the unmitigated and mitigated emissions, a spreadsheet was developed to provide ease in determining potential emissions by providing the maximum operating temperature and the material being used. The spreadsheet aids in determining the potential emissions for research projects and waste management activities at Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and other locations across the INL site. Furthermore, it can also be used for periodic confirmatory measurements (PCM) to justify low emissions. Elements that factor into the unmitigated and mitigated calculations include the amount of each radionuclide used (in curies or grams), specific activity (if amount is given in grams), the temperature the material is heated to in Celsius, the dose conversion factor which is derived from Clean Air Act Assessment Package - 1988 (CAP-88) modeling, and the number of HEPA filters used for mitigated measures. The main drivers for calculating the unmitigated emissions for a project are the amount used per radionuclide, the maximum operating temperature, and the location of the work. The maximum operating temperature determines the airborne release factor which is dependent on the physical state of the radionuclide. Prior to October 2017, if the radionuclide was heated to greater than 100 deg. C, the radionuclide was assumed to be a gas, which has the highest airborne release factor. This assumption would be overly conservative for radionuclides with high melting and boiling points, which provided a challenge to demonstrate low emissions. In October 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved an alternative method for INL. This method allows the airborne release factor to be determined by using the melting point and 90% of the boiling point of the radionuclide. This methodology was included in the spreadsheet to allow unmitigated emission calculations for APADs to be completed more efficiently and effectively. Results show a reduction in time completing air emission calculations as well as lower total emissions across all facilities at INL. MFC annual emissions were reduced by 62% from the previous year and Research and Education Campus (REC) facilities were reduced by 38% due to implementation of the approved alternative method. Time spent on APADs, PCMs, and documentation for the annual NESHAP report was also reduced significantly. The spreadsheet provided in Table I provides the potential emission calculations for the 'Advanced Retrieval and Disposition Techniques for Remote Handled Mixed Low Level Waste (RH MLLW) at the Radioactive Scrap and Waste Facility (RSWF)' project. Calculations show the Potential Effective Dose Equivalent (PEDE) at RSWF to be 7.27 E-04 mrem/yr (7.27 E-09 Sv/yr) which is well below the 0.1 mrem/yr threshold. (authors)

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NASA NTRS2017

ECLSS Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) Metal Materials Compatibility Study- Electrochemical and Crevice Corrosion Evaluation

Electrochemical and crevice corrosion laboratory test results are presented for three noble metal candidates with possible application on the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) in support of the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The three metal candidates, which included Inconel 625, Hastelloy C276 and Titanium 6Al-4V, were evaluated in two solutions representative of the acidic pretreatment formulations utilized during processing of waste liquids within the ECLSS. Final test results and data analysis indicated that the passive layer on all three metals provides excellent corrosion protection in both solutions under standard test conditions.

Lee, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Phase II Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) Assessment Work Plan Center Wide Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Potential Release Location (PRL) 237 Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This document presents a description of solid waste management unit (SWMU) assessment activities that will be used to identify additional locations where per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may have been used at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The activities described herein will also be used to identify potential off-Center sources of PFAS and potential background locations for PFAS within KSC.

Krista D Sommerfeldt↗