Dual-Track Approach: Sustainable Solution for Radioactive Waste Disposal
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The Centre de Stockage de la Manche (CSM), in La Hague (France) was in 1969 the first radioactive waste disposal facility built and operated in France for Low and Intermediate level waste (LILW). Each chapter of the paper exposes the main achievements of a decade of the CSM history, from the decision to dispose radioactive waste on surface to the preservation of the memory of the site. Through the history of the CSM, it is the evolution of waste management that unfolds over 50 years, shedding light on the choices we make today and the issues of tomorrow. (authors)
Recommendations from the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) identify the need to consider potential inadvertent human intrusion into a near-surface radioactive waste disposal facility when developing limits for radionuclide concentrations that can be disposed. The recommendations also provide perspective on expectations for performance criteria and general assumptions for such analyses. Inadvertent human intrusion analyses are conducted to address the potential failure of institutional controls and loss of memory of a disposal facility. The analyses consider potential consequences of human actions that result in unknowingly bringing waste to the surface. Inadvertent human intrusion scenarios consider potential impacts to someone involved in an activity that actually disturbs the waste (e.g., drilling or excavation of a basement) or that exposes the person to emanations from the waste (e.g., radioactive gases) and also for the case where there may be longer term exposures to waste that has been brought to the surface. In practice, inadvertent human intrusion analyses have proven to be a critical consideration for the development of waste classification systems and for the determination of disposal requirements and limitations on wastes that can be disposed at shallow depths. The IAEA implemented a project on Human Intrusion in the context of Disposal of Radioactive waste (HIDRA) to further explore the regulatory expectations and practical implementation of analyses of potential inadvertent human intrusion. The paper begins with a discussion of international recommendations related to consideration of inadvertent human intrusion and then summarizes examples of some topical considerations related to addressing inadvertent human intrusion that are being discussed as part of the second phase of the HIDRA project. The topical considerations are planned to be addressed in a formal IAEA publication. All information in this paper simply reflects on-going project discussions and no formal recommendations are implied for these topical considerations at this time. (authors)
Engineered barrier systems designed to isolate high-level radioactive waste utilize bentonite, a montmorillonite rich material, to restrict contaminant transport due to its low hydraulic conductivity and high adsorption capacity. High temperatures (100–200 °C) near waste canisters resulting from radioactive decay may alter the clay's ability to adsorb contaminants. In this study, we examine U(VI) adsorption onto two different bentonite samples subjected to (1) 18 years of in situ heating during an underground experiment and (2) short-term (7-week), high temperature (300 °C) heating in the laboratory. Results show that U(VI) adsorption was lower for field-heated bentonite located closest to the heater, which experienced temperatures of approximately 95 °C, compared to a control sample, which experienced temperatures of approximately 20 °C, over a range of aqueous chemical conditions. On average, K d values for U(VI) adsorption were 31% lower for 95 °C heated samples. By contrast, U(VI) adsorption onto intermediate-heated bentonite (50 °C) was indistinguishable from the adsorption onto the cold-zone (20 °C) sample. U(VI) adsorption onto lab-heated bentonite was also lower than onto control bentonite over the pH range 4.5–8.0, with an average decrease in K d values of 50% after heating. Lower U(VI) adsorption to field-heated bentonite persisted after bentonite was purified to isolate the clay fraction. This allows us to rule out changes in pore-water chemistry or accessory mineral composition as causes of the lower adsorption. No evidence of montmorillonite illitization was observed in the heated samples. While some of the lower U(VI) adsorption in the lab-heated bentonite can be explained by changes in aqueous U(VI) speciation, we propose that lower U(VI) adsorption to field-heated bentonite may be primarily due to changes in the montmorillonite edge structure. The observed changes in U(VI) adsorption to bentonite after heating have implications for U(VI) diffusive transport through engineered barriers and must be considered when designing radioactive waste disposal repositories.
A feasibility study of extraterrestrial disposal of radioactive waste is reported. This report covers the initial work done on only one part of the NASA study, that evaluates and compares possible space destinations and space transportation systems. The currently planned space shuttle was found to be more cost effective than current expendable launch vehicles by about a factor of 2. The space shuttle requires a third stage to perform the waste disposal missions. Depending on the particular mission, this third stage could be either a reusable space tug or an expendable stage such as a Centaur.
Proper disposal of waste has never been a human priority. Our history is full of examples of throwing away things with minimal effort or thought to consequence. That is until disease or toxicity become apparent and we realize we need to change. Unfortunately, we almost never have all the information we need at the time we make decisions. In addition to the technical and scientific issues, profits and politics are also factors. Newton's third law also applies to politics and so for every policy (action) put in place, there will be (opposite reaction) forces in play to push back against it. These forces are seldom balanced and so the reaction to the discovery of harm is to over-correct and destroy the benefit to be had. This of course causes those who want the benefit, or profit from it, to work to undermine or repeal those measures put in place to eliminate the harm. The issue is exacerbated when the problem to be solved is highly technical and at the edge of our science so that the harm and benefit cannot be easily or accurately quantified. At these times, reason often goes out the window and our decision makers are influenced by either greed or fear as these emotions are much easier to stoke. Those of us in the middle, with the charge to 'do the right thing for the least cost', are therefore frequently constrained and forced into actions that are neither technically the right thing to do and not cost effective. The cost of radioactive waste disposal is based on the concentrations of various radioisotopes in the waste. Some of these isotopes are relatively easy to quantify and some are not. Most laboratory methods for quantification are limited in the amount of activity that can be present during the measurement process. Current nuclear plants were not designed with the idea that taking truly representative waste samples would be important. The limits used to define waste class and therefore cost are precisely defined but the methods for determining those concentrations are far less precise. Improving the accuracy of radioactivity concentrations in waste and having consistent and reasonable oversight can reduce waste costs through active management of the process. So what can we do about it? Science may provide an answer. (authors)
The waste acceptance criteria of the German repository Konrad require beside a radiological declaration a compositional declaration to be able to avoid negative impact on the groundwater by a presumed leakage into the groundwater after complete corrosion of the containers in the future. The declaration of the composition has to specify compounds and substances not element analyses, because the chemical behavior and toxicity especially of organic compounds varies strongly The relevant compounds have to be described and quantified using defined substance codes provided by the operator. For simple waste types like pure concrete or steel components, the definition of the composition is rather simple. The composition of more complex waste streams is generally declared using producer specific material vectors, which can be derived for defined waste types (e.g. grouted fluids, ash from combustion, super-compacted mixed waste etc.). Additional substance vectors exist for containers, drums and grout, which together with the waste composition yield the total composition of the waste packages. The substance vectors for homogeneous waste streams like cementitious demolition waste, solidified fluids and ash are mostly based on analyses provided by the waste owner. In some cases, analyses from non-radioactive analogues or data sheets can also be used to demonstrate the composition. For each qualified treatment of radioactive waste streams the material composition is described and balanced on the basis of specific material vectors, which are composed of material codes from the material and cask list provided by the Federal company for radioactive waste disposal. For mixed waste streams like super-compacted or grouted mixed waste or materials simply packed in containers an analyses cannot be used. In these cases, the compositional information from the bookkeeping can be used for the entire waste stream to calculate a mean composition including a compositional range (min / max composition). Only waste packages with an approved material description can be delivered to Konrad. Therefore, the material declaration of all waste streams and the resulting waste products is crucial for all waste owners in Germany to be able to have enough waste packages ready, when the repository is going to open in 2027. (authors)
The results are reported of a preliminary feasibility screening study for providing long-term solutions to the problems of handling and managing radioactive wastes by extraterrestrial transportation of the wastes. Matrix materials and containers are discussed along with payloads, costs, and destinations for candidate space vehicles. The conclusions reached are: (1) Matrix material such as spray melt can be used without exceeding temperature limits of the matrix. (2) The cost in mills per kw hr electric, of space disposal of fission products is 4, 5, and 28 mills per kw hr for earth escape, solar orbit, and solar escape, respectively. (3) A major factor effecting cost is the earth storage time. Based on a normal operating condition design for solar escape, a storage time of more than sixty years is required to make the space disposal charge less than 10% of the bus-bar electric cost. (4) Based on a 10 year earth storage without further processing, the number of shuttle launches required would exceed one per day.
Projects designed to define, build, operate and monitor radioactive waste disposal solutions require the transmission of knowledge over several decades and the preservation of memory over several centuries. This is particularly acute for the geological disposal project 'Cigeo' led by the French national radioactive waste management agency (Andra) as far as the requirements in terms of reversibility lead to the choice of an incremental design that allows to integrate learning resulting from continuous improvement of knowledge. For instance, for robustness purposes, Cigeo is designed on the basis of currently proven technologies, but its step-by-step construction in successive stages must make it possible to integrate improvements derived from the scientific and technical progress as well as from experience feedback from its exploitation. In the field of industrial activity, a significant proportion of the knowledge and skills implemented by employees of a company are not known or even identified by the human resources organization or the mid-management staff. This is mainly due to the fact that (i) the organized knowledge-sharing is often based on documentary tools but little on social modalities and (ii) the organization of knowledge is mostly cross-cutting to the managerial lines. To overcome this bias, a global and integrated approach to knowledge management is currently the focus of Andra's specific efforts. Cross-disciplinary groups and close intergenerational links positioned throughout the life of the projects aim specifically at continuous and participative knowledge sharing, capitalization and transmission. Then, devices aiming at systematic dissemination of and access to knowledge support experience feedback and provide unified collaboration, traceability and decision-support at all scales. (authors)
Israel is assessing borehole disposal of radioactive waste. With limited geological options for disposal, intermediate-depth borehole disposal is being considered in the arid Yamin Plain region of the northeastern Negev desert at depths of several hundred meters below ground surface in the vadose zone. Unlike deep borehole disposal of several kilometers, which relies on emplacement below the depth of recirculating groundwater, the safety case for intermediate-depth borehole disposal relies more on the aridity of the vadose zone, the robustness of the waste package, and the other engineered barriers (e.g., seals, backfill materials) in the disposal borehole. As a tradeoff, the shallower depth may allow the use of a larger diameter borehole than would be possible for a deeper borehole. To study the suitability of the Yamin Plain region for borehole disposal, a small-diameter characterization borehole is being planned to retrieve core samples and to better understand the vadose zone geomechanical and hydrogeochemical properties and percolation flux. The information from the characterization borehole will inform the safety case, and together with performance assessment analyses will help to identify key areas of uncertainty and guide future research and development activities aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of the intermediate-depth borehole disposal concept in Israel. (authors)
A preliminary study was conducted of the feasibility of space disposal of the actinide class of radioactive waste material. This waste was assumed to contain 1 and 0.1 percent residual fission products, since it may not be feasible to completely separate the actinides. The actinides are a small fraction of the total waste but they remain radioactive much longer than the other wastes and must be isolated from human encounter for tens of thousands of years. Results indicate that space disposal is promising but more study is required, particularly in the area of safety. The minimum cost of space transportation would increase the consumer electric utility bill by the order of 1 percent for earth escape and 3 percent for solar escape. The waste package in this phase of the study was designed for normal operating conditions only; the design of next phase of the study will include provisions for accident safety. The number of shuttle launches per year required to dispose of all U.S. generated actinide waste with 0.1 percent residual fission products varies between 3 and 15 in 1985 and between 25 and 110 by 2000. The lower values assume earth escape (solar orbit) and the higher values are for escape from the solar system.
A feasibility study is summarized of extraterrestrial (space) disposal of radioactive waste. The initial work on the evaluation and comparison of possible space destinations and launch vehicles is reported. Only current or planned space transportation systems were considered. The currently planned space shuttle was found to be more cost effective than current expendable launch vehicles, by about a factor of two. The space shuttle will require a third stage to perform the disposal missions. Depending on the particular mission this could be either a reusable space tug or an expendable stage such as a Centaur. Of the destinations considered, high earth orbits (between geostationary and lunar orbit altitudes), solar orbits (such as a 0.90 AU circular solar orbit) or a direct injection to solar system escape appear to be the best candidates. Both earth orbits and solar orbits have uncertainties regarding orbit stability and waste package integrity for times on the order of a million years.
The purpose of the Hanford Site Composite Analysis (CA) is to provide an estimate of the cumulative radiological impacts from active and planned low-level radioactive waste disposals and other potentially interacting radioactive waste disposal sources that will remain following Hanford Site closure. The need for a waste form release model addressing multiple solid waste forms is documented in CP-60410, Hanford Site Composite Analysis Technical Approach Description: Waste Form Release.
This environmental calculation file (ECF) describes the data reduction methodology for the solid waste release datasets generated by the Composite Analysis Solid Waste Release (CASWR) model (CP-62766, Model Package Report: Composite Analysis Solid Waste Release Model [CASWR Model]) and documents the resulting reduced datasets for the updated Composite Analysis (CA) baseline assessment. This ECF is in support of the updated Hanford Site CA. The purpose of the updated Hanford Site CA is to provide an estimate of the cumulative radiological impacts from active and planned low-level radioactive waste disposals and other potentially interacting radioactive waste disposal sources that will remain following Hanford Site closure. The vadose zone modeling activities associated with the CA includes solid waste forms as contaminant sources. To support the modeling of solid waste transport from the vadose zone to the groundwater at the Hanford Site, the CASWR model was designed to generate deterministic radionuclide release rates for the Hanford Site Central Plateau solid waste disposal sites. The complete CASWR model-generated dataset for the CA Baseline Assessment consists of 2,378,831 sets of time and release rates (1,073,869 sets for the 200 East Area and 1,304,962 sets for the 200 West Area), representing a course of the simulation from year 1953 to year 12,069, 16 radiological contaminants of potential concern (COPCs), and 237 solid waste sources as documented in ECFHANFORD- 19-0112, Solid Waste Release Calculations for the Composite Analysis Baseline Assessment. For several of the STOMP vadose zone models, the number of release rate data pairs required for release at all waste sites would exceed the limitations imposed by the STOMP modelling software package used to simulate contaminant transport through the vadose zone. As a result, a data reduction of the CASWR dataset is required prior to its use as a source input for the CA vadose zone modeling activities.
Since 1999, the Government of Canada has been conducting a regular exercise of gathering and compiling Canada's radioactive waste inventory and projection data from waste owners and making it available to the public in the form of a triennial Inventory Summary Report. The goal of this data collection exercise has been to support federal policy development, support the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's regulatory activities, provide consolidated radioactive waste information for the nuclear industry, promote transparency, and meet Canada's international commitments and growing demands internationally for radioactive waste data. The detailed national inventory report provides an overview of the production, accumulation and future projections of radioactive waste in Canada. Since the coming into force of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management in June 2001, the data collection and reporting cycle has been aligned to provide the waste inventory data required for Canada's triennial National Report for the Joint Convention. This paper presents Canada's radioactive waste inventory and projection data as of the end of December 2016, and summarizes key findings from the analysis of the data. For this reporting cycle, the waste data collected was expanded to include more detailed information on the decommissioning schedules and associated waste volume projections for nuclear power plants, and research and prototype reactors, as well as plans for transitioning waste inventories from storage to long-term management and disposal facilities, based on current schedules for establishing these facilities in Canada. With this additional information, the Government of Canada and Canadian stakeholders are better able to understand the waste disposal capacity and schedules required to accommodate all nuclear fuel waste and radioactive waste that will be produced by Canada's existing fleet of nuclear power plants and research reactors. The collection and analysis of projected waste volumes to be emplaced in long-term management facilities is in line with and will support the proposed methodology of presenting waste inventories in terms of management strategy and disposal routes by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency Expert Group on Waste Inventorying and Reporting Methodology. The paper describes some of the uses that are made of the waste inventory information, as well as Canada's approach to national inventory data collection and its experience and lessons learned. Canada continues to modernize the format of the Inventory Summary Report with the goal of disseminating the technical information into an attractive and public-friendly report. (authors)
The overarching goal of the research presented is to build a subsurface radionuclide transport model for the vadose zone in the northeastern Negev desert of Israel, in order to assist in evaluating its suitability for radioactive waste subsurface disposal. The Negev desert provides a unique geologic setting because of its arid conditions, deep vadose zone and the layered stratigraphy consisting of sandstones, limestones, chalks, shales, marls, phosphorites, clays and cherts. These lithologies form intercalated layers of impermeable and permeable rocks, some with a high adsorption capacity for radionuclides. This paper consists of year one results of a joint US-Israeli collaboration to construct a generic radionuclide transport model of the vadose zone of the northeastern Negev region, Israel. The work aims to (1) evaluate potential vadose zone sites for a nuclear waste disposal site in Israel, and (2) promote the exchange of information and experience in subsurface waste siting and management. First year results include a) measured hydrogeologic rock properties for rock and core samples taken from the Negev desert, Israel, b) sorption and kinetic data for uranium U(VI) on phosphorite, chalk, sandstone and oil-shale lithologies, and c) an updated geologic, stratigraphic, and hydrologic subsurface framework for the northeastern Negev region. Preliminary results on uranium adsorption for key subsurface lithologies are encouraging in terms of the potential suitability of the Negev vadose zone to act as an efficient medium for the retardation of radionuclides. The findings provide impetus for continued experimentation and the development of a northeastern Negev subsurface flow and transport model. (authors)
The US Department of Energy (DOE) is often faced with the need to evaluate radionuclides at low concentrations. When site sample data are likely to be close to threshold activity concentrations of interest, then the means by which the radiochemical analysis is performed and reported is critical. This situation can occur when differentiating from zero (presence/absence) for radionuclides that do not occur naturally, close comparison with environmental background for naturally occurring radionuclides, close comparison with a risk- or dose-based threshold concentrations of interest, or even comparisons across studies. There are several analytical issues that are of concern, but the two that appear to cause incorrect decisions to be made most often involve establishing detection limits and subtracting ambient background conditions in the laboratory. These issues are not critical when radionuclide activity concentrations are large relative to thresholds of concern, but they seem to be poorly understood when it matters. When the comparisons are important and are likely to be close to a threshold of interest, then the general contract with the analytical laboratories needs to be changed so that the right or appropriate data are obtained. The concern is that important decisions are made incorrectly more often as greater scrutiny is placed on DoE's radionuclide cleanup or monitoring decisions by the public and other stakeholders. Examples are presented of problems that have been observed for different projects, both within and outside the realm of DOE and NRC remediation and radioactive waste disposal problems, and solutions are offered that should lead to better data from which important decisions need to be made. The first example is from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and involves radionuclide concentrations in soil and rock beneath LANL's Material Disposal Area (MDA) G. An initial review of the data led to a conclusion that americium and plutonium are a long way present beneath MDA G. A more thorough review of the data that accounted properly for ambient background and the detection limits that had been established led to the opposite conclusion. Another example is from the Nevada National Security Site where tritium results from one of the wells were unexpectedly high. Proper understanding and analysis of ambient background led to the conclusion that the increased concentrations were not so obvious, and that a different contract with the analytical laboratory was needed to provide more appropriate data to support a better determination. Other examples are used from regulatory review of projects in Nevada, where background levels and secular equilibrium for naturally occurring radionuclides are not established correctly because of analytical issues. The same basic issues have also been found to create difficulties analyzing historical data from the West Valley Demonstration Project. There is evidence in the data that the apparent lack of secular equilibrium where it is expected to exist is related to ambient background subtraction or other analytical issues. A final example is presented for analysis of Tc-99 in samples of depleted uranium. In this case, two different studies that were performed only three months apart provide quite different results. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the data quality objectives (DQO) process in the mid-1980's to establish decision performance criteria for data collection. EPA guidance (EPA G-4, for example) clearly distinguishes between DQOs and measurement performance objectives (MQOs) that should be addressed for laboratory analysis of samples. The language of DQOs and MQOs has become confused over time it seems, and the subsequent effects seem to include a lack of attention to decision performance and a routine approach to measurement quality. In order to better address radionuclide sample analysis when the concentrations are close to thresholds of concern, which might be zero for some radionuclides, background for others, and risk-based thresholds for yet others, it is important that routine laboratory analysis methods are adjusted, and that the project team and the laboratory work closely together to ensure that the data meets the MQO requirements of laboratory analysis and reporting of results, and that the MQOs effectively support project-specific DQOs. This basic approach will be applied in Los Alamos in the coming year to the collection of moisture data from underneath MDA T that will be analyzed for americium and neptunium isotopes. Proper understanding of the radiochemistry methods and reporting, and of appropriate statistical methods is critical to the success of such projects, ensuring that the right decisions are made. (authors)
ANSTO's Synroc technology has been developed to provide a safe, secure matrix for the immobilization and final disposal of radioactive waste. Synroc technology will be used to manage radioactive wastes from the production of the radioisotope Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). This paper shall outline various stages of the process development with specific reference to the thermal treatment technology of calcination. Calcination is a key step in the Synroc process [1-2].The rotary thermal processing system includes: an advanced heating element design for increased robustness and ease of remote operation and maintenance, an enhanced modular design of components for ease of remote maintenance in a hot cell and in compliance with hot cell radioactive environment requirements for safety, reliability and maintainability. In addition to thermal treatment of waste from nuclear medicine production, this technology provides solutions for a variety of nuclear materials processing applications including sintering UO{sub 2} pellets for reactor fuel rods, oxidation of UO{sub 2} pellets, swarf, and powder to U{sub 3}O{sub 8}, de-nitration of Uranyl nitrate and hydrofluorination of UO{sub 2} pellets. The paper will also discuss thermal processing solutions for a range of nuclear applications. (authors)