The Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project: Optimizing use of This National Asset to Treat Challenging Radioactive Waste From Other Department of Energy Sites - 16064
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) is a world-class radioactive waste treatment facility with a highly experienced and innovative workforce located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The AMWTP's state-of-the-art capabilities include a 62-ton super-compactor, remote cutting and sorting, macro-encapsulation systems, assay units, drum repackaging, waste characterization, and payload assembly and loading. Since operations began in 2003, the facility has been the largest shipper for contact-handled (CH) transuranic (TRU) waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). It has successfully processed over 56,000 cubic meters (m{sup 3}) of CH TRU waste and mixed low-level waste (MLLW) from the Idaho Site and approximately 700 m{sup 3} of CH TRU waste from 15 other DOE sites. While the AMWTP is nearing successful completion of its Idaho mission, other DOE environmental cleanup sites will require safe and proven capabilities to treat, package, characterize, and certify legacy radioactive waste inventories well into the next decade. In addition, DOE's national security, nuclear energy, and science programs need sustainable treatment capabilities to support ongoing and new missions. The AMWTP could continue to serve a vital role beyond its current Idaho mission to help address these larger DOE needs. To this end and in recognition that AMWTP's current priority is to complete the processing and removal of Idaho waste, DOE's Office of Environmental Management has initiated strategic planning to assess the feasibility of continued AMWTP operations to treat challenging radioactive waste from other generator sites consistent with existing regulatory agreements. This paper describes AMWTP's unique capabilities and identifies potential benefits, opportunities, and possible solutions to packaging and transportation challenges to fully use AMWTP as a national asset. A panel discussion of subject matter experts with audience participation would help to inform DOE's strategic planning on how best to use this national asset into the future. (authors)