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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Annual Summary Report for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility—FY 2022

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 annual summary report (ASR) documents the continued adequacy of the performance assessment (PA), the composite analysis (CA) and associated operating disposal-authorization statement (ODAS) technical-basis documents for the Remote-Handled (RH) Low-Level Waste (LLW) Disposal Facility at Idaho National Laboratory. Annual review of the adequacy of the PA and CA for the RHLLW Disposal Facility ensures that conclusions of the analyses remain valid in accordance with requirements of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, “Radioactive Waste Management.” In FY 2022, no significant operational changes or other activities occurred that would cause deviation from the assumptions in the PA and CA pertaining to disposal geometry, verification of waste characteristics, tracking disposal inventories against total limits, facility-closure design, or institutional controls. Fifteen waste canister shipments were received at the RHLLW Disposal Facility, and 15 waste canisters were emplaced in disposal vaults.

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DOE OSTI2024

Annual Summary Report for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility—FY 2023

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 annual summary report (ASR) documents the continued adequacy of the performance assessment (PA), the composite analysis (CA) and associated operating disposal-authorization statement (ODAS) technical-basis documents for the Remote-Handled (RH) Low-Level Waste (LLW) Disposal Facility at Idaho National Laboratory. Annual review of the adequacy of the PA and CA for the RHLLW Disposal Facility ensures that conclusions of the analyses remain valid in accordance with requirements of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, “Radioactive Waste Management.” In FY 2023, no significant operational changes or other activities occurred that would cause deviation from the assumptions in the PA and CA pertaining to disposal geometry, verification of waste characteristics, tracking disposal inventories against total limits, facility-closure design, or institutional controls. Eleven waste canister shipments were received at the RHLLW Disposal Facility, and ten waste canisters were emplaced in disposal vaults.

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DOE OSTI2024

MARSAME Radiological Release Report for Weapons Facility Operations #5 Decontamination and Demolition Project

Environmental Protection and Compliance, Environmental Stewardship (EPC-ES) has identified materials associated with Weapons Facility Operations (WFO) #5 that meet the criteria for unrestricted release to the public under Department of Energy (DOE) Order 458.1, Radiation Protection for the Public and the Environment (DOE, 2020) and materials in one building that did not meet the criteria for unrestricted release and are to be treated as low level waste (LLW). These conclusions are based on the known history of the area combined with radiation survey data data collected in 2022 and 2023. The findings are consistent with DOE Order 458.1 and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Functional Series Document EPC-ES-FSD-004, Environmental Radiation Protection (LANL, 2021). Sampling and data analysis, as described in this report, were sufficient to meet measurement quality objectives (MQOs) under the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Assessment of Materials and Equipment (MARSAME) manual (NUREG, 2009) and LANL procedures (LANL, 2020). Final approvals for waste disposition will come from LANL’s Waste Management Program.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

MARSAME Radiological Release Report for Weapons Facility Operations #4 Decontamination and Demolition Project: TA-14-0005, TA-15-0009, TA-15-0202, TA-15-0233, TA-36-0019

Environmental Protection and Compliance, Environmental Stewardship (EPC-ES) has identified materials associated with Weapons Facility Operations (WFO) #4 that meet the criteria for unrestricted release to the public under Department of Energy (DOE) Order 458.1, Radiation Protection for the Public and the Environment (DOE, 2020) and materials in one building that do not meet the criteria for unrestricted release and are to be treated as low level waste (LLW). These conclusions are based on the known history of the buildings combined with radiation survey data data collected in 2022 and 2023. The findings are consistent with DOE Order 458.1 and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Functional Series Document EPC-ES-FSD-004, Environmental Radiation Protection (LANL, 2021). Sampling and data analysis, as described in this report, were sufficient to meet measurement quality objectives (MQOs) under the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Assessment of Materials and Equipment (MARSAME) manual (NUREG, 2009) and LANL procedures (LANL, 2020). Final approvals for waste disposition will come from LANL’s Waste Management Program. The scope of this final release report includes Technical Area (TA) 14 Building 5 (TA-14-0005), TA-15 Buildings 9, 202, and 233 (TA-15-0009/0202/0233), and TA-36 Building 19 (TA-36-0019). MARSAME provides guidance on statistical sampling for residual radionuclides in bulk materials; smaller, miscellaneous items can be released via the release procedures outlined in LANL Policy 121 Radiation Protection (LANL, 2023).

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DOE OSTI2024

Saltstone Paddles and Augers Materials of Construction Study

The Saltstone Production Facility (SPF) uses a 10-inch READCO continuous, co-rotating twin-screw mixer to mix the dry premix with the low-level radioactive waste (LLW) salt solution to produce fresh saltstone grout. The paddles and augers within the mixer degrade via erosion in the region where the salt solution is introduced into the mixer. After the paddles/augers erode to a point where the throughput impacts operations, the mixer is disassembled, the effected paddles/augers are replaced, and the mixer is reassembled. Saltstone Engineering indicated that this effort requires an approximately three-week outage. The objective of this task is to assess alternative materials of construction (MOCs) that will provide better erosion characteristics and decrease the frequency in which the paddles and augers need replacement. Previous Astralloy V studies looked only at Charpy Impact and Rockwell Hardness Testing. Each of these will be examined for different alloys as well as Miller Testing (abrasion to determine wear) which will provide a good assessment of an alloy’s erosion/wear characteristics. The following facts concerning the current and proposed alloys for Saltstone Paddles and Augers are provided in this report. • Current Astralloy V material and alloy E52100 had the most favorable Miller Testing Results. • Charpy Impact Testing did not correlate with Miller Testing Results. • Hardness Testing correlated with Miller Testing results meaning that higher hardness will provide more favorable wear resistance. • Further investigation of E52100 and various tool grade steels is recommended for achieving wear resistant properties.

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DOE OSTI2025

Thermal properties and Thermodynamic Equilibrium Modeling of Cementitious Waste Forms

INTRODUCTION Cementitious matrices are used in the US DOE complex and worldwide to solidify aqueous radioactive, hazardous, mixed salt solutions, and sludges to meet low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal requirements. Blended formulations are used for most waste form mix designs. Substitution of pozzolans for Class F fly ash has the potential to alter the processing properties and stabilization properties of the resulting waste forms because they add chemical and mineralogical complexity to the final material. The Savannah River Site saltstone waste form was selected as the test case material. CemGEMS software was chosen as the model for predicting hydrated cementitious phases assemblages and phase evolution. Isothermal calorimetry was used as the method for evaluating processing and properties of fresh, uncured waste forms. The test cases consisted of reference case saltstone, and five natural pozzolan substituted saltstone mixes.

Bustamante, Michael E. [Savannah River National La↗
DOE OSTI2025

Annual Status Report (FY 2024): Performance Assessment for the Integrated Disposal Facility

The purpose of this Annual Summary Report (ASR) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 is to evaluate the continued adequacy of the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) Performance Assessment (PA) and Disposal Authorization Statement (DAS). This report consolidates relevant monitoring data, modeling analyses, and regulatory reviews to demonstrate a reasonable expectation that the PA objectives and performance measures will be met, as required under DOE O 435.1. The ASR follows the guidance in DOE-STD-5002-2017, which provides a framework for maintaining the validity of the DAS through periodic assessment of facility performance and compliance with waste disposal requirements. The IDF is a near-surface disposal facility designed to receive and permanently dispose of low-level waste (LLW) and mixed low-level waste (MLLW) generated from Hanford Site operations. The facility consists of two double-lined disposal cells equipped with leak detection and leachates recovery systems to ensure environmental protection. Waste planned for disposal includes vitrified low-activity waste (LAW) and solid secondary waste (SSW) from the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). At the end of FY 2024, the IDF had not yet received any waste, as it remains in a pre-operational state. Disposal activities will begin with the hot commissioning of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility using the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) approach in Calendar Year (CY) 2025. This ASR justifies the continued adequacy of the PA and DAS by reviewing key documents and data sources. these sources are listed in Table A-2 in Appendix A.4): The Operating Disposal Authorization Statement (ODAS) for the IDF (DOE-EM, 2021) remains in effect, with no outstanding conditions or key issues affecting its implementation. Based on the comprehensive review of PA analyses, monitoring data, and regulatory compliance activities, this ASR concludes that the IDF remains in compliance with DOE O 435.1, and there is reasonable assurance that the PA performance objectives will be met once disposal operations commence in CY 2025.

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DOE OSTI2025

LDR Inorganic Spiked Simulants in Pozzolan-Substituted Cast Stone for Hanford Pretreated Low-Activity Tank Waste

Pretreated Low Activity Waste (PTW/LAW) at the Hanford Site, is currently projected for disposition through a cementitious waste form. The current standard formulation, Cast Stone, uses Class F fly ash, blast furnace slag, and Portland cement. However, the future availability of Class F fly ash is uncertain, as many coal-fired power plants—the source of this byproduct—are being decommissioned or converted to natural gas. This issue has prompted research into identifying and evaluating suitable alternative materials to replace fly ash in the cementitious waste forms used by the Department of Energy (DOE). The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) successfully identified four natural pozzolans for the replacement of Class F fly ash in the current Savannah River Site (SRS) low-level waste (LLW) form, Saltstone.

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DOE OSTI2025

Resolving Issues Regarding Disposal of Safeguarded Nuclear Materials: Concepts for Near Surface and Intermediate Depth Disposal sites

This document presents two case studies on nuclear waste disposal to explore the safeguards challenges and potential solutions present under each scenario. Both involve the disposal of nuclear materials, either for waste containing safeguarded nuclear materials or waste where safeguards on the nuclear materials have been previously terminated. The first case study is that of a low-level waste (LLW) repository that is situated near the surface. This facility will accept safeguarded nuclear materials for disposal. Examples of this type of activity are rare, but the potential for more facilities of this type is very possible as States become more comfortable with considering safeguards measures in perpetuity on deep geological repositories. The second study extends this to the case of terminated wastes at an intermediate depth disposal site. In this case, the reasons why terminated nuclear materials could be found in these disposal facilities and how obligations under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) and Additional Protocol (AP) are met when the disposed waste items are intermediate level waste (ILW) or high-level waste (HLW).

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2025

Annual Summary Report for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility—FY 2024

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 annual summary report (ASR) documents the continued adequacy of the performance assessment (PA), the composite analysis (CA), and associated operating disposal- authorization statement (ODAS) technical-basis documents for the Remote-Handled (RH) Low-Level Waste (LLW) Disposal Facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Annual review of the adequacy of the PA and CA for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste (RHLLW) Disposal Facility ensures that conclusions of the analyses remain valid in accordance with requirements of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, “Radioactive Waste Management.” In FY 2024, no significant operational changes or other activities occurred that would cause deviation from the assumptions in the PA and CA pertaining to disposal geometry, verification of waste characteristics, tracking disposal inventories against total limits, facility-closure design, or institutional controls. Nineteen waste canister shipments were received at the RHLLW Disposal Facility, and all nineteen waste canisters were emplaced in disposal vaults.

12 - MGMT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTE↗
NASA NTRS1997

Real-Time Characterization of Materials Degradation Using Leaky Lamb Wave

Leaky Lamb wave (LLW) propagation in composite materials has been studied extensively since it was first observed in 1982. The wave is induced using a pitch-catch arrangement and the plate wave modes are detected by searching minima in the reflected spectra.

Materials Degradation Leaky Lamb wave composite ma↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ultrasonic Evaluation of Thermal Degradation in Adhesive Bonds

The critical role played by adhesive bonds in lap joints is well known. A good knowledge of the mechanical properties of adhesive bonds in lap joints is a prerequisite to the design and reliable prediction of the performance of these bonded structures. Furthermore, the lap joint may be subject to high-temperature environments in service. Early detection of the degree of thermal degradation in adhesive bonds is required under these circumstances. A variety of ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques can be used to determine the thickness and the elastic moduli of adhesively bonded joints. In this paper we apply a previously developed technique based on the leaky Lamb wave (LLW) experiment to investigate the possibility of characterizing the thermal degradation of adhesive bonds in lap joints. The degradation of the adhesive bonds is determined through comparison between experimental data and theoretical calculations.

degradation lap joints mechanical properties bonde↗
DOE OSTI2021

Annual Summary Report for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility—FY 2020

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 annual summary report documents the continued adequacy of the performance assessment (PA), the composite analysis (CA) and associated operating disposal-authorization statement (ODAS) technical basis documents for the Remote Handled (RH) Low-Level Waste (LLW) Disposal Facility at Idaho National Laboratory. Annual review of the adequacy of the PA and CA for the RHLLW Disposal Facility ensures that conclusions of the analyses remain valid in accordance with requirements of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1 Change 1, “Radioactive Waste Management.” In FY 2020, no significant operational changes or other activities occurred that would cause deviation from the assumptions in the PA and CA pertaining to disposal geometry, verification of waste characteristics, tracking disposal inventories against total limits, facility closure design, or institutional controls. Fifteen total waste-canister shipments were received at the RHLLW Disposal Facility, and 15 total waste canisters were emplaced.

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DOE OSTI2020

Panel Session 116: Waste Management from Remediation of Legacy Sites or Unplanned Releases

Past experiences have shown that there is often a disconnect between Indigenous societies and Western society. This disconnect can be attributed to different value systems between these two group and is not limited to the USA and Canada but also extends into Australia, New Zealand, and the Central Asia Republics (the 'five Stans'). The intent of this Panel Session to give voice to representatives from Indigenous communities, the challenges presented in remediation processes, and potential solutions. Standard risk assessment assumptions developed for Western societies often do not adequately address the cultural and spiritual values that may be unique to indigenous societies. This panel focused on the perspectives of Indigenous societies (e.g., Indian Tribes (US), First Nations (Canada)) related to risk assessment of environmental remediation challenges, including deep geological disposal of HLW and ILW, near-surface disposal of LLW and in-situ entombment of nuclear reactor components, and environmental remediation of abandoned uranium mines and historic wastes. Standard risk assessment assumptions often do not adequately address the cultural and spiritual values that may be unique to indigenous societies. Factoring those into a risk assessment that still meets regulatory requirements and policies such as reasonably anticipated land use at US EPA CERCLA sites can be challenging but has the potential to lead to a site or facility approach that is more accepted. Panelists with presentations: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Process - A Path for Indigenous Knowledge? (Francis Cameron); Local Community Perceptions and Remediation Projects (Michelle Roberts); Indigenous Perspectives on Risk Assessment (Bob Watts); Navajo Superfund Program: Fundamental Law and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (Dariel Yazzie); Risk Assessment: Two Indigenous Approaches (Whitney Fraser)

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DOE OSTI2020

Panel Session 14: US NRC - Current and Emerging US NRC Regulatory Topics

This panel focused on several current and emerging US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulatory issues impacting the commercial radioactive waste arena in the US. The panelists provided different perspectives on key issues such as the revision of 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 61 'Licensing Requirements For Land Disposal Of Radioactive Waste', the scoping study on very low-level waste, the consolidated interim storage of spent nuclear fuel and other timely regulatory topics. Panelists with presentations: Overview of NRC Low-Level Radioactive Waste Activities and Initiatives (Patricia Holahan); US Nuclear Power Plant Waste Management - US LLW Disposal Issues (Joe Weismann); Decommissioning Rule (Vern C. Rogers); What is TRU? Definition, Legislation, and Rulemaking (David Carlson); LLRW Regulatory Topics of Interest in Texas (Bobby Janecka); International Low Level Waste Management Practices (Richard McGrath)

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DOE OSTI2020

Cigeo Design Options, Risks and Opportunities Management: A Continuous Project Management Goal - 20015

Andra is currently completing the detailed engineering phase of the stepwise design development of Cigeo, the French HLW and IL-LLW Deep Geological Repository. If licensed in the coming years, Cigeo's progressive construction, industrial operation and closure will last over more than a century. Such a duration, associated with the requirements in terms of reversibility, lead to the choice of an incremental design that allows, for next operator generations, to integrate improvements derived from scientific and technical progress as well as from experience feedback from its operation. This incremental design approach, associated with a permanent risks and opportunities management process, will continue after licensing of Cigeo as a tool for the governance of the reversibility. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2020

The Influence of Aqueous Dispersivity on Transport of Radiological Material at LANL MDA G - 20450

Aqueous dispersivity is a phenomenon by which a solute moving in groundwater mixes with water that does not contain the solute and becomes diluted. Solutes take paths of varying lengths through pore networks or experience slower velocities due to interactions with pore walls. Aqueous dispersivity leads to breakthrough curves with earlier arrival than expected in purely advective systems and persistent 'tails,' or late-arriving, dilute concentrations of the solute. Dispersivity can be longitudinal (in the direction of flow) or transverse (orthogonal to flow). LANL has disposed of radioactive material at Material Disposal Area (MDA) G since the late 1950's. Most of the disposed materials at MDA G are low-level waste (LLW), but other types of radioactive wastes are disposed or stored at the site. For example, there is a collection of remote-handled transuranic waste (RH-TRU) waste in 33 shafts, which were intended to be stored retrievably. Aqueous-phase radionuclides included in models of contaminant transport at MDA G are subject to dispersive processes in porous media of the vadose zone and saturated zone. To model dispersivity at MDA G probabilistically, we created site-specific distributions of aqueous dispersivity. First, we performed a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed publications, reports from other performance assessments of MDA G, and documentation from sites that were considered similar based on expert opinion, such as Yucca Mountain. Data were included from a wide range of sources, so that distributions developed based on the data reflect the current state of knowledge in properties of the subsurface environment. Data were grouped based on value type (e.g., determined via experiment or used in a different model), rock type, zone type (saturated or unsaturated), and site, and were weighted in the distributions according to their relevance to the site and zone type. We combined Monte Carlo simulation and bootstrapping techniques to produce approximate distributions of mean aqueous dispersivity. Distributions of dispersivity for saturated and unsaturated zone transport are differentiated by data weight and the length scales over which transport occurs. We find that underestimating or disregarding transverse dispersivity may lead to overstating simulated well capture in the saturated zone at MDA G. Neglecting transverse dispersivity is a common assumption due in part to use of one-dimensional transport models that do not consider solute spreading orthogonal to flow. Also, we find that variability in longitudinal dispersivity is associated with substantial travel time alterations in the MDA G unsaturated zone and in simulated contaminant breakthrough times at a downstream observation plane in the MDA G saturated zone. Finally, at large scales (>1000 m), a linear trend between the dispersivity coefficient and length over which transport occurs may overestimate the dispersivity coefficient. Future modeling work with application to solute spreading could include interacting advective and diffusive zones in the highly fractured basalt below MDA G. (authors)

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