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RCRA Part A Permit Application for Waste Management Activities at the Nevada National Security Site Hazardous Waste Storage Unit (HWSU), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EODU), Mixed Waste Storage Unit (MWSU), and Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU)

This document is the first volume in a Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit Application to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for continued operation of certain facilities on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), owned by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO). This RCRA permit application pertains to the Hazardous Waste Storage Unit (HWSU), the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EODU), the Mixed Waste Storage Unit (MWSU), and the Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU). This volume lists the relevant permits for each of these facilities and provides maps and drawings of many aspects of them. The companion volumes, which provide descriptive text and discussion and additional graphics, are jointly considered Part B of the permit application. Those volumes are identified by the following document numbers: DOE/NV/25946--2442, DOE/NV/25946--2448, DOE/NV/25946--2425, and DOE/NV/25946--2429.

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Mixing Waste + Thermal Treatment: A Solution to the Problematic Waste Challenge? - 18366

Credible solutions exist for the management, treatment and disposal of all categories of Problematic Low Level Waste (PLLW); however the wastes are often ill defined and the costs associated tend to be disproportionately high; twenty times greater than that associated with LLW. The challenge posed to the nuclear industry is not one of technology but of economics and characterization. There are many PLLW categories, but the associated waste volumes are small (often < 100 m{sup 3}/category) which represents a poor value proposition to develop and deploy specialist technology for each. To meet the industry challenge, and to balance economics with safety and quality, a technology is required that is adaptable enough to process a large fraction of PLLW categories, present a favorable level of characterization and process in sufficient volumes to reduce cost. One approach is waste mixing which is becoming an accepted technique in waste management; however this does not address issues that make wastes problematic as it does not typically change the physico-chemical characteristics of the waste. Techniques are being developed for the conditioning of PLLW waste categories. Presently these are not commercially ready (low Technology Readiness Level, TRL) or have not met the economic challenge posed. GeoMelt is a thermal treatment technology with a track record over 30 years and capable of providing a viable solution. It has a demonstrated capability to co-process mixed wastes and is able to process wastes that fall into the PLLW category. This paper discusses how GeoMelt can be used to co-process waste economically and provides a feasible characterization strategy to present a viable approach to the conditioning and co-disposal of problematic wastes in the UK. (authors)

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RCRA Part B Permit Application Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) for Waste Management Activities at the NNSS Mixed Waste Storage Unit (MWSU)

This volume of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit application to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection focuses on continued operation of the Mixed Waste Storage Unit at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), under the auspices of DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO). Low-level mixed waste (LLMW) accepted at the NNSS contains both radioactive and hazardous material components as defined by various laws and regulations. The Mixed Waste Storage Unit (MWSU) is located at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC). Existing facilities at the RWMC are used to store LLMW generated at or shipped to the NNSS prior to disposal at the Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU). The document describes the MWSU, its general design, its operation, the materials it stores, and relevant health and safety regulations with which NNSS complies. The currently permitted MWSU has been operated since December 2010. Each of the four designated storage areas is RCRA-compliant for the storage of hazardous waste. This application represents a renewal request by DOE for the permitted MWSU. For security reasons, some of the contents of the full application are not available for public viewing. This version of the application contains most but not all of the contents as submitted to the regulatory agencies.

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RCRA Part B Permit Application Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) for Waste Management Activities at the NNSS Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU)

This volume of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit application to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection provides facility information on the design, processes, and security features associated with the Cell 18 Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU) at the Nevada National Security Site, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO). Onsite and offsite containerized low-level mixed waste (LLMW) that has an approved DOE nexus, DOE non-radioactive classified hazardous waste, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agency non-radioactive classified hazardous waste (hereafter called waste) are disposed in the unit. Classified waste is the only non-radioactive waste accepted for disposal and is required to meet waste acceptance criteria for radioactive waste. The MWDU is located in the southeast portion of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC). The RWMC includes transuranic waste storage units, breaching and re-packaging facilities, and the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS). The RWMS is an active disposal site for waste. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and friable and non-friable asbestos are accepted for disposal. The MWDU has been compliantly operating since January 26, 2011, and approximately 60 percent of its capacity has been used for disposal. In addition to the requirements of the RCRA, the MWDU is also subject to DOE orders, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations (for receipt of offsite waste), and State of Nevada requirements. General information and hazardous waste codes identified for disposal at the MWDU are described. State-only designated hazardous waste may also be received at the NNSS as hazardous waste. For safety and security reasons, some of the contents of the full application are not available for public viewing. This public version of the application contains most, but not all, of the contents as submitted to the regulatory agencies.

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RCRA Part A and Part B Permit Application for Waste Management Activities at the Nevada Test Site: Proposed Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWSU)

The proposed Mixed Waste Storage Unit (MWSU) will be located within the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC). Existing facilities at the RWMC will be used to store low-level mixed waste (LLMW). Storage is required to accommodate offsite-generated LLMW shipped to the Nevada Test Site (NTS) for disposal in the new Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU) currently in the design/build stage. LLMW generated at the NTS (onsite) is currently stored on the Transuranic (TRU) Pad (TP) in Area 5 under a Mutual Consent Agreement (MCA) with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Federal Facilities (NDEP/BFF). When the proposed MWSU is permitted, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will ask that NDEP revoke the MCA and onsite-generated LLMW will fall under the MWSU permit terms and conditions. The unit will also store polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste and friable and non-friable asbestos waste that meets the acceptance criteria in the Waste Analysis Plan (Exhibit 2) for disposal in the MWDU. In addition to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements, the proposed MWSU will also be subject to Department of Energy (DOE) orders and other applicable state and federal regulations. Table 1 provides the metric conversion factors used in this application. Table 2 provides a list of existing permits. Table 3 lists operational RCRA units at the NTS and their respective regulatory status.

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Evapotranspiration Cover for the 92-Acre Area Retired Mixed Waste Pits: Interim CQA Report

This Interim Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Report is for the 92-Acre Evapotranspiration Cover, Area 5 Waste Management Division (WMD) Retired Mixed Waste Pits, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada for the period of January 20, 2011 to May 12, 2011. This Interim Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Report is for the 92-Acre Evapotranspiration Cover, Area 5 Waste Management Division (WMD) Retired Mixed Waste Pits, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada for the period of January 20, 2011 to May 12, 2011. Construction was approved by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) under the Approval of Corrective Action Decision Document/Corrective Action Plan (CADD/CAP) for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 111: Area 5 WMD Retired Mixed Waste Pits, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, on January 6, 2011, pursuant to Subpart XII.8a of the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. The project is located in Area 5 of the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), formerly known as the Nevada Test Site, located in southern Nevada, approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, in Nye County. The project site, in Area 5, is located in a topographically closed basin approximately 14 additional miles north of Mercury Nevada, in the north-central part of Frenchman Flat. The Area 5 RWMS uses engineered shallow-land burial cells to dispose of packaged waste. The 92-Acre Area encompasses the southern portion of the Area 5 RWMS, which has been designated for the first final closure operations. This area contains 13 Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD) boreholes, 16 narrow trenches, and 9 broader pits. With the exception of two active pits (P03 and P06), all trenches and pits in the 92-Acre Area had operational covers approximately 2.4 meters thick, at a minimum, in most areas when this project began. The units within the 92-Acre Area are grouped into the following six informal categories based on physical location, waste types and regulatory requirements: (1) Pit 3 Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU); (2) Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 111; (3) CAU 207; (4) Low-level waste disposal units; (5) Asbestiform low-level waste disposal units; and (6) One transuranic (TRU) waste trench.

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Evapotranspiration Cover for the 92-Acre Area Retired Mixed Waste Pits, Area 5 Waste Management Division, Nevada National Security Site, Final CQA Report

The report is the Final Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Report for the 92-Acrew Evapotranspiration Cover, Area 5 Waste Management Division Retired Mixed Waste Pits, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, for the period of January 20, 2011, to January 31, 2012 The Area 5 RWMS uses engineered shallow-land burial cells to dispose of packaged waste. The 92-Acre Area encompasses the southern portion of the Area 5 RWMS, which has been designated for the first final closure operations. This area contains 13 Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD) boreholes, 16 narrow trenches, and 9 broader pits. With the exception of two active pits (P03 and P06), all trenches and pits in the 92-Acre Area had operational covers approximately 2.4 meters thick, at a minimum, in most areas when this project began. The units within the 92-Acre Area are grouped into the following six informal categories based on physical location, waste types and regulatory requirements: (1) Pit 3 Mixed Waste Disposal Unit (MWDU); (2) Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 111; (3) CAU 207; (4) Low-level waste disposal units; (5) Asbestiform low-level waste disposal units; and (6) One transuranic (TRU) waste trench.

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Special Analysis for the Disposal of the Sandia National Laboratory Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

This special analysis evaluates whether the Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream (ASLA000001007, Revision 4) is suitable for disposal by shallow land burial (SLB) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream consists of debris from classified nuclear weapons components (SNL 2015). The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream required a special analysis due to tritium (3H) exceeding the NNSS Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Action Levels (U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office [NNSA/NFO] 2015). The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream had no significant effect on the maximum mean and 95th percentile results for the resident air pathway and all-pathways annual total effective dose (TED). The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream increases the mean air pathway and all-pathways annual TED from approximately 100 to 200 years after closure. Addition of the SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream inventory shifts the maximum TED to approximately 100 years after closure and increases the TED for several alternative exposure scenarios. The maximum mean and the 95th percentile 222Rn flux density remain less than the performance objective throughout the compliance period. The SNL Classified Macroencapsulated Mixed Waste stream is suitable for disposal by SLB at the Area 5 RWMS. The waste stream is recommended for approval without conditions.

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M-Area Mixed Waste Glasses: II: Durability and Viscosity Testing of High Aluminum and Uranium Containing Borosilicate Waste Glasses

Radioactive waste sludges that were high in A l2 O 3 (14.17 to 29.02 wt%) and U 3 O 8 (2.93 to 5.66 wt%) while being simultaneously low in Fe 2 O 3 (1.26 to 2.01 wt%) were vitrified into borosilicate glass in the Savannah River Site’s (SRS) M-Area. The overall Na 2 O concentrations of borosilicate and soda-lime-silica (SLS) glasses studied at the Savannah River National Laboratory (then the Savannah River Technology Center) prior to startup of the M-Area melter ranged from 6.80 to 27.09 wt%, while the B 2 O 3 concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 32.62 wt%.

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Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project Overcomes Challenges to Complete Treatment of Debris Waste - 20616

The Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), operated by Fluor Idaho for the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office, completed the last of its debris waste treatment in the fall of 2019. Concluding that work-scope was certainly not without its challenges. Fluor Idaho and its employees had to adapt to treating extremely challenging waste types, such as high-fissile gram materials and potentially pyrophoric and reactive wastes coming down the stretch. It also had to complete the sizing of large waste boxes from Mound Laboratories in inner-contamination enclosures designed to capture the extremely fine, 'flighty' plutonium-238 in its high-efficiency particulate air filters. Very few waste treatment facilities in the DOE Complex have completed their missions. In fact, most large-scale waste treatment facilities are still under construction with many months or years remaining before 'hot operations' begin. AMWTP is unique because it functioned as a 'one-stop shop.' Transuranic and low-level waste characterization, treatment, certification, and shipping all occurred there. AMWTP concluded the most challenging part of its mission and will continue to ship material out of the state of Idaho for the next decade. This paper will provide a background of the AMWTP mission, and the adaptations to its operating permit, equipment, or treatment processes to address challenging waste types. AMWTP will leave behind a legacy of being one of the most successful waste treatment facilities in the history of the DOE Complex. The facility was well-conceived, well-constructed, and well-executed; it was done right from start to finish. During the course of its waste treatment mission, the facility was required to adapt to changing conditions by treating extremely challenging waste types. (authors)

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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)

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Tritium Recovery From Mixed Waste - 17004

Nuclear Sources and Services (NSSI) in Houston, TX houses a unique infrastructure to recover tritium from a variety of different streams for re-use. NSSI accepts gaseous, aqueous, and tritiated-solid feedstock. For example, titanium-tritide foils from spent neutron generator sources are de-tritiated at 1000 deg. C. Tritium gas is recovered from a variety of metal getter beds. Tritiated liquid that is desorbed from zeolite drier beds or generated while reconditioning nickel beds is transferred to a Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange (CECE) system to concentrate the tritium fraction before the gas is transferred to a hydrogen isotope separator for enrichment. Mixed-waste liquids, typically generated in the pharmaceutical industry, are converted to tritiated water and inactive gaseous effluents using a high-temperature, two-stage, catalytic-oxidation destruction process. The destruction efficiency of solvents is extremely high, typically in the 99.9999% to 99.99999% range. The resultant water containing tritium is also directed to the CECE subsystem. At present, liquid activities ranging from the 0.37 MBq/L (10 μCi/L) to 740 GBq/L (20 Ci/L) can be processed economically. The CECE subsystem has de-tritiated 2 metric tons of heavy water per year and is designed to de-tritiate up to 30 metric tons of light water per year. NSSI is licensed to operate within a 2-gram tritium inventory limit. Recently the Mixed-Waste Oxidation Facility that can process up to 40 liters of liquid per day has been upgraded to reduce the corrosive effects of halogen-based mixed wastes on the effluent scrubbing system. This paper will outline the key features of this system and discuss the effectiveness of the upgrades and the operational parameter space. (authors)

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Annual Update Pantex Plant Site Treatment Plan/Compliance Plan for Development of Mixed Waste Treatment Capacities and Technologies

This updated STP identifies how DOE proposes to obtain commercial treatment or as appropriate, develop technologies for the site's mixed waste in inventory that does not currently have a developed disposition path. This updated STP also provides the methodology to be implemented if mixed waste is generate or identified that requires development of a disposition path.

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Mixed Waste Landfill Annual Long-Term Monitoring & Maintenance Report (Apr 2015-Mar 2016)

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is a multi-purpose engineering and science laboratory owned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration. SNL is managed and operated by Sandia Corporation (Sandia), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is located within the boundaries of Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB), southeast of the City of Albuquerque in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The Mixed Waste Landfill (MWL) is located 4 miles south of SNL/NM central facilities and 5 miles southeast of Albuquerque International Sunport, in the north-central portion of Technical Area (TA)-III. The MWL disposal area comprises 2.6 acres. During operations, the MWL accepted containerized and other low-level radioactive waste and minor amounts of mixed waste from SNL/NM research facilities and off-site DOE and U.S. Department of Defense generators from March 1959 to December 1988. More specific information regarding the MWL inventory and past disposal practices is presented in the MWL Phase 2 RCRA Facility Investigation Report (Peace et al. September 2002) and the extensive MWL Administrative Record.

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Panel Session 90: US DOE Mixed Waste: Proposals for Dealing with Problematic Waste Streams and Policy Changes

This panel focused on generation and management of low level and mixed low-level radioactive wastes, challenges for disposition, innovative solutions applied at DOE sites, and collaboration among sites to ensure that waste disposition pathways are understood. In addition, potential policy initiatives were discussed including depleted uranium, elemental mercury, and treatment of legacy mixed waste components. As part of the introduction, Theresa Kliczewski provided an overview of why this panel is relevant: problematic mixed waste streams still exist across the DOE cleanup complex. Theresa noted that the DOE EM Headquarters Office of Waste and Materials Management (EM-4.2), for which she is employed with, continues to work with the DOE cleanup sites on a path forward for these problematic mixed waste streams. As part of this effort, EM-4.2 requested that the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) perform a review of all the DOE sites problematic mixed waste streams. Panelists with presentations: Challenging Waste Streams: Disposition of Depleted Uranium Oxide Conversion Product (Douglas Tonkay); EFCOG WMWG Challenging Waste Subgroup (Tammy Monday); Mercury Waste Challenges (John Wrapp); Legacy Large Mixed Waste Components (Kalli Shupe)

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Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Mixed Wastes: PAH, PCB, Uranium and Lanthanum in Solid Matrices

A sequential two-step supercritical fluid extraction technique has been developed for treating mixed wastes containing organic compounds (polychlorinated biphenyls and polyaromatic hydrocarbons) and metals (uranium and lanthanum). In the first step, the organic contaminants are extracted with neat supercritical fluid carbon dioxide at 250 atm and 150 °C. The extraction efficiencies for the organic compounds are around 93-100%. In the second step, a TBP (tri-n-butylphosphate)-nitric acid ligand is added to the system to extract uranium and lanthanum from the solid at 75 °C and a supercritical fluid density of 0.77 g/mL. The extraction efficiency for uranium is over 90% and lanthanum around 80%. This sequential supercritical fluid extraction technique appears promising for large-scale treatment of mixed wastes. (author)

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Overview of Novel Canadian Approaches for Decontamination of Solid Radioactive and Mixed Waste - 19476

The availability of decontamination-for-release technology options provide a path forward to economically decontaminate radioactive metallic waste and enable its disposal as clean scrap metal, to decontaminate tools/equipment for unrestricted refurbishment or reuse, and to carry out inspection of in-service components. Projects involving management of solid mixed waste pose complex technical challenges that require the development and application of novel decontamination processes. The objective of this paper is to present project case studies that provide an overview of Kinectrics' experience with the decontamination of solid radioactive and mixed waste. Novel approaches to decontamination, recent developments, key results and lessons learned will also be discussed. (authors)

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