Improving the Characterization Program for Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Bound for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (2004) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Pages 7-17
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From page 7... ...
~~'~ ~~ ~~:::::::::::::::::::::: ::~: i: ~~,~ ~ .~ ~~.~ ~~'~'~: :~ :' ~ ~~ ': 'I'd ~'~ .' ~ - As-' '' -' '' ' ~,~ ~~-~.~_r ~ i. ~ ~ ~~ a, ~~ ~ ~~N ~ ~~-~-~-~-~ i ~ ~ FIGURE 1.1 Location of the ten major transuranic waste generation sites and primary waste transportation routes to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
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From page 8... ...
RH-TRU waste is not allowed for disposal at WIPP because there is no characterization program approved by WIPP regulators for this type of waste. Moreover, the proposed characterization plan for RH-TRU waste was the object of a previous National Research Council report (NRC, 2002~.
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From page 9... ...
of the proposed structured and quantitative analysis to three characterization activities that were chosen on the basis of information provided by DOE and findings from a previous National Research Council committee (see Section 5.9~. The report also addresses programmatic, policy, and societal impacts of changes to the characterization program as follows: .
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From page 10... ...
For instance, DOE proposed to NMED to conduct homogeneous waste and headspace gas sampling and analyses on the totality of CH-TRU waste containers to confirm existing information about the waste.6 Furthermore, a provision for the confirmation of radiography results by visual examination was also included in the 1995 permit application to NMED. Therefore, the committee that authored the 2001 report recommended (NRC, 2001; page 66~: DOE should eliminate self-imposed waste characterization requirements that lack a legal or safely basis.~7~ Similarly, the committee that authored the 2002 report on the proposed characterization program for RH-TRU waste recommended (NRC, 2002; page 49~: DOE should propose only characterization activities that have a technical, health and safely, or regulatory basis.
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From page 11... ...
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From page 12... ...
The EPA, NMED, and USNRC are the threes agencies that regulate WIPP and its related activities. The implementation of regulatory requirements, including those on characterization, is described in permits9 granted by the regulators: the EPA Certificate of Compliance for WIPP with 40 CFR 194; the NMED Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (HWFP)
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From page 13... ...
Waste characterization activities are designed to meet requirements in these permits. 1.4 The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, located near CarIsbad, New Mexico, is the nation's defense-related transuranic waste repository, as designated by Congress in the Land Withdrawal Act of 1992 (U.S.
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From page 14... ...
1.5 Life Cycle of Transuranic Waste The life cycle of TRU waste, from its generation to its designated final disposal at WIPP, generally42 consists of the following: waste generation or recovery from its current storage location; . processing and packaging, if necessary; characterization and certification; loading into shipping containers; road transportation to WIPP; · receipt, unloading, handling, surface interim storage; and underground emplacement at WIPP.
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From page 15... ...
Waste characterization is used to ensure the safe transportation of waste from generator sites to WIPP, to ensure its safe clisposal, and to provide a certified record of clisposal activities. From a regulatory perspective, all waste sent to WIPP must comply with the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria, HWFP, and transportation requirements (see Chapter 3~.
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From page 16... ...
Once certified by EPA and NMED, packaged TRU waste is loaded onto USNRCapproved transportation packages, the most common being the TRUPACT-~l, and transported to WIPP by road following routes established in accordance with corridor states. The final steps when waste arrives at WIPP consist of checking the shipment for contamination, and if none is found, unloading the waste, storing it temporarily at the surface, and finally emplacing it underground for permanent disposal.44 , - - - ~ 1.6 Challenges of Transuranic Waste Characterization Transuranic waste characterization presents several challenges for DOE's National TRU Waste Management Program, such as the following: · High characterization costs arid variabi/itv in estimates.
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From page 17... ...
Technological advances will create opportunities to improve waste characterization but their time and impact on the program are difficult to assess. There are also characterization challenges associated with specific TRU waste streams, as discussed in Section 2.3, as well as regulatory challenges, discussed in Section 3.4.
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