Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (2010-2012)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR) documents United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) compliance with environmental regulations applicable to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility.

Geochemical Aspects of Radioactive Waste Disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moody, Judith B.

1984-04-01

The author's stated purpose in writing this book is to summarize the large number of government-sponsored research reports on the geochemical aspects of high-level nuclear waste isolation. Although this book has a 1984 publication date, the majority of the cited documents were published before 1982. Unfortunately, passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 and its signing into law by President Reagan (January 1983) [U.S. Congress, 1983] has significantly altered the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) Program. Therefore this book does not accurately reflect the present U.S. program in geologic disposal of high-level nuclear waste. For example, chapter 2, “Radioactive Waste Management,” is almost 3 years out of date in a field that is changing rapidly (see U.S. DOE [1984a] for the current status of the CRWM Program). Additionally, the source material, which forms the input for this book, is chiefly grey literature, i.e., the referenced documents may or may not have undergone peer review and therefore do not represent the technical judgment of the scientific community. Also, this book only presents a selective sampling of information because the literature cited does not include a representative selection of the widespread available literature on this topic.

Continuous Improvement and the Safety Case for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Geologic Repository - 13467

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Luik, Abraham; Patterson, Russell; Nelson, Roger

2013-07-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a geologic repository 2150 feet (650 m) below the surface of the Chihuahuan desert near Carlsbad, New Mexico. WIPP permanently disposes of transuranic waste from national defense programs. Every five years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) submits an application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to request regulatory-compliance re-certification of the facility for another five years. Every ten years, DOE submits an application to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) for the renewal of its hazardous waste disposal permit. The content of the applications made by DOE to the EPA formore » re-certification, and to the NMED for permit-renewal, reflect any optimization changes made to the facility, with regulatory concurrence if warranted by the nature of the change. DOE points to such changes as evidence for its having taken seriously its 'continuous improvement' operations and management philosophy. Another opportunity for continuous improvement is to look at any delta that may exist between the re-certification and re-permitting cases for system safety and the consensus advice on the nature and content of a safety case as being developed and published by the Nuclear Energy Agency's Integration Group for the Safety Case (IGSC) expert group. DOE at WIPP, with the aid of its Science Advisor and teammate, Sandia National Laboratories, is in the process of discerning what can be done, in a reasonably paced and cost-conscious manner, to continually improve the case for repository safety that is being made to the two primary regulators on a recurring basis. This paper will discuss some aspects of that delta and potential paths forward to addressing them. (authors)« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goldston, W.

On April 21, 2009, the Energy Facilities Contractors Group (EFCOG) Waste Management Working Group (WMWG) provided a recommendation to the Department of Energy's Environmental Management program (DOE-EM) concerning supplemental guidance on blending methodologies to use to classify waste forms to determine if the waste form meets the definition of Transuranic (TRU) Waste or can be classified as Low-Level Waste (LLW). The guidance provides specific examples and methods to allow DOE and its Contractors to properly classify waste forms while reducing the generation of TRU wastes. TRU wastes are much more expensive to characterize at the generator's facilities, ship, and thenmore » dispose at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) than Low-Level Radioactive Waste's disposal. Also the reduction of handling and packaging of LLW is inherently less hazardous to the nuclear workforce. Therefore, it is important to perform the characterization properly, but in a manner that minimizes the generation of TRU wastes if at all possible. In fact, the generation of additional volumes of radioactive wastes under the ARRA programs, this recommendation should improve the cost effective implementation of DOE requirements while properly protecting human health and the environment. This paper will describe how the message of appropriate, less expensive, less hazardous blending of radioactive waste is the 'right' thing to do in many cases, but can be confused with inappropriate 'dilution' that is frowned upon by regulators and stakeholders in the public. A proposal will be made in this paper on how to communicate this very complex and confusing technical issue to regulatory bodies and interested stakeholders to gain understanding and approval of the concept. The results of application of the proposed communication method and attempt to change the regulatory requirements in this area will be discussed including efforts by DOE and the NRC on this very complex subject.« less

Disaster waste management: a review article.

PubMed

Brown, Charlotte; Milke, Mark; Seville, Erica

2011-06-01

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process. This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.; however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes. It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disaster waste management: A review article

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Charlotte, E-mail: charlotte.brown@pg.canterbury.ac.nz; Milke, Mark, E-mail: mark.milke@canterbury.ac.nz; Seville, Erica, E-mail: erica.seville@canterbury.ac.nz

2011-06-15

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process. This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.;more » however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes. It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems.« less

Developing an institutional strategy for transporting defense transuranic waste materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guerrero, J.V.; Kresny, H.S.

In late 1988, the US Department of Energy (DOE) expects to begin emplacing transuranic waste materials in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), an R and D facility to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive wastes resulting from defense program activities. Transuranic wastes are production-related materials, e.g., clothes, rags, tools, and similar items. These materials are contaminated with alpha-emitting transuranium radionuclides with half-lives of > 20 yr and concentrations > 100 nCi/g. Much of the institutional groundwork has been done with local communities and the State of New Mexico on the siting and construction of the facility. A key tomore » the success of the emplacement demonstration, however, will be a qualified transportation system together with institutional acceptance of the proposed shipments. The DOE's Defense Transuranic Waste Program, and its contractors, has lead responsibility for achieving this goal. The Joint Integration Office (JIO) of the DOE, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is taking the lead in implementing an integrated strategy for assessing nationwide institutional concerns over transportation of defense transuranic wastes and in developing ways to resolve or mitigate these concerns. Parallel prototype programs are under way to introduce both the new packaging systems and the institutional strategy to interested publics and organizations.« less

WIPP Remote-Handled TRU Waste Program Update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Most, W.; Kehrman, B.

2006-07-01

There are two major regulatory approval milestones necessary in order to commence disposal operations for remote-handled transuranic (RH TRU) waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)-the RH TRU hazardous waste permit modification request [1] and the radiological characterization plan [2]. One of those milestones has been achieved. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final decision to approve the Department of Energy's (DOE) RH TRU radiological characterization plan along with the RH TRU Waste Characterization Program Implementation Plan [3], on March 26, 2004. The RH TRU hazardous waste permit modification request still awaits agency approval. In EPA's decisionmore » to approve the DOE's RH TRU radiological characterization plan, the EPA also set forth the process for approving site-specific RH TRU waste characterization programs. Included in the March 29, 2005, RH TRU second Notice of Deficiency [4] (NOD) on the Class 3 Permit Modification Request for RH TRU Waste, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) requested that the Permittees combine their responses for the RH TRU Waste NOD with the Section 311 permit modification request NOD. The Combined Response Document was submitted April 28, 2005 [5]. Another NOD [6] was issued by the NMED on September 1, 2005, to clarify the Permittees' proposal and submit these clarifications to the administrative record. Combining both the chap. 311 [7] and RH TRU waste permit modification requests allows for both the regulator and Permittees to expedite action on the modification requests. The Combined Response Document preserves human resources and costs by having only one administrative process for both modification requests. Facility readiness requirements of the RH TRU waste final permit [8] must be implemented to declare that the WIPP is ready to receive RH TRU waste for storage and disposal. To demonstrate readiness, the WIPP is preparing for an Operational Readiness Review (ORR) of the RH TRU waste management equipment, system, and procedures. Required by DOE Order, the ORR demonstrates the capability of managing RH TRU waste. The Management and Operating Contractor (MOC) for the WIPP must first perform a Line Management Assessment. Upon successful completion of the Line Management Assessment, the MOC performs the Contractor ORR and presents the results to the local DOE office. At that time, the local DOE office performs its own ORR to declare readiness to DOE Headquarters. (authors)« less

WIPP waste characterization program sampling and analysis guidance manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-01-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Waste Characterization Program Sampling and Analysis Guidance Manual (Guidance Manual) provides a unified source of information on the sampling and analytical techniques that enable Department of Energy (DOE) facilities to comply with the requirements established in the current revision of the Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) for the WIPP Experimental-Waste Characterization Program (the Program). This Guidance Manual includes all of the sampling and testing methodologies accepted by the WIPP Project Office (DOE/WPO) for use in implementing the Program requirements specified in the QAPP. This includes methods for characterizing representative samples of transuranic (TRU) wastesmore » at DOE generator sites with respect to the gas generation controlling variables defined in the WIPP bin-scale and alcove test plans, as well as waste container headspace gas sampling and analytical procedures to support waste characterization requirements under the WIPP test program and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The procedures in this Guidance Manual are comprehensive and detailed and are designed to provide the necessary guidance for the preparation of site specific procedures. The use of these procedures is intended to provide the necessary sensitivity, specificity, precision, and comparability of analyses and test results. The solutions to achieving specific program objectives will depend upon facility constraints, compliance with DOE Orders and DOE facilities' operating contractor requirements, and the knowledge and experience of the TRU waste handlers and analysts. With some analytical methods, such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, the Guidance Manual procedures may be used directly. With other methods, such as nondestructive/destructive characterization, the Guidance Manual provides guidance rather than a step-by-step procedure.« less

RH-TRU Waste Inventory Characterization by AK and Proposed WIPP RH-TRU Waste Characterization Objectives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Most, W. A.; Kehrman, R.; Gist, C.

2002-02-26

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) has developed draft documentation to present the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) remote-handled (RH-) transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program to its regulators, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Mexico Environment Department. Compliance with Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 191 and 194; the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (PL 102-579); and the WIPP Hazardous Waste Facility Permit, as well as the Certificates of Compliance for the 72-B and 10-160B Casks, requires that specific waste parameter limits be imposed on DOE sites disposing of TRU waste at WIPP. Themore » DOE-CBFO must control the sites' compliance with the limits by specifying allowable characterization methods. As with the established WIPP contact handled TRU waste characterization program, the DOE-CBFO has proposed a Remote-Handled TRU Waste Acceptance Criteria (RH-WAC) document consolidating the requirements from various regulatory drivers and proposed allowable characterization methods. These criteria are consistent with the recommendation of a recent National Academy Sciences/National Research Council to develop an RH-TRU waste characterization approach that removes current self imposed requirements that lack a legal or safety basis. As proposed in the draft RH-WAC and other preliminary documents, the DOE-CBFO RH-TRU waste characterization program proposes the use of acceptable knowledge (AK) as the primary method for obtaining required characterization information. The use of AK involves applying knowledge of the waste in light of the materials or processes used to generate the waste. Documentation, records, or processes providing information about various attributes of a waste stream, such as chemical, physical, and radiological properties, may be used as AK and may be applied to individual waste containers either independently or in conjunction with radiography, visual examination, assay, and other sampling and analytical data. RH-TRU waste cannot be shipped to WIPP on the basis of AK alone if documentation demonstrating that all of the prescribed limits in the RH-WAC are met is not available, discrepancies exist among AK source documents describing the same waste stream and the most conservative assumptions regarding those documents indicates that a limit will not be met, or all required data are not available for a given waste stream.« less

Isolation of Metals from Liquid Wastes: Reactive Scavenging in Turbulent Thermal Reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jost O.L. Wendt; Alan R. Kerstein; Alexander Scheeline

2003-08-06

The Overall project demonstrated that toxic metals (cesium Cs and strontium Sr) in aqueous and organic wastes can be isolated from the environment through reaction with kaolinite based sorbent substrates in high temperature reactor environments. In addition, a state-of-the art laser diagnostic tool to measure droplet characteristic in practical 'dirty' laboratory environments was developed, and was featured on the cover of a recent edition of the scientific journal ''applied Spectroscopy''. Furthermore, great strides have been made in developing a theoretical model that has the potential to allow prediction of the position and life history of every particle of waste inmore » a high temperature, turbulent flow field, a very challenging problem involving as it does, the fundamentals of two phase turbulence and of particle drag physics.« less

New design incinerator being built

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-09-01

A $14 million garbage-burning facility is being built by Reedy Creek Utilities Co. in cooperation with DOE at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on the edge of Walt Disney World. The nation's first large-volume slagging pyrolysis incinerator will burn municipal waste in a more beneficial way and supply 15% of the amusement park's energy demands. By studying the new incinerators slag-producing capabilities, engineers hope to design similar facilities for isolating low-level nuclear wastes in inert, rocklike slag.

Alternative Radiological Characterization of Sealed Source TRU Waste for WIPP Disposal (LAUR-05-8776)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whitworth, J.; Pearson, M.; Feldman, A.

2006-07-01

The Offsite Source Recovery (OSR) Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory is now shipping transuranic (TRU) waste containers to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico for disposal. Sealed source waste disposal has become possible in part because OSR personnel were able to obtain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DOE-CBFO approval for an alternative radiological characterization procedure relying on acceptable knowledge (AK) and modeling, rather than on non-destructive assay (NDA) of each container. This is the first successful qualification of an 'alternate methodology' under the radiological characterization requirements of the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) by any TRUmore » waste generator site. This paper describes the approach OSR uses to radiologically characterize its sealed source waste and the process by which it obtained certification of this approach. (authors)« less

RH-TRU Waste Shipments from Battelle Columbus Laboratories to the Hanford Nuclear Facility for Interim Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eide, J.; Baillieul, T. A.; Biedscheid, J.

2003-02-26

Battelle Columbus Laboratories (BCL), located in Columbus, Ohio, must complete decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities for nuclear research buildings and grounds by 2006, as directed by Congress. Most of the resulting waste (approximately 27 cubic meters [m3]) is remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste destined for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The BCL, under a contract to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Ohio Field Office, has initiated a plan to ship the TRU waste to the DOE Hanford Nuclear Facility (Hanford) for interim storage pending the authorization of WIPP for the permanent disposal of RH-TRU waste. Themore » first of the BCL RH-TRU waste shipments was successfully completed on December 18, 2002. This BCL shipment of one fully loaded 10-160B Cask was the first shipment of RH-TRU waste in several years. Its successful completion required a complex effort entailing coordination between different contractors and federal agencies to establish necessary supporting agreements. This paper discusses the agreements and funding mechanisms used in support of the BCL shipments of TRU waste to Hanford for interim storage. In addition, this paper presents a summary of the efforts completed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the 10-160B Cask system. Lessons learned during this process are discussed and may be applicable to other TRU waste site shipment plans.« less

The Advancement of Public Awareness, Concerning TRU Waste Characterization, Using a Virtual Document

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

West, T. B.; Burns, T. P.; Estill, W. G.

2002-02-28

Building public trust and confidence through openness is a goal of the DOE Carlsbad Field Office for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The objective of the virtual document described in this paper is to give the public an overview of the waste characterization steps, an understanding of how waste characterization instrumentation works, and the type and amount of data generated from a batch of drums. The document is intended to be published on a web page and/or distributed at public meetings on CDs. Users may gain as much information as they desire regarding the transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program,more » starting at the highest level requirements (drivers) and progressing to more and more detail regarding how the requirements are met. Included are links to: drivers (which include laws, permits and DOE Orders); various characterization steps required for transportation and disposal under WIPP's Hazardous Waste Facility Permit; physical/chemical basis for each characterization method; types of data produced; and quality assurance process that accompanies each measurement. Examples of each type of characterization method in use across the DOE complex are included. The original skeleton of the document was constructed in a PowerPoint presentation and included descriptions of each section of the waste characterization program. This original document had a brief overview of Acceptable Knowledge, Non-Destructive Examination, Non-Destructive Assay, Small Quantity sites, and the National Certification Team. A student intern was assigned the project of converting the document to a virtual format and to discuss each subject in depth. The resulting product is a fully functional virtual document that works in a web browser and functions like a web page. All documents that were referenced, linked to, or associated, are included on the virtual document's CD. WIPP has been engaged in a variety of Hazardous Waste Facility Permit modification activities. During the public meetings, discussion centered on proposed changes to the characterization program. The philosophy behind the virtual document is to show the characterization process as a whole, rather than as isolated parts. In addition to public meetings, other uses for the information might be as a training tool for new employees at the WIPP facility to show them where their activities fit into the overall scheme, as well as an employee review to help prepare for waste certification audits.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2016 accomplishments and primary areas of focus for the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Management and EM sites are presented. For DOE EM, these include Focusing on the Field, Teaming with Cleanup Partners, Developing New Technology, and Maximizing Cleanup Dollars. Major 2016 achievements are highlighted for EM, Richland Operations Office, Office of River Protection, Savannah River Site, Oak Ridge, Idaho, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Los Alamos, Portsmouth, Paducah, West Valley Demonstration Project, and the Nevada National Security Site,

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hayes, Timothy; Nelson, Roger

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) manages defense nuclear material that has been determined to be excess to programmatic needs and declared waste. When these wastes contain plutonium, they almost always meet the definition of defense transuranic (TRU) waste and are thus eligible for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The DOE operates the WIPP in a manner that physical protections for attractiveness level D or higher special nuclear material (SNM) are not the normal operating condition. Therefore, there is currently a requirement to terminate safeguards before disposal of these wastes atmore » the WIPP. Presented are the processes used to terminate safeguards, lessons learned during the termination process, and how these approaches might be useful for future defense TRU waste needing safeguards termination prior to shipment and disposal at the WIPP. Also described is a new criticality control container, which will increase the amount of fissile material that can be loaded per container, and how it will save significant taxpayer dollars. Retrieval, compliant packaging and shipment of retrievably stored legacy TRU waste has dominated disposal operations at WIPP since it began operations 12 years ago. But because most of this legacy waste has successfully been emplaced in WIPP, the TRU waste clean-up focus is turning to newly-generated TRU materials. A major component will be transuranic SNM, currently managed in safeguards-protected vaults around the weapons complex. As DOE and NNSA continue to consolidate and shrink the weapons complex footprint, it is expected that significant quantities of transuranic SNM will be declared surplus to the nation's needs. Safeguards termination of SNM varies due to the wide range of attractiveness level of the potential material that may be directly discarded as waste. To enhance the efficiency of shipping waste with high TRU fissile content to WIPP, DOE designed an over-pack container, similar to the pipe component, called the criticality control over-pack, which will significantly enhance the efficiency of disposal. Hundreds of shipments of transuranic SNM, suitably packaged to meet WIPP waste acceptance criteria and with safeguards terminated have been successfully emplaced at WIPP (primarily from the Rocky Flats site clean-up) since WIPP opened. DOE expects that thousands more may eventually result from SNM consolidation efforts throughout the weapons complex. (authors)« less

A Report to Congress on Long-Term Stewardship. Volume II, Site Summaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2001-01-01

During World War II and the Cold War, the Federal government developed and operated a vast network of industrial facilities for the research, production, and testing of nuclear weapons, as well as for other scientific and engineering research. These processes left a legacy of radioactive and chemical waste, environmental contamination, and hazardous facilities and materials at well over a 100 sites in 30 States and one U.S. Territory. Hundreds of thousand of acres of residually contaminated soils, contaminated groundwater, surface water and sediment contamination, and contaminated buildings are present at many sites across the country. These sites range in sizemore » from less than one acre, containing only a single facility, to large sites spanning over 100,000 acres with huge uranium enrichment plants and plutonium processing canyons. Since 1989, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) program has made significant progress in addressing this environmental legacy. Millions of cubic meters of waste have been removed, stabilized, or disposed of, resulting in significant risk and cost reduction. In addition, DOE began disposing of transuranic (i.e., plutonium-contaminated) waste in the nation’s first deep geologic repository – the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. DOE is now carrying out its long-term stewardship obligations at dozens of sites, including smaller sites where DOE has completed cleanup work for the entire site and many larger sites where DOE has remediated portions of the site.« less

Condensed listing of surface boreholes at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Project through 31 December 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hill, L.R.; Aguilar, R.; Mercer, J.W.

This report contains a condensed listing of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project surface boreholes drilled for the purpose of site selection and characterization through 31 December 1995. The US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored the drilling activities, which were conducted primarily by Sandia National Laboratories. The listing provides physical attributes such as location (township, range, section, and state-plane coordinates), elevation, and total borehole depth, as well as the purpose for the borehole, drilling dates, and information about extracted cores. The report also presents the hole status (plugged, testing, monitoring, etc.) and includes salient findings and references. Maps with boreholemore » locations and times-of-drilling charts are included.« less

Roadmap for disposal of Electrorefiner Salt as Transuranic Waste.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rechard, Robert P.; Trone, Janis R.; Kalinina, Elena Arkadievna

The experimental breeder reactor (EBR-II) used fuel with a layer of sodium surrounding the uranium-zirconium fuel to improve heat transfer. Disposing of EBR-II fuel in a geologic repository without treatment is not prudent because of the potentially energetic reaction of the sodium with water. In 2000, the US Department of Energy (DOE) decided to treat the sodium-bonded fuel with an electrorefiner (ER), which produces metallic uranium product, a metallic waste, mostly from the cladding, and the salt waste in the ER, which contains most of the actinides and fission products. Two waste forms were proposed for disposal in a minedmore » repository; the metallic waste, which was to be cast into ingots, and the ER salt waste, which was to be further treated to produce a ceramic waste form. However, alternative disposal pathways for metallic and salt waste streams may reduce the complexity. For example, performance assessments show that geologic repositories can easily accommodate the ER salt waste without treating it to form a ceramic waste form. Because EBR-II was used for atomic energy defense activities, the treated waste likely meets the definition of transuranic waste. Hence, disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southern New Mexico, may be feasible. This report reviews the direct disposal pathway for ER salt waste and describes eleven tasks necessary for implementing disposal at WIPP, provided space is available, DOE decides to use this alternative disposal pathway in an updated environmental impact statement, and the State of New Mexico grants permission.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bostick, W.D.; Hoffmann, D.P.; Stevenson, R.J.

The category of sludges, filter cakes, and other waste processing residuals represent the largest volume of low-level mixed (hazardous and radioactive) wastes within the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex. Treatment of these wastes to minimize the mobility of contaminants, and to eliminate the presence of free water, is required under the Federal Facility Compliance Act agreements between DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency. In the text, we summarize the currently available data for several of the high priority mixed-waste sludge inventories within DOE. Los Alamos National Laboratory TA-50 Sludge and Rocky Flats Plant By-Pass Sludge are transuranic (TRU)-contaminated sludgesmore » that were isolated with the use of silica-based filter aids. The Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant West End Treatment Facility Sludge is predominantly calcium carbonate and biomass. The Oak Ridge K-25 Site Pond Waste is a large-volume waste stream, containing clay, silt, and other debris in addition to precipitated metal hydroxides. We formulate ``simulants`` for the waste streams described above, using cerium oxide as a surrogate for the uranium or plutonium present in the authentic material. Use of nonradiological surrogates greatly simplifies material handling requirements for initial treatability studies. The use of synthetic mixtures for initial treatability testing will facilitate compositional variation for use in conjunction with statistical design experiments; this approach may help to identify any ``operating window`` limitations. The initial treatability testing demonstrations utilizing these ``simulants`` will be based upon vitrification, although the materials are also amenable to testing grout-based and other stabilization procedures. After the feasibility of treatment and the initial evaluation of treatment performance has been demonstrated, performance must be verified using authentic samples of the candidate waste stream.« less

Preliminary performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, December 1992. Volume 5, Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of gas and brine migration for undisturbed performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-08-01

Before disposing of transuranic radioactive waste in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) must evaluate compliance with applicable long-term regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sandia National Laboratories is conducting iterative performance assessments (PAs) of the WIPP for the DOE to provide interim guidance while preparing for a final compliance evaluation. This volume of the 1992 PA contains results of uncertainty and sensitivity analyses with respect to migration of gas and brine from the undisturbed repository. Additional information about the 1992 PA is provided in other volumes. Volume 1 containsmore » an overview of WIPP PA and results of a preliminary comparison with 40 CFR 191, Subpart B. Volume 2 describes the technical basis for the performance assessment, including descriptions of the linked computational models used in the Monte Carlo analyses. Volume 3 contains the reference data base and values for input parameters used in consequence and probability modeling. Volume 4 contains uncertainty and sensitivity analyses with respect to the EPA`s Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes (40 CFR 191, Subpart B). Finally, guidance derived from the entire 1992 PA is presented in Volume 6. Results of the 1992 uncertainty and sensitivity analyses indicate that, conditional on the modeling assumptions and the assigned parameter-value distributions, the most important parameters for which uncertainty has the potential to affect gas and brine migration from the undisturbed repository are: initial liquid saturation in the waste, anhydrite permeability, biodegradation-reaction stoichiometry, gas-generation rates for both corrosion and biodegradation under inundated conditions, and the permeability of the long-term shaft seal.« less

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Westinghouse TRU Solutions

This Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR) documents environmental regulatory compliance at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a facility designed for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste, for the reporting period of April 1, 1998, to March 31, 2000. As required by the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA)(Public Law [Pub. L.] 102-579, and amended by Pub. L. 104-201), the BECR documents U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Area Office's (hereinafter the ''CAO'') compliance with applicable environmental protection laws and regulations implemented by agencies of the federal government and the state of New Mexico. An issue was identified inmore » the 1998 BECR relating to a potential cross-connection between the fire-water systems and the site domestic water system. While the CAO and its managing and operating contractor (hereinafter the ''MOC'') believe the site was always in compliance with cross-connection control requirements, hardware and procedural upgrades w ere implemented in March 1999 to strengthen its compliance posture. Further discussion of this issue is presented in section 30.2.2 herein. During this reporting period WIPP received two letters and a compliance order alleging violation of certain requirements outlined in section 9(a)(1) of the LWA. With the exception of one item, pending a final decision by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), all alleged violations have been resolved without the assessment of fines or penalties. Non-mixed TRU waste shipments began on March 26, 1999. Shipments continued through November 26, 1999, the effective date of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (NM4890139088-TSDF). No shipments regulated under the Hazardous Waste Facility Permit were received at WIPP during this BECR reporting period.« less

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Part B Permit Application [for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)]. Volume 5, Chapter D, Appendix D1 (conclusion), Revision 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cook, Neville G.W.; Heuze, Francois E.; Miller, Hamish D.S.

1993-03-01

The reference design for the underground facilities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant was developed using the best criteria available at initiation of the detailed design effort. These design criteria are contained in the US Department of Energy document titled Design Criteria, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Revised Mission Concept-IIA (RMC-IIA), Rev. 4, dated February 1984. The validation process described in the Design Validation Final Report has resulted in validation of the reference design of the underground openings based on these criteria. Future changes may necessitate modification of the Design Criteria document and/or the reference design. Validation of the referencemore » design as presented in this report permits the consideration of future design or design criteria modifications necessitated by these changes or by experience gained at the WIPP. Any future modifications to the design criteria and/or the reference design will be governed by a DOE Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) covering underground design changes. This procedure will explain the process to be followed in describing, evaluating and approving the change.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ward, Anderson; Basabilvazo, George T.

The purpose of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Annual Site Environmental Report for 2016 (ASER) is to provide the information required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1B, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting. The DOE Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and the management and operating contractor (MOC) maintain and preserve the environmental resources at the WIPP facility. DOE Order 231.1B; DOE Order 436.1, Departmental Sustainability; and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, require that the affected environment at and near DOE facilities be monitored to ensure the safety and health of the public andmore » workers, and preservation of the environment. This report was prepared in accordance with DOE Order 231.1B, which requires DOE facilities to submit an ASER to the DOE Headquarters Chief Health, Safety, and Security Officer.« less

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant transuranic waste repository: A sleeping beauty

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eriksson, L.G.

On May 13, 1998, crowning a 24-year United States Department of Energy effort, the US Environmental Protection Agency certified that the deep geological repository for safe disposal of long-lived, transuranic radioactive waste proposed by the DOE at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site in New Mexico complied with all applicable environmental radiation protection standards and compliance criteria. Pursuant to the applicable law, the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992, as amended in 1997, at the decision of the secretary of energy, the WIPP repository could open 30 calendar days after receiving the EPA certification. The secretary of energy announced Maymore » 13, 1998, that he intended to open the WIPP TRUW repository by June 14, 1998. However, at the end of 1998, the opening of the WIPP TRUW repository remains hostage to time-consuming, hazardous-waste-permitting procedures by the state of New Mexico Environment Department and two legal actions. Based on the EPA-verified high safety and the demonstrated risk reduction to both current and future generations offered by the WIPP TRUW repository, it is concluded that the WIPP TRUW repository is a sleeping beauty that will awake, perhaps in stages, and begin its important mission in 1999.« less

Pretest characterization of WIPP experimental waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, J.; Davis, H.; Drez, P.E.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico, is an underground repository designed for the storage and disposal of transuranic (TRU) wastes from US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities across the country. The Performance Assessment (PA) studies for WIPP address compliance of the repository with applicable regulations, and include full-scale experiments to be performed at the WIPP site. These experiments are the bin-scale and alcove tests to be conducted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Prior to conducting these experiments, the waste to be used in these tests needs to be characterized to provide data on the initial conditionsmore » for these experiments. This characterization is referred to as the Pretest Characterization of WIPP Experimental Waste, and is also expected to provide input to other programmatic efforts related to waste characterization. The purpose of this paper is to describe the pretest waste characterization activities currently in progress for the WIPP bin-scale waste, and to discuss the program plan and specific analytical protocols being developed for this characterization. The relationship between different programs and documents related to waste characterization efforts is also highlighted in this paper.« less

Defense Remote Handled Transuranic Waste Cost/Schedule Optimization Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pierce, G.D.; Beaulieu, D.H.; Wolaver, R.W.

1986-11-01

The purpose of this study is to provide the DOE information with which it can establish the most efficient program for the long management and disposal, in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), of remote handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste. To fulfill this purpose, a comprehensive review of waste characteristics, existing and projected waste inventories, processing and transportation options, and WIPP requirements was made. Cost differences between waste management alternatives were analyzed and compared to an established baseline. The result of this study is an information package that DOE can use as the basis for policy decisions. As part ofmore » this study, a comprehensive list of alternatives for each element of the baseline was developed and reviewed with the sites. The principle conclusions of the study follow. A single processing facility for RH TRU waste is both necessary and sufficient. The RH TRU processing facility should be located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Shielding of RH TRU to contact handled levels is not an economic alternative in general, but is an acceptable alternative for specific waste streams. Compaction is only cost effective at the ORNL processing facility, with a possible exception at Hanford for small compaction of paint cans of newly generated glovebox waste. It is more cost effective to ship certified waste to WIPP in 55-gal drums than in canisters, assuming a suitable drum cask becomes available. Some waste forms cannot be packaged in drums, a canister/shielded cask capability is also required. To achieve the desired disposal rate, the ORNL processing facility must be operational by 1996. Implementing the conclusions of this study can save approximately $110 million, compared to the baseline, in facility, transportation, and interim storage costs through the year 2013. 10 figs., 28 tabs.« less

A New Concept: Use of Negotiations in the Hazardous Waste Facility Permitting Process in New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, G.J.; Rose, W.M.; Domenici, P.V.

This paper describes a unique negotiation process leading to authorization of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage and dispose remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) mixed wastes at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The negotiation process involved multiple entities and individuals brought together under authority of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to discuss and resolve technical and facility operational issues flowing from an NMED-issued hazardous waste facility Draft Permit. The novel negotiation process resulted in numerous substantive changes to the Draft Permit, which were ultimately memorialised in a 'Draft Permit as Changed'. This paper discusses various aspects ofmore » the negotiation process, including events leading to the negotiations, regulatory basis for the negotiations, negotiation participants, and benefits of the process. (authors)« less

77 FR 20375 - Notice of Availability of Secretarial Determination and Basis for Determination Under Section...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-04

... that the waste in the FTF: (1) Does not require permanent isolation in a deep geologic repository for... pursuant to a State approved closure plan or State-issued permit; or (3)(B) exceeds concentration limits... 10 CFR part 61, Subpart C; pursuant to a State-approved closure plan or State-issued [[Page 20376...

CsIX/TRU Grout Feasibility Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S. J. Losinski; C. M. Barnes; B. K. Grover

A settlement agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Idaho mandates that liquid waste now stored at the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC - formerly the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, ICPP) will be calcined by the end of year 2012. This study investigates an alternative treatment of the liquid waste that removes undissolved solids (UDS) by filtration and removes cesium by ion exchange followed by cement-based grouting of the remaining liquid into 55-gal drums. Operations are assumed to be from January 2008 through December 2012. The grouted waste will be contact-handled and will be shippedmore » to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico for disposal. The small volume of secondary wastes such as the filtered solids and cesium sorbent (resin) would remain in storage at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for treatment and disposal under another project, with an option to dispose of the filtered solids as a r emote-handled waste at WIPP.« less

Safety aspects of nuclear waste disposal in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. E.; Edgecombe, D. S.; Compton, P. R.

1981-01-01

Safety issues involved in the disposal of nuclear wastes in space as a complement to mined geologic repositories are examined as part of an assessment of the feasibility of nuclear waste disposal in space. General safety guidelines for space disposal developed in the areas of radiation exposure and shielding, containment, accident environments, criticality, post-accident recovery, monitoring systems and isolation are presented for a nuclear waste disposal in space mission employing conventional space technology such as the Space Shuttle. The current reference concept under consideration by NASA and DOE is then examined in detail, with attention given to the waste source and mix, the waste form, waste processing and payload fabrication, shipping casks and ground transport vehicles, launch site operations and facilities, Shuttle-derived launch vehicle, orbit transfer vehicle, orbital operations and space destination, and the system safety aspects of the concept are discussed for each component. It is pointed out that future work remains in the development of an improved basis for the safety guidelines and the determination of the possible benefits and costs of the space disposal option for nuclear wastes.

Complications Associated with Long-Term Disposition of Newly-Generated Transuranic Waste: A National Laboratory Perspective

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B.J. Orchard; L.A. Harvego; T.L. Carlson

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is a multipurpose national laboratory delivering specialized science and engineering solutions for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Sponsorship of INL was formally transferred to the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (NE) by Secretary Spencer Abraham in July 2002. The move to NE, and designation as the DOE lead nuclear energy laboratory for reactor technology, supports the nation’s expanding nuclear energy initiatives, placing INL at the center of work to develop advanced Generation IV nuclear energy systems; nuclear energy/hydrogen coproduction technology; advanced nuclear energy fuel cycle technologies; and providing national security answersmore » to national infrastructure needs. As a result of the Laboratory’s NE mission, INL generates both contact-handled and remote-handled transuranic (TRU) waste from ongoing operations. Generation rates are relatively small and fluctuate based on specific programs and project activities being conducted; however, the Laboratory will continue to generate TRU waste well into the future in association with the NE mission. Currently, plans and capabilities are being established to transfer INL’s contact-handled TRU waste to the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Plant (AMWTP) for certification and disposal to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Remote-handled TRU waste is currently placed in storage at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC). In an effort to minimize future liabilities associated with the INL NE mission, INL is evaluating and assessing options for the management and disposition of all its TRU waste on a real-time basis at time of generation. This paper summarizes near-term activities to minimize future re handling of INL’s TRU waste, as well as, potential complications associated with the long-term disposition of newly-generated TRU waste. Potential complications impacting the disposition of INL newly-generated TRU waste include, but are not limited to: 1) required remote-handled TRU packaging configuration(s) vs. current facility capabilities, 2) long-term NE mission activities, 3) WIPP certification requirements, and 4) budget considerations.« less

Brine and Gas Flow Patterns Between Excavated Areas and Disturbed Rock Zone in the 1996 Performance Assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for a Single Drilling Intrusion that Penetrates Repository and Castile Brine Reservoir

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

ECONOMY,KATHLEEN M.; HELTON,JON CRAIG; VAUGHN,PALMER

1999-10-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is located in southeastern New Mexico, is being developed for the geologic disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Waste disposal will take place in panels excavated in a bedded salt formation approximately 2000 ft (610 m) below the land surface. The BRAGFLO computer program which solves a system of nonlinear partial differential equations for two-phase flow, was used to investigate brine and gas flow patterns in the vicinity of the repository for the 1996 WIPP performance assessment (PA). The present study examines the implications of modeling assumptionsmore » used in conjunction with BRAGFLO in the 1996 WIPP PA that affect brine and gas flow patterns involving two waste regions in the repository (i.e., a single waste panel and the remaining nine waste panels), a disturbed rock zone (DRZ) that lies just above and below these two regions, and a borehole that penetrates the single waste panel and a brine pocket below this panel. The two waste regions are separated by a panel closure. The following insights were obtained from this study. First, the impediment to flow between the two waste regions provided by the panel closure model is reduced due to the permeable and areally extensive nature of the DRZ adopted in the 1996 WIPP PA, which results in the DRZ becoming an effective pathway for gas and brine movement around the panel closures and thus between the two waste regions. Brine and gas flow between the two waste regions via the DRZ causes pressures between the two to equilibrate rapidly, with the result that processes in the intruded waste panel are not isolated from the rest of the repository. Second, the connection between intruded and unintruded waste panels provided by the DRZ increases the time required for repository pressures to equilibrate with the overlying and/or underlying units subsequent to a drilling intrusion. Third, the large and areally extensive DRZ void volumes is a significant source of brine to the repository, which is consumed in the corrosion of iron and thus contributes to increased repository pressures. Fourth, the DRZ itself lowers repository pressures by providing storage for gas and access to additional gas storage in areas of the repository. Fifth, given the pathway that the DRZ provides for gas and brine to flow around the panel closures, isolation of the waste panels by the panel closures was not essential to compliance with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency's regulations in the 1996 WIPP PA.« less

RESULTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (EM) CORPORATE PROJECT TEAM DISPOSING WASTE & REDUCING RISK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

SHRADER, T.A.; KNERR, R.

2005-01-31

In 2002, the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) released the Top-To-Bottom Review of cognizant clean-up activities around the DOE Complex. The review contained a number of recommendations for changing the way EM operates in order to reduce environmental risk by significantly accelerating clean-up at the DOE-EM sites. In order to develop and implement these recommendations, a number of corporate project teams were formed to identify, evaluate, and initiate implementation of alternatives for the different aspects of clean-up. In August 2002, a corporate team was formed to review all aspects of the management, treatment, and disposalmore » of low level radioactive waste (LLW), mixed low level radioactive waste (MLLW), transuranic waste (TRU), and hazardous waste (HW). Over the next 21 months, the Corporate Project Team: Disposing Waste, Reducing Risk, developed a number of alternatives for implementing the recommendations of the Top-To-Bottom Review based on information developed during numerous site visits and interviews with complex and industry personnel. With input from over a dozen EM sites at various stages of clean-up, the team identified the barriers to the treatment and disposal of low level waste, mixed low level waste, and transuranic waste. Once identified, preliminary design alternatives were developed and presented to the Acquisition Authority (for this project, the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management) for review and approval. Once the preliminary design was approved, the team down selected to seven key alternatives which were subsequently fully developed in the Project Execution Plan. The seven most viable alternatives were: (1) creation of an Executive Waste Disposal Board; (2) projectizing the disposal of low level waste and mixed low level waste; (3) creation of a National Consolidation and Acceleration Facility for waste; (4) improvements to the Broad Spectrum contract; (5) improvements to the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator contract and operations; (6) development of a policy for load management of waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP); and (7) development of a complex-wide fee incentive for transuranic waste disposal. The alternatives were further refined and a plan developed for institutionalizing the alternatives in various site contracts. In order to focus the team's efforts, all team activities were conducted per the principles of DOE Order 413.3, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets. Although the Order was developed for construction projects, the principles were adapted for use on this ''soft'' project in which the deliverables were alternatives for the way work was performed. The results of the team's investigation and the steps taken during the project are presented along with lessons learned.« less

Waste Generator Instructions: Key to Successful Implementation of the US DOE's 435.1 for Transuranic Waste Packaging Instructions (LA-UR-12-24155) - 13218

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

French, David M.; Hayes, Timothy A.; Pope, Howard L.

In times of continuing fiscal constraints, a management and operation tool that is straightforward to implement, works as advertised, and virtually ensures compliant waste packaging should be carefully considered and employed wherever practicable. In the near future, the Department of Energy (DOE) will issue the first major update to DOE Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management. This update will contain a requirement for sites that do not have a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) waste certification program to use two newly developed technical standards: Contact-Handled Defense Transuranic Waste Packaging Instructions and Remote-Handled Defense Transuranic Waste Packaging Instructions. The technical standards aremore » being developed from the DOE O 435.1 Notice, Contact-Handled and Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Packaging, approved August 2011. The packaging instructions will provide detailed information and instruction for packaging almost every conceivable type of transuranic (TRU) waste for disposal at WIPP. While providing specificity, the packaging instructions leave to each site's own discretion the actual mechanics of how those Instructions will be functionally implemented at the floor level. While the Technical Standards are designed to provide precise information for compliant packaging, the density of the information in the packaging instructions necessitates a type of Rosetta Stone that translates the requirements into concise, clear, easy to use and operationally practical recipes that are waste stream and facility specific for use by both first line management and hands-on operations personnel. The Waste Generator Instructions provide the operator with step-by-step instructions that will integrate the sites' various operational requirements (e.g., health and safety limits, radiological limits or dose limits) and result in a WIPP certifiable waste and package that can be transported to and emplaced at WIPP. These little known but widely productive Waste Generator Instructions (WGIs) have been used occasionally in the past at large sites for treatment and packaging of TRU waste. The WGIs have resulted in highly efficient waste treatment, packaging and certification for disposal of TRU waste at WIPP. For example, a single WGI at LANL, combined with an increase in gram loading, resulted in a mind boggling 6,400% increase in waste loading for {sup 238}Pu heat source waste. In fact, the WGI combined with a new Contact Handled (CH) TRU Waste Content (TRUCON) Code provided a massive increase in shippable wattage per Transuranic Package Transporter-II (TRUPACT-II) over the previously used and more restrictive TRUCON Code that have been used previously for the heat source waste. In fact, the use of the WGI process at LANL's TA-55 facility reduced non-compliant drums for WIPP certification and disposal from a 13% failure rate down to a 0.5% failure rate and is expected to further reduce the failure rate to zero drums per year. The inherent value of the WGI is that it can be implemented in a site's current procedure issuance process and it provides documented proof of what actions were taken for each waste stream packaged. The WGI protocol provides a key floor-level operational component to achieve goal alignment between actual site operations, the WIPP TRU waste packaging instructions, and DOE O 435.1. (authors)« less

U.S. Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office Environmental Monitoring Program summary data report, second calendar quarter 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Black, S.C.; Townsend, Y.E.

1997-02-01

The Nevada Test Site (NTS), located in southern Nevada, has been the primary location for testing of nuclear explosives in the continental US. Testing began in 1951 and continued until the moratorium in 1992. Waste storage and disposal facilities for defense radioactive and mixed waste are located in Areas 3 and 5. At the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS-5), low-level wastes (LLW) from US Department of Energy (DOE) affiliated onsite and offsite generators are disposed of using standard shallow land disposal techniques. Transuranic wastes are retrievably stored at the RWMS-5 in containers on a surface pad, pending shipmentmore » to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant facility in New Mexico. Nonradioactive hazardous wastes are accumulated at a special site before shipment to a licensed offsite disposal facility. Non-standard packages of LLW are buried in subsidence craters in the Area 3 RWMS. This report describes these activities on and around the NTS and includes a listing of the results obtained from environmental surveillance activities during the second calendar quarter of 1996.« less

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Biennial Environmental Compliance Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Washinton TRU Solutions LLC

This Biennial Environmental Compliance Report (BECR) documents environmental regulatory compliance at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a facility designed for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste, for the reporting period of April 1, 2000, to March 31, 2002. As required by the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA)(Public Law [Pub. L.] 102-579, as amended by Pub. L. 104-201), the BECR documents U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office's (CBFO) compliance with applicable environmental protection laws and regulations implemented by agencies of the federal government and the state of New Mexico. In the prior BECR, the CBFO andmore » the management and operating contractor (MOC)committed to discuss resolution of a Letter of Violation that had been issued by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) in August 1999, which was during the previous BECR reporting period. This Letter of Violation alleged noncompliance with hazardous waste aisle spacing, labeling, a nd tank requirements. At the time of publication of the prior BECR, resolution of the Letter of Violation was pending. On July 7, 2000, the NMED issued a letter noting that the aisle spacing and labeling concerns had been adequately addressed and that they were rescinding the violation alleging that the Exhaust Shaft Catch Basin failed to comply with the requirements for a hazardous waste tank. During the current reporting period, WIPP received a Notice of Violation and a compliance order alleging the violation of the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Regulations and the WIPP Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (HWFP).« less

DOE Waste Treatability Group Guidance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirkpatrick, T.D.

1995-01-01

This guidance presents a method and definitions for aggregating U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) waste into streams and treatability groups based on characteristic parameters that influence waste management technology needs. Adaptable to all DOE waste types (i.e., radioactive waste, hazardous waste, mixed waste, sanitary waste), the guidance establishes categories and definitions that reflect variations within the radiological, matrix (e.g., bulk physical/chemical form), and regulated contaminant characteristics of DOE waste. Beginning at the waste container level, the guidance presents a logical approach to implementing the characteristic parameter categories as part of the basis for defining waste streams and as the solemore » basis for assigning streams to treatability groups. Implementation of this guidance at each DOE site will facilitate the development of technically defined, site-specific waste stream data sets to support waste management planning and reporting activities. Consistent implementation at all of the sites will enable aggregation of the site-specific waste stream data sets into comparable national data sets to support these activities at a DOE complex-wide level.« less

Environmental assessment of the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-10-01

This Environmental Assessment has been prepared to determine if the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center (the Center), or its alternatives would have significant environmental impacts that must be analyzed in an Environmental Impact Statement. DOE`s proposed action is to continue funding the Center. While DOE is not funding construction of the planned Center facility, operation of that facility is dependent upon continued funding. To implement the proposed action, the Center would initially construct a facility of approximately 2,300 square meters (25,000 square feet). The Phase 1 laboratory facilities and parking lot will occupy approximately 1.2 hectares (3 acres) ofmore » approximately 8.9 hectares (22 acres) of land which were donated to New Mexico State University (NMSU) for this purpose. The facility would contain laboratories to analyze chemical and radioactive materials typical of potential contaminants that could occur in the environment in the vicinity of the DOE Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site or other locations. The facility also would have bioassay facilities to measure radionuclide levels in the general population and in employees of the WIPP. Operation of the Center would meet the DOE requirement for independent monitoring and assessment of environmental impacts associated with the planned disposal of transuranic waste at the WIPP.« less

Performance Assessment of a Generic Repository in Bedded Salt for DOE-Managed Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, E. R.; Sevougian, S. D.; Hammond, G. E.; Frederick, J. M.; Mariner, P. E.

2016-12-01

A mined repository in salt is one of the concepts under consideration for disposal of DOE-managed defense-related spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high level waste (HLW). Bedded salt is a favorable medium for disposal of nuclear waste due to its low permeability, high thermal conductivity, and ability to self-heal. Sandia's Generic Disposal System Analysis framework is used to assess the ability of a generic repository in bedded salt to isolate radionuclides from the biosphere. The performance assessment considers multiple waste types of varying thermal load and radionuclide inventory, the engineered barrier system comprising the waste packages, backfill, and emplacement drifts, and the natural barrier system formed by a bedded salt deposit and the overlying sedimentary sequence (including an aquifer). The model simulates disposal of nearly the entire inventory of DOE-managed, defense-related SNF (excluding Naval SNF) and HLW in a half-symmetry domain containing approximately 6 million grid cells. Grid refinement captures the detail of 25,200 individual waste packages in 180 disposal panels, associated access halls, and 4 shafts connecting the land surface to the repository. Equations describing coupled heat and fluid flow and reactive transport are solved numerically with PFLOTRAN, a massively parallel flow and transport code. Simulated processes include heat conduction and convection, waste package failure, waste form dissolution, radioactive decay and ingrowth, sorption, solubility limits, advection, dispersion, and diffusion. Simulations are run to 1 million years, and radionuclide concentrations are observed within an aquifer at a point approximately 4 kilometers downgradient of the repository. The software package DAKOTA is used to sample likely ranges of input parameters including waste form dissolution rates and properties of engineered and natural materials in order to quantify uncertainty in predicted concentrations and sensitivity to input parameters. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Radionuclide Migration through Sediment and Concrete: 16 Years of Investigations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golovich, Elizabeth C.; Mattigod, Shas V.; Snyder, Michelle MV

The Waste Management Project provides safe, compliant, and cost-effective waste management services for the Hanford Site and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex. Part of these services includes safe disposal of low-level waste and mixed low-level waste at the Hanford Low-Level Waste Burial Grounds in accordance with the requirements of DOE Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management. To partially satisfy these requirements, performance assessment analyses were completed and approved. DOE Order 435.1 also requires continuing data collection to increase confidence in the critical assumptions used in these analyses to characterize the operational features of the disposal facility that are reliedmore » on to satisfy the performance objectives identified in the order. Cement-based solidification and stabilization is considered for hazardous waste disposal because it is easily done and cost-efficient. One critical assumption is that concrete will be used as a waste form or container material at the Hanford Site to control and minimize the release of radionuclide constituents in waste into the surrounding environment. Concrete encasement would contain and isolate the waste packages from the hydrologic environment and act as an intrusion barrier. Any failure of concrete encasement may result in water intrusion and consequent mobilization of radionuclides from the waste packages. The radionuclides iodine-129, selenium-75, technetium-99, and uranium-238 have been identified as long-term dose contributors (Mann et al. 2001; Wood et al. 1995). Because of their anionic nature in aqueous solutions, these constituents of potential concern may be released from the encased concrete by mass flow and/or diffusion and migrate into the surrounding subsurface environment (Serne et al. 1989; 1992; 1993a, b; 1995). Therefore, it is necessary to assess the performance of the concrete encasement structure and the ability of the surrounding soil to retard radionuclide migration. Each of the test methods performed throughout the lifetime of the project has focused on different aspects of the concrete waste form weathering process. Diffusion of different analytes [technetium-99 (Tc-99), iodine-125 (I-125), stable iodine (I), uranium (U), and rhenium (Re)] has been quantified from experiments under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. The water-saturated conditions provide a conservative estimate of the concrete’s performance in situ, and the unsaturated conditions provide a more accurate estimate of the diffusion of contaminants from the concrete.« less

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site environmental report, for calendar year 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 General Environmental Protection Program, requires DOE facilities, that conduct environmental protection programs, to annually prepare a Site Environmental Report (SER). The purpose of the SER is to provide an abstract of environmental assessments conducted in order to characterize site environmental management performance, to confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, and to highlight significant programs and efforts of environmental merit. The content of this SER is not restricted to a synopsis of the required data, in addition, information pertaining to new and continued monitoring and compliance activities during the 1995 calendar yearmore » are also included. Data contained in this report are derived from those monitoring programs directed by the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP). The EMP provides inclusive guidelines implemented to detect potential impacts to the environment and to establish baseline measurements for future environmental evaluations. Surface water, groundwater. air, soil, and biotic matrices are monitored for an array of radiological and nonradiological factors. The baseline radiological surveillance program encompasses a broader geographic area that includes nearby ranches, villages, and cities. Most elements of nonradiological assessments are conducted within the geographic vicinity of the WIPP site.« less

Use of acceptable knowledge to demonstrate TRAMPAC compliance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whitworth, J.; Becker, B.; Guerin, D.

2004-01-01

Recently, Los Alamos National Laboratory-Carlsbad Operations (LANL-CO) has supported the Central Characterization Project (CCP) managed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the shipment of transuranic (TRU) waste from various small-quantity TRU waste generators to hub sites or other DOE sites in TRUPACT-II shipping containers. This support has involved using acceptable knowledge (AK) to demonstrate compliance with various requirements of Revision 19 of the TRUPACT-II Authorized Methods of Payload Compliance (TRAMPAC). LANL-CO has worked to facilitate TRUPACT-II shipments from the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) and Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) to Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) and Losmore » Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), respectively. The latter two sites have TRU waste certification programs approved to ship waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for disposal. In each case, AK was used to satisfy the necessary information to ship the waste to other DOE facilities. For the purposes of intersite shipment, AK provided data to WIPP Waste Information System (WWIS) transportation modules to ensure that required information was obtained prior to TRUPACT-II shipments. The WWIS modules were used for the intersite shipments, not to enter certification data into WWIS, but rather to take advantage of a validated system to ensure that the containers to be shipped were compliant with TRAMPAC requirements, particularly in the evaluation of quantitative criteria. LANL-CO also assisted with a TRAMPAC compliance demonstration for homogeneous waste containers shipped in TRUPACT-II containers from ANL-E to Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for the purpose of core sampling. The basis for the TRAMPAC compliance determinations was AK regarding radiological composition, chemical composition, TRU waste container packaging, and absence of prohibited items. Also, even in the case where AK is not used to fully demonstrate TRAMPAC compliance, it may be used to identify problem areas for shippability of different waste streams. An example is the case of Pu-238-contaminated waste from the Savannah River Site that had a low probability of meeting decay heat limits and aspiration times due to several factors including large numbers of confinement layers. This paper will outline 17 TRAMPAC compliance criteria assessed and the types of information used to show compliance with all criteria other than dose rate and container weight, which are normally easily measured at load preparation.« less

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Waste Management Plan, fiscal year 1994. Revision 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Turner, J.W.

1993-12-01

US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A was promulgated in final form on September 26, 1988. The order requires heads of field organizations to prepare and to submit updates on the waste management plans for all operations under their purview according to the format in Chap. 6, {open_quotes}Waste Management Plan Outline.{close_quotes} These plans are to be submitted by the DOE Oak Ridge Operations Office (DOE-ORO) in December of each year and distributed to the DP-12, ES&H-1, and other appropriate DOE Headquarters (DOE-HQ) organizations for review and comment. This document was prepared in response to this requirement for fiscal year (FY)more » 1994. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) waste management mission is reduction, collection, storage, treatment, and disposal of DOE wastes, generated primarily in pursuit of ORNL missions, in order to protect human health and safety and the environment. In carrying out this mission, waste management staff in the Waste Management and Remedial Action Division (WMRAD) will (1) guide ORNL in optimizing waste reduction and waste management capabilities and (2) conduct waste management operations in a compliant, publicly acceptable, technically sound, and cost-efficient manner. Waste management requirements for DOE radioactive wastes are detailed in DOE Order 5820.2A, and the ORNL Waste Management Program encompasses all elements of this order. The requirements of this DOE order and other appropriate DOE orders, along with applicable Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and regulations, provide the principal source of regulatory guidance for waste management operations at ORNL. The objective of this document is compilation and consolidation of information on how the ORNL Waste Management Program is conducted, which waste management facilities are being used to manage wastes, what activities are planned for FY 1994, and how all of the activities are documented.« less

Abyssal seafloor waste isolation: the concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valent, Philip J.; Young, David K.; Sawyer, William B.; Wright, Thomas D.

1998-05-01

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), with industry and university participation, conducted an assessment of the concept of isolating certain wastes (i.e., sewage sludge, fly ash from municipal incinerators, and contaminated dredged material) on the oceans' abyssal seafloor. In this assessment the advantages, disadvantages, and economic and environmental viability of potential engineering methods for achieving abyssal waste isolation were identified and compared. This paper presents background to the Abyssal Plains Waste Isolation (APWI) Project, describes the characteristics of the waste streams and quantities potentially available for disposal via the abyssal isolation concept, summarizes regulations affecting use of the abyssal seafloor for disposal of wastes, and introduces the technical and scientific premises underlying implementation of the concept.

Hot Cell Liners Category of Transuranic Waste Stored Below Ground within Area G

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, Robert Wesley; Hargis, Kenneth Marshall

2014-09-01

A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned large areas near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2011 and heightened public concern and news media attention over transuranic (TRU) waste stored at LANL’s Technical Area 54 (TA-54) Area G waste management facility. The removal of TRU waste from Area G had been placed at a lower priority in budget decisions for environmental cleanup at LANL because TRU waste removal is not included in the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Reference 1) that is the primary regulatory driver for environmental cleanup at LANL. The Consent Order is an agreementmore » between LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that contains specific requirements and schedules for cleaning up historical contamination at the LANL site. After the Las Conchas Fire, discussions were held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the NMED on accelerating TRU waste removal from LANL and disposing it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report summarizes available information on the origin, configuration, and composition of the waste containers within the Hot Cell Liners category; their physical and radiological characteristics; the results of the radioassays; and the justification to reclassify the five containers as LLW rather than TRU waste.« less

Tritium Packages and 17th RH Canister Categories of Transuranic Waste Stored Below Ground within Area G

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hargis, Kenneth Marshall

A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned large areas near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2011 and heightened public concern and news media attention over transuranic (TRU) waste stored at LANL’s Technical Area 54 (TA-54) Area G waste management facility. The removal of TRU waste from Area G had been placed at a lower priority in budget decisions for environmental cleanup at LANL because TRU waste removal is not included in the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Reference 1) that is the primary regulatory driver for environmental cleanup at LANL. The Consent Order is a settlementmore » agreement between LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that contains specific requirements and schedules for cleaning up historical contamination at the LANL site. After the Las Conchas Fire, discussions were held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the NMED on accelerating TRU waste removal from LANL and disposing it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report summarizes available information on the origin, configuration, and composition of the waste containers within the Tritium Packages and 17th RH Canister categories; their physical and radiological characteristics; the results of the radioassays; and potential issues in retrieval and processing of the waste containers.« less

Consensus on Intermediate Scale Salt Field Test Design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Mills, Melissa Marie; Matteo, Edward N.

This report summarizes the first stage in a collaborative effort by Sandia, Los Alamos, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories to design a small-diameter borehole heater test in salt at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE). The intention is to complete test design during the remainder of fiscal year 2017 (FY17), and the implementation of the test will begin in FY18. This document is the result of regular meetings between the three national labs and the DOE-NE, and is intended to represent a consensus of these meetings and discussions.

Landfill disposal systems.

PubMed

Slimak, K M

1978-12-01

The current status of landfill disposal of hazardous wastes in the United States is indicated by presenting descriptions of six operating landfills. These landfills illustrate the variety of techniques that exist in landfill disposal of hazardous wastes. Although some landfills more effectively isolate hazardous waste than others, all landfills must deal with the following problems. Leachate from hazardous waste landfills is generally highly polluted. Most landfills attempt to contain leachate at the site and prevent its discharge to surface or groundwaters. To retain leachate within a disposal area, subsurface barriers of materials such as concrete, asphalt, butyl rubber, vinyl, and clay are used. It is difficult to assure that these materials can seal a landfill indefinitely. When a subsurface barrier fails, the leachate enters the groundwater in a concentrated, narrow band which may bypass monitoring wells. Once a subsurface barrier has failed, repairs are time-consuming and costly, since the waste above the repair site may have to be removed. The central problem in landfill disposal is leachate control. Recent emphasis has been on developing subsurface barriers to contain the wastes and any leachate. Future emphasis should also be on techniques for removing water from hazardous wastes before they are placed in landfills, and on methods for preventing contact of the wastes with water during and after disposal operations. When leachate is eliminated, the problems of monitoring, and subsurface barrier failure and repair can be addressed, and a waste can be effectively isolated.A surface seal landfill design is recommended for maintaining the dry state of solid hazardous wastes and for controlling leachate. Any impervious liner is utilized over the top of the landfill to prevent surface water from seeping into the waste. The surface barrier is also the site where monitoring and maintenance activities are focused. Barrier failure can be detected by visual inspections and any repairs can be made without disturbing the waste. The surface seal landfill does not employ a subsurface barrier. The surface seal landfill successfully addresses each of the four environmental problems listed above, provided that this landfill design is utilized for dry wastes only and is located at a site which provides protection from groundwater and temporary perched water tables.

Technical area status report for waste destruction and stabilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dalton, J.D.; Harris, T.L.; DeWitt, L.M.

1993-08-01

The Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) was established by the Department of Energy (DOE) to direct and coordinate waste management and site remediation programs/activities throughout the DOE complex. In order to successfully achieve the goal of properly managing waste and the cleanup of the DOE sites, the EM was divided into five organizations: the Office of Planning and Resource Management (EM-10); the Office of Environmental Quality Assurance and Resource Management (EM-20); the Office of Waste Operations (EM-30); the Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40); and the Office of Technology and Development (EM-50). The mission of the Office ofmore » Technology Development (OTD) is to develop treatment technologies for DOE`s operational and environmental restoration wastes where current treatment technologies are inadequate or not available. The Mixed Waste Integrated Program (MWIP) was created by OTD to assist in the development of treatment technologies for the DOE mixed low-level wastes (MLLW). The MWIP has established five Technical Support Groups (TSGs) whose purpose is to identify, evaluate, and develop treatment technologies within five general technical areas representing waste treatment functions from initial waste handling through generation of final waste forms. These TSGs are: (1) Front-End Waste Handling, (2) Physical/Chemical Treatment, (3) Waste Destruction and Stabilization, (4) Second-Stage Destruction and Offgas Treatment, and (5) Final Waste Forms. This report describes the functions of the Waste Destruction and Stabilization (WDS) group. Specifically, the following items are discussed: DOE waste stream identification; summary of previous efforts; summary of WDS treatment technologies; currently funded WDS activities; and recommendations for future activities.« less

Waste Information Management System with 2012-13 Waste Streams - 13095

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Upadhyay, H.; Quintero, W.; Lagos, L.

2013-07-01

The Waste Information Management System (WIMS) 2012-13 was updated to support the Department of Energy (DOE) accelerated cleanup program. The schedule compression required close coordination and a comprehensive review and prioritization of the barriers that impeded treatment and disposition of the waste streams at each site. Many issues related to waste treatment and disposal were potential critical path issues under the accelerated schedule. In order to facilitate accelerated cleanup initiatives, waste managers at DOE field sites and at DOE Headquarters in Washington, D.C., needed timely waste forecast and transportation information regarding the volumes and types of radioactive waste that wouldmore » be generated by DOE sites over the next 40 years. Each local DOE site historically collected, organized, and displayed waste forecast information in separate and unique systems. In order for interested parties to understand and view the complete DOE complex-wide picture, the radioactive waste and shipment information of each DOE site needed to be entered into a common application. The WIMS application was therefore created to serve as a common application to improve stakeholder comprehension and improve DOE radioactive waste treatment and disposal planning and scheduling. WIMS allows identification of total forecasted waste volumes, material classes, disposition sites, choke points, technological or regulatory barriers to treatment and disposal, along with forecasted waste transportation information by rail, truck and inter-modal shipments. The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida, developed and deployed the web-based forecast and transportation system and is responsible for updating the radioactive waste forecast and transportation data on a regular basis to ensure the long-term viability and value of this system. (authors)« less

Nuclear waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-09-01

Radioactive waste is mounting at U.S. nuclear power plants at a rate of more than 2,000 metric tons a year. Pursuant to statute and anticipating that a geologic repository would be available in 1998, the Department of Energy (DOE) entered into disposal contracts with nuclear utilities. Now, however, DOE does not expect the repository to be ready before 2010. For this reason, DOE does not want to develop a facility for monitored retrievable storage (MRS) by 1998. This book is concerned about how best to store the waste until a repository is available, congressional requesters asked GAO to review themore » alternatives of continued storage at utilities' reactor sites or transferring waste to an MRS facility, GAO assessed the likelihood of an MRSA facility operating by 1998, legal implications if DOE is not able to take delivery of wastes in 1998, propriety of using the Nuclear Waste Fund-from which DOE's waste program costs are paid-to pay utilities for on-site storage capacity added after 1998, ability of utilities to store their waste on-site until a repository is operating, and relative costs and safety of the two storage alternatives.« less

Commercial treatability study capabilities for application to the US Department of Energy`s anticipated mixed waste streams. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-09-01

US DOE mixed low-level and mixed transuranic waste inventory was estimated at 181,000 cubic meters (about 2,000 waste streams). Treatability studies may be used as part of DOE`s mixed waste management program. Commercial treatability study suppliers have been identified that either have current capability in their own facilities or have access to licensed facilities. Numerous federal and state regulations, as well as DOE Order 5820.2A, impact the performance of treatability studies. Generators, transporters, and treatability study facilities are subject to regulation. From a mixed- waste standpoint, a key requirement is that the treatability study facility must have an NRC ormore » state license that allows it to possess radioactive materials. From a RCRA perspective, the facility must support treatability study activities with the applicable plans, reports, and documentation. If PCBs are present in the waste, TSCA will also be an issue. CERCLA requirements may apply, and both DOE and NRC regulations will impact the transportation of DOE mixed waste to an off-site treatment facility. DOE waste managers will need to be cognizant of all applicable regulations as mixed-waste treatability study programs are initiated.« less

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site Environmental Report for 1998

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hooda, Balwan S.; Allen, Vivian L.

This 1998 annual Site Environmental Report (SER) was prepared in accordance with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1, ''General Environmental Protection Program''; DOE Order 231.1, ''Environmental Safety and Health Reporting''; the ''Environmental Regulatory Guide for Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance'' (DOE/EH-0173T); and the Environmental Protection Implementation Plan (DOE/WIPP 96-2199). The above orders and guidance documents require that DOE facilities submit an SER to DOE Headquarters, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health. The purpose of the SER is to provide a comprehensive description of operational environmental monitoring activities, an abstract of environmental activities conducted tomore » characterize site environmental management performance, to confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, and to highlight significant programs and efforts of environmental merit at WIPP during calendar year ( CY) 1998. The content of this SER is not restricted to a synopsis of the required data. Information pertaining to new and continued monitoring and compliance activities during CY 1998 are also included.« less

Development of Pflotran Code for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Performance Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeitler, T.; Day, B. A.; Frederick, J.; Hammond, G. E.; Kim, S.; Sarathi, R.; Stein, E.

2017-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has been developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the geologic (deep underground) disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste. Containment of TRU waste at the WIPP is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The DOE demonstrates compliance with the containment requirements by means of performance assessment (PA) calculations. WIPP PA calculations estimate the probability and consequence of potential radionuclide releases from the repository to the accessible environment for a regulatory period of 10,000 years after facility closure. The long-term performance of the repository is assessed using a suite of sophisticated computational codes. There is a current effort to enhance WIPP PA capabilities through the further development of the PFLOTRAN software, a state-of-the-art massively parallel subsurface flow and reactive transport code. Benchmark testing of the individual WIPP-specific process models implemented in PFLOTRAN (e.g., gas generation, chemistry, creep closure, actinide transport, and waste form) has been performed, including results comparisons for PFLOTRAN and existing WIPP PA codes. Additionally, enhancements to the subsurface hydrologic flow mode have been made. Repository-scale testing has also been performed for the modified PFLTORAN code and detailed results will be presented. Ultimately, improvements to the current computational environment will result in greater detail and flexibility in the repository model due to a move from a two-dimensional calculation grid to a three-dimensional representation. The result of the effort will be a state-of-the-art subsurface flow and transport capability that will serve WIPP PA into the future for use in compliance recertification applications (CRAs) submitted to the EPA. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S. Department of Energy.SAND2017-8198A.

The NGA-DOE grant to examine critical issues related to radioactive waste and materials disposition involving DOE facilities. Quarterly report, October 1--December 31, 1997

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beauchesne, A.M.

1997-12-31

Topics explored through this project include: decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials; decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities; strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites in the complex; changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the EM 2006 cleanup plans and contractor integration analysis; interstate waste and materials shipments; and reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes.more » The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past four months can be categorized as follows: maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; and maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, DOE activities in the area of the Hazardous Waste Identification Rule, and DOE`s proposed National Dialogue.« less

RH-TRU Waste Characterization by Acceptable Knowledge at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schulz, C.; Givens, C.; Bhatt, R.

2003-02-24

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is conducting an effort to characterize approximately 620 drums of remote-handled (RH-) transuranic (TRU) waste currently in its inventory that were generated at the Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) Alpha Gamma Hot Cell Facility (AGHCF) between 1971 and 1995. The waste was generated at the AGHCF during the destructive examination of irradiated and unirradiated fuel pins, targets, and other materials from reactor programs at ANL-West (ANL-W) and other Department of Energy (DOE) reactors. In support of this effort, Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure (formerly IT Corporation) developed an acceptable knowledge (AK) collection and management programmore » based on existing contact-handled (CH)-TRU waste program requirements and proposed RH-TRU waste program requirements in effect in July 2001. Consistent with Attachments B-B6 of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (HWFP) and th e proposed Class 3 permit modification (Attachment R [RH-WAP] of this permit), the draft AK Summary Report prepared under the AK procedure describes the waste generating process and includes determinations in the following areas based on AK: physical form (currently identified at the Waste Matrix Code level); waste stream delineation; applicability of hazardous waste numbers for hazardous waste constituents; and prohibited items. In addition, the procedure requires and the draft summary report contains information supporting determinations in the areas of defense relationship and radiological characterization.« less

Development of Modern Performance Assessment Tools and Capabilities for Underground Disposal of Transuranic Waste at WIPP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeitler, T.; Kirchner, T. B.; Hammond, G. E.; Park, H.

2014-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has been developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the geologic (deep underground) disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste. Containment of TRU waste at the WIPP is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The DOE demonstrates compliance with the containment requirements by means of performance assessment (PA) calculations. WIPP PA calculations estimate the probability and consequence of potential radionuclide releases from the repository to the accessible environment for a regulatory period of 10,000 years after facility closure. The long-term performance of the repository is assessed using a suite of sophisticated computational codes. In a broad modernization effort, the DOE has overseen the transfer of these codes to modern hardware and software platforms. Additionally, there is a current effort to establish new performance assessment capabilities through the further development of the PFLOTRAN software, a state-of-the-art massively parallel subsurface flow and reactive transport code. Improvements to the current computational environment will result in greater detail in the final models due to the parallelization afforded by the modern code. Parallelization will allow for relatively faster calculations, as well as a move from a two-dimensional calculation grid to a three-dimensional grid. The result of the modernization effort will be a state-of-the-art subsurface flow and transport capability that will serve WIPP PA into the future. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S Department of Energy.

Geohydrologic aspects for siting and design of low-level radioactive-waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, M.S.

1989-01-01

The objective for siting and design of low-level radioactive-waste repository sites is to isolate the waste from the biosphere until the waste no longer poses an unacceptable hazard as a result of radioactive decay. Low-level radioactive waste commonly is isolated at shallow depths with various engineered features to stabilize the waste and to reduce its dissolution and transport by ground water. The unsaturated zone generally is preferred for isolating the waste. Low-level radioactive waste may need to be isolated for 300 to 500 years. Maintenance and monitoring of the repository site are required by Federal regulations for only the first 100 years. Therefore, geohydrology of the repository site needs to provide natural isolation of the waste for the hazardous period following maintenance of the site. Engineering design of the repository needs to be compatible with the natural geohydrologic conditions at the site. Studies at existing commercial and Federal waste-disposal sites provide information on the problems encountered and the basis for establishing siting guidelines for improved isolation of radioactive waste, engineering design of repository structures, and surveillance needs to assess the effectiveness of the repositories and to provide early warning of problems that may require remedial action.Climate directly affects the hydrology of a site and probably is the most important single factor that affects the suitability of a site for shallow-land burial of low-level radioactive waste. Humid and subhumid regions are not well suited for shallow isolation of low-level radioactive waste in the unsaturated zone; arid regions with zero to small infiltration from precipitation, great depths to the water table, and long flow paths to natural discharge areas are naturally well suited to isolation of the waste. The unsaturated zone is preferred for isolation of low-level radioactive waste. The guiding rationale is to minimize contact of water with the waste and to minimize transport of waste from the repository. The hydrology of a flow system containing a repository is greatly affected by the engineering of the repository site. Prediction of the performance of the repository is a complex problem, hampered by problems of characterizing the natural and manmade features of the flow system and by the limitations of models to predict flow and geochemical processes in the saturated and unsaturated zones. Disposal in low-permeability unfractured clays in the saturated zone may be feasible where the radionuclide transport is controlled by diffusion rather than advection.

Scenario for the safety assessment of near surface radioactive waste disposal in Serpong, Indonesia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Purnomo, A.S.

2007-07-01

Near surface disposal has been practiced for some decades, with a wide variation in sites, types and amounts of wastes, and facility designs employed. Experience has shown that the effective and safe isolation of waste depends on the performance of the overall disposal system, which is formed by three major components or barriers: the site, the disposal facility and the waste form. The objective of radioactive waste disposal is to isolate waste so that it does not result in undue radiation exposure to humans and the environment. In near surface disposal, the disposal facility is located on or below themore » ground surface, where the protective covering is generally a few meters thick. These facilities are intended to contain low and intermediate level waste without appreciable quantities of long-lived radionuclides. Safety is the most important aspect in the applications of nuclear technology and the implementation of nuclear activities in Indonesia. This aspect is reflected by a statement in the Act Number 10 Year 1997, that 'The Development and use of nuclear energy in Indonesia has to be carried out in such away to assure the safety and health of workers, the public and the protection of the environment'. Serpong are one of the sites for a nuclear research center facility, it is the biggest one in Indonesia. In the future will be developed the first near surface disposal on site of the nuclear research facility in Serpong. The paper will mainly focus on scenario of the safety assessments of near-surface radioactive waste disposal is often important to evaluate the performance of the disposal system (disposal facility, geosphere and biosphere). It will give detail, how at the present and future conditions, including anticipated and less probable events in order to prevent radionuclide migration to human and environment. Refer to the geology characteristic and ground water table is enable to place something Near Surface Disposal on unsaturated zone in Serpong site. (authors)« less

Reversed mining and reversed-reversed mining: the irrational context of geological disposal of nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Loon, A. J.

2000-06-01

Man does not only extract material from the Earth but increasingly uses the underground for storage and disposal purposes. One of the materials that might be disposed of this way is high-level nuclear waste. The development of safe disposal procedures, the choice of suitable host rocks, and the design of underground facilities have taken much time and money, but commissions in several countries have presented reports showing that — and how — safe geological disposal will be possible in such a way that definite isolation from the biosphere is achieved. Political views have changed in the past few years, however, and there is a strong tendency now to require that the high-level waste disposed of will be retrievable. Considering the underlying arguments for isolation from the biosphere, and also considering waste policy in general, this provides an irrational context. The development of new procedures and the design of new disposal facilities that allow retrieval will take much time again. A consequence may be that the high-active, heat-generating nuclear waste will be stored temporarily for a much longer time than objectively desirable. The delay in disposal and the counterproductive requirement of retrievability are partly due to the fact that earth-science organisations have failed to communicate in the way they should, possibly fearing public (and financial) reactions if taking a position that is (was?) considered as politically incorrect. Such an attitude should not be maintained in modern society, which has the right to be informed reliably by the scientific community.

Comprehensive implementation plan for the DOE defense buried TRU- contaminated waste program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Everette, S.E.; Detamore, J.A.; Raudenbush, M.H.

1988-02-01

In 1970, the US Atomic Energy Commission established a transuranic'' (TRU) waste classification. Waste disposed of prior to the decision to retrievably store the waste and which may contain TRU contamination is referred to as buried transuranic-contaminated waste'' (BTW). The DOE reference plan for BTW, stated in the Defense Waste Management Plan, is to monitor it, to take such remedial actions as may be necessary, and to re-evaluate its safety as necessary or in about 10-year periods. Responsibility for management of radioactive waste and byproducts generated by DOE belongs to the Secretary of Energy. Regulatory control for these sites containingmore » mixed waste is exercised by both DOE (radionuclides) and EPA (hazardous constituents). Each DOE Operations Office is responsible for developing and implementing plans for long-term management of its radioactive and hazardous waste sites. This comprehensive plan includes site-by-site long-range plans, site characteristics, site costs, and schedules at each site. 13 figs., 15 tabs.« less

Waste Information Management System-2012 - 12114

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Upadhyay, H.; Quintero, W.; Shoffner, P.

2012-07-01

The Waste Information Management System (WIMS) -2012 was updated to support the Department of Energy (DOE) accelerated cleanup program. The schedule compression required close coordination and a comprehensive review and prioritization of the barriers that impeded treatment and disposition of the waste streams at each site. Many issues related to waste treatment and disposal were potential critical path issues under the accelerated schedule. In order to facilitate accelerated cleanup initiatives, waste managers at DOE field sites and at DOE Headquarters in Washington, D.C., needed timely waste forecast and transportation information regarding the volumes and types of radioactive waste that wouldmore » be generated by DOE sites over the next 40 years. Each local DOE site historically collected, organized, and displayed waste forecast information in separate and unique systems. In order for interested parties to understand and view the complete DOE complex-wide picture, the radioactive waste and shipment information of each DOE site needed to be entered into a common application. The WIMS application was therefore created to serve as a common application to improve stakeholder comprehension and improve DOE radioactive waste treatment and disposal planning and scheduling. WIMS allows identification of total forecasted waste volumes, material classes, disposition sites, choke points, technological or regulatory barriers to treatment and disposal, along with forecasted waste transportation information by rail, truck and inter-modal shipments. The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida, developed and deployed the web-based forecast and transportation system and is responsible for updating the radioactive waste forecast and transportation data on a regular basis to ensure the long-term viability and value of this system. WIMS continues to successfully accomplish the goals and objectives set forth by DOE for this project. It has replaced the historic process of each DOE site gathering, organizing, and reporting their waste forecast information utilizing different databases and display technologies. In addition, WIMS meets DOE's objective to have the complex-wide waste forecast and transportation information available to all stakeholders and the public in one easy-to-navigate system. The enhancements to WIMS made since its initial deployment include the addition of new DOE sites and facilities, an updated waste and transportation information, and the ability to easily display and print customized waste forecast, the disposition maps, GIS maps and transportation information. The system also allows users to customize and generate reports over the web. These reports can be exported to various formats, such as Adobe{sup R} PDF, Microsoft Excel{sup R}, and Microsoft Word{sup R} and downloaded to the user's computer. Future enhancements will include database/application migration to the next level. A new data import interface will be developed to integrate 2012-13 forecast waste streams. In addition, the application is updated on a continuous basis based on DOE feedback. (authors)« less

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-01-01

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials. Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities. Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites inmore » the complex. Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the EM 2006 cleanup plans and contractor integration analysis. Interstate waste and materials shipments. Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the quarter from October 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997, under the NGA project. The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past four months can be categorized as follows: maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; and maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, DOE activities in the area of the Hazardous Waste Identification Rule, and DOE's proposed National Dialogue.« less

Waste information management system: a web-based system for DOE waste forecasting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geisler, T.J.; Shoffner, P.A.; Upadhyay, U.

2007-07-01

The implementation of the Department of Energy (DOE) mandated accelerated cleanup program has created significant potential technical impediments that must be overcome. The schedule compression will require close coordination and a comprehensive review and prioritization of the barriers that may impede treatment and disposition of the waste streams at each site. Many issues related to site waste treatment and disposal have now become potential critical path issues under the accelerated schedules. In order to facilitate accelerated cleanup initiatives, waste managers at DOE field sites and at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., need timely waste forecast information regarding the volumes andmore » types of waste that will be generated by DOE sites over the next 25 years. Each local DOE site has historically collected, organized, and displayed site waste forecast information in separate and unique systems. However, waste information from all sites needs a common application to allow interested parties to understand and view the complete complex-wide picture. A common application would allow identification of total waste volumes, material classes, disposition sites, choke points, and technological or regulatory barriers to treatment and disposal. The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida, has completed the development of this web-based forecast system. (authors)« less

Project Plan: Salt in Situ Heater Test.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Mills, Melissa Marie; Herrick, Courtney G.

This project plan gives a high-level description of the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition (SFWD) campaign in situ borehole heater test project being planned for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site This plan provides an overview of the schedule and responsibilities of the parties involved. This project is a collaborative effort by Sandia, Los Alamos, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories to execute a series of small-diameter borehole heater tests in salt for the DOE-NE SFWD campaign. Design of a heater test in salt at WIPP has evolved over several years.more » The current design was completed in fiscal year 2017 (FY17), an equipment shakedown experiment is underway in April FY18, and the test implementation will begin in summer of FY18. The project comprises a suite of modular tests, which consist of a group of nearby boreholes in the wall of drifts at WIPP. Each test is centered around a packer-isolated heated borehole (5" diameter) containing equipment for water-vapor collection and brine sampling, surrounded by smaller-diameter (2" diameter) satellite observation boreholes. Observation boreholes will contain temperature sensors, tracer release points, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) sensors, fiber optic sensing, and acoustic emission (AE) measurements, and sonic velocity sources and sensors. These satellite boreholes will also be used for plugging/sealing tests. The first two tests to be implemented will have the packer-isolated borehole heated to 120°C, with one observation borehole used to monitor changes. Follow-on tests will be designed using information gathered from the first two tests, will be conducted at other temperatures, will use multiple observation boreholes, and may include other measurement types and test designs.« less

Waste reduction plan for The Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schultz, R.M.

1990-04-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a multipurpose Research and Development (R D) facility. These R D activities generate numerous small waste streams. Waste minimization is defined as any action that minimizes the volume or toxicity of waste by avoiding its generation or recycling. This is accomplished by material substitution, changes to processes, or recycling wastes for reuse. Waste reduction is defined as waste minimization plus treatment which results in volume or toxicity reduction. The ORNL Waste Reduction Program will include both waste minimization and waste reduction efforts. Federal regulations, DOE policies and guidelines, increased costs and liabilities associatedmore » with the management of wastes, limited disposal options and facility capacities, and public consciousness have been motivating factors for implementing comprehensive waste reduction programs. DOE Order 5820.2A, Section 3.c.2.4 requires DOE facilities to establish an auditable waste reduction program for all LLW generators. In addition, it further states that any new facilities, or changes to existing facilities, incorporate waste minimization into design considerations. A more recent DOE Order, 3400.1, Section 4.b, requires the preparation of a waste reduction program plan which must be reviewed annually and updated every three years. Implementation of a waste minimization program for hazardous and radioactive mixed wastes is sited in DOE Order 5400.3, Section 7.d.5. This document has been prepared to address these requirements. 6 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.« less

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Part B permit application [of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)]. Volume 11, Chapter D, Appendix D4--Chapter D, Appendix D17: Revision 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-03-01

This volume contains appendices D4 through D17 which cover the following: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site environmental report; ecological monitoring program at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; site characterization; regional and site geology and hydrology; general geology; dissolution features; ground water hydrology; typical carbon sorption bed efficiency; VOC monitoring plan for bin-room tests; chemical compatibility analysis of waste forms and container materials; probable maximum precipitation; WHIP supplementary roof support system room 1, panel 1; and corrosion risk assessment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant ``humid`` test bins.

Field Test to Evaluate Deep Borehole Disposal.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hardin, Ernest; Brady, Patrick Vane.; Clark, Andrew Jordan

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has embarked on the Deep Borehole Field Test (DBFT), which will investigate whether conditions suitable for disposal of radioactive waste can be found at a depth of up to 5 km in the earth’s crust. As planned, the DBFT will demonstrate drilling and construction of two boreholes, one for initial scientific characterization, and the other at a larger diameter such as could be appropriate for waste disposal (the DBFT will not involve radioactive waste). A wide range of geoscience activities is planned for the Characterization Borehole, and an engineering demonstration of test package emplacementmore » and retrieval is planned for the larger Field Test Borehole. Characterization activities will focus on measurements and samples that are important for evaluating the long-term isolation capability of the Deep Borehole Disposal (DBD) concept. Engineering demonstration activities will focus on providing data to evaluate the concept’s operational safety and practicality. Procurement of a scientifically acceptable DBFT site and a site management contractor is now underway. The concept of deep borehole disposal (DBD) for radioactive wastes is not new. It was considered by the National Academy of Science (NAS 1957) for liquid waste, studied in the 1980’s in the U.S. (Woodward–Clyde 1983), and has been evaluated by European waste disposal R&D programs in the past few decades (for example, Grundfelt and Crawford 2014; Grundfelt 2010). Deep injection of wastewater including hazardous wastes is ongoing in the U.S. and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 2001). The DBFT is being conducted with a view to use the DBD concept for future disposal of smaller-quantity, DOE-managed wastes from nuclear weapons production (i.e., Cs/Sr capsules and granular solid wastes). However, the concept may also have broader applicability for nations that have a need to dispose of limited amounts of spent fuel from nuclear power reactors. For such nations the cost for disposing of volumetrically limited waste streams could be lower than mined geologic repositories.« less

Evaluation of Final Radiological Conditions at Areas of the Niagara Falls Storage Site Remediated under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program - 12184

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clayton, Christopher; Kothari, Vijendra; Starr, Ken

2012-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) methods and protocols allow evaluation of remediation and final site conditions to determine if remediated sites remain protective. Two case studies are presented that involve the Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS) and associated vicinity properties (VPs), which are being remediated under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). These properties are a part of the former Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW). In response to stakeholders concerns about whether certain remediated NFSS VPs were putting them at risk, DOE met with stakeholders and agreed to evaluate protectiveness. Documentation in the DOE records collection adequatelymore » described assessed and final radiological conditions at the completed VPs. All FUSRAP wastes at the completed sites were cleaned up to meet DOE guidelines for unrestricted use. DOE compiled the results of the investigation in a report that was released for public comment. In conducting the review of site conditions, DOE found that stakeholders were also concerned about waste from the Separations Process Research Unit (SPRU) at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) that was handled at LOOW. DOE agreed to determine if SPRU waste remained at that needed to be remediated. DOE reviewed records of waste characterization, historical handling locations and methods, and assessment and remediation data. DOE concluded that the SPRU waste was remediated on the LOOW to levels that pose no unacceptable risk and allow unrestricted use and unlimited exposure. This work confirms the following points as tenets of an effective long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS and M) program: - Stakeholder interaction must be open and transparent, and DOE must respond promptly to stakeholder concerns. - DOE, as the long-term custodian, must collect and preserve site records in order to demonstrate that remediated sites pose no unacceptable risk. - DOE must continue to maintain constructive relationships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state and federal regulators. After review of historical site documentation, DOE reports, and USACE radiological data, DOE concluded the following: - DOE had access to adequate documentation to evaluate site conditions at the former LOOW. This is important to confirm now, while institutional knowledge of early FUSRAP work remains available. - DOE remediated the completed VPs to conditions that are protective for unrestricted residential use. Sample and walkover gamma scan results indicate that no wastes remain that exceed cleanup criteria. - Process knowledge and field observations establish that Cs-137 is the predominant radionuclide in the KAPL waste stream. Cs-137, a strong gamma emitter, was used as an indicator for remediation of KAPL waste. Other radionuclides were present in much lower relative concentrations and were likely also removed during remediation of the VPs. - KAPL contaminants were removed during remedial activities at the former LOOW as either co-located or co-mingled with other radionuclides. - For the active VPs (VP-E, VP-E', and VP-G), results of DOE's cleanup of the accessible portions of these properties indicate that KAPL waste does not remain at concentrations greater than the DOE cleanup limit: - Inaccessible areas were not associated with historic KAPL waste handling. Therefore, it is unlikely that KAPL waste remains on the active VPs. - Because gamma activity was used by DOE during remediation/verification activities for excavation control, additional USACE cleanup of FUSRAP wastes on these properties will likely result in the remediation of any co-located residual KAPL wastes to acceptable levels or identification of KAPL waste that is not co-located. - Although USACE has not established a cleanup level for Cs-137 on the active NFSS VPs, DOE assessment and remediation data indicate that assessed Cs-137 was remediated and significant Cs-137 is unlikely to remain. Because of the low likelihood of encountering significant KAPL waste on the active NFSS VPs, additional remediation is not anticipated at these properties. - USACE assessment soil sampling results on the NFSS proper indicate that KAPL waste does not exceed the DOE cleanup level for Cs-137. USACE has not established a cleanup level for Cs-137 on NFSS proper. The USACE cleanup of FUSRAP wastes on the NFSS proper will likely result in the remediation of any co-located residual KAPL wastes or identification of KAPL waste that is not co-located. DOE is drafting a report of the investigation of KAPL waste at LOOW. The report will be released to the public for comment when the draft is complete. DOE responses to stakeholder inquiries resulted in a common understanding of site conditions and site risk. DOE expects additional interaction with stakeholders at the former LOOW as USACE completes remediation of the active VPs and the NFSS proper, and these relationships will hopefully have built trust between DOE and the stakeholders that DOE will perform its duties in an open and transparent manner that includes stakeholders as stewards for remediated FUSRAP sites. (authors)« less

Technical Basis for the Removal of Unremediated Nitrate Salt Sampling (UNS) to Support LANL Treatment Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Funk, David John

2016-05-05

The sampling of unremediated nitrate salts (UNS) was originally proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS) (collectively, the Permittees) as a means to ensure adequate understanding and characterization of the problematic waste stream created when the Permittees remediated these nitrate salts-bearing waste with an organic absorbent. The proposal to sample the UNS was driven by a lack of understanding with respect to the radioactive contamination release that occurred within the underground repository at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in February 14, 2014, as well as recommendations made by a Peer Reviewmore » Team. As discussed, the Permittees believe that current knowledge and understanding of the waste has sufficiently matured such that this additional sampling is not required. Perhaps more importantly, the risk of both chemical and radiological exposure to the workers sampling the UNS drum material is unwarranted. This memo provides the technical justification and rationale for excluding the UNS sampling from the treatment studies.« less

Demonstration of ATG Process for Stabilizing Mercury (<260 ppm) Contaminated Mixed Waste. Mixed Waste Focus Area. OST Reference # 2407

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

1999-09-01

Mercury contaminated wastes in many forms are present at various U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites. Based on efforts led by the Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) and its Mercury Working Group (HgWG), the inventory of wastes contaminated with <260 ppm mercury and with radionuclides stored at various DOE sites is estimated to be approximately 6,000 m 3). At least 26 different DOE sites have this type of mixed low-level waste in their storage facilities. Extraction methods are required to remove mercury from waste containing >260 ppm levels, but below 260 ppm Hg contamination levels the U. S. Environmentalmore » Protection Agency (EPA) does not require removal of mercury from the waste. Steps must still be taken, however, to ensure that the final waste form does not leach mercury in excess of the limit for mercury prescribed in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) when subjected to the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). At this time, the limit is 0.20 mg/L. However, in the year 2000, the more stringent Universal Treatment Standard (UTS) of 0.025 mg/L will be used as the target endpoint. Mercury contamination in the wastes at DOE sites presents a challenge because it exists in various forms, such as soil, sludges, and debris, as well as in different chemical species of mercury. Stabilization is of interest for radioactively contaminated mercury waste (<260 ppm Hg) because of its success with particular wastes, such as soils, and its promise of applicability to a broad range of wastes. However, stabilization methods must be proven to be adequate to meet treatment standards. It must also be proven feasible in terms of economics, operability, and safety. To date, no standard method of stabilization has been developed and proven for such varying waste types as those within the DOE complex.« less

Innovations in the Assay of Un-Segregated Multi-Isotopic Grade TRU Waste Boxes with SuperHENC and FRAM Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simpson, A. P.; Barber, S.; Abdurrahman, N. M.

2006-07-01

The Super High Efficiency Neutron Coincidence Counter (SuperHENC) was originally developed by BIL Solutions Inc., Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) for assay of transuranic (TRU) waste in Standard Waste Boxes (SWB) at Rocky Flats. This mobile system was a key component in the shipment of over 4,000 SWBs to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The system was WIPP certified in 2001 and operated at the site for four years. The success of this system, a passive neutron coincidence counter combined with high resolution gamma spectroscopy, led to themore » order of two new units, delivered to Hanford in 2004. Several new challenges were faced at Hanford: For example, the original RFETS system was calibrated for segregated waste streams such that metals, plastics, wet combustibles and dry combustibles were separated by 'Item Description Codes' prior to assay. Furthermore, the RFETS mission of handling only weapons grade plutonium, enabled the original SuperHENC to benefit from the use of known Pu isotopics. Operations at Hanford, as with most other DOE sites, generate un-segregated waste streams, with a wide diversity of Pu isotopics. Consequently, the new SuperHENCs are required to deal with new technical challenges. The neutron system's software and calibration methodology have been modified to encompass these new requirements. In addition, PC-FRAM software has been added to the gamma system, providing a robust isotopic measurement capability. Finally a new software package has been developed that integrates the neutron and gamma data to provide a final assay results and analysis report. The new system's performance has been rigorously tested and validated against WIPP quality requirements. These modifications, together with the mobile platform, make the new SuperHENC far more versatile in handling diverse waste streams and allow for rapid redeployment around the DOE complex. (authors)« less

40 CFR 60.1010 - Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... waste combustion unit? 60.1010 Section 60.1010 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30....1010 Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit? Yes, if your municipal waste...

40 CFR 60.1010 - Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... waste combustion unit? 60.1010 Section 60.1010 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30....1010 Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit? Yes, if your municipal waste...

40 CFR 60.1010 - Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... waste combustion unit? 60.1010 Section 60.1010 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30....1010 Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit? Yes, if your municipal waste...

40 CFR 60.1010 - Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... waste combustion unit? 60.1010 Section 60.1010 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30....1010 Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit? Yes, if your municipal waste...

40 CFR 60.1010 - Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... waste combustion unit? 60.1010 Section 60.1010 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30....1010 Does this subpart apply to my municipal waste combustion unit? Yes, if your municipal waste...

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-04-01

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials. Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities. Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites inmore » the complex. Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in DOE's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure strategy and contractor integration analysis. Interstate waste and materials shipments. Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the quarter from December 31, 1997 through April 30, 1998 under the NGA project. The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past four months can be categorized as follows: maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; and provided ongoing support to state-DOE interactions in preparation for the March 30-31, 1998 NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force Meeting with DOE. maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, DOE's Environmental Management Budget, and DOE's proposed Intersite Discussions.« less

Sandia Review of High Bridge Associates Report: Comparison of Plutonium Disposition Alternatives: WIPP Diluted Plutonium Storage and MOX Fuel Irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shoemaker, Paul E.; Hardin, Ernest; Park, HeeHo Daniel

The subject report from High Bridge Associates (HBA) was issued on March 2, 2016, in reaction to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program decision to pursue down-blending of surplus Pu and geologic disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Sandia National Laboratories was requested by the DOE to review the technical arguments presented in the HBA report. Specifically, this review is organized around three technical topics: criticality safety, radiological release limits, and thermal impacts. Questions raised by the report pertaining to legal and regulatory requirements, safeguards and security, international agreements, and costing of alternatives, are beyond the scopemore » of this review.« less

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-07-01

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials. Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities. Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites inmore » the complex. Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in DOE's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure strategy and contractor integration analysis. Interstate waste and materials shipments. Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the quarter from April 30, 1998 through June 30, 1998 under the NGA project. The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past four months can be categorized as follows: maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; and provided ongoing support to state-DOE interactions. maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, DOE's Environmental Management Budget, and DOE's proposed Intersite Discussions.« less

Bioremediation of Petroleum and Radiological Contaminated Soils at the Savannah River Site: Laboratory to Field Scale Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BRIGMON, ROBINL.

In the process of Savannah River Site (SRS) operations limited amounts of waste are generated containing petroleum, and radiological contaminated soils. Currently, this combination of radiological and petroleum contaminated waste does not have an immediate disposal route and is being stored in low activity vaults. SRS developed and implemented a successful plan for clean up of the petroleum portion of the soils in situ using simple, inexpensive, bioreactor technology. Treatment in a bioreactor removes the petroleum contamination from the soil without spreading radiological contamination to the environment. This bioreactor uses the bioventing process and bioaugmentation or the addition of themore » select hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. Oxygen is usually the initial rate-limiting factor in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Using the bioventing process allowed control of the supply of nutrients and moisture based on petroleum contamination concentrations and soil type. The results of this work have proven to be a safe and cost-effective means of cleaning up low level radiological and petroleum-contaminated soil. Many of the other elements of the bioreactor design were developed or enhanced during the demonstration of a ''biopile'' to treat the soils beneath a Polish oil refinery's waste disposal lagoons. Aerobic microorganisms were isolated from the aged refinery's acidic sludge contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Twelve hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were isolated from the sludge. The predominant PAH degraders were tentatively identified as Achromobacter, Pseudomonas Burkholderia, and Sphingomonas spp. Several Ralstonia spp were also isolated that produce biosurfactants. Biosurfactants can enhance bioremediation by increasing the bioavailability of hydrophobic contaminants including hydrocarbons. The results indicated that the diversity of acid-tolerant PAH-degrading microorganisms in acidic oil wastes may be much greater than previously demonstrated and they have numerous applications to environmental restoration. Twelve of the isolates were subsequently added to the bioreactor to enhance bioremediation. In this study we showed that a bioreactor could be bioaugmented with select bacteria to enhance bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils under radiological conditions.« less

Evaporative oxidation treatability test report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-04-01

In 1992, Congress passed the Federal Facilities Compliance Act that requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to treat and dispose of its mixed waste in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) land disposal restrictions (LDRs). In response to the need for mixed-waste treatment capacity where available off-site commercial treatment facilities do not exist or cannot be used, the DOE Albuquerque Operations Office (DOE-AL) organized a Treatment Selection Team to match mixed wastes with treatment options and develop a strategy for treatment of its mixed wastes. DOE-AL manages operations at nine sites with mixed-waste inventories. The Treatmentmore » Selection Team determined a need to develop mobile treatment capacity to treat wastes at the sites where the wastes are generated. Treatment processes used for mixed waste not only must address the hazardous component (i.e., meet LDRs) but also must contain the radioactive component in a form that allows final disposal while protecting workers, the public, and the environment. On the basis of recommendations of the Treatment Selection Team, DOE-AL assigned projects to the sites to bring mixed-waste treatment capacity on-line. The three technologies assigned to the DOE Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) are evaporative oxidation, thermal desorption, and treated wastewater evaporation. Rust Geotech, the DOE-GJPO prime contractor, was assigned to design and fabricate mobile treatment units (MTUs) for these three technologies and to deliver the MTUs to selected DOE-AL sites. To conduct treatability tests at the GJPO, Rust leased a pilot-scale evaporative oxidation unit from the Clemson Technical Center (CTC), Anderson, South Carolina. The purpose of this report is to document the findings and results of tests performed using this equipment.« less

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant No-migration variance petition. Addendum: Volume 7, Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-03-01

This report describes various aspects of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) including design data, waste characterization, dissolution features, ground water hydrology, natural resources, monitoring, general geology, and the gas generation/test program.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Role and Activities Related to U.S. Department of Energy Incidental Waste Determinations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bradford, A.H.; Esh, D.W.; Ridge, A.C.

2006-07-01

Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consult with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for certain non-high level waste (HLW) determinations. Under the NDAA, NRC performs consultative technical reviews of DOE's waste determinations and monitors DOE's disposal actions for such waste, but the NRC does not have regulatory authority over DOE's waste disposal activities. The NDAA provides the criteria that must be met to determine that waste is not HLW. The criteria require that the waste does not need to be disposedmore » of in a geologic repository, that highly radioactive radionuclides be removed to the maximum extent practical, and that the performance objectives of 10 CFR 61, Subpart C, be met. The performance objectives contain criteria for protection of the public, protection of inadvertent intruders, protection of workers, and stability of the disposal site after closure. This paper describes NRC's approach to implementing its responsibilities under the NDAA, as well as similar activities being performed for sites not covered by the NDAA. (authors)« less

Special Analysis for the Disposal of the INL Waste Associated with the Unirradiated Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) Waste Stream at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shott, Gregory

This special analysis (SA) evaluates whether the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Waste Associated with the Unirradiated Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) waste stream (INEL167203QR1, Revision 0) is suitable for shallow land burial (SLB) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Disposal of the INL Waste Associated with the Unirradiated LWBR waste meets all U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Manual DOE M 435.1-1, “Radioactive Waste Management Manual,” Chapter IV, Section P performance objectives (DOE 1999). The INL Waste Associated with the Unirradiated LWBR waste stream is recommended for acceptance with the conditionmore » that the total uranium-233 ( 233U) inventory be limited to 2.7E13 Bq (7.2E2 Ci).« less

Isolation and characterization of potential lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from freshwater fish processing wastes for application in fermentative utilisation of fish processing waste

PubMed Central

R, Jini; HC, Swapna; Rai, Amit Kumar; R, Vrinda; PM, Halami; NM, Sachindra; N, Bhaskar

2011-01-01

Proteolytic and/or lipolytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from visceral wastes of different fresh water fishes. LAB count was found to be highest in case of visceral wastes of Mrigal (5.88 log cfu/g) and lowest in that of tilapia (4.22 log cfu/g). Morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization of the selected LAB isolates were carried out. Two isolates FJ1 (E. faecalis NCIM5367) and LP3 (P. acidilactici NCIM5368) showed both proteolytic and lipolytic properties. All the six native isolates selected for characterization showed antagonistic properties against several human pathogens. All the native isolates were sensitive to antibiotics cephalothin and clindamycin; and, resistant to cotrimoxazole and vancomycin. Considering individually, P. acidilactici FM37, P. acidilactici MW2 and E. faecalis FD3 were sensitive to erythromycin. The two strains FJ1 (E. faecalis NCIM 5367) and LP3 (P. acidilactici NCIM 5368) that had both proteolytic and lipolytic properties have the potential for application in fermentative recovery of lipids and proteins from fish processing wastes. PMID:24031786

Special Analysis for the Disposal of the Materials and Energy Corporation Sealed Sources at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shott, Gregory

This special analysis (SA) evaluates whether the Materials and Energy Corporation (M&EC) Sealed Source waste stream (PERM000000036, Revision 0) is suitable for shallow land burial (SLB) at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Disposal of the M&EC Sealed Source waste meets all U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Manual DOE M 435.1-1, “Radioactive Waste Management Manual,” Chapter IV, Section P performance objectives (DOE 1999). The M&EC Sealed Source waste stream is recommended for acceptance without conditions.

Using benchmarking to minimize common DOE waste streams: Volume 5. Office paper waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levin, V.

Finding innovative ways to reduce waste streams generated at US Department of Energy (DOE) sites by 50% by the year 2000 is a challenge for DOE`s waste minimization efforts. A team composed of members from several DOE facilities used the quality tool known as benchmarking to improve waste minimization efforts. First the team examined office waste generation and handling processes at their sites. Then team members developed telephone and written questionnaires to help identify potential ``best-in-class`` industry partners willing to share information about their best waste minimization techniques and technologies. The team identified two benchmarking partners, NIKE, Inc., in Beaverton,more » Oregon, and Microsoft, Inc., in Redmond, Washington. Both companies have proactive, employee-driven environmental issues programs. Both companies report strong employee involvement, management commitment, and readily available markets for recyclable materials such as white paper and nonwhite assorted paper. The availability of markets, the initiative and cooperation of employees, and management support are the main enablers for their programs. At both companies, recycling and waste reduction programs often cut across traditional corporate divisions such as procurement, janitorial services, environmental compliance, grounds maintenance, cafeteria operations, surplus sales, and shipping and receiving. These companies exhibited good cooperation between these functions to design and implement recycling and waste reduction programs.« less

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ann M. Beauchesne

1999-07-30

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials; Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities; Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites inmore » the complex; Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure plan and contractor integration analysis; Interstate waste and materials shipments; and Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the quarter from May 1, 1999, through July 30, 1999, under the NGA grant. The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past four months can be categorized as follows: maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, external regulation of DOE; and continued to facilitate interactions between the states and DOE to develop a foundation for an ongoing substantive relationship between the Governors of key states and Secretary Richardson.« less

Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste characterization: Estimated volumes, radionuclide activities, and other characteristics. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-09-01

The Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) planning for the disposal of greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC LLW) requires characterization of the waste. This report estimates volumes, radionuclide activities, and waste forms of GTCC LLW to the year 2035. It groups the waste into four categories, representative of the type of generator or holder of the waste: Nuclear Utilities, Sealed Sources, DOE-Held, and Other Generator. GTCC LLW includes activated metals (activation hardware from reactor operation and decommissioning), process wastes (i.e., resins, filters, etc.), sealed sources, and other wastes routinely generated by users of radioactive material. Estimates reflect the possible effect thatmore » packaging and concentration averaging may have on the total volume of GTCC LLW. Possible GTCC mixed LLW is also addressed. Nuclear utilities will probably generate the largest future volume of GTCC LLW with 65--83% of the total volume. The other generators will generate 17--23% of the waste volume, while GTCC sealed sources are expected to contribute 1--12%. A legal review of DOE`s obligations indicates that the current DOE-Held wastes described in this report will not require management as GTCC LLW because of the contractual circumstances under which they were accepted for storage. This report concludes that the volume of GTCC LLW should not pose a significant management problem from a scientific or technical standpoint. The projected volume is small enough to indicate that a dedicated GTCC LLW disposal facility may not be justified. Instead, co-disposal with other waste types is being considered as an option.« less

Whole genome and transcriptome analyses of environmental antibiotic sensitive and multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates exposed to waste water and tap water

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Thomas; Armant, Olivier; Bretschneider, Nancy; Hahn, Alexander; Kirchen, Silke; Seifert, Martin; Dötsch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The fitness of sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different aquatic environments depends on genetic capacities and transcriptional regulation. Therefore, an antibiotic-sensitive isolate PA30 and a multi-resistant isolate PA49 originating from waste waters were compared via whole genome and transcriptome Illumina sequencing after exposure to municipal waste water and tap water. A number of different genomic islands (e.g. PAGIs, PAPIs) were identified in the two environmental isolates beside the highly conserved core genome. Exposure to tap water and waste water exhibited similar transcriptional impacts on several gene clusters (antibiotic and metal resistance, genetic mobile elements, efflux pumps) in both environmental P. aeruginosa isolates. The MexCD-OprJ efflux pump was overexpressed in PA49 in response to waste water. The expression of resistance genes, genetic mobile elements in PA49 was independent from the water matrix. Consistently, the antibiotic sensitive strain PA30 did not show any difference in expression of the intrinsic resistance determinants and genetic mobile elements. Thus, the exposure of both isolates to polluted waste water and oligotrophic tap water resulted in similar expression profiles of mentioned genes. However, changes in environmental milieus resulted in rather unspecific transcriptional responses than selected and stimuli-specific gene regulation. PMID:25186059

Mobility of Source Zone Heavy Metals and Radionuclides: The Mixed Roles of Fermentative Activity on Fate and Transport of U and Cr. Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerlach, Robin; Peyton, Brent M.; Apel, William A.

2014-01-29

Various U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) low and medium-level radioactive waste sites contain mixtures of heavy metals, radionuclides and assorted organic materials. In addition, there are numerous sites around the world that are contaminated with a mixture of organic and inorganic contaminants. In most sites, over time, water infiltrates the wastes, and releases metals, radionuclides and other contaminants causing transport into the surrounding environment. We investigated the role of fermentative microorganisms in such sites that may control metal, radionuclide and organics migration from source zones. The project was initiated based on the following overarching hypothesis: Metals, radionuclides and othermore » contaminants can be mobilized by infiltration of water into waste storage sites. Microbial communities of lignocellulose degrading and fermenting microorganisms present in the subsurface of contaminated DOE sites can significantly impact migration by directly reducing and immobilizing metals and radionuclides while degrading complex organic matter to low molecular weight organic compounds. These low molecular weight organic acids and alcohols can increase metal and radionuclide mobility by chelation (i.e., certain organic acids) or decrease mobility by stimulating respiratory metal reducing microorganisms. We demonstrated that fermentative organisms capable of affecting the fate of Cr6+, U6+ and trinitrotoluene can be isolated from organic-rich low level waste sites as well as from less organic rich subsurface environments. The mechanisms, pathways and extent of contaminant transformation depend on a variety of factors related to the type of organisms present, the aqueous chemistry as well as the geochemistry and mineralogy. This work provides observations and quantitative data across multiple scales that identify and predict the coupled effects of fermentative carbon and electron flow on the transport of radionuclides, heavy metals and organic contaminants in the subsurface; a primary concern of the DOE Environmental Remediation Science Division (ERSD) and Subsurface Geochemical Research (SBR) Program.« less

77 FR 1920 - Second Amended Notice of Intent To Modify the Scope of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-12

... suitable for MOX fuel fabrication is disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico... Waste Processing Facility at SRS or disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. On... are safety (criticality) limits on how much plutonium can be sent to the Defense Waste Processing...

Analysis of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Samples: Integrated Summary Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Britt, Phillip F

2015-03-01

Analysis of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Samples: Integrated Summary Report. Summaries of conclusions, analytical processes, and analytical results. Analysis of samples taken from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico in support of the WIPP Technical Assessment Team (TAT) activities to determine to the extent feasible the mechanisms and chemical reactions that may have resulted in the breach of at least one waste drum and release of waste material in WIPP Panel 7 Room 7 on February 14, 2014. This report integrates and summarizes the results contained in three separate reports, described below, and draws conclusions basedmore » on those results. Chemical and Radiochemical Analyses of WIPP Samples R-15 C5 SWB and R16 C-4 Lip; PNNL-24003, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, December 2014 Analysis of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Underground and MgO Samples by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL); SRNL-STI-2014-00617; Savannah River National Laboratory, December 2014 Report for WIPP UG Sample #3, R15C5 (9/3/14); LLNL-TR-667015; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, January 2015 This report is also contained in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Technical Assessment Team Report; SRNL-RP-2015-01198; Savannah River National Laboratory, March 17, 2015, as Appendix C: Analysis Integrated Summary Report.« less

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ann M. Beauchesne

1999-04-30

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials; Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities; Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites inmore » the complex; Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure plan and contractor integration analysis; Interstate waste and materials shipments; and Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the quarter from February 1, 1999, through April 30, 1999, under the NGA grant. The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past four months can be categorized as follows: maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, external regulation of DOE; and EM Integration activities; and continued to serve as a liaison between the NGA FFCA Task Force states and the Department.« less

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ann B. Beauchesne

1998-09-30

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: (1) Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials; (2) Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities; (3) Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect onmore » individual sites in the complex; (4) Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure plan and contractor integration analysis; (5) Interstate waste and materials shipments; and (6) Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the quarter from June 1, 1998 through September 30, 1998, under the NGA grant. The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past four months can be categorized as follows: (1) maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; (2) maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, external regulation of DOE; and EM Integration activities; and (3) continued to serve as a liaison between the NGA FFCA Task Force states and the Department.« less

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ann M. Beauchesne

1999-01-31

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: (1) Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials; (2) Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities; (3) Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect onmore » individual sites in the complex; (4) Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure plan and contractor integration analysis; (5) Interstate waste and materials shipments; and (6) Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the quarter from October 1, 1998 through January 31, 1999, under the NGA grant. The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past four months can be categorized as follows: (1) maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; (2) maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, external regulation of DOE; and EM Integration activities; and (3) continued to serve as a liaison between the NGA FFCA Task Force states and the Department.« less

Robotics for mixed waste operations, demonstration description

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ward, C.R.

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Development (OTD) is developing technology to aid in the cleanup of DOE sites. Included in the OTD program are the Robotics Technology Development Program and the Mixed Waste Integrated Program. These two programs are working together to provide technology for the cleanup of mixed waste, which is waste that has both radioactive and hazardous constituents. There are over 240,000 cubic meters of mixed low level waste accumulated at DOE sites and the cleanup is expected to generate about 900,000 cubic meters of mixed low level waste over the next five years. Thismore » waste must be monitored during storage and then treated and disposed of in a cost effective manner acceptable to regulators and the states involved. The Robotics Technology Development Program is developing robotics technology to make these tasks safer, better, faster and cheaper through the Mixed Waste Operations team. This technology will also apply to treatment of transuranic waste. The demonstration at the Savannah River Site on November 2-4, 1993, showed the progress of this technology by DOE, universities and industry over the previous year. Robotics technology for the handling, characterization and treatment of mixed waste as well robotics technology for monitoring of stored waste was demonstrated. It was shown that robotics technology can make future waste storage and waste treatment facilities better, faster, safer and cheaper.« less

Waste Information Management System: One Year After Web Deployment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shoffner, P.A.; Geisler, T.J.; Upadhyay, H.

2008-07-01

The implementation of the Department of Energy (DOE) mandated accelerated cleanup program created significant potential technical impediments. The schedule compression required close coordination and a comprehensive review and prioritization of the barriers that impeded treatment and disposition of the waste streams at each site. Many issues related to site waste treatment and disposal were potential critical path issues under the accelerated schedules. In order to facilitate accelerated cleanup initiatives, waste managers at DOE field sites and at DOE Headquarters in Washington, D.C., needed timely waste forecast information regarding the volumes and types of waste that would be generated by DOEmore » sites over the next 30 years. Each local DOE site has historically collected, organized, and displayed site waste forecast information in separate and unique systems. However, waste information from all sites needed a common application to allow interested parties to understand and view the complete complex-wide picture. A common application allows identification of total waste volumes, material classes, disposition sites, choke points, and technological or regulatory barriers to treatment and disposal. The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida, has completed the deployment of this fully operational, web-based forecast system. New functional modules and annual waste forecast data updates have been added to ensure the long-term viability and value of this system. In conclusion: WIMS continues to successfully accomplish the goals and objectives set forth by DOE for this project. WIMS has replaced the historic process of each DOE site gathering, organizing, and reporting their waste forecast information utilizing different database and display technologies. In addition, WIMS meets DOE's objective to have the complex-wide waste forecast information available to all stakeholders and the public in one easy-to-navigate system. The enhancements to WIMS made over the year since its web deployment include the addition of new DOE sites, an updated data set, and the ability to easily print the forecast data tables, the disposition maps, and the GIS maps. Future enhancements will include a high-level waste summary, a display of waste forecast by mode of transportation, and a user help module. The waste summary display module will provide a high-level summary view of the waste forecast data based on the selection of sites, facilities, material types, and forecast years. The waste summary report module will allow users to build custom filtered reports in a variety of formats, such as MS Excel, MS Word, and PDF. The user help module will provide a step-by-step explanation of various modules, using screen shots and general tutorials. The help module will also provide instructions for printing and margin/layout settings to assist users in using their local printers to print maps and reports. (authors)« less

Microbiological consequences of indoor composting.

PubMed

Naegele, A; Reboux, G; Vacheyrou, M; Valot, B; Millon, L; Roussel, S

2016-08-01

Recycling of organic waste appeals to more and more people. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological contamination around organic waste bins at three distances over a 12-month period. Contamination near the customary trash of control households was evaluated at the beginning to ensure that there is no recruitment bias. Air samples using the MAS 100 impactor were carried out in 38 dwellings that do household waste composting and in 10 dwellings of controls. Collection of particles by CIP 10 rotating cup sampler and dust samples collected by electrostatic dust collector cloths were acquired in dwellings that do household waste composting. Samples were analyzed by culture and by real-time quantitative PCR. Information about dwelling characteristics and inhabitant practices was obtained by a standardized questionnaire. The genera most often isolated were Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Streptomyces. Near the organic waste bins, bioaerosol samples showed an increase of Acarus siro (P = 0.001). Sedimented dust analyses highlighted an increase of A. siro, Wallemia sebi, Aspergillus versicolor, and Cladosporium sphaerospermum concentrations after a 12-month survey compared to the beginning. Composting favors microorganism development over time, but does not seem to have an effect on the bioaerosol levels and the surface microbiota beyond 0.5 m from the waste bin. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Utilization of waste as biogas substrateby dominan microbes identified

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurlina, E.; Sambasri, S.; Hartati, E.; Safitri, R.; Hodijat, A.

2018-05-01

Indonesia as the tropics have a source of biomass feedstock which is very large, so the waste biomass can be used optimally as an energy source in the form of biogas. This study was conducted to obtain alternative energy from domestic waste materials, given the limited availability of petroleum and natural gas sourced from fossil fuels. This methodology is an experimental method, the process conditions at room temperature 25-27 °C, pH adjusted to the growth of microbes to produce biogas, retention time 20-60 days, the bioreactor is operated with a batch system, the volume of waste in the bioreactor is made permanent, so that the production of biogas in large scale will increase the pressure inside the bioreactor. Biogas is formed accommodated then distributed to the stove. Factors that determine the formation of biogas is a microbial species capable methanogens convert acetate into biogas. From the results of microbial identification of the isolates in the bioreactor, has identified three types of bacteria methanogens namely Methanospirillum hungatei, Methanobacterium polustre and Methanolacinapoynteri. The results of this study, domestic waste can be utilized as a substrate in biogas production, with the highest methane composition reaches 50.79%. This result is expected to increase public knowledge to utilize the waste into biogas as a renewable energy to sufficient the energy needs of household, so it does not depend on the energy derived from fossil fuels.

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ethan W. Brown

2001-09-01

Through the National Governors' Association (NGA) project ''Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials. Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities. Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites inmore » the complex. Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure plan and contractor integration analysis. Interstate waste and materials shipments. Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the period from April 1, 2001 through June 30, 2001, under the NGA grant.« less

Annual Summary of the Integrated Disposal Facility Performance Assessment 2011

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehman, L. L.

2012-03-12

An annual summary of the adequacy of the Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Waste (ILAW) Performance Assessment (PA) is required each year (DOE O 435.1 Chg 1,1 DOE M 435.1-1 Chg 1,2 DOE/ORP-2000-013). The most recently approved PA is DOE/ORP-2000-24.4 The ILAW PA evaluated the adequacy of the ILAW disposal facility, now referred to as the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF), for the safe disposal of vitrified Hanford Site tank waste. More recently, a preliminary evaluation for the disposal of offsite low-level waste and mixed low-level waste was considered in RPP-1583.

Opportunities for Cost Effective Disposal of Radioactively Contaminated Solid Waste on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, TN - 13045

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeMonia, Brian; Dunning, Don; Hampshire John

2013-07-01

Department of Energy (DOE) requirements for the release of non-real property, including solid waste, containing low levels of residual radioactive materials are specified in DOE Order 458.1 and associated guidance. Authorized limits have been approved under the requirements of DOE Order 5400.5, predecessor to DOE Order 458.1, to permit disposal of solid waste containing low levels of residual radioactive materials at solid waste landfills located within the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Specifically, volumetric concentration limits for disposal of solid waste at Industrial Landfill V and at Construction/Demolition Landfill VII were established in 2003 and 2007, respectively, based on themore » requirements in effect at that time, which included: an evaluation to ensure that radiation doses to the public would not exceed 25 mrem/year and would be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), with a goal of a few mrem/year or less (in fact, these authorized limits actually were derived to meet a dose constraint of 1 mrem/year); an evaluation of compliance with groundwater protection requirements; and reasonable assurance that the proposed disposal is not likely to result in a future requirement for remediation of the landfill. Prior to approval as DOE authorized limits, these volumetric concentration limits were coordinated with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and documented in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the TDEC Division of Radiological Health and the TDEC Division of Solid Waste Management. These limits apply to the disposal of soil and debris waste generated from construction, maintenance, environmental restoration, and decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) activities on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation. The approved site-specific authorized limits were incorporated in the URS/CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) waste profile system that authorizes disposal of special wastes at either of the RCRA Subtitle D landfills. However, a recent DOE assessment found that implementation of the site-specific authorized limits for volumetrically contaminated waste was potentially limited due in part to confusion regarding the applicability of volumetric concentration limits and/or surface activity limits to specific wastes. This paper describes recent efforts to update the authorized limits for Industrial Landfill V and Construction/Demolition Landfill VII and to improve the procedures for implementation of these criteria. The approved authorized limits have been evaluated and confirmed to meet the current requirements of DOE Order 458.1, which superseded DOE Order 5400.5 in February 2011. In addition, volumetric concentration limits have been developed for additional radionuclides, and site-specific authorized limits for wastes with surface contamination have been developed. Implementing procedures have been revised to clarify the applicability of volumetric concentration limits and surface activity limits, and to allow the use of non-destructive waste characterization methods. These changes have been designed to promote improved utilization of available disposal capacity of the onsite disposal facilities within the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation. In addition, these changes serve to bring the waste acceptance requirements at these DOE onsite landfills into greater consistency with the requirements for commercial/ public landfills under the TDEC Bulk Survey for Release (BSFR) program, including two public RCRA Subtitle D landfills in close proximity to the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation. (authors)« less

Chem I Supplement. Chemistry Related to Isolation of High-Level Nuclear Waste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Darleane C.; Choppin, Gregory R.

1986-01-01

Discusses some of the problems associated with the safe disposal of high-level nuclear wastes. Describes several waste disposal plans developed by various nations. Outlines the multiple-barrier concept of isolation in deep geological questions associated with the implementation of such a method. (TW)

10 CFR 63.102 - Concepts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... appropriate; and the sealing of shafts, ramps, and boreholes. (d) Areas related to isolation. Although the... geologic setting that provides isolation of the radioactive waste, make up the geologic repository. (e... will be capable of contributing to the isolation of radioactive waste and thus be a barrier important...

10 CFR 63.102 - Concepts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... appropriate; and the sealing of shafts, ramps, and boreholes. (d) Areas related to isolation. Although the... geologic setting that provides isolation of the radioactive waste, make up the geologic repository. (e... will be capable of contributing to the isolation of radioactive waste and thus be a barrier important...

Whole genome and transcriptome analyses of environmental antibiotic sensitive and multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates exposed to waste water and tap water.

PubMed

Schwartz, Thomas; Armant, Olivier; Bretschneider, Nancy; Hahn, Alexander; Kirchen, Silke; Seifert, Martin; Dötsch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The fitness of sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different aquatic environments depends on genetic capacities and transcriptional regulation. Therefore, an antibiotic-sensitive isolate PA30 and a multi-resistant isolate PA49 originating from waste waters were compared via whole genome and transcriptome Illumina sequencing after exposure to municipal waste water and tap water. A number of different genomic islands (e.g. PAGIs, PAPIs) were identified in the two environmental isolates beside the highly conserved core genome. Exposure to tap water and waste water exhibited similar transcriptional impacts on several gene clusters (antibiotic and metal resistance, genetic mobile elements, efflux pumps) in both environmental P. aeruginosa isolates. The MexCD-OprJ efflux pump was overexpressed in PA49 in response to waste water. The expression of resistance genes, genetic mobile elements in PA49 was independent from the water matrix. Consistently, the antibiotic sensitive strain PA30 did not show any difference in expression of the intrinsic resistance determinants and genetic mobile elements. Thus, the exposure of both isolates to polluted waste water and oligotrophic tap water resulted in similar expression profiles of mentioned genes. However, changes in environmental milieus resulted in rather unspecific transcriptional responses than selected and stimuli-specific gene regulation. © 2014 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Deep Bore Storage of Nuclear Waste Using MMW (Millimeter Wave) Technology. Full Project Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oglesby, Kenneth D.; Woskov, Paul; Einstein, Herbert

This DOE Nuclear STTR project DE-SC001238 investigated the use of MMW directed energy to form rock melt and steel plugs in deep wellbores to further isolate highly radioactive nuclear waste in ultra-deep basement rocks for long term storage. This current project builds upon a prior DOE project, DE-EE0005504, which developed the basic low power, low 28 GHz frequency waveguide setup, process and instruments. This research adds to our understanding of using MMW power to melt and vaporize rocks and steel/ metals and laid plans for future higher power field prototype testing. This technology also has potential for deep well drillingmore » for nuclear storage, geothermal and oil and gas industries. It also has the potential for simultaneously sealing and securing the wellbore with a thick rock melt liner as the wellbore is drilled, called 'mono-bore drilling'. This allows for higher levels of safety and protection of the environment during deep drilling operations while providing vast cost savings. The larger purpose of this project was to find answers to key questions in developing MMW technology for its many subsurface applications.« less

Waste treatability guidance program. User`s guide. Revision 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toth, C.

1995-12-21

DOE sites across the country generate and manage radioactive, hazardous, mixed, and sanitary wastes. It is necessary for each site to find the technologies and associated capacities required to manage its waste. One role of DOE HQ Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management is to facilitate the integration of the site- specific plans into coherent national plans. DOE has developed a standard methodology for defining and categorizing waste streams into treatability groups based on characteristic parameters that influence waste management technology needs. This Waste Treatability Guidance Program automates the Guidance Document for the categorization of waste information into treatabilitymore » groups; this application provides a consistent implementation of the methodology across the National TRU Program. This User`s Guide provides instructions on how to use the program, including installations instructions and program operation. This document satisfies the requirements of the Software Quality Assurance Plan.« less

40 CFR 60.1545 - Does this subpart directly affect municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? 60.1545 Section 60.1545 Protection of... NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Small Municipal Waste Combustion... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? (a) No, this subpart does not directly...

40 CFR 60.1545 - Does this subpart directly affect municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? 60.1545 Section 60.1545 Protection of... NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Small Municipal Waste Combustion... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? (a) No, this subpart does not directly...

40 CFR 60.1545 - Does this subpart directly affect municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? 60.1545 Section 60.1545 Protection of... NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Small Municipal Waste Combustion... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? (a) No, this subpart does not directly...

40 CFR 60.1545 - Does this subpart directly affect municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? 60.1545 Section 60.1545 Protection of... NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Small Municipal Waste Combustion... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? (a) No, this subpart does not directly...

40 CFR 60.1545 - Does this subpart directly affect municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? 60.1545 Section 60.1545 Protection of... NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Small Municipal Waste Combustion... municipal waste combustion unit owners and operators in my State? (a) No, this subpart does not directly...

THE NGA-DOE GRANT TO EXAMINE CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND MATERIALS DISPOSITION INVOLVING DOE FACILITIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ann M. Beauchesne

2000-01-01

Through the National Governors Association (NGA) project ``Critical Issues Related to Radioactive Waste and Materials Disposition Involving DOE Facilities'' NGA brings together Governors' policy advisors, state regulators, and DOE officials to examine critical issues related to the cleanup and operation of DOE nuclear weapons and research facilities. Topics explored through this project include: Decisions involving disposal of mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and disposition of nuclear materials; Decisions involving DOE budget requests and their effect on environmental cleanup and compliance at DOE facilities; Strategies to treat mixed, low-level, and transuranic (TRU) waste and their effect on individual sites inmore » the complex; Changes to the FFCA site treatment plans as a result of proposals in the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure plan and contractor integration analysis; Interstate waste and materials shipments; and Reforms to existing RCRA and CERCLA regulations/guidance to address regulatory overlap and risks posed by DOE wastes. The overarching theme of this project is to help the Department improve coordination of its major program decisions with Governors' offices and state regulators and to ensure such decisions reflect input from these key state officials and stakeholders. This report summarizes activities conducted during the period from October 1, 1999 through January 31, 2000, under the NGA grant. The work accomplished by the NGA project team during the past three months can be categorized as follows: maintained open communication with DOE on a variety of activities and issues within the DOE environmental management complex; convened and facilitated the October 6--8 NGA FFCA Task Force Meeting in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; maintained communication with NGA Federal Facilities Compliance Task Force members regarding DOE efforts to formulate a configuration for mixed low-level waste and low-level treatment and disposal, external regulation of DOE; and continued to facilitate interactions between the states and DOE to develop a foundation for an ongoing substantive relationship between the Governors of key states and the Department.« less

Testing of candidate waste-package backfill and canister materials for basalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, M. I.; Anderson, W. J.; Aden, G. D.

1982-09-01

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) is developing a multiple-barrier waste package to contain high-level nuclear waste as part of an overall system (e.g., waste package, repository sealing system, and host rock) designed to isolate the waste in a repository located in basalt beneath the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington. The three basic components of the waste package are the waste form, the canister, and the backfill. An extensive testing program is under way to determine the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of potential canister and backfill materials. The data derived from this testing program will be used to recommend those materials that most adequately perform the functions assigned to the canister and backfill.

Criteria for the Certification and Recertification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's Compliance with the 40 CFR Part 191 Disposal Regulations (40 CFR Part 194)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is responsible for certifying that DOE’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) remains in compliance with environmental standards for the disposal of transuranic waste. 40 CFR Part 194 specifies criteria for certification or recertification of WIPP.

Sorbent Scoping Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chancellor, Christopher John

2016-11-14

The Los Alamos National Laboratory–Carlsbad Operations (LANL-CO) office was tasked by the DOE CBFO, Office of the Manager to perform a review of the acceptable knowledge (AK) to identify the oxidizers and sorbents in transuranic (TRU) waste streams, to conduct scoping studies on the oxidizers and sorbents identified in AK review to inform the Quality Level 1 (QL1) testing, and to conduct a series of QL1 tests to provide the scientific data to support a basis of knowledge document for determining the criteria for (1) accepting waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) without treatment, (2) determining waste thatmore » will require treatment, and (3) if treatment is required, how the treatment must be performed. The purpose of this report is to present the results of the AK review of sorbents present in active waste streams, provide a technical analysis of the sorbent list, report the results of the scoping studies for the fastest-burning organic sorbent, and provide the list of organic and inorganic sorbents to be used in the development of a Test Plan for Preparation and Testing of Sorbents Mixed with Oxidizer found in Transuranic Waste (DWT-TP-001). The companion report, DWT-RPT-001, Oxidizer Scoping Studies, has similar information for oxidizers identified during the AK review of TRU waste streams. The results of the oxidizer and sorbent scoping studies will be used to inform the QL1 test plan. The QL1 test results will support the development of a basis of knowledge document that will evaluate oxidizing chemicals and sorbents in TRU waste and provide guidance for treatment.« less

10 CFR 63.44 - Changes, tests, and experiments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... waste isolation that are described in the SAR (as updated); and (ii) The design and performance... isolation, are operated or controlled. (6) Tests or experiments not described in the SAR (as updated) means... components important to safety, or important to waste isolation, are utilized, controlled, or altered in a...

10 CFR 63.44 - Changes, tests, and experiments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... waste isolation that are described in the SAR (as updated); and (ii) The design and performance... isolation, are operated or controlled. (6) Tests or experiments not described in the SAR (as updated) means... components important to safety, or important to waste isolation, are utilized, controlled, or altered in a...

Waste Information Management System v. 1.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bustamante, David G.; Schade, A. Carl

WIMS is a functional interface to an Oracle database for managing the required regulatory information about the handling of Hazardous Waste. WIMS does not have a component to track Radiological Waste data. And it does not have the ability to manage sensitive information.

Assessment of potential doses to workers during postulated accident conditions at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoover, M.D.; Farrell, R.F.; Newton, G.J.

1995-12-01

The recent 1995 WIPP Safety Analysis Report (SAR) Update provided detailed analyses of potential radiation doses to members of the public at the site boundary during postulated accident scenarios at the U.S. Department of Energy`s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The SAR Update addressed the complete spectrum of potential accidents associated with handling and emplacing transuranic waste at WIPP, including damage to waste drums from fires, punctures, drops, and other disruptions. The report focused on the adequacy of the multiple layers of safety practice ({open_quotes}defense-in-depth{close_quotes}) at WIPP, which are designed to (1) reduce the likelihood of accidents and (2) limitmore » the consequences of those accidents. The safeguards which contribute to defense-in-depth at WIPP include a substantial array of inherent design features, engineered controls, and administrative procedures. The SAR Update confirmed that the defense-in-depth at WIPP is adequate to assure the protection of the public and environment. As a supplement to the 1995 SAR Update, we have conducted additional analyses to confirm that these controls will also provide adequate protection to workers at the WIPP. The approaches and results of the worker dose assessment are summarized here. In conformance with the guidance of DOE Standard 3009-94, we emphasize that use of these evaluation guidelines is not intended to imply that these numbers constitute acceptable limits for worker exposures under accident conditions. However, in conjunction with the extensive safety assessment in the 1995 SAR Update, these results indicate that the Carlsbad Area Office strategy for the assessment of hazards and accidents assures the protection of workers, members of the public, and the environment.« less

Annual Status Report (FY2017): Performance Assessment for the Disposal of Low-Level Waste in the 200 East Area Burial Grounds.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nichols, Will E.; Mehta, S.; Nell, R. M.

This annual review provides the projected dose estimates of radionuclide inventories disposed in the active 200 East Area Low-Level Waste Burial Grounds (LLBGs) since September 26, 1988. The estimates are calculated using the original dose methodology developed in the performance assessment (PA) analysis (WHC-SD-WM-TI-7301). The estimates are compared with performance objectives defined in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requirements (DOE O 435.1 Chg 1,2 and companion documents DOE M 435.1-1 Chg 13 and DOE G 435.1-14). All performance objectives are currently satisfied, and operational waste acceptance criteria (HNF-EP-00635) and waste acceptance practices continue to be sufficient to maintain compliance withmore » performance objectives. Inventory estimates and associated dose estimates from future waste disposal actions are unchanged from previous years’ evaluations, which indicate potential impacts well below performance objectives. Therefore, future compliance with DOE O 435.1 Chg 1 is expected.« less

Annual Status Report (FY2017): Performance Assessment for the Disposal of Low-Level Waste in the 200 West Area Burial Grounds.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nichols, Will E; Nell, R. M.; Mehta, S.

This annual review provides the projected dose estimates of radionuclide inventories disposed in the active 200 West Area Low-Level Waste Burial Grounds (LLBGs) since September 26, 1988. These estimates are calculated using the original dose methodology developed in the performance assessment (PA) analysis (WHC-EP-06451). These estimates are compared with performance objectives defined in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requirements (DOE O 435.1 Chg 12 and its companion documents DOE M 435.1-1 Chg 13 and DOE G 435.1-14). All performance objectives are currently satisfied, and operational waste acceptance criteria (HNF-EP-00635) and waste acceptance practices continue to be sufficient to maintain compliancemore » with performance objectives. Inventory estimates and associated dose estimates from future waste disposal actions are unchanged from previous years’ evaluations, which indicate potential impacts well below performance objectives. Therefore, future compliance with DOE O 435.1 Chg 1 is expected.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor, L.H.

In its beginning, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) viewed private industry as lacking adequate technology know-how to meet demands of hazardous and radioactive waste problems at the DOE`s laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities. In November 1989, EM`s Office of Technology Development (recently renamed the Office of Science and Technology) embarked on a bold program of developing and demonstrating {open_quotes}innovative{close_quotes} waste cleanup technologies that would be safer, faster, more effective, and less expensive than the {open_quotes}baseline{close_quotes} commercial methods. This program has engaged DOE sites, national laboratories, and universities to produce preferred solutions to the problems of handling and treating DOE wastes. More recently, much of this work has shifted to joint efforts with private industry partners to accelerate the use of newly developed technologies and to enhance existing commercial methods. To date, the total funding allocation to the Office of Science and Technology program has been aboutmore » $2.8 billion. If the technology applications` projects of the EM Offices of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management are included, the total funding is closer to $$4 billion. Yet, the environmental industry generally has not been very receptive to EM`s innovative technology offerings. And, essentially the same can be said for DOE sites. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office in an August 1994 report, {open_quotes}Although DOE has spent a substantial amount to develop waste cleanup technologies, little new technology finds its way into the agency`s cleanup actions{close_quotes}. The DOE Baseline Environmental Management Report estimated cleanups of DOE`s Cold War legacy of wastes to require the considerable cost of $$226 billion over a period of 75 years. 1 tab.« less

Cementitious Barriers Partnership - FY2015 End-Year Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burns, H. H.; Flach, G. P.; Langton, C. A.

2015-09-17

The DOE-EM Office of Tank Waste Management Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) is chartered with providing the technical basis for implementing cement-based waste forms and radioactive waste containment structures for long-term disposal. Therefore, the CBP ultimate purpose is to support progress in final treatment and disposal of legacy waste and closure of High-Level Waste (HLW) tanks in the DOE complex. This status report highlights the CBP 2015 Software and Experimental Program efforts and accomplishments that support DOE needs in environmental cleanup and waste disposal. DOE needs in this area include: Long-term performance predictions to provide credibility (i.e., a defensible technical basis)more » for regulator and DOE review and approvals, Facility flow sheet development/enhancements, and Conceptual designs for new disposal facilities. In 2015, the CBP developed a beta release of the CBP Software Toolbox – “Version 3.0”, which includes new STADIUM carbonation and damage models, a new SRNL module for estimating hydraulic properties and flow in fractured and intact cementitious materials, and a new LeachXS/ORCHESTRA (LXO) oxidation module. In addition, the STADIUM sulfate attack and chloride models have been improved as well as the LXO modules for sulfate attack, carbonation, constituent leaching, and percolation with radial diffusion (for leaching and transport in cracked cementitious materials). These STADIUM and LXO models are applicable to and can be used by both DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) end-users for service life prediction and long-term leaching evaluations of radioactive waste containment structures across the DOE complex.« less

Development of monitoring and diagnostic methods for robots used in remediation of waste sites. 1997 annual progress report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tecza, J.

1998-06-01

'Safe and efficient clean up of hazardous and radioactive waste sites throughout the DOE complex will require extensive use of robots. This research effort focuses on developing Monitoring and Diagnostic (M and D) methods for robots that will provide early detection, isolation, and tracking of impending faults before they result in serious failure. The utility and effectiveness of applying M and D methods to hydraulic robots has never been proven. The present research program is utilizing seeded faults in a laboratory test rig that is representative of an existing hydraulically-powered remediation robot. This report summarizes activity conducted in the firstmore » 9 months of the project. The research team has analyzed the Rosie Mobile Worksystem as a representative hydraulic robot, developed a test rig for implanted fault testing, developed a test plan and agenda, and established methods for acquiring and analyzing the test data.'« less

EM-21 Retrieval Knowledge Center: Waste Retrieval Challenges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fellinger, Andrew P.; Rinker, Michael W.; Berglin, Eric J.

EM-21 is the Waste Processing Division of the Office of Engineering and Technology, within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM). In August of 2008, EM-21 began an initiative to develop a Retrieval Knowledge Center (RKC) to provide the DOE, high level waste retrieval operators, and technology developers with centralized and focused location to share knowledge and expertise that will be used to address retrieval challenges across the DOE complex. The RKC is also designed to facilitate information sharing across the DOE Waste Site Complex through workshops, and a searchable database of waste retrieval technology information.more » The database may be used to research effective technology approaches for specific retrieval tasks and to take advantage of the lessons learned from previous operations. It is also expected to be effective for remaining current with state-of-the-art of retrieval technologies and ongoing development within the DOE Complex. To encourage collaboration of DOE sites with waste retrieval issues, the RKC team is co-led by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Two RKC workshops were held in the Fall of 2008. The purpose of these workshops was to define top level waste retrieval functional areas, exchange lessons learned, and develop a path forward to support a strategic business plan focused on technology needs for retrieval. The primary participants involved in these workshops included retrieval personnel and laboratory staff that are associated with Hanford and Savannah River Sites since the majority of remaining DOE waste tanks are located at these sites. This report summarizes and documents the results of the initial RKC workshops. Technology challenges identified from these workshops and presented here are expected to be a key component to defining future RKC-directed tasks designed to facilitate tank waste retrieval solutions.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cummins, G.D.

This request is submitted to seek interim approval to operate a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 chemical waste landfill for the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste. Operation of a chemical waste landfill for disposal of PCB waste is subject to the TSCA regulations of 40 CFR 761. Interim approval is requested for a period not to exceed 5 years from the date of approval. This request covers only the disposal of small 10 quantities of solid PCB waste contained in decommissioned, defueled submarine reactor compartments (SRC). In addition, the request applies only to disposal 12 of thismore » waste in Trench 94 of the 218-E-12B Burial Ground (Trench 94) in the 13 200 East Area of the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Hanford Facility. Disposal of this waste will be conducted in accordance with the Compliance 15 Agreement (Appendix H) between the DOE Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) and 16 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 10. During the 5-year interim approval period, the DOE-RL will submit an application seeking final 18 approval for operation of Trench 94 as a chemical waste landfill, including 19 any necessary waivers, and also will seek a final dangerous waste permit from 20 the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) for disposal of lead 21 shielding contained in the SRCS.« less

Greater-than-Class C low-level waste characterization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Piscitella, R.R.

1991-12-31

In 1985, Public Law 99-240 (Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985) made the Department of Energy (DOE) responsible for the disposal of greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC LLW). DOE strategies for storage and disposal of GTCC LLW required characterization of volumes, radionuclide activities, and waste forms. Data from existing literature, disposal records, and original research were used to estimate characteristics, project volumes, and determine radionuclide activities to the years 2035 and 2055. Twenty-year life extensions for 70% of the operating nuclear reactors were assumed to calculate the GTCC LLW available in 2055. The following categories of GTCCmore » LLW were addressed: Nuclear Utilities Waste; Potential Sealed Sources GTCC LLW; DOE-Held Potential GTCC LLW; and Other Generator Waste. It was determined that the largest volume of these wastes, approximately 57%, is generated by nuclear utilities. The Other Generator Waste category contributes approximately 10% of the total GTCC LLW volume projected to the year 2035. DOE-Held Potential GTCC LLW accounts for nearly 33% of all waste projected to the year 2035. Potential Sealed Sources GTCC LLW is less than 0.2% of the total projected volume. The base case total projected volume of GTCC LLW for all categories was 3,250 cubic meters. This was substantially less than previous estimates.« less

Review of DOE Waste Package Program. Semiannual report, October 1984-March 1985. Volume 8

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, M.S.

1985-12-01

A large number of technical reports on waste package component performance were reviewed over the last year in support of the NRC`s review of the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Environmental Assessment reports. The intent was to assess in some detail the quantity and quality of the DOE data and their relevance to the high-level waste repository site selection process. A representative selection of the reviews is presented for the salt, basalt, and tuff repository projects. Areas for future research have been outlined. 141 refs.

300 Area dangerous waste tank management system: Compliance plan approach. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-03-01

In its Dec. 5, 1989 letter to DOE-Richland (DOE-RL) Operations, the Washington State Dept. of Ecology requested that DOE-RL prepare ``a plant evaluating alternatives for storage and/or treatment of hazardous waste in the 300 Area...``. This document, prepared in response to that letter, presents the proposed approach to compliance of the 300 Area with the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Washington State`s Chapter 173-303 WAC, Dangerous Waste Regulations. It also contains 10 appendices which were developed as bases for preparing the compliance plan approach. It refers to the Radioactive Liquid Waste System facilities and to the radioactive mixedmore » waste.« less

Special Analysis of Transuranic Waste in Trench T04C at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greg Shott, Vefa Yucel, Lloyd Desotell

2008-05-01

This Special Analysis (SA) was prepared to assess the potential impact of inadvertent disposal of a limited quantity of transuranic (TRU) waste in classified Trench 4 (T04C) within the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The Area 5 RWMS is a low-level radioactive waste disposal site in northern Frenchman Flat on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The Area 5 RWMS is regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under DOE Order 435.1 and DOE Manual (DOE M) 435.1-1. The primary objective of the SA is to evaluate if inadvertent disposal of limitedmore » quantities of TRU waste in a shallow land burial trench at the Area 5 RWMS is in compliance with the existing, approved Disposal Authorization Statement (DAS) issued under DOE M 435.1-1. In addition, supplemental analyses are performed to determine if there is reasonable assurance that the requirements of Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 191, Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level, and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes, can be met. The 40 CFR 191 analyses provide supplemental information regarding the risk to human health and the environment of leaving the TRU waste in T04C. In 1989, waste management personnel reviewing classified materials records discovered that classified materials buried in trench T04C at the Area 5 RWMS contained TRU waste. Subsequent investigations determined that a total of 102 55-gallon drums of TRU waste from Rocky Flats were buried in trench T04C in 1986. The disposal was inadvertent because unclassified records accompanying the shipment indicated that the waste was low-level. The exact location of the TRU waste in T04C was not recorded and is currently unknown. Under DOE M 435.1-1, Chapter IV, Section P.5, low-level waste disposal facilities must obtain a DAS. The DAS specifies conditions that must be met to operate within the radioactive waste management basis, consisting of a performance assessment (PA), composite analysis (CA), closure plan, monitoring plan, waste acceptance criteria, and a PA/CA maintenance plan. The DOE issued a DAS for the Area 5 RWMS in 2000. The Area 5 RWMS DAS was, in part, based on review of a CA as required under DOE M 435.1-1, Chapter IV, Section P.(3). A CA is a radiological assessment required for DOE waste disposed before 26 September 1988 and includes the radiological dose from all sources of radioactive material interacting with all radioactive waste disposed at the Area 5 RWMS. The approved Area 5 RWMS CA, which includes the inventory of TRU waste in T04C, indicates that the Area 5 RWMS waste inventory and all interacting sources of radioactive material can meet the 0.3 mSv dose constraint. The composite analysis maximum annual dose for a future resident at the Area 5 RWMS was estimated to be 0.01 mSv at 1,000 years. Therefore, the inadvertent disposal of TRU in T04C is protective of the public and the environment, and compliant with all the applicable requirements in DOE M 435.1-1 and the DAS. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promulgated 40 CFR 191 to establish standards for the planned disposal of spent nuclear fuel, high level, and transuranic wastes in geologic repositories. Although not required, the National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office requested a supplemental analysis to evaluate the likelihood that the inadvertent disposal of TRU waste in T04C meets the requirements of 40 CFR 191. The SA evaluates the likelihood of meeting the 40 CFR 191 containment requirements (CRs), assurance requirements, individual protection requirements (IPRs), and groundwater protection standards. The results of the SA indicate that there is a reasonable expectation of meeting all the requirements of 40 CFR 191. The conclusion of the SA is that the Area 5 RWMS with the TRU waste buried in T04C is in compliance with all requirements in DOE M 435.1-1 and the DAS. Compliance with the DAS is demonstrated by the results of the Area 5 RWMS CA. Supplemental analyses in the SA indicate there is a reasonable expectation that the TRU in T04C can meet all the requirements of 40 CFR 191. Therefore, inadvertent disposal of a limited quantity of TRU in a shallow land burial trench at the Area 5 RWMS does not pose a significant risk to the public and the environment.« less

Pit 9 Category of Transuranic Waste Stored Below Ground within Area G

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hargis, Kenneth M.

2014-01-08

A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned large areas near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2011 and heightened public concern and news media attention over transuranic (TRU) waste stored at LANL’s Technical Area 54 (TA-54) Area G waste management facility. The removal of TRU waste from Area G had been placed at a lower priority in budget decisions for environmental cleanup at LANL because TRU waste removal is not included in the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Reference 1) that is the primary regulatory driver for environmental cleanup at LANL. The Consent Order is an agreementmore » between LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that contains specific requirements and schedules for cleaning up historical contamination at the LANL site. After the Las Conchas Fire, discussions were held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the NMED on accelerating TRU waste removal from LANL and disposing it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).This report summarizes available information on the origin, configuration, and composition of the waste containers within Pit 9, their physical and radiological characteristics, and issues that may be encountered in their retrieval and processing. Review of the available information indicates that Pit 9 should present no major issues in retrieval and processing, and most drums contain TRU waste that can be shipped to WIPP. The primary concern in retrieval is the integrity of containers that have been stored below-ground for 35 to 40 years. The most likely issue that will be encountered in processing containers retrieved from Pit 9 is the potential for items that are prohibited at WIPP such as sealed containers greater than four liters in size and free liquids that exceed limits for WIPP.« less

Mixed-waste treatment -- What about the residuals?. A compartive analysis of MSO and incineration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlson, T.; Carpenter, C.; Cummins, L.

1993-11-01

Incineration currently is the best demonstrated available technology for the large inventory of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) mixed waste. However, molten salt oxidation (MSO) is an alternative thermal treatment technology with the potential to treat a number of these wastes. Of concern for both technologies is the final waste forms, or residuals, that are generated by the treatment process. An evaluation of the two technologies focuses on 10 existing DOE waste streams and current hazardous-waste regulations, specifically for the delisting of ``derived-from`` residuals. Major findings include that final disposal options are more significantly impacted by the type of wastemore » treated and existing regulations than by the type of treatment technology; typical DOE waste streams are not good candidates for delisting; and mass balance calculations indicate that MSO and incineration generate similar quantities (dry) and types of residuals.« less

Radiation-resistant microorganism

DOEpatents

Fliermans, Carl B.

2007-01-09

An isolated and purified bacterium is provided which was isolated from a high-level radioactive waste site of mixed waste. The isolate has the ability to degrade a wide variety of organic contaminants while demonstrating high tolerance to ionizing radiation. The organism is uniquely suited to bioremediation of a variety or organic contaminants while in the presence of ionizing radiation.

Radiation-resistant microorganism

DOEpatents

Fliermans, Carl B.

2010-06-15

An isolated and purified bacterium is provided which was isolated from a high-level radioactive waste site of mixed waste. The isolate has the ability to degrade a wide variety of organic contaminants while demonstrating high tolerance to ionizing radiation. The organism is uniquely suited to bioremediation of a variety or organic contaminants while in the presence of ionizing radiation.

TRUPACT-II 157 Examination Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barry H. O'Brien; Jeffrey M. Lacy; Kip E. Archibald

2003-12-01

This report presents the results of examination and recovery activities performed on the TRUPACT-II 157 shipping container. The container was part of a contact-handled transuranic waste shipment being transported on a truck to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico when an accident occurred. Although the transport vehicle sustained only minor damage, airborne transuranic contamination was detected in air samples extracted from inside TRUPACT-II 157 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Consequently, the shipping container was rejected, resealed, and returned to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory where the payload was disassembled, examined, and recovered for subsequent reshipmentmore » to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. This report documents the results of those activities.« less

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) fact sheet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-10-01

Pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended (42 USC 6901, et seq.), and the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act (Section 74-4-1 et seq., NMSA 1978), Permit is issued to the owner and operator of the US DOE, WIPP site (hereafter called the Permittee(s)) to operate a hazardous waste storage facility consisting of a container storage unit (Waste Handling Building) and two Subpart X miscellaneous below-ground storage units (Bin Scale Test Rooms 1 and 3), all are located at the above location. The Permittee must comply with all termsmore » and conditions of this Permit. This Permit consists of the conditions contained herein, including the attachments. Applicable regulations cited are the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Management Regulations, as amended 1992 (HWMR-7), the regulations that are in effect on the date of permit issuance. This Permit shall become effective upon issuance by the Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department and shall be in effect for a period of ten (10) years from issuance. This Permit is also based on the assumption that all information contained in the Permit application and the administrative record is accurate and that the activity will be conducted as specified in the application and the administrative record. The Permit application consists of Revision 3, as well as associated attachments and clarifying information submitted on January 25, 1993, and May 17, 1993.« less

The project De Caldas International Project: An example of a large-scale radwaste isolation natural analogue study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shea, M.

1995-09-01

The proper isolation of radioactive waste is one of today`s most pressing environmental issues. Research is being carried out by many countries around the world in order to answer critical and perplexing questions regarding the safe disposal of radioactive waste. Natural analogue studies are an increasingly important facet of this international research effort. The Pocos de Caldas Project represents a major effort of the international technical and scientific community towards addressing one of modern civilization`s most critical environmental issues - radioactive waste isolation.

Assessment of effectiveness of geologic isolation systems. CIRMIS data system. Volume 3. Generator routines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedrichs, D.R.; Argo, R.S.

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. The various input parameters required in the analysis are compiled in data systems. The data are organized and preparedmore » by various input subroutines for utilization by the hydraulic and transport codes. The hydrologic models simulate the groundwater flow systems and provide water flow directions, rates, and velocities as inputs to the transport models. Outputs from the transport models are basically graphs of radionuclide concentration in the groundwater plotted against time. After dilution in the receiving surface-water body (e.g., lake, river, bay), these data are the input source terms for the dose models, if dose assessments are required. The dose models calculate radiation dose to individuals and populations. CIRMIS (Comprehensive Information Retrieval and Model Input Sequence) Data System, a storage and retrieval system for model input and output data, including graphical interpretation and display is described. This is the third of four volumes of the description of the CIRMIS Data System.« less

Assessment of effectiveness of geologic isolation systems. CIRMIS data system. Volume 1. Initialization, operation, and documentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedrichs, D.R.

1980-01-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. The various input parameters required in the analysis are compiled in data systems. The data are organized and preparedmore » by various input subroutines for use by the hydrologic and transport codes. The hydrologic models simulate the groundwater flow systems and provide water flow directions, rates, and velocities as inputs to the transport models. Outputs from the transport models are basically graphs of radionuclide concentration in the groundwater plotted against time. After dilution in the receiving surface-water body (e.g., lake, river, bay), these data are the input source terms for the dose models, if dose assessments are required. The dose models calculate radiation dose to individuals and populations. CIRMIS (Comprehensive Information Retrieval and Model Input Sequence) Data System, a storage and retrieval system for model input and output data, including graphical interpretation and display is described. This is the first of four volumes of the description of the CIRMIS Data System.« less

Chemical and Biological Investigation of Olive Mill Waste Water - OMWW Secoiridoid Lactones.

PubMed

Vougogiannopoulou, Konstantina; Angelopoulou, Maria T; Pratsinis, Harris; Grougnet, Raphaël; Halabalaki, Maria; Kletsas, Dimitris; Deguin, Brigitte; Skaltsounis, Leandros A

2015-08-01

Olive mill waste water is the major byproduct of the olive oil industry containing a range of compounds related to Olea europaea and olive oil constituents. Olive mill waste water comprises an important environmental problem in olive oil producing countries, but it is also a valuable material for the isolation of high added value compounds. In this study, an attempt to investigate the secoiridoid content of olive mill waste water is described with the aid of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization (±)-high-resolution mass spectrometry and centrifugal partition chromatography methods. In total, seven secoiridoid lactones were isolated, four of which are new natural products. This is the first time that a conjugate of hydroxytyrosol and a secoiridoid lactone has been isolated from olive mill waste water and structurally characterized. Furthermore, the range of isolated compounds allowed for the proposal of a hypothesis for the biotransformation of olive secoiridoids during the production of olive mill waste water. Finally, the ability of the representative compounds to reduce the intracellular reactive oxygen species was assessed with the dichlorofluorescein assay in conjunction with the known antioxidant agent hydroxytyrosol. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Cementitious Barriers Partnership Experimental Programs and Software Advancing DOE’s Waste Disposal/Tank Closure Efforts – 15436

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burns, Heather; Flach, Greg; Smith, Frank

2015-01-27

The U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management (DOE-EM) Office of Tank Waste Management-sponsored Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) is chartered with providing the technical basis for implementing cement-based waste forms and radioactive waste containment structures for long-term disposal. DOE needs in this area include the following to support progress in final treatment and disposal of legacy waste and closure of High-Level Waste (HLW) tanks in the DOE complex: long-term performance predictions, flow sheet development and flow sheet enhancements, and conceptual designs for new disposal facilities. The DOE-EM Cementitious Barriers Partnership is producing software and experimental programs resulting in new methods andmore » data needed for end-users involved with environmental cleanup and waste disposal. Both the modeling tools and the experimental data have already benefited the DOE sites in the areas of performance assessments by increasing confidence backed up with modeling support, leaching methods, and transport properties developed for actual DOE materials. In 2014, the CBP Partnership released the CBP Software Toolbox –“Version 2.0” which provides concrete degradation models for 1) sulfate attack, 2) carbonation, and 3) chloride initiated rebar corrosion, and includes constituent leaching. These models are applicable and can be used by both DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for service life and long-term performance evaluations and predictions of nuclear and radioactive waste containment structures across the DOE complex, including future SRS Saltstone and HLW tank performance assessments and special analyses, Hanford site HLW tank closure projects and other projects in which cementitious barriers are required, the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM) project which requires source terms from cementitious containment structures as input to their flow simulations, regulatory reviews of DOE performance assessments, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews of commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) structures which are part of the overall US Energy Security program to extend the service life of NPPs. In addition, the CBP experimental programs have had a significant impact on the DOE complex by providing specific data unique to DOE sodium salt wastes at Hanford and SRS which are not readily available in the literature. Two recent experimental programs on cementitious phase characterization and on technetium (Tc) mobility have provided significant conclusions as follows: recent mineralogy characterization discussed in this paper illustrates that sodium salt waste form matrices are somewhat similar to but not the same as those found in blended cement matrices which to date have been used in long-term thermodynamic modeling and contaminant sequestration as a first approximation. Utilizing the CBP generated data in long-term performance predictions provides for a more defensible technical basis in performance evaluations. In addition, recent experimental studies related to technetium mobility indicate that conventional leaching protocols may not be conservative for direct disposal of Tc-containing waste forms in vadose zone environments. These results have the potential to influence the current Hanford supplemental waste treatment flow sheet and disposal conceptual design.« less

Waste Management Facilities Cost Information report for Greater-Than-Class C and DOE equivalent special case waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feizollahi, F.; Shropshire, D.

This Waste Management Facility Cost Information (WMFCI) report for Greater-Than-Class C low-level waste (GTCC LLW) and DOE equivalent special case waste contains preconceptual designs and planning level life-cycle cost (PLCC) estimates for treatment, storage, and disposal facilities needed for management of GTCC LLW and DOE equivalent waste. The report contains information on 16 facilities (referred to as cost modules). These facilities are treatment facility front-end and back-end support functions (administration support, and receiving, preparation, and shipping cost modules); seven treatment concepts (incineration, metal melting, shredding/compaction, solidification, vitrification, metal sizing and decontamination, and wet/air oxidation cost modules); two storage concepts (enclosedmore » vault and silo); disposal facility front-end functions (disposal receiving and inspection cost module); and four disposal concepts (shallow-land, engineered shallow-land, intermediate depth, and deep geological cost modules). Data in this report allow the user to develop PLCC estimates for various waste management options. A procedure to guide the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its contractor personnel in the use of estimating data is also included in this report.« less

The Rail Alignment Environmental Impact Statement: An Update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

R. Sweeney

2005-01-20

On July 23,2002, the President of the United States signed into law a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating the Yucca Mountain site in Nye County, Nevada, for development as a geologic repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. If the US. Nuclear Regulatory Commission authorizes construction of the repository and receipt and possession of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive at Yucca Mountain, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) would be responsible for transporting these materials to the Yucca Mountain repository as part of its obligation under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act.more » Part of the site recommendation decision included the analysis of a nation-wide shipping campaign to the proposed repository site. The ''Final Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada'' (February 2002) (Repository EIS) evaluated the potential impacts of the transportation of 70,000 Metric Tons of Heavy Metal spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from 77 locations around the nation to the potential repository in Nevada over a 24 year shipping campaign. In the Repository EIS, DOE identified mostly rail as its preferred mode of transportation, both nationally and in the State of Nevada. In December 2003, based on public comments and the environmental analyses in the Repository EIS, DOE identified a preference for the Caliente rail corridor in Nevada. On April 8, 2004, DOE issued a Record of Decision (ROD) on the Mode of Transportation and Nevada Rail Corridor for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada. In this ROD, the DOE announced that it had decided to select the mostly rail scenario analyzed in the Repository EIS as the transportation mode both on a national basis and in the State of Nevada. Under the mostly rail scenario, the DOE would rely on a combination of rail, truck and possibly barge to transport to the repository site at Yucca Mountain up to 70,000 MTHM of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, with most of the spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste being transported by rail. This will ultimately require construction of a rail line in Nevada to the repository. In addition, the DOE has decided to select the Caliente rail corridor in which to examine potential alignments within which to construct that rail line. A corridor is a strip of land, approximately 400 meters (0.25 miles) wide, that encompasses one of several possible routes through which DOE could build a rail line. An alignment is the specific location of a rail line in a corridor, and would likely be 60 meters [200 feet] or less in width. Also on April 8, 2004, DOE issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Alignment, Construction, and Operation of a Rail Line to a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, NV. In the Notice of Intent, the Department announced its intent to prepare a Rail Alignment EIS to assist in selecting a possible alignment for construction of a rail line that would connect the repository at Yucca Mountain to an existing main rail line in Nevada. The Rail Alignment EIS also would consider the potential construction and operation of a rail-to-truck intermodal transfer facility, proposed to be located at the confluence of an existing mainline railroad and a highway, to support legal-weight truck transportation until the rail system is fully operational. This corridor is approximately 513 kilometers (319 miles) long and would cost an estimated $880 million (2001 dollars). Should DOE decide to build the Caliente corridor, it may be the longest rail line built in the United States since the Transcontinental Railroad was constructed in 1869. Some of the challenges in building this rail corridor are steep grades (the corridor crosses over 7 mountain ranges), isolated terrain, possible tunnels, and stakeholder acceptance.« less

Identification and estimation of socioeconomic impacts resulting from perceived risks and changing images; An annotated bibliography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nieves, L.A.; Wernette, D.R.; Hemphill, R.C.

1990-02-01

In 1982, the US Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to initiate the process of choosing a location to permanently store high-level nuclear waste from the designated Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the only location to be studied as a candidate site for such a repository. The original acts and its amendments had established the grant mechanism by which the state of Nevada could finance an investigation of the potential socioeconomic impacts that could result from the installation and operation of this facility. Over the past three years, the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM or RW) in themore » US Department of Energy (DOE) has approved grant requests by Nevada to perform this investigation. This report is intended to update and enhance a literature review conducted by the Human Affairs Research Center (HARC) for the Basalt Waste Isolation Project that dealt with the psychological and sociological processes underlying risk perception. It provides addition information on the HARC work, covers a subsequent step in the impact-estimation process, and translates risk perception into decisions and behaviors with economic consequences. It also covers recently developed techniques for assessing the nature and magnitude of impacts caused by environmental changes focusing on those impacts caused by changes in perceived risks.« less

Solid wastes from nuclear power production.

PubMed Central

Soule, H F

1978-01-01

Radioactivity in nuclear power effluents is negligible compared to that in retained wastes to be disposed of as solids. Two basic waste categories are those for which shallow disposal is accepted and those for which more extreme isolation is desired. The latter includes "high level" wastes and others contaminated with radionuclides with the unusual combined properties of long radioactive half-life and high specific radiotoxicity. The favored method for extreme isolation is emplacement in a deep stable geologic formation. Necessary technologies for waste treatment and disposal are considered available. The present program to implement these technologies is discussed, including the waste management significance of current policy on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. Recent difficulties with shallow disposal of waste are summarized. PMID:738244

Degradation and depolymerization of plastic waste by local bacterial isolates and bubble column reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussein, Amal A.; Alzuhairi, Mohammed; Aljanabi, Noor H.

2018-05-01

Accumulation of plastics, especially Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is an ever increasing ecological threat due to its excessive usage in everyday human life. Nowadays, there are many methods to get rid of plastic wastes including burning, recycling and burying. However, these methods are not very active since their long period, anaerobic conditions that increase the rate of toxic materials released into the environment. This work aims to study the biological degradation of PET microorganism isolated from soil sample. Thirty eight (38) bacterial isolates were isolated from ten soil and plastic waste sample collected from four different waste disposal sites in Baghdad city during different periods between December 2016 and March 2017. Isolation was performed using enrichment culture method (flasks method) by culturing the soil samples in flasks with MSM medium where there is no carbon source only PET. Results showed that Al-Za'farania sample gave a higher number of isolates (13 isolates), while other samples gave less number of isolates. Screening was performed depending on their ability to grow in liquid MSM which contains PET powder and pieces and change the color of the PET-emulsified liquid medium as well as their ability to form the clear zone on PET-MSM agar. The results showed that NH-D-1 isolate has the higher ability to degrade DPET and PET pieces. According to morphological, biochemical characterization and Vitek-2 technique, the most active isolate was identified as Acinetobacter baumannii.

76 FR 77270 - Board Meeting; January 9, 2012, Arlington, VA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-12

... NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD Board Meeting; January 9, 2012, Arlington, VA The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will meet to discuss integration efforts undertaken by DOE-NE and DOE... Amendments Act of 1987, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will hold a public meeting in Arlington...

United States Department of Energy Environmental Restoration and Waste Management: Comment Response Document. Five-Year Plan, Fiscal Years 1993--1997

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

IN 1989, Secretary of Energy James Watkins called for a fundamental change in the way US Department of Energy (DOE) meets its environmental responsibilities. Whereas DOE had long subordinated environmental concerns to the higher priority of weapons production, the Department`s mission was restructured to place less emphasis on defense-related production and much greater emphasis on sound environmental management and restoration of its weapons complex. To carry out this new mission, the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) was created. Secretary Watkins further stressed that DOE`s new commitment to environmental values will be carried out under a new DOEmore » culture-one of openness, responsiveness, and accountability. The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan is the key planning document that embodies both the new DOE emphasis on environmental management and the Department`s commitment to involving the public in its planning process. Updated annually, the Five-Year Plan guides EM`s efforts to clean up DOE facilities and manage its waste -- its accomplishments, goals, and planned activities -- and reinforces DOE`s commitment to the culture change by involving the general public in its development.« less

The speciation and subtyping of campylobacter isolates from sewage plants and waste water from a connected poultry abattoir using molecular techniques.

PubMed Central

Koenraad, P. M.; Ayling, R.; Hazeleger, W. C.; Rombouts, F. M.; Newell, D. G.

1995-01-01

In this study the distribution of phenotypes of campylobacter strains in sewage and surface waters was investigated by subtyping and by speciation of isolates from various aquatic environments. These environments included two municipal sewage plants (SPA and SPB) and waste water from a poultry abattoir (WWA). Both the sewage plants SPA and SPB collected domestic and industrial waste, and SPA received drain water from WWA. SPB received no waste water from any meat-processing plant. The isolates were speciated by PCR and subtyped by PCR/RFLP based on the flagellin PCR products. From all three reservoirs, no Campylobacter lari was isolated, and approximately 80% of the isolates could be identified as C. jejuni and the rest belonged to the C. coli species. The PCR/RFLP typing technique has a high discrimination level and was reproducible between two separate laboratories. The 182 isolates tested yielded 22 distinct Dde I profiles. The results indicate that strains with profiles found in poultry are also detectable in waste water presumed to be solely from domestic and human sources. In addition some strains were unique to the known poultry-related sources, suggesting that avian-specific strains, non-pathogenic to man, may exist in the environment. In contrast some strains were unique to human waste indicating the potential importance of non-poultry sources of infection. No seasonality was observed in the profile distribution. So, at least in the Netherlands, it is unlikely that infections caused by contaminated surface waters contribute to the seasonality of human campylobacteriosis. Images Fig. 1 PMID:8557080

Deep Geologic Nuclear Waste Disposal - No New Taxes - 12469

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conca, James; Wright, Judith

2012-07-01

To some, the perceived inability of the United States to dispose of high-level nuclear waste justifies a moratorium on expansion of nuclear power in this country. Instead, it is more an example of how science yields to social pressure, even on a subject as technical as nuclear waste. Most of the problems, however, stem from confusion on the part of the public and their elected officials, not from a lack of scientific knowledge. We know where to put nuclear waste, how to put it there, how much it will cost, and how well it will work. And it's all aboutmore » the geology. The President's Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future has drafted a number of recommendations addressing nuclear energy and waste issues (BRC 2011) and three recommendations, in particular, have set the stage for a new strategy to dispose of high-level nuclear waste and to manage spent nuclear fuel in the United States: 1) interim storage for spent nuclear fuel, 2) resumption of the site selection process for a second repository, and 3) a quasi-government entity to execute the program and take control of the Nuclear Waste Fund in order to do so. The first two recommendations allow removal and storage of spent fuel from reactor sites to be used in the future, and allows permanent disposal of actual waste, while the third controls cost and administration. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NPWA 1982) provides the second repository different waste criteria, retrievability, and schedule, so massive salt returns as the candidate formation of choice. The cost (in 2007 dollars) of disposing of 83,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) high-level waste (HLW) is about $ 83 billion (b) in volcanic tuff, $ 29 b in massive salt, and $ 77 b in crystalline rock. Only in salt is the annual revenue stream from the Nuclear Waste Fund more than sufficient to accomplish this program without additional taxes or rate hikes. The cost is determined primarily by the suitability of the geologic formation, i.e., how well it performs on its own for millions of years with little engineering assistance from humans. It is critical that the states most affected by this issue (WA, SC, ID, TN, NM and perhaps others) develop an independent multi-state agreement in order for a successful program to move forward. Federal approval would follow. Unknown to most, the United States has a successful operating deep permanent geologic nuclear repository for high and low activity waste, called the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Its success results from several factors, including an optimal geologic and physio-graphic setting, a strong scientific basis, early regional community support, frequent interactions among stakeholders at all stages of the process, long-term commitment from the upper management of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) over several administrations, strong New Mexico State involvement and oversight, and constant environmental monitoring from before nuclear waste was first emplaced in the WIPP underground (in 1999) to the present. WIPP is located in the massive bedded salts of the Salado Formation, whose geological, physical, chemical, redox, thermal, and creep-closure properties make it an ideal formation for long-term disposal, long-term in this case being greater than 200 million years. These properties also mean minimal engineering requirements as the rock does most of the work of isolating the waste. WIPP has been operating for twelve years, and as of this writing, has disposed of over 80,000 m{sup 3} of nuclear weapons waste, called transuranic or TRU waste (>100 nCurie/g but <23 Curie/1000 cm{sup 3}) including some high activity waste from reprocessing of spent fuel from old weapons reactors. All nuclear waste of any type from any source can be disposed in this formation better, safer and cheaper than in any other geologic formation. At the same time, it is critical that we complete the Yucca Mountain license application review so as not to undermine the credibility of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the scientific community. (authors)« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nichols, Will E.; Mehta, Sunil

The updated Hanford Site Composite Analysis will provide an all-pathways dose projection to a hypothetical future member of the public from all planned low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and potential contributions from all other projected end-state sources of radioactive material left at Hanford following site closure. Its primary purpose is to support the decision-making process of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under DOE O 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management (DOE, 2001), related to managing low-level waste disposal facilities at the Hanford Site.

Operating Experience and Lessons Learned in the Use of Soft-Sided Packaging for Transportation and Disposal of Low Activity Radioactive Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kapoor, A.; Gordon, S.; Goldston, W.

2013-07-08

This paper describes the operating experience and lessons learned at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites as a result of an evaluation of potential trailer contamination and soft-sided packaging integrity issues related to the disposal of low-level and mixed low-level (LLW/MLLW) radioactive waste shipments. Nearly 4.3 million cubic meters of LLW/MLLW will have been generated and disposed of during fiscal year (FY) 2010 to FY 2015—either at commercial disposal sites or disposal sites owned by DOE. The LLW/MLLW is packaged in several different types of regulatory compliant packaging and transported via highway or rail to disposal sites safely and efficientlymore » in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and DOE orders. In 1999, DOE supported the development of LLW containers that are more volumetrically efficient, more cost effective, and easier to use as compared to metal or wooden containers that existed at that time. The DOE Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), working in conjunction with the plastic industry, tested several types of soft-sided waste packaging systems that meet U.S. Department of Transportation requirements for transport of low specific activity and surface contaminated objects. Since then, soft-sided packaging of various capacities have been used successfully by the decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) projects to package, transport, and dispose D&D wastes throughout the DOE complex. The joint team of experts assembled by the Energy Facility Contractors Group from DOE waste generating sites, DOE and commercial waste disposal facilities, and soft-sided packaging suppliers conducted the review of soft-sided packaging operations and transportation of these packages to the disposal sites. As a result of this evaluation, the team developed several recommendations and best practices to prevent or minimize the recurrences of equipment contamination issues and proper use of soft-sided packaging for transport and disposal of waste.« less

Innovative vitrification for soil remediation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jetta, N.W.; Patten, J.S.; Hart, J.G.

1995-12-01

The objective of this DOE demonstration program is to validate the performance and operation of the Vortec Cyclone Melting System (CMS{trademark}) for the processing of LLW contaminated soils found at DOE sites. This DOE vitrification demonstration project has successfully progressed through the first two phases. Phase 1 consisted of pilot scale testing with surrogate wastes and the conceptual design of a process plant operating at a generic DOE site. The objective of Phase 2, which is scheduled to be completed the end of FY 95, is to develop a definitive process plant design for the treatment of wastes at amore » specific DOE facility. During Phase 2, a site specific design was developed for the processing of LLW soils and muds containing TSCA organics and RCRA metal contaminants. Phase 3 will consist of a full scale demonstration at the DOE gaseous diffusion plant located in Paducah, KY. Several DOE sites were evaluated for potential application of the technology. Paducah was selected for the demonstration program because of their urgent waste remediation needs as well as their strong management and cost sharing financial support for the project. During Phase 2, the basic nitrification process design was modified to meet the specific needs of the new waste streams available at Paducah. The system design developed for Paducah has significantly enhanced the processing capabilities of the Vortec vitrification process. The overall system design now includes the capability to shred entire drums and drum packs containing mud, concrete, plastics and PCB`s as well as bulk waste materials. This enhanced processing capability will substantially expand the total DOE waste remediation applications of the technology.« less

WIPP conceptual design report. Addendum A. Design calculations for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-04-01

The design calculations for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) are presented. The following categories are discussed: general nuclear calculations; radwaste calculations; structural calculations; mechanical calculations; civil calculations; electrical calculations; TRU waste surface facility time and motion analysis; shaft sinking procedures; hoist time and motion studies; mining system analysis; mine ventilation calculations; mine structural analysis; and miscellaneous underground calculations.

Variable thickness transient ground-water flow model. Volume 3. Program listings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reisenauer, A.E.

1979-12-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (OWNI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologicmore » systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. Hydrologic and transport models are available at several levels of complexity or sophistication. Model selection and use are determined by the quantity and quality of input data. Model development under AEGIS and related programs provides three levels of hydrologic models, two levels of transport models, and one level of dose models (with several separate models). This is the third of 3 volumes of the description of the VTT (Variable Thickness Transient) Groundwater Hydrologic Model - second level (intermediate complexity) two-dimensional saturated groundwater flow.« less

Diversity and antibiotic resistance of Aeromonas spp. in drinking and waste water treatment plants.

PubMed

Figueira, Vânia; Vaz-Moreira, Ivone; Silva, Márcia; Manaia, Célia M

2011-11-01

The taxonomic diversity and antibiotic resistance phenotypes of aeromonads were examined in samples from drinking and waste water treatment plants (surface, ground and disinfected water in a drinking water treatment plant, and raw and treated waste water) and tap water. Bacteria identification and intra-species variation were determined based on the analysis of the 16S rRNA, gyrB and cpn60 gene sequences. Resistance phenotypes were determined using the disc diffusion method. Aeromonas veronii prevailed in raw surface water, Aeromonas hydrophyla in ozonated water, and Aeromonas media and Aeromonas puntacta in waste water. No aeromonads were detected in ground water, after the chlorination tank or in tap water. Resistance to ceftazidime or meropenem was detected in isolates from the drinking water treatment plant and waste water isolates were intrinsically resistant to nalidixic acid. Most of the times, quinolone resistance was associated with the gyrA mutation in serine 83. The gene qnrS, but not the genes qnrA, B, C, D or qepA, was detected in both surface and waste water isolates. The gene aac(6')-ib-cr was detected in different waste water strains isolated in the presence of ciprofloxacin. Both quinolone resistance genes were detected only in the species A. media. This is the first study tracking antimicrobial resistance in aeromonads in drinking, tap and waste water and the importance of these bacteria as vectors of resistance in aquatic environments is discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation of bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from pineapple peel waste: Optimization of acid concentration in the hydrolysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anwar, Budiman; Rosyid, Nurul Huda; Effendi, Devi Bentia; Nandiyanto, Asep Bayu Dani; Mudzakir, Ahmad; Hidayat, Topik

2016-02-01

Isolation of needle-shaped bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline with a diameter of 16-64 nm, a fiber length of 258-806 nm, and a degree of crystallinity of 64% from pineapple peel waste using an acid hydrolysis process was investigated. Experimental showed that selective concentration of acid played important roles in isolating the bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from the cellulose source. To achieve the successful isolation of bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline, various acid concentrations were tested. To confirm the effect of acid concentration on the successful isolation process, the reaction conditions were fixed at a temperature of 50°C, a hydrolysis time of 30 minutes, and a bacterial cellulose-to-acid ratio of 1:50. Pineapple peel waste was used as a model for a cellulose source because to the best of our knowledge, there is no report on the use of this raw material for producing bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline. In fact, this material can be used as an alternative for ecofriendly and cost-free cellulose sources. Therefore, understanding in how to isolate bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from pineapple peel waste has the potential for large-scale production of inexpensive cellulose nanocrystalline.

A design study for a medium-scale field demonstration of the viscous barrier technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moridis, G.; Yen, P.; Persoff, P.

1996-09-01

This report is the design study for a medium-scale field demonstration of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory`s new subsurface containment technology for waste isolation using a new generation of barrier liquids. The test site is located in central California in a quarry owned by the Los Banos Gravel Company in Los Banos, California, in heterogeneous unsaturated deposits of sand, silt, and -ravel typical of many of the and DOE cleanup sites and particularly analogous to the Hanford site. The coals of the field demonstration are (a) to demonstrate the ability to create a continuous subsurface barrier isolating a medium-scale volume (30more » ft long by 30 ft wide by 20 ft deep, i.e. 1/10th to 1/8th the size of a buried tank at the Hanford Reservation) in the subsurface, and (b) to demonstrate the continuity, performance, and integrity of the barrier.« less

78 FR 15358 - DOE's Preferred Alternative for Certain Tanks Evaluated in the Final Tank Closure and Waste...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-11

... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.) \\1\\ Transuranic (TRU) waste is waste that contains alpha particle-emitting... available on the DOE NEPA Web site at http://energy.gov/nepa . Additional information on the Final TC & WM... INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the Final TC & WM EIS, contact Ms. Burandt as listed in...

Enclosure (from letter from EPA to DOE sent 3/26/04) - Technical and Regulatory Support Document: EPA's Remote Handled Waste Characterization Determination

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Based on the requirements presented in 40 CFR 194.24(c )(2) to (4) and 194.22(a)(1) and using experience gained as part of the CH waste characterization program, EPA examined the DOE's RH Waste Characterization Proposal as presented in the WCPIP.

Adequacy of a Small Quantity Site RH-TRU Waste Program in Meeting Proposed WIPP Characterization Objectives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biedscheid, J.; Stahl, S.; Devarakonda, M.

2002-02-26

The first remote-handled transuranic (RH-TRU) waste is expected to be permanently disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) during Fiscal Year (FY) 2003. The first RH-TRU waste shipments are scheduled from the Battelle Columbus Laboratories (BCL) to WIPP in order to facilitate compliance with BCL Decommissioning Project (BCLDP) milestones. Milestones requiring RH-TRU waste containerization and removal from the site by 2004 in order to meet a 2006 site closure goal, established by Congress in the Defense Facilities Closure Projects account, necessitated the establishment and implementation of a site-specific program to direct the packaging of BCLDP RH-TRU waste priormore » to the finalization of WIPP RH-TRU waste characterization requirements. The program was designed to collect waste data, including audio and videotape records of waste packaging, such that upon completion of waste packaging, comprehensive data records exist from which compliance with final WIPP RH-TRU waste characterization requirements can be demonstrated. With the BCLDP data records generated to date and the development by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) of preliminary documents proposing the WIPP RH-TRU waste characterization program, it is possible to evaluate the adequacy of the BCLDP program with respect to meeting proposed characterization objectives. The BCLDP characterization program uses primarily acceptable knowledge (AK) and visual examination (VE) during waste packaging to characterize RH-TRU waste. These methods are used to estimate physical waste parameters, including weight percentages of metals, cellulosics, plastics, and rubber in the waste, and to determine the absence of prohibited items, including free liquids. AK combined with computer modeling is used to estimate radiological waste parameters, including total activity on a waste container basis, for the majority of BCLDP RH-TRU waste. AK combined with direct analysis is used to characterize radiological parameters for the small populations of the RH-TRU waste generated by the BCLDP. All characterization based on AK is verified. Per its design for comprehensive waste data collection, the BCLDP characterization program using AK and waste packaging procedures, including VE during packaging, meets the proposed WIPP RH-TRU waste characterization objectives. The conservative program design implemented generates certification data that will be adequate to meet any additional program requirements that may be imposed by the CBFO.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dahl, Suzanne; Biyani, Rabindra; Holmes, Erika

The United States Department of Energy's (US DOE's) Hanford Nuclear Site has 177 underground waste storage tanks located 19 to 24 km (12 to 15 miles) from the Columbia River in south-central Washington State. Hanford's tanks now hold about 212,000 cu m (56 million gallons) of highly radioactive and chemically hazardous waste. Sixty-seven tanks have leaked an estimated 3,785 cu m (1 million gallons) of this waste into the surrounding soil. Further releases to soil, groundwater, and the Columbia River are the inevitable result of the tanks continuing to age. The risk from this waste is recognized as a threatmore » to the Northwest by both State and Federal governments. US DOE and Bechtel National, Inc., are building the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to treat and vitrify (immobilize in glass) the waste from Hanford's tanks. As is usual for any groundbreaking project, problems have arisen that must be resolved as they occur if treatment is to take place as specified in the court-enforceable Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) and the Consent Decree, entered into by US DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). At times, US DOE's approach to solving these critical issues seems to have caused undue wastes of time, energy, and, ultimately, public funds. Upon reviewing the history of Hanford's tank waste treatment project, Ecology hopes that constructive criticism of past failures and praise of successes will inspire US DOE to consider changing practices, be more transparent with regulatory agencies and the public, and take a 'lean production' approach to successfully completing this project. All three Tri-Party Agreement agencies share the goal of completing WTP on time, ensuring it is operational and in compliance with safety standards. To do this, Ecology believes US DOE should: - Maintain focus on the primary goal of completing the five major facilities of WTP. - Construct a supplemental low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification facility for the two-thirds balance of LAW that will not be treated by the vitrification facility under construction. - Prepare infrastructure for waste feed from the tanks and facilities to handle the WTP waste streams. To support this project track, Ecology expedites dangerous waste permitting by using a design-build approach to integrate WTP into the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit for Hanford. (authors)« less

Waste management facility accident analysis (WASTE ACC) system: software for analysis of waste management alternatives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kohout, E.F.; Folga, S.; Mueller, C.

1996-03-01

This paper describes the Waste Management Facility Accident Analysis (WASTE{underscore}ACC) software, which was developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to support the US Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Waste Management (WM) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). WASTE{underscore}ACC is a decision support and database system that is compatible with Microsoft{reg_sign} Windows{trademark}. It assesses potential atmospheric releases from accidents at waste management facilities. The software provides the user with an easy-to-use tool to determine the risk-dominant accident sequences for the many possible combinations of process technologies, waste and facility types, and alternative cases described in the WM PEIS. In addition, its structure willmore » allow additional alternative cases and assumptions to be tested as part of the future DOE programmatic decision-making process. The WASTE{underscore}ACC system demonstrates one approach to performing a generic, systemwide evaluation of accident risks at waste management facilities. The advantages of WASTE{underscore}ACC are threefold. First, the software gets waste volume and radiological profile data that were used to perform other WM PEIS-related analyses directly from the WASTE{underscore}MGMT system. Second, the system allows for a consistent analysis across all sites and waste streams, which enables decision makers to understand more fully the trade-offs among various policy options and scenarios. Third, the system is easy to operate; even complex scenario runs are completed within minutes.« less

Solid and Liquid Waste Drying Bag

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litwiller, Eric (Inventor); Hogan, John A. (Inventor); Fisher, John W. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

Method and system for processing waste from human activities, including solids, liquids and vapors. A fluid-impermeable bag, lined with a liquid-impermeable but vapor-permeable membrane, defining an inner bag, is provided. A vacuum force is provided to extract vapors so that the waste is moved toward a selected region in the inner bag, extracted vapors, including the waste vapors and vaporized portions of the waste liquids are transported across the membrane, and most or all of the solids remain within the liner. Extracted vapors are filtered, and sanitized components thereof are isolated and optionally stored. The solids remaining within the liner are optionally dried and isolated for ultimate disposal.

NRC Perspectives on Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Consultations and Monitoring - 13398

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKenney, Christepher A.; Suber, Gregory F.; Felsher, Harry D.

2013-07-01

Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consult with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for certain non-high level waste (HLW) determinations. The NDAA also requires NRC to monitor DOE's disposal actions related to those determinations to assess compliance with NRC regulations in 10 CFR Part 61, Subpart C. The NDAA applies to DOE activities that will remain within the States of South Carolina and Idaho. DOE has chosen to, under DOE Order 435.1, engage in consultation with NRC for similar activities inmore » the State of Washington and New York, however, the NRC has no monitoring responsibilities. In 2007, the NRC developed a draft Final Report for Interim Use entitled, NUREG-1854: NRC Staff Guidance for Activities Related to U.S. Department of Energy Waste Determinations. Since the law was enacted, the DOE and NRC have consulted on three waste determinations within the affected States: (1) the Saltstone Disposal Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS) within the State of South Carolina in 2005, (2) the INTEC Tank Farm at the Idaho National Laboratory within the State of Idaho in 2006, and (3) the F Tank Farm at SRS in 2011. After the end of consultation and issuance by DOE of the final waste determination, monitoring began at each of these sites, including the development of monitoring plans. In addition to the NDAA sites, DOE has requested NRC consultation support on both individual tanks and the entire C Tank Farm at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the State of Washington. DOE also requested consultation of waste determinations performed on the melter and related feed tanks at the West Valley site in New York that would be disposed offsite. In the next few years, NRC and DOE will consult on the last of the NDAA waste determinations for a while, the H Tank Farm waste determination at SRS. DOE may identify other activities in the future but largely NRC's role will change from doing both consultation and monitoring to being focused on monitoring activities within NDAA. DOE has identified other activities at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation that would continue consultation activities but outside of the NDAA in the future. During the past seven years of consultations and monitoring a number of lessons learned about the process, communication issues, and technical guidance have been identified. With the change in focus from reviewing initial performance assessments and draft waste determinations to long-term monitoring (e.g., individual waste tank closure, at F Tank Farm or complete tank farm closure at INTEC expected in the near future), the NRC is going to revise and update its guidance over the next few years to reflect the lessons learned and the change in focus. In addition to the lessons learned, improvements in the guidance will have to account possible rule and guidance changes underway within Part 61. This paper will discuss the initial plans, approaches, and time lines to revise the guidance within NUREG-1854, including opportunities for public involvement. (authors)« less

N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan. Revision 4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walsh, J.L.

1993-12-01

This N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan is structured to provide the basic methodology required to place N Reactor and supporting facilities {center_dot} in a radiologically and environmentally safe condition such that they can be decommissioned at a later date. Deactivation will be in accordance with facility transfer criteria specified in Department of Energy (DOE) and Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) guidance. Transition activities primarily involve shutdown and isolation of operational systems and buildings, radiological/hazardous waste cleanup, N Fuel Basin stabilization and environmental stabilization of the facilities. The N Reactor Deactivation Program covers the period FY 1992 through FY 1997. The directivemore » to cease N Reactor preservation and prepare for decommissioning was issued by DOE to WHC on September 20, 1991. The work year and budget data supporting the Work Breakdown Structure in this document are found in the Activity Data Sheets (ADS) and the Environmental Restoration Program Baseline, that are prepared annually.« less

Integrated data base report--1996: US spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste inventories, projections, and characteristics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-12-01

The Integrated Data Base Program has compiled historic data on inventories and characteristics of both commercial and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and commercial and U.S. government-owned radioactive wastes. Inventories of most of these materials are reported as of the end of fiscal year (FY) 1996, which is September 30, 1996. Commercial SNF and commercial uranium mill tailings inventories are reported on an end-of-calendar year (CY) basis. All SNF and radioactive waste data reported are based on the most reliable information available from government sources, the open literature, technical reports, and direct contacts. The information forecastedmore » is consistent with the latest DOE/Energy Information Administration (EIA) projections of U.S. commercial nuclear power growth and the expected DOE-related and private industrial and institutional activities. The radioactive materials considered, on a chapter-by-chapter basis, are SNF, high-level waste, transuranic waste, low-level waste, uranium mill tailings, DOE Environmental Restoration Program contaminated environmental media, naturally occurring and accelerator-produced radioactive material, and mixed (hazardous and radioactive) low-level waste. For most of these categories, current and projected inventories are given through FY 2030, and the radioactivity and thermal power are calculated based on reported or estimated isotopic compositions.« less

Environmental restoration and waste management: Five-year plan, Fiscal Years 1992--1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Middleman, L.I.

1990-06-01

This document reflects DOE's fulfillment of a major commitment of the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan: reorganization to create an Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) responsible for the consolidated environmental management of nuclear-related facilities and sites formerly under the Assistant Secretaries for Defense Programs and Nuclear Energy and the Director of the Office of Energy Research. The purposes of this Plan for FY 1992--1996 are to measure progress in meeting DOE's compliance, cleanup, and waste management agenda; to incorporate a revised and condensed version of the Draft Research Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation (RDDT E)more » Plan (November 1989) to describe DOE's process for developing the new technologies critically needed to solve its environmental problems; to show DOE's current strategy and planned activities through FY 1996, including reasons for changes required to meet compliance and cleanup commitments; and to increase the involvement of other agencies and the public in DOE's planning.« less

Criteria: waste tank isolation and stabilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Metz, W.P.; Ogren, W.E.

1976-09-01

The crystallized Hanford high-level wastes stored in single-shell underground tanks consist of sludges and salt cakes covered with supernatural liquor. Purpose of stabilization and isolation is to reduce the releases and losses as a result of a loss of tank integrity. The tanks will be modified so that no inadvertent liquid additions can be made. Criteria for the isolation and stabilization are given and discussed briefly. (DLC)

CONTAINMENT TECHNOLOGIES

EPA Science Inventory

Hazardous waste containment's primary objective is to isolate wastes deemed as hazardous from man and environmental systems of air, soil, and water. Hazardous wastes differ from other waste classifications due to their increased potential to cause human health effects or environ...

Task 1.6 - mixed waste. Topical report, April 1, 1994--September 30, 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

For fifty years, the United States was involved in a nuclear arms race of immense proportions. During the majority of this period, the push was always to design new weapons, produce more weapons, and increase the size of the arsenal, maintaining an advantage over the opposition in order to protect U.S. interests. Now that the {open_quotes}Cold War{close_quotes} is over, we are faced with the imposing tasks of dismantling, cleaning up, and remediating the wide variety of problems created by this arms race. An overview of the current status of the total remediation effort within the DOE is presented in themore » DOE publication {open_quotes}ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 1995{close_quotes} (EM 1995). Not all radioactive waste is the same though; therefore, a system was devised to categorize the different types of radioactive waste. These categories are as follows: spent fuel; high-level waste; transuranic waste; low-level waste; mixed waste; and uranium-mill tailings. Mixed waste is defined to be material contaminated with any of these categories of radioactive material plus an organic or heavy metal component. However, for this discussion, {open_quotes}mixed waste{close_quote} will pertain only to low-level mixed waste which consists of low-level radioactive waste mixed with organic solvents and or heavy metals. The area of {open_quotes}mixed-waste characterization, treatment, and disposal{close_quotes} is listed on page 6 of the EM 1995 publication as one of five focus areas for technological development, and while no more important than the others, it has become an area of critical concern for DOE. Lacking adequate technologies for treatment and disposal, the DOE stockpiled large quantities of mixed waste during the 1970s and 1980s. Legislative changes and the need for regulatory compliance have now made it expedient to develop methods of achieving final disposition for this stockpiled mixed waste.« less

DOE requests waiver on double containment for HLW canisters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lobsenz, G.

1994-02-22

The Energy Department has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to waive double containment requirements for vitrified high-level radioactive waste canisters, saying the additional protection is not necessary and too costly. NRC said it had received a petition from DOE contending that the vitrified waste canisters were durable enough without double containment to prevent any potential plutonium release during handling and shipping. DOE said testing had shown that the vitrified waste canisters were similar - even superior - in durability to spent reactor fuel shipments, which NRC specifically exempted from the double containment requirement.

Performance assessment for the disposal of low-level waste in the 200 West Area Burial Grounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, M.I.; Khaleel, R.; Rittmann, P.D.

1995-06-01

This document reports the findings of a performance assessment (PA) analysis for the disposal of solid low-level radioactive waste (LLW) in the 200 West Area Low-Level Waste Burial Grounds (LLBG) in the northwest corner of the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site. This PA analysis is required by US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A (DOE 1988a) to demonstrate that a given disposal practice is in compliance with a set of performance objectives quantified in the order. These performance objectives are applicable to the disposal of DOE-generated LLW at any DOE-operated site after the finalization of the order inmore » September 1988. At the Hanford Site, DOE, Richland Operations Office (RL) has issued a site-specific supplement to DOE Order 5820.2A, DOE-RL 5820.2A (DOE 1993), which provides additiona I ce objectives that must be satisfied.« less

Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Waste Management Operations Roadmap Document

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bullock, M.

1992-04-01

At the direction of the Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ), the DOE Idaho Field Office (DOE-ID) is developing roadmaps for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ER&WM) activities at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). DOE-ID has convened a select group of contractor personnel from EG&G Idaho, Inc. to assist DOE-ID personnel with the roadmapping project. This document is a report on the initial stages of the first phase of the INEL`s roadmapping efforts.

Closure Plan for the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site at the Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NSTec Environmental Management

The Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RMWS) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) is managed and operated by National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec), for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO). This document is the first update of the preliminary closure plan for the Area 5 RWMS at the NTS that was presented in the Integrated Closure and Monitoring Plan (DOE, 2005a). The major updates to the plan include a new closure schedule, updated closure inventory, updated site and facility characterization data, the Title II engineering cover design, and the closure processmore » for the 92-Acre Area of the RWMS. The format and content of this site-specific plan follows the Format and Content Guide for U.S. Department of Energy Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility Closure Plans (DOE, 1999a). This interim closure plan meets closure and post-closure monitoring requirements of the order DOE O 435.1, manual DOE M 435.1-1, Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 191, 40 CFR 265, Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 444.743, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements as incorporated into NAC 444.8632. The Area 5 RWMS accepts primarily packaged low-level waste (LLW), low-level mixed waste (LLMW), and asbestiform low-level waste (ALLW) for disposal in excavated disposal cells.« less

Evaluation of Final Radiological Conditions at Areas of the Niagara Falls Storage Site Remediated under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program -12184

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clayton, Christopher; Kothari, Vijendra; Starr, Ken

2012-02-26

The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) methods and protocols allow evaluation of remediation and final site conditions to determine if remediated sites remain protective. Two case studies are presented that involve the Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS) and associated vicinity properties (VPs), which are being remediated under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). These properties are a part of the former Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW). In response to stakeholders concerns about whether certain remediated NFSS VPs were putting them at risk, DOE met with stakeholders and agreed to evaluate protectiveness. Documentation in the DOE records collectionmore » adequately described assessed and final radiological conditions at the completed VPs. All FUSRAP wastes at the completed sites were cleaned up to meet DOE guidelines for unrestricted use. DOE compiled the results of the investigation in a report that was released for public comment. In conducting the review of site conditions, DOE found that stakeholders were also concerned about waste from the Separations Process Research Unit (SPRU) at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) that was handled at LOOW. DOE agreed to determine if SPRU waste remained at that needed to be remediated. DOE reviewed records of waste characterization, historical handling locations and methods, and assessment and remediation data. DOE concluded that the SPRU waste was remediated on the LOOW to levels that pose no unacceptable risk and allow unrestricted use and unlimited exposure. This work confirms the following points as tenets of an effective long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS&M) program: Stakeholder interaction must be open and transparent, and DOE must respond promptly to stakeholder concerns. DOE, as the long-term custodian, must collect and preserve site records in order to demonstrate that remediated sites pose no unacceptable risk. DOE must continue to maintain constructive relationships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state and federal regulators.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sailer, S.J.

This Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPJP) specifies the quality of data necessary and the characterization techniques employed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to meet the objectives of the Department of Energy (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Transuranic Waste Characterization Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) requirements. This QAPJP is written to conform with the requirements and guidelines specified in the QAPP and the associated documents referenced in the QAPP. This QAPJP is one of a set of five interrelated QAPjPs that describe the INEL Transuranic Waste Characterization Program (TWCP). Each of the five facilities participating in the TWCPmore » has a QAPJP that describes the activities applicable to that particular facility. This QAPJP describes the roles and responsibilities of the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (ACL) in the TWCP. Data quality objectives and quality assurance objectives are explained. Sample analysis procedures and associated quality assurance measures are also addressed; these include: sample chain of custody; data validation; usability and reporting; documentation and records; audits and 0385 assessments; laboratory QC samples; and instrument testing, inspection, maintenance and calibration. Finally, administrative quality control measures, such as document control, control of nonconformances, variances and QA status reporting are described.« less

Tank 19F Folding Crawler Final Evaluation, Rev. 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nance, T.

2000-10-25

The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to removing millions of gallons of high-level radioactive waste from 51 underground waste storage tanks at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The primary radioactive waste constituents are strontium, plutonium,and cesium. It is recognized that the continued storage of this waste is a risk to the public, workers, and the environment. SRS was the first site in the DOE complex to have emptied and operationally closed a high-level radioactive waste tank. The task of emptying and closing the rest of the tanks will be completed by FY28.

Affecting Factors on Local Waste Management in Penyangkringan Village, Weleri: an Identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puspita Adriyanti, Nadia; Candra Dewi, Ova; Gamal, Ahmad; Joko Romadhon, Mohammad; Raditya

2018-03-01

Villages in Indonesia usually does not have proper waste management and it is affecting the environmental and social condition in those places. Local governments have been trying to implement many kinds of solid waste management systems and yet many of them does not bear fruit. We argue that the failure of the waste management implementation in Indonesian villages is due to several aspects: the geographic condition of the villages, the social conditions, and the availability of facilities and infrastructures in those villages. Waste management should be modeled in accordance to those three aspects.

Managing the nation`s nuclear waste. Site descriptions: Cypress Creek, Davis Canyon, Deaf Smith, Hanford Reference, Lavender Canyon, Richton Dome, Swisher, Vacherie Dome, and Yucca Mountain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1985-12-31

In 1982, the Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (Public Law 97-425), which established a comprehensive national program directed toward siting, constructing, and operating geologic repositories for the permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In February 1983, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) identified the nine referenced repository locations as potentially acceptable sites for a mined geologic repository. These sites have been evaluated in accordance with the DOE`s General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for Nuclear Waste Repositories. The DOE findings and determinations are based on the evaluations contained in the draft Environmental Assessments (EA). A finalmore » EA will be prepared after considering the comments received on the draft EA. The purpose of this document is to provide the public with specific site information on each potential repository location.« less

How technology transfer issues are managed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sink, C.H.; Easley, K.R.

1991-12-31

In 1989, Secretary of Energy James Watkins made a commitment to accelerate DOE compliance with all applicable laws and standards aimed at protecting human health and the environment. At a minimum, this pledge requires the remediation of the 1989 inventory of chemical, radioactive, and mixed wastes at DOE production sites by 2019. The 1989 Complex inventory consisted of more than 3,700 sites, encompassing more than 26,000 acres contaminated with radioactive, hazardous, and mixed wastes. In addition, over 500 surplus sites are awaiting decontamination and decommissioning (D and D), and approximately 5,000 peripheral properties have contaminated soils (e.g., uranium tailings). Moreover,more » these problems exist at both inactive sites, where the primary focus is on environmental restoration, and at active sites, where the major emphasis is on improved waste management techniques. Although some of DOE`s problems are considered unique due to radioactivity, most forms of contamination resident in the Complex are not; rather, contaminants such as waste chemicals (e.g., inorganics), organics (e.g., fuels and solvents), halogenated organics (e.g., PCBs) and heavy metals commonly result in conventional industrial processes. Although certain other forms of contamination are more unique to DOE operations (e.g., radioactive materials, explosives, and pyrophorics), they are not exclusive to DOE. As DOE develops innovative solutions to these and related waste problems, it is imperative that technology systems and lessons learned be transferred from DOE sites and its R and D laboratories to private industry to maximize the nation`s return on environmental management technology investments.« less

Modeling of transport phenomena in concrete porous media.

PubMed

Plecas, Ilija

2014-02-01

Two fundamental concerns must be addressed when attempting to isolate low-level waste in a disposal facility on land. The first concern is isolating the waste from water, or hydrologic isolation. The second is preventing movement of the radionuclides out of the disposal facility, or radionuclide migration. Particularly, we have investigated here the latter modified scenario. To assess the safety for disposal of radioactive waste-concrete composition, the leakage of 60Co from a waste composite into a surrounding fluid has been studied. Leakage tests were carried out by the original method, developed at the Vinča Institute. Transport phenomena involved in the leaching of a radioactive material from a cement composite matrix are investigated using three methods based on theoretical equations. These are: the diffusion equation for a plane source: an equation for diffusion coupled to a first-order equation, and an empirical method employing a polynomial equation. The results presented in this paper are from a 25-y mortar and concrete testing project that will influence the design choices for radioactive waste packaging for a future Serbian radioactive waste disposal center.

40 CFR 194.24 - Waste characterization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... system. (e) Waste may be emplaced in the disposal system only if the emplaced components of such waste... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Waste characterization. 194.24 Section... PROGRAMS CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S...

40 CFR 194.24 - Waste characterization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... system. (e) Waste may be emplaced in the disposal system only if the emplaced components of such waste... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Waste characterization. 194.24 Section... PROGRAMS CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S...

40 CFR 194.24 - Waste characterization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... system. (e) Waste may be emplaced in the disposal system only if the emplaced components of such waste... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Waste characterization. 194.24 Section... PROGRAMS CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S...

40 CFR 194.24 - Waste characterization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... system. (e) Waste may be emplaced in the disposal system only if the emplaced components of such waste... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Waste characterization. 194.24 Section... PROGRAMS CRITERIA FOR THE CERTIFICATION AND RE-CERTIFICATION OF THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT'S...

DOE regulation of mixed waste. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation, and Tourism of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, Second Session on H. R. 2009 and H. R. 2593, April 10, 1986

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Testimony by representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency, citizen environmental organizations, DOE, and universities on the Mixed Hazardous Waste Amendment Act of 1985 (H.R. 2009) and the Military Radioactive Emissions Control Act of 1985 (H.R. 2593) focused on safety aspects of mixed wastes at DOE facilities from the point of view of the general public and the implications for tourism and recreation in affected areas. H.R. 2593 calls for standards and continuous independent monitoring, while H.R. 2009 ensures that wastes the Solid Waste Management Act covers solid wastes containing radioactive material. The testimony covered definitions and interpretations by byproduct materialmore » and the problems associated with self-regulation. The testimony of the 10 witnesses follows the text of the two bills.« less

Yucca Mountain, Nevada - A proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levich, R.A.; Stuckless, J.S.

2006-01-01

Yucca Mountain in Nevada represents the proposed solution to what has been a lengthy national effort to dispose of high-level radioactive waste, waste which must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. This chapter reviews the background of that national effort and includes some discussion of international work in order to provide a more complete framework for the problem of waste disposal. Other chapters provide the regional geologic setting, the geology of the Yucca Mountain site, the tectonics, and climate (past, present, and future). These last two chapters are integral to prediction of long-term waste isolation. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Reconsolidated Salt as a Geotechnical Barrier

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Francis D.; Gadbury, Casey

Salt as a geologic medium has several attributes favorable to long-term isolation of waste placed in mined openings. Salt formations are largely impermeable and induced fractures heal as stress returns to equilibrium. Permanent isolation also depends upon the ability to construct geotechnical barriers that achieve nearly the same high-performance characteristics attributed to the native salt formation. Salt repository seal concepts often include elements of reconstituted granular salt. As a specific case in point, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant recently received regulatory approval to change the disposal panel closure design from an engineered barrier constructed of a salt-based concrete to onemore » that employs simple run-of-mine salt and temporary bulkheads for isolation from ventilation. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is a radioactive waste disposal repository for defense-related transuranic elements mined from the Permian evaporite salt beds in southeast New Mexico. Its approved shaft seal design incorporates barrier components comprising salt-based concrete, bentonite, and substantial depths of crushed salt compacted to enhance reconsolidation. This paper will focus on crushed salt behavior when applied as drift closures to isolate disposal rooms during operations. Scientific aspects of salt reconsolidation have been studied extensively. The technical basis for geotechnical barrier performance has been strengthened by recent experimental findings and analogue comparisons. The panel closure change was accompanied by recognition that granular salt will return to a physical state similar to the halite surrounding it. Use of run-of-mine salt ensures physical and chemical compatibility with the repository environment and simplifies ongoing disposal operations. Our current knowledge and expected outcome of research can be assimilated with lessons learned to put forward designs and operational concepts for the next generation of salt repositories. Mined salt repositories have the potential to isolate permanently vast inventories of radioactive and hazardous wastes.« less

Environmental Compliance Assessment System (ECAS)

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

hazardous waste onsite? How and where? 8. Do satellite/offpost facilitiesminstallations (i.e., USARCs) transport hazardous wastes to the installation...Contractor ? In-house personnel_ ? 3. Is waste transported off-installation for disposal: a. In landfills? b. In incinerators? c. Transfer stations? d...Does the installation dispose of PCBs or PCB items at the installation? 4. Does the facility transport PCBs? 5. Is there a working management system

Progress and future direction for the interim safe storage and disposal of Hanford high-level waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kinzer, J.E.; Wodrich, D.D.; Bacon, R.F.

This paper describes the progress made at the largest environmental cleanup program in the United States. Substantial advances in methods to start interim safe storage of Hanford Site high-level wastes, waste characterization to support both safety- and disposal-related information needs, and proceeding with cost-effective disposal by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its Hanford Site contractors, have been realized. Challenges facing the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Program, which is charged with the dual and parallel missions of interim safe storage and disposal of the high-level tank waste stored at the Hanford Site, are described. In these times ofmore » budget austerity, implementing an ongoing program that combines technical excellence and cost effectiveness is the near-term challenge. The technical initiatives and progress described in this paper are made more cost effective by DOE`s focus on work force productivity improvement, reduction of overhead costs, and reduction, integration and simplification of DOE regulations and operations requirements to more closely model those used in the private sector.« less

Data sharing report characterization of population 7: Personal protective equipment, dry active waste, and miscellaneous debris, surveillance and maintenance project Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harpenau, Evan M.

2013-10-10

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (EM-OR) requested that Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), working under the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) contract, provide technical and independent waste management planning support under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Specifically, DOE EM-OR requested that ORAU plan and implement a sampling and analysis campaign targeting certain URS|CH2M Oak Ridge, LLC (UCOR) surveillance and maintenance (S&M) process inventory waste. Eight populations of historical and reoccurring S&M waste at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have been identified in the Waste Handling Plan formore » Surveillance and Maintenance Activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, DOE/OR/01-2565&D2 (WHP) (DOE 2012) for evaluation and processing to determine a final pathway for disposal. Population 7 (POP 7) consists of 56 containers of aged, low-level and potentially mixed S&M waste that has been staged in various locations around ORNL. Several of these POP 7 containers primarily contain personal protective equipment (PPE) and dry active waste (DAW), but may contain other miscellaneous debris. This data sharing report addresses the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) specified waste in a 13-container subpopulation (including eight steel boxes, three 55-gal drums, one sealand, and one intermodal) that lacked sufficient characterization data for possible disposal at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) using the approved Waste Lot (WL) 108.1 profile.« less

Advanced instrumental methods for analyzing organics in solid waste: The use of gas chromatography/matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy (GC/MIIR) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) for waste characterization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raphaelian, L.A.; Boparai, A.S.; Schneider, J.F.

1987-01-01

Objectives of this research project were: (1) to enhance the capabilities of analyzing the complex mixtures found in coal wastes by using gas chromatography/matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy (GC/MIIR); (2) to separate, by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), the complex mixtures found in coal wastes into a few, less-complex mixtures so that analysis by gas chromatography (GC/MS) and GC/MIIR would be simplified. Preliminary results are presented for the mass spectra and infrared spectra of xylene isomers, gas chromatogram of 12 C/sub 2/-Napthalenes, averaged IR spectrum and a comparison of matrix isolation with light-pipe infrared spectra. A SFC chromatogram of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbonsmore » is also presented. 2 refs., 5 figs.« less

Testimony of Dr. Raul A. Deju, Basalt Waste Isolation Project, before the Subcommittee on Energy Research and Production, Committee on Sceince and Technology, United States House of Representatives, March 2, 1983

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1983-01-01

Status of the Basalt Waste Isolation Project is given. Three key concerns have been identified that need to be resolved to either confirm or eliminate the basalts as a potential nuclear waste repository host medium. They are: A thorough understanding of the groundwater hydrology beneath the Hanford Site is needed to assure that a repository in basalt will not contribute unacceptable amounts of contaminants to the accessible environment. Our ability to construct a repository shaft and a network of underground tunnels needs to be fully demonstrated through an exploratory shaft program. Our ability to ultimately seal a repository, such thatmore » its integrity and the isolation of the waste are guaranteed, needs to be demonstrated.« less

Biodegradation of hazardous waste using white rot fungus: Project planning and concept development document

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luey, J.; Brouns, T.M.; Elliott, M.L.

1990-11-01

The white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been shown to effectively degrade pollutants such as trichlorophenol, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and other halogenated aromatic compounds. These refractory organic compounds and many others have been identified in the tank waste, groundwater and soil of various US Department of Energy (DOE) sites. The treatment of these refractory organic compounds has been identified as a high priority for DOE's Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation (RDDT E) waste treatment programs. Unlike many bacteria, the white rot fungus P. chrysosporium is capable of degrading these types of refractory organics and may be valuable formore » the treatment of wastes containing multiple pollutants. The objectives of this project are to identify DOE waste problems amenable to white rot fungus treatment and to develop and demonstrate white rot fungus treatment process for these hazardous organic compounds. 32 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs.« less

The Use of Basalt, Basalt Fibers and Modified Graphite for Nuclear Waste Repository - 12150

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gulik, V.I.; Biland, A.B.

2012-07-01

New materials enhancing the isolation of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel are continuously being developed.. Our research suggests that basalt-based materials, including basalt roving chopped basalt fiber strands, basalt composite rebar and materials based on modified graphite, could be used for enhancing radioactive waste isolation during the storage and disposal phases and maintaining it during a significant portion of the post-closure phase. The basalt vitrification process of nuclear waste is a viable alternative to glass vitrification. Basalt roving, chopped basalt fiber strands and basalt composite rebars can significantly increase the strength and safety characteristics of nuclear waste and spentmore » nuclear fuel storages. Materials based on MG are optimal waterproofing materials for nuclear waste containers. (authors)« less

Nuclear waste management. Semiannual progress report, October 1982-March 1983

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chikalla, T.D.; Powell, J.A.

1983-06-01

This document is one of a series of technical progress reports designed to report radioactive waste management programs at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Accomplishments in the following programs are reported: waste stabilization; Materials Characterization Center; waste isolation; low-level waste management; remedial action; and supporting studies.

Development of a Comprehensive Plan for Scientific Research, Exploration, and Design: Creation of an Undergroung Radioactive Waste Isloation Facility at the Nizhnekansky Rock Massif

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jardine, L J

2005-06-15

ISTC Partner Project No.2377, ''Development of a General Research and Survey Plan to Create an Underground RW Isolation Facility in Nizhnekansky Massif'', funded a group of key Russian experts in geologic disposal, primarily at Federal State Unitary Enterprise All-Russian Design and Research Institute of Engineering Production (VNIPIPT) and Mining Chemical Combine Krasnoyarsk-26 (MCC K-26) (Reference 1). The activities under the ISTC Partner Project were targeted to the creation of an underground research laboratory which was to justify the acceptability of the geologic conditions for ultimate isolation of high-level waste in Russia. In parallel to this project work was also undermore » way with Minatom's financial support to characterize alternative sections of the Nizhnekansky granitoid rock massif near the MCC K-26 site to justify the possibility of creating an underground facility for long-term or ultimate isolation of radioactive waste (RW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF). (Reference 2) The result was a synergistic, integrated set of activities several years that advanced the geologic repository site characterization and development of a proposed underground research laboratory better than could have been expected with only the limited funds from ISTC Partner Project No.2377 funded by the U.S. DOE-RW. There were four objectives of this ISTC Partner Project 2377 geologic disposal work: (1) Generalize and analyze all research work done previously at the Nizhnekansky granitoid massif by various organizations; (2) Prepare and issue a declaration of intent (DOI) for proceeding with an underground research laboratory in a granite massif near the MCC K-26 site. (The DOI is similar to a Record of Decision in U.S. terminology). (3) Proceeding from the data obtained as a result of scientific research and exploration and design activities, prepare a justification of investment (JOI) for an underground research laboratory in as much detail as the available site characterization data allow. Consider the possibility of the substantiated selection of a specific site for the underground laboratory at this stage. (The JOI is similar to an advanced conceptual design or preliminary design in U.S. terminology). (4) Perform a preliminary safety assessment of the geologic isolation of radioactive waste and unreprocessable spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in the Nizhnekansky massif. Significant progress has been made toward fulfilling the joint project objectives. The results were documented in a series of quarterly reports and one final report over a period of {approx}2 3/4 years.« less

Genome Sequence of Lysinibacillus sphaericus, a Lignin-Degrading Bacterium Isolated from Municipal Solid Waste Soil.

PubMed

Persinoti, Gabriela F; Paixão, Douglas A A; Bugg, Timothy D H; Squina, Fabio M

2018-05-03

We report here the draft genome sequence of Lysinibacillus sphaericus strain A1, a potential lignin-degrading bacterium isolated from municipal solid waste (MSW) soil and capable of enhancing gas release from lignocellulose-containing soil. Copyright © 2018 Persinoti et al.

10 CFR 63.21 - Content of application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... design bases and their relation to the design criteria. (4) A description of the kind, amount, and... extent to which they affect waste isolation. Investigations must extend from the surface to a depth... barriers important to waste isolation as required by § 63.115. (15) An explanation of measures used to...

10 CFR 63.21 - Content of application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... design bases and their relation to the design criteria. (4) A description of the kind, amount, and... extent to which they affect waste isolation. Investigations must extend from the surface to a depth... barriers important to waste isolation as required by § 63.115. (15) An explanation of measures used to...

National profile on commercially generated low-level radioactive mixed waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, J.A.; Mrochek, J.E.; Jolley, R.L.

1992-12-01

This report details the findings and conclusions drawn from a survey undertaken as part of a joint US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and US Environmental Protection Agency-sponsored project entitled ``National Profile on Commercially Generated Low-Level Radioactive Mixed Waste.`` The overall objective of the work was to compile a national profile on the volumes, characteristics, and treatability of commercially generated low-level mixed waste for 1990 by five major facility categories-academic, industrial, medical, and NRC-/Agreement State-licensed goverment facilities and nuclear utilities. Included in this report are descriptions of the methodology used to collect and collate the data, the procedures used to estimate themore » mixed waste generation rate for commercial facilities in the United States in 1990, and the identification of available treatment technologies to meet applicable EPA treatment standards (40 CFR Part 268) and, if possible, to render the hazardous component of specific mixed waste streams nonhazardous. The report also contains information on existing and potential commercial waste treatment facilities that may provide treatment for specific waste streams identified in the national survey. The report does not include any aspect of the Department of Energy`s (DOES) management of mixed waste and generally does not address wastes from remedial action activities.« less

Who owns urban waste? Appropriation conflicts in emerging countries.

PubMed

Cavé, Jérémie

2014-09-01

Managing solid waste in developing cities is not an easy task and many public policies have failed to bring the expected results. It is here argued that comprehending the solid waste handling in the South implies reconsidering the proper definition of waste. Where does the product end and where does rubbish begin? The answer to this question is far from being obvious. Solid waste appears as a blurred concept. Such a thorny issue is all the more relevant today, as municipal solid waste management approaches in the developing world are being reformulated: dumping sites are banned, sanitary landfills are imposed, and separate collection is being introduced. The current sector transformations are here analysed through a novel theoretical analysis combined with an original qualitative and quantitative empirical work. Through two case-studies of one-million inhabitant cities from emerging countries, it is shown that if appropriation conflicts arise that is because the urban solid waste deposit in Southern countries can be defined as an impure public good. This issue does not only involve private service operators and informal wastepickers; several other actors covet the urban solid waste deposit's cream, that is, recyclable items. In emerging countries, huge industrial groups are starting to target domestic recyclable waste as an alternative for raw materials, which costs are increasing ever more. © The Author(s) 2014.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

GOLDSTON, WELFORD T.; SMITH, WINCHESTER IV

DOE issued Order 435.1, ''Radioactive Waste Management,'' on July 9, 1999 for immediate implementation. The requirements for Low Level Mixed, Transuranic, and High Level Waste have been completely rewritten. The entire DOE complex has been struggling with how to implement these new requirements within the one year required timeframe. This paper will chronicle the implementation strategy and actual results of the work to carry out that strategy at the Savannah River Site. DOE-SR and the site contractors worked closely together to implement each of the new requirements across the SRS, crossing many barriers and providing innovative solutions to the manymore » problems that surfaced throughout the year. The results are that SRS declared compliance with all of the requirements of the Order within the prescribed timeframe. The challenge included all waste types in SRS facilities and programs that handle LLW, MLLW, TRU, and HLW. This paper will describe the implementation details for development of Radioactive Waste Management Basis for each facility, Identification of Wastes with No Path to Disposal, Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Determinations, Low Level Waste 90-Day Staging and One Year Limits for Storage Programs, to name a few of the requirements that were addressed by the SRS 435.1 Implementation Team. This paper will trace the implementation, problems (both technical and administrative), and the current pushback efforts associated with the DOE ''Top-to-Bottom'' review.« less

A Safety Case Approach for Deep Geologic Disposal of DOE HLW and DOE SNF in Bedded Salt - 13350

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sevougian, S. David; MacKinnon, Robert J.; Leigh, Christi D.

2013-07-01

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility and utility of developing a defensible safety case for disposal of United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) high-level waste (HLW) and DOE spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in a conceptual deep geologic repository that is assumed to be located in a bedded salt formation of the Delaware Basin [1]. A safety case is a formal compilation of evidence, analyses, and arguments that substantiate and demonstrate the safety of a proposed or conceptual repository. We conclude that a strong initial safety case for potential licensing can be readily compiled bymore » capitalizing on the extensive technical basis that exists from prior work on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), other U.S. repository development programs, and the work published through international efforts in salt repository programs such as in Germany. The potential benefits of developing a safety case include leveraging previous investments in WIPP to reduce future new repository costs, enhancing the ability to effectively plan for a repository and its licensing, and possibly expediting a schedule for a repository. A safety case will provide the necessary structure for organizing and synthesizing existing salt repository science and identifying any issues and gaps pertaining to safe disposal of DOE HLW and DOE SNF in bedded salt. The safety case synthesis will help DOE to plan its future R and D activities for investigating salt disposal using a risk-informed approach that prioritizes test activities that include laboratory, field, and underground investigations. It should be emphasized that the DOE has not made any decisions regarding the disposition of DOE HLW and DOE SNF. Furthermore, the safety case discussed herein is not intended to either site a repository in the Delaware Basin or preclude siting in other media at other locations. Rather, this study simply presents an approach for accelerated development of a safety case for a potential DOE HLW and DOE SNF repository using the currently available technical basis for bedded salt. This approach includes a summary of the regulatory environment relevant to disposal of DOE HLW and DOE SNF in a deep geologic repository, the key elements of a safety case, the evolution of the safety case through the successive phases of repository development and licensing, and the existing technical basis that could be used to substantiate the safety of a geologic repository if it were to be sited in the Delaware Basin. We also discuss the potential role of an underground research laboratory (URL). (authors)« less

The mixed low-level waste problem in BE/NWN capsule

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hensley, D.C.

1999-07-01

The Boh Environmental, LLC (BE) and Northwest Nuclear, LLC (NWN) program addresses the problem of diminishing capacity in the United States to store mixed waste. A lack of an alternative program has caused the US Department of Energy (DOE) to indefinitely store all of its mixed waste in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) compliant storage facilities. Unfortunately, this capacity is fast approaching the administrative control limit. The combination of unique BE encapsulation and NWN waste characterization technologies provides an effective solution to DOE's mixed-waste dilemma. The BE ARROW-PAK technique encapsulates mixed low-level waste (MLLW) in extra-high molecular weight, high-densitymore » polyethylene, pipe-grade resin cylinders. ARROW-PAK applications include waste treatment, disposal, transportation (per 49 CFR 173), vault encasement, and interim/long-term storage for 100 to 300 yr. One of the first demonstrations of this treatment/storage technique successfully treated 880 mixed-waste debris drums at the DOE Hanford Site in 1997. NWN, deploying the APNea neutron assay technology, provides the screening and characterization capability necessary to ensure that radioactive waste is correctly categorized as either transuranic (TRU) or LLW. MLLW resulting from D and D activities conducted at the Oak Ridge East Tennessee Technology Park will be placed into ARROW-PAK containers following comprehensive characterization of the waste by NWN. The characterized and encapsulated waste will then be shipped to a commercial disposal facility, where the shipments meet all waste acceptance criteria of the disposal facility including treatment criteria.« less

Municipal Solid Waste Management: Recycling, Resource Recovery, and Landfills. LC Science Tracer Bullet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meikle, Teresa, Comp.

Municipal solid waste refers to waste materials generated by residential, commercial, and institutional sources, and consists predominantly of paper, glass, metals, plastics, and food and yard waste. Within the definition of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, municipal solid waste does not include sewage sludge or hazardous waste. The three main…

CEMENTITIOUS GROUT FOR CLOSING SRS HIGH LEVEL WASTE TANKS - #12315

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Langton, C.; Burns, H.; Stefanko, D.

2012-01-10

In 1997, the first two United States Department of Energy (US DOE) high level waste tanks (Tanks 17-F and 20-F: Type IV, single shell tanks) were taken out of service (permanently closed) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). In 2012, the DOE plans to remove from service two additional Savannah River Site (SRS) Type IV high-level waste tanks, Tanks 18-F and 19-F. These tanks were constructed in the late 1950's and received low-heat waste and do not contain cooling coils. Operational closure of Tanks 18-F and 19-F is intended to be consistent with the applicable requirements of the Resource Conservationmore » and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and will be performed in accordance with South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). The closure will physically stabilize two 4.92E+04 cubic meter (1.3 E+06 gallon) carbon steel tanks and isolate and stabilize any residual contaminants left in the tanks. The closure will also fill, physically stabilize and isolate ancillary equipment abandoned in the tanks. A Performance Assessment (PA) has been developed to assess the long-term fate and transport of residual contamination in the environment resulting from the operational closure of the F-Area Tank Farm (FTF) waste tanks. Next generation flowable, zero-bleed cementitious grouts were designed, tested, and specified for closing Tanks 18-F and 19-F and for filling the abandoned equipment. Fill requirements were developed for both the tank and equipment grouts. All grout formulations were required to be alkaline with a pH of 12.4 and chemically reduction potential (Eh) of -200 to -400 to stabilize selected potential contaminants of concern. This was achieved by including Portland cement and Grade 100 slag in the mixes, respectively. Ingredients and proportions of cementitious reagents were selected and adjusted, respectively, to support the mass placement strategy developed by closure operations. Subsequent down selection was based on compressive strength and saturated hydraulic conductivity results. Fresh slurry property results were used as the first level of screening. A high range water reducing admixture and a viscosity modifying admixture were used to adjust slurry properties to achieve flowable grouts. Adiabatic calorimeter results were used as the second level screening. The third level of screening was used to design mixes that were consistent with the fill material parameters used in the F-Tank Farm Performance Assessment which was developed to assess the long-term fate and transport of residual contamination in the environment resulting from the operational closures.« less

United States Department of Energy Environmental Restoration and Waste Management: Comment Response Document

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

IN 1989, Secretary of Energy James Watkins called for a fundamental change in the way US Department of Energy (DOE) meets its environmental responsibilities. Whereas DOE had long subordinated environmental concerns to the higher priority of weapons production, the Department's mission was restructured to place less emphasis on defense-related production and much greater emphasis on sound environmental management and restoration of its weapons complex. To carry out this new mission, the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) was created. Secretary Watkins further stressed that DOE's new commitment to environmental values will be carried out under a new DOEmore » culture-one of openness, responsiveness, and accountability. The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan is the key planning document that embodies both the new DOE emphasis on environmental management and the Department's commitment to involving the public in its planning process. Updated annually, the Five-Year Plan guides EM's efforts to clean up DOE facilities and manage its waste -- its accomplishments, goals, and planned activities -- and reinforces DOE's commitment to the culture change by involving the general public in its development.« less

Ongoing environmental monitoring and assessment of the long-term impacts of the February 2014 radiological release from the waste isolation pilot plant.

PubMed

Thakur, Punam; Runyon, Tim

2018-04-09

Three years ago, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) experienced its first minor accident involving a radiological release. Late in the evening on February 14, 2014, a waste container in the repository underwent a chemical reaction that caused the container to overheat and breach, releasing its contents into the underground. Following a lengthy recovery process, the facility recently resumed waste disposal operations. The accident released significant levels of radioactivity into the disposal room and adjacent exhaust drifts, and although no one was present in the underground at the time of the release, a total of 22 workers tested positive for very low level of radiation, presumably from some of the radioactive material that was released above ground through a small leak in the HEPA filtration system. The dominant radionuclides released were 241 Am and 239 + 240 Pu in a ratio that matched the content of the drum from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) that was eventually identified as the breached container. From the air particulate monitoring and plume modeling, it was concluded that the dose, at the nearest location accessible to the general public, from this radiation release event would have been less than 0.01 mSv (< 1 mrem/year). This level is well below the 0.1 mSv/year (10 mrem/year) regulatory limit for DOE facilities established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).While no long-term impacts to public health or the environment are expected as a result of the WIPP radiation release, the limited ventilation and residual contamination levels in the underground are still a concern and pose a major challenge for the full recovery of WIPP. This article provides an up-to-date overview of environmental monitoring results through the WIPP recovery and an estimate of the long-term impacts of the accident on the natural and human environment.

40 CFR 266.220 - What does a storage and treatment conditional exemption do?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC HAZARDOUS WASTES AND SPECIFIC TYPES OF HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Conditional Exemption for Low-Level Mixed Waste Storage... exemption exempts your low-level mixed waste from the regulatory definition of hazardous waste in 40 CFR 261...

40 CFR 266.305 - What does the transportation and disposal conditional exemption do?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC HAZARDOUS WASTES AND SPECIFIC TYPES OF HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Conditional Exemption for Low-Level... exemption exempts your waste from the regulatory definition of hazardous waste in 40 CFR 261.3 if your waste...

Environmental Assessment: Waste Tank Safety Program, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-02-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) needs to take action in the near-term, to accelerate resolution of waste tank safety issues at the Hanford Site near the City of Richland, Washington, and reduce the risks associated with operations and management of the waste tanks. The DOE has conducted nuclear waste management operations at the Hanford Site for nearly 50 years. Operations have included storage of high-level nuclear waste in 177 underground storage tanks (UST), both in single-shell tank (SST) and double-shell tank configurations. Many of the tanks, and the equipment needed to operate them, are deteriorated. Sixty-seven SSTs are presumedmore » to have leaked a total approximately 3,800,000 liters (1 million gallons) of radioactive waste to the soil. Safety issues associated with the waste have been identified, and include (1) flammable gas generation and episodic release; (2) ferrocyanide-containing wastes; (3) a floating organic solvent layer in Tank 241-C-103; (4) nuclear criticality; (5) toxic vapors; (6) infrastructure upgrades; and (7) interim stabilization of SSTs. Initial actions have been taken in all of these areas; however, much work remains before a full understanding of the tank waste behavior is achieved. The DOE needs to accelerate the resolution of tank safety concerns to reduce the risk of an unanticipated radioactive or chemical release to the environment, while continuing to manage the wastes safely.« less

75 FR 61225 - Energy Northwest; Columbia Generating Station Environmental Assessment and Finding of No...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

..., fission products, some plutonium-contaminated waste, and toxicological waste. The DOE intends to remediate... through 1967 and contains low- to high-activity waste, fission products, some plutonium-contaminated waste...

Solidification Technologies for Radioactive and Chemical Liquid Waste Treatment - Final CRADA Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Castiglioni, Andrew J.; Gelis, Artem V.

This project, organized under DOE/NNSA's Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention program, joined Russian and DOE scientists in developing more effective solidification and storage technologies for liquid radioactive waste. Several patent applications were filed by the Russian scientists (Russia only) and in 2012, the technology developed was approved by Russia's Federal State Unitary Enterprise RADON for application throughout Russia in cleaning up and disposing of radioactive waste.

De-Inventory Plan for Transuranic Waste Stored at Area G

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hargis, Kenneth Marshall; Christensen, Davis V.; Shepard, Mark D.

This report describes the strategy and detailed work plan developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to disposition transuranic (TRU) waste stored at its Area G radioactive waste storage site. The focus at this time is on disposition of 3,706 m 3 of TRU waste stored above grade by June 30, 2014, which is one of the commitments within the Framework Agreement: Realignment of Environmental Priorities between the Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the State of New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Reference 1. A detailed project management schedule has been developed to manage this workmore » and better ensure that all required activities are aligned and integrated. The schedule was developed in conjunction with personnel from the NNSA Los Alamos Site Office (LASO), the DOE Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO), the Central Characterization Project (CCP), and Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS). A detailed project management schedule for the remainder of the above grade inventory and the below grade inventory will be developed and incorporated into the De-Inventory Plan by December 31, 2012. This schedule will also include all newly-generated TRU waste received at Area G in FYs 2012 and 2013, which must be removed by no later than December 31, 2014, under the Framework Agreement. The TRU waste stored above grade at Area G is considered to be one of the highest nuclear safety risks at LANL, and the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board has expressed concern for the radioactive material at risk (MAR) contained within the above grade TRU waste inventory and has formally requested that DOE reduce the MAR. A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned extensive areas west of LANL in late June and July 2011. Although there was minimal to no impact by the fire to LANL, the fire heightened public concern and news media attention on TRU waste storage at Area G. After the fire, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez also requested that LANL accelerate disposition of TRU waste stored above grade at Area G. The 3,706 m 3 volume of TRU waste stored above grade consists of 4,495 containers that include all above grade non-cemented waste as well as above grade cemented waste that was ready for characterization on October 1, 2011. This volume includes all newly-generated TRU waste currently stored at Area G as of October 1, 2011. This volume does not include the Bolas Grandes spheres, mixed low level waste (MLLW) containers, empty containers, cemented waste that requires remediation, projected newly generated TRU waste from FY 2012 and later, or TRU waste stored below grade. The 3,706 m 3 volume represents about 86 per cent of the total volume of TRU waste stored above grade on October 1, 2011. The De-Inventory Plan supports the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) goal to disposition 90% of the Legacy TRU waste within the DOE complex by the end of 2015 as stated in its Roadmap for EM’s Journey to Excellence (Reference 2). The plan also addresses precursor actions for disposition of TRU waste that are necessary for compliance with the Compliance Order on Consent issued by the NMED in 2005 (Reference 3).« less

Contained recovery of oily waste

DOEpatents

Johnson, Jr., Lyle A.; Sudduth, Bruce C.

1989-01-01

A method is provided for recovering oily waste from oily waste accumulations underground comprising sweeping the oily waste accumulation with hot water to recover said oily waste, wherein said area treated is isolated from surrounding groundwater hydraulically. The hot water may be reinjected after the hot-water displacement or may be treated to conform to any discharge requirements.

AIR DISPERSION MODELING AT THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rucker, D.F.

2000-08-01

One concern at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is the amount of alpha-emitting radionuclides or hazardous chemicals that can become airborne at the facility and reach the Exclusive Use Area boundary as the result of a release from the Waste Handling Building (WHB) or from the underground during waste emplacement operations. The WIPP Safety Analysis Report (SAR), WIPP RCRA Permit, and WIPP Emergency Preparedness Hazards Assessments include air dispersion calculations to address this issue. Meteorological conditions at the WIPP facility will dictate direction, speed, and dilution of a contaminant plume of respirable material due to chronic releases or duringmore » an accident. Due to the paucity of meteorological information at the WIPP site prior to September 1996, the Department of Energy (DOE) reports had to rely largely on unqualified climatic data from the site and neighboring Carlsbad, which is situated approximately 40 km (26 miles) to the west of the site. This report examines the validity of the DOE air dispersion calculations using new meteorological data measured and collected at the WIPP site since September 1996. The air dispersion calculations in this report include both chronic and acute releases. Chronic release calculations were conducted with the EPA-approved code, CAP88PC and the calculations showed that in order for a violation of 40 CFR61 (NESHAPS) to occur, approximately 15 mCi/yr of 239Pu would have to be released from the exhaust stack or from the WHB. This is an extremely high value. Hence, it is unlikely that NESHAPS would be violated. A site-specific air dispersion coefficient was evaluated for comparison with that used in acute dose calculations. The calculations presented in Section 3.2 and 3.3 show that one could expect a slightly less dispersive plume (larger air dispersion coefficient) given greater confidence in the meteorological data, i.e. 95% worst case meteorological conditions. Calculations show that dispersion will decrease slightly if a more stable wind class is assumed, where very little vertical mixing occurs. It is recommended that previous reports which used fixed values for calculating the air dispersion coefficient be updated to reflect the new meteorological data, such as the WIPP Safety Analysis Report and the WIPP Emergency Preparedness Hazards Assessment. It is also recommended that uncertainty be incorporated into the calculations so that a more meaningful assessment of risk during accidents can be achieved.« less

Environmental analysis Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) cost reduction proposals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a research and development facility to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive wastes resulting from the defense activities and programs of the United States government. The facility is planned to be developed in bedded salt at the Los Medanos site in southeastern New Mexico. The environmental consequences of contruction and operation of the WIPP facility are documented in ''Final Environmental Impact Statement, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant''. The proposed action addressed by this environmental analysis is to simplify and reduce the scope of the WIPP facility as it is currently designed. The proposed changesmore » to the existing WIPP design are: limit the waste storage rate to 500,000 cubic feet per year; eliminate one shaft and revise the underground ventilation system; eliminate the underground conveyor system; combine the Administration Building, the Underground Personnel Building and the Waste Handling Building office area; simplify the central monitoring system; simplify the security control systems; modify the Waste Handling Building; simplify the storage exhaust system; modify the above ground salt handling logistics; simplify the power system; reduce overall site features; simplify the Warehouse/Shops Building and eliminate the Vehicle Maintenance Building; and allow resource recovery in Control Zone IV.« less

Evaluation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Public Outreach Program during the Certification Process at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) contracted with Phoenix Environmental and EnviroIssues to evaluate the effectiveness of its public outreach program during its certification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, NM.

No-migration variance petition. Appendices C--J: Volume 5, Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-03-01

Volume V contains the appendices for: closure and post-closure plans; RCRA ground water monitoring waver; Waste Isolation Division Quality Program Manual; water quality sampling plan; WIPP Environmental Procedures Manual; sample handling and laboratory procedures; data analysis; and Annual Site Environmental Monitoring Report for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Technical Assessment Team Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

This report provides the results of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) technical assessment led by the Savannah River National Laboratory and conducted by a team of experts in pertinent disciplines from SRNL and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL).

Sharing of carbapenemase-encoding plasmids between Enterobacteriaceae in UK sewage uncovered by MinION sequencing

PubMed Central

Blane, Beth; Coll, Francesc; Naydenova, Plamena; Hunt, Martin; Tracey, Alan; Hopkins, Katie L.; Brown, Nicholas M.; Woodford, Neil; Parkhill, Julian

2017-01-01

Dissemination of carbapenem resistance among pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria is a looming medical emergency. Efficient spread of resistance within and between bacterial species is facilitated by mobile genetic elements. We hypothesized that wastewater contributes to the dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), and studied this through a cross-sectional observational study of wastewater in the East of England. We isolated clinically relevant species of CPE in untreated and treated wastewater, confirming that waste treatment does not prevent release of CPE into the environment. We observed that CPE-positive plants were restricted to those in direct receipt of hospital waste, suggesting that hospital effluent may play a role in disseminating carbapenem resistance. We postulated that plasmids carrying carbapenemase genes were exchanged between bacterial hosts in sewage, and used short-read (Illumina) and long-read (MinION) technologies to characterize plasmids encoding resistance to antimicrobials and heavy metals. We demonstrated that different CPE species (Enterobacter kobei and Raoultella ornithinolytica) isolated from wastewater from the same treatment plant shared two plasmids of 63 and 280 kb. The former plasmid conferred resistance to carbapenems (blaOXA-48), and the latter to numerous drug classes and heavy metals. We also report the complete genome sequence for Enterobacter kobei. Small, portable sequencing instruments such as the MinION have the potential to improve the quality of information gathered on antimicrobial resistance in the environment. PMID:29026655

Finite-element three-dimensional ground-water (FE3DGW) flow model - formulation, program listings and users' manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, S.K.; Cole, C.R.; Bond, F.W.

1979-12-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (OWNI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologicmore » systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. Hydrologic and transport models are available at several levels of complexity or sophistication. Model selection and use are determined by the quantity and quality of input data. Model development under AEGIS and related programs provides three levels of hydrologic models, two levels of transport models, and one level of dose models (with several separate models). This document consists of the description of the FE3DGW (Finite Element, Three-Dimensional Groundwater) Hydrologic model third level (high complexity) three-dimensional, finite element approach (Galerkin formulation) for saturated groundwater flow.« less

40 CFR 257.3-7 - Air.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES AND PRACTICES Classification of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities... residential, commercial, institutional or industrial solid waste. This requirement does not apply to...

40 CFR 257.3-7 - Air.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES AND PRACTICES Classification of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities... residential, commercial, institutional or industrial solid waste. This requirement does not apply to...

Isolation and characterization of onion degrading bacteria from onion waste produced in South Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

PubMed

Rinland, María Emilia; Gómez, Marisa Anahí

2015-03-01

Onion production in Argentina generates a significant amount of waste. Finding an effective method to recycle it is a matter of environmental concern. Among organic waste reuse techniques, anaerobic digestion could be a valuable alternative to current practices. Substrate inoculation with appropriate bacterial strains enhances the rate-limiting step (hydrolysis) of anaerobic digestion of biomass wastes. Selection of indigenous bacteria with the ability to degrade onion waste could be a good approach to find a suitable bioaugmentation or pretreatment agent. We isolated bacterial strains from onion waste in different degradation stages and from different localities. In order to characterize and select the best candidates, we analyzed the growth patterns of the isolates in a medium prepared with onion juice as the main source of nutrients and we evaluated carbon source utilization. Nine strains were selected to test their ability to grow using onion tissue and the five most remarkable ones were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Strains belonged to the genera Pseudoxanthomonas, Bacillus, Micrococcus and Pseudomonas. Two strains, Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtillis MB2-62 and Pseudomonas poae VE-74 have characteristics that make them promising candidates for bioaugmentation or pretreatment purposes.

Agricultural waste from the tequila industry as substrate for the production of commercially important enzymes.

PubMed

Huitron, C; Perez, R; Sanchez, A E; Lappe, P; Rocha Zavaleta, L

2008-01-01

Approximately 1 million tons of Agave tequilana plants are processed annually by the Mexican Tequila industry generating vast amounts of agricultural waste. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of Agave tequilana waste as substrate for the production of commercially important enzymes. Two strains of Aspergillus niger (CH-A-2010 and CH-A-2016), isolated from agave fields, were found to grow and propagate in submerged cultures using Agave tequilana waste as substrate. Isolates showed simultaneous extracellular inulinase, xylanase, pectinase, and cellulase activities. Aspergillus CH-A-2010 showed the highest production of inulinase activity (1.48 U/ml), whereas Aspergillus niger CH-A-2016 produced the highest xylanase (1.52 U/ml) and endo-pectinase (2.7U/ml) activities. In both cases production of enzyme activities was significantly higher on Agave tequilana waste than that observed on lemon peel and specific polymeric carbohydrates. Enzymatic hydrolysis of raw A. tequilana stems and leaves, by enzymes secreted by the isolates yielded maximum concentrations of reducing sugars of 28.2 g/l, and 9.9 g/l respectively. In conclusion, Agave tequilana waste can be utilized as substrate for the production of important biotechnological enzymes.

48 CFR 904.7102 - Waiver by the Secretary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... restoration, remediation or waste management contracts at a DOE facility if the Secretary determines that a waiver will advance the environmental restoration, remediation or waste management objectives of DOE... description of the control by a foreign government; (2) Description of the procurement and performance...

Mercury stabilization in chemically bonded phosphate ceramics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagh, Arun S.; Jeong, Seung-Young; Singh, Dileep

1997-07-01

We have investigated mercury stabilization in chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC) using four surrogate waste streams that represent U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ash, soil, and two secondary waste streams resulting from the destruction of DOE`s high-organic wastes by the DETOX{sup SM} Wet Oxidation Process. Hg content in the waste streams was 0.1 to 0.5 wt.% (added as soluble salts). Sulfidation of Hg and its concurrent stabilization in the CBPC matrix yielded highly nonleachable waste forms. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure showed that leaching levels were well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency`s regulatory limits. The American Nuclear Society`s ANSmore » 16.1 immersion test also gave very high leaching indices, indicating excellent retention of the contaminants. In particular, leaching levels of Hg in the ash waste form were below the measurement detection limit in neutral and alkaline water, negligibly low but measureable in the first 72 h of leaching in acid water, and below the detection limit after that. These studies indicate that the waste forms are stable in a wide range of chemical environments during storage. 9 refs., 5 tabs.« less

Tanks Focus Area annual report FY2000

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2000-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continues to face a major radioactive waste tank remediation effort with tanks containing hazardous and radioactive waste resulting from the production of nuclear materials. With some 90 million gallons of waste in the form of solid, sludge, liquid, and gas stored in 287 tanks across the DOE complex, containing approximately 650 million curies, radioactive waste storage tank remediation is the nation's highest cleanup priority. Differing waste types and unique technical issues require specialized science and technology to achieve tank cleanup in an environmentally acceptable manner. Some of the waste has been stored for overmore » 50 years in tanks that have exceeded their design lives. The challenge is to characterize and maintain these contents in a safe condition and continue to remediate and close each tank to minimize the risks of waste migration and exposure to workers, the public, and the environment. In 1994, the DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) created a group of integrated, multiorganizational teams focusing on specific areas of the EM cleanup mission. These teams have evolved into five focus areas managed within EM's Office of Science and Technology (OST): Tanks Focus Area (TFA); Deactivation and Decommissioning Focus Area; Nuclear Materials Focus Area; Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area; and Transuranic and Mixed Waste Focus Area.« less

TANK FARM CLOSURE - A NEW TWIST ON REGULATORY STRATEGIES FOR CLOSURE OF WASTE TANK RESIDUALS FOLLOWING NUREG

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LEHMAN LL

2008-01-23

Waste from a number of single-shell tanks (SST) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site has been retrieved by CH2M HILL Hanford Group to fulfill the requirements of the 'Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (HFFACO) [1]. Laboratory analyses of the Hanford tank residual wastes have provided concentration data which will be used to determine waste classification and disposal options for tank residuals. The closure of tank farm facilities remains one of the most challenging activities faced by the DOE. This is due in part to the complicated regulatory structures that have developed. These regulatory structures aremore » different at each of the DOE sites, making it difficult to apply lessons learned from one site to the next. During the past two years with the passage of the Section 3116 of the 'Ronald Reagan Defense Authorization Act of 2005' (NDAA) [2] some standardization has emerged for Savannah River Site and the Idaho National Laboratory tank residuals. Recently, with the issuance of 'NRC Staff Guidance for Activities Related to US. Department of Energy Waste Determinations' (NUREG-1854) [3] more explicit options may be considered for Hanford tank residuals than are presently available under DOE Orders. NUREG-1854, issued in August 2007, contains several key pieces of information that if utilized by the DOE in the tank closure process, could simplify waste classification and streamline the NRC review process by providing information to the NRC in their preferred format. Other provisions of this NUREG allow different methods to be applied in determining when waste retrieval is complete by incorporating actual project costs and health risks into the calculation of 'technically and economically practical'. Additionally, the NUREG requires a strong understanding of the uncertainties of the analyses, which given the desire of some NRC/DOE staff may increase the likelihood of using probabilistic approaches to uncertainty analysis. The purpose of this paper is to discuss implications of NUREG-1854 and to examine the feasibility and potential benefits of applying these provisions to waste determinations and supporting documents such as future performance assessments for tank residuals.« less

WIPP Hazardous Waste Facility Permit Update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kehrman, B.; Most, W.

2006-07-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (HWFP) was issued on October 27, 1999 [1]. Since that time, the WIPP has sought modifications to clarify the permit language, provide alternative methods for meeting permit requirements and to update permit conditions. Significant advancements have been made in transuranic (TRU) waste management as the result of modifications to the HWFP. Among these advancements is a modification to obtain a drum age criteria (DAC) value to perform headspace gas sampling on drums to be super-compacted and placed in a 100-gallon overpack drum. In addition, the Section 311 permit modification requestmore » that would allow for more efficient waste characterization, and the modification to authorize the shipment and disposal of Remote-Handled (RH) TRU waste were merged together and submitted to the regulator as the Consolidated Permit Modification Request (PMR). The submittal of the Consolidated PMR came at the request of the regulator as part of responses to Notices of Deficiency (NODs) for the separate PMRs which had been submitted in previous years. Section 311 of the fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water Developments Appropriations Act (Public Law 108-137) [2] directs the Department of Energy to submit a permit modification that limits waste confirmation to radiography or visual examination of a statistical subpopulation of containers. Section 311 also specifically directs that disposal room performance standards be to be met by monitoring for volatile organic compounds in the underground disposal rooms. This statute translates into the elimination of other waste confirmation methods such as headspace gas sampling and analysis and solids sampling and analysis. These methods, as appropriate, will continue to be used by the generator sites during hazardous waste determinations or characterization activities. This modification is expected to reduce the overall cost of waste analysis by hundreds of millions of dollars [3]. Combining both the chap. 311 and RH TRU waste permit modification requests allows for both the regulator and DOE to expedite action on the modification requests. The Combined PMR reduces costs by having only one administrative process for both modification requests. (authors)« less

Enclosure from DOE letter dated 7/20/07 - Table 5-2, Isotopic Compositions of Rocky Flats Plutonium and Uranium

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This enclosure from a DOE letter to EPA regarding a waste container disposed at the WIPP from the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project includes Table 5-2, Isotopic Compositions of Rocky Flats Plutonium and Uranium.

Assessing the impact of hazardous waste on children's health: The exposome paradigm.

PubMed

Sarigiannis, D A

2017-10-01

Assessment of the health impacts related to hazardous waste is a major scientific challenge with multiple societal implications. Most studies related to associations between hazardous waste and public health do not provide established of mechanistic links between environmental exposure and disease burden, resulting in ineffective waste management options. The exposome concept comes to overhaul the nature vs. nurture paradigm and embraces a world of dynamic interactions between environmental exposures, endogenous exposures and genetic expression in humans. In this context, the exposome paradigm provides a novel tool for holistic hazardous waste management. Waste streams and the related contamination of environmental media are not viewed in isolation, but rather as components of the expotype, the vector of exposures an individual is exposed to over time. Thus, a multi-route and multi-pathway exposure estimation can be performed setting a realistic basis for integrated health risk assessment. Waste management practices are thus assessed not only regarding their technological edge and efficacy but also their effects on human health at the individual and community level, considering intra-subject variability in the affected population. The effectiveness of the exposome approach is demonstrated in the case of Athens, the capital of Greece, where the health effects associated to long term and short term exposure to two major waste management facilities (landfill and plastic recycling) are presented. Using the exposome analysis tools, we confirmed that proximity to a landfill is critical for children neurodevelopment. However, this effect is significantly modified by parameters such as parental education level, socioeconomic status and nutrition. Proximity to a plastics recycling plant does not pose significant threats under normal operating conditions; yet, in the case of an accidental fire, release of persistent carcinogenic compounds (dioxins and furans) even for a short period results in increased lifelong risk, especially for breast feeding neonates. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlsbad Field Office

The Performance Demonstration Program (PDP) for headspace gases distributes blind audit samples in a gas matrix for analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Participating measurement facilities (i.e., fixed laboratories, mobile analysis systems, and on-line analytical systems) are located across the United States. Each sample distribution is termed a PDP cycle. These evaluation cycles provide an objective measure of the reliability of measurements performed for transuranic (TRU) waste characterization. The primary documents governing the conduct of the PDP are the Quality Assurance Program Document (QAPD) (DOE/CBFO-94-1012) and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Waste Analysis Plan (WAP) contained in the Hazardousmore » Waste Facility Permit (NM4890139088-TSDF) issued by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). The WAP requires participation in the PDP; the PDP must comply with the QAPD and the WAP. This plan implements the general requirements of the QAPD and the applicable requirements of the WAP for the Headspace Gas (HSG) PDP. Participating measurement facilities analyze blind audit samples of simulated TRU waste package headspace gases according to the criteria set by this PDP Plan. Blind audit samples (hereafter referred to as PDP samples) are used as an independent means to assess each measurement facility’s compliance with the WAP quality assurance objectives (QAOs). To the extent possible, the concentrations of VOC analytes in the PDP samples encompass the range of concentrations anticipated in actual TRU waste package headspace gas samples. Analyses of headspace gases are required by the WIPP to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. These analyses must be performed by measurement facilities that have demonstrated acceptable performance in this PDP. These analyses are referred to as WIPP analyses and the TRU waste package headspace gas samples on which they are performed are referred to as WIPP samples in this document. Participating measurement facilities must analyze PDP samples using the same procedures used for routine waste characterization analyses of WIPP samples.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlsbad Field Office

The Performance Demonstration Program (PDP) for headspace gases distributes sample gases of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for analysis. Participating measurement facilities (i.e., fixed laboratories, mobile analysis systems, and on-line analytical systems) are located across the United States. Each sample distribution is termed a PDP cycle. These evaluation cycles provide an objective measure of the reliability of measurements performed for transuranic (TRU) waste characterization. The primary documents governing the conduct of the PDP are the Quality Assurance Program Document (QAPD) (DOE/CBFO-94-1012) and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Waste Analysis Plan (WAP) contained in the Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (NM4890139088-TSDF) issuedmore » by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). The WAP requires participation in the PDP; the PDP must comply with the QAPD and the WAP. This plan implements the general requirements of the QAPD and the applicable requirements of the WAP for the Headspace Gas (HSG) PDP. Participating measurement facilities analyze blind audit samples of simulated TRU waste package headspace gases according to the criteria set by this PDP Plan. Blind audit samples (hereafter referred to as PDP samples) are used as an independent means to assess each measurement facility’s compliance with the WAP quality assurance objectives (QAOs). To the extent possible, the concentrations of VOC analytes in the PDP samples encompass the range of concentrations anticipated in actual TRU waste package headspace gas samples. Analyses of headspace gases are required by the WIPP to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. These analyses must be performed by measurement facilities that have demonstrated acceptable performance in this PDP. These analyses are referred to as WIPP analyses and the TRU waste package headspace gas samples on which they are performed are referred to as WIPP samples in this document. Participating measurement facilities must analyze PDP samples using the same procedures used for routine waste characterization analyses of WIPP samples.« less

NRC Monitoring of Salt Waste Disposal at the Savannah River Site - 13147

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pinkston, Karen E.; Ridge, A. Christianne; Alexander, George W.

2013-07-01

As part of monitoring required under Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA), the NRC staff reviewed an updated DOE performance assessment (PA) for salt waste disposal at the Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF). The NRC staff concluded that it has reasonable assurance that waste disposal at the SDF meets the 10 CFR 61 performance objectives for protection of individuals against intrusion (chap.61.42), protection of individuals during operations (chap.61.43), and site stability (chap.61.44). However, based on its evaluation of DOE's results and independent sensitivity analyses conducted with DOE's models, the NRC staffmore » concluded that it did not have reasonable assurance that DOE's disposal activities at the SDF meet the performance objective for protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity (chap.61.41) evaluated at a dose limit of 0.25 mSv/yr (25 mrem/yr) total effective dose equivalent (TEDE). NRC staff also concluded that the potential dose to a member of the public is expected to be limited (i.e., is expected to be similar to or less than the public dose limit in chap.20.1301 of 1 mSv/yr [100 mrem/yr] TEDE) and is expected to occur many years after site closure. The NRC staff used risk insights gained from review of the SDF PA, its experience monitoring DOE disposal actions at the SDF over the last 5 years, as well as independent analysis and modeling to identify factors that are important to assessing whether DOE's disposal actions meet the performance objectives. Many of these factors are similar to factors identified in the NRC staff's 2005 review of salt waste disposal at the SDF. Key areas of interest continue to be waste form and disposal unit degradation, the effectiveness of infiltration and erosion controls, and estimation of the radiological inventory. Based on these factors, NRC is revising its plan for monitoring salt waste disposal at the SDF in coordination with South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). DOE has completed or begun additional work related to salt waste disposal to address these factors. NRC staff continues to evaluate information related to the performance of the SDF and has been working with DOE and SCDHEC to resolve NRC staff's technical concerns. (authors)« less

Conduct of Operations. MAS-121. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to teach trainees to apply conduct of operations principles to their area(s) of responsibility. The following topics are covered in the module's individual…

Regulatory Organizations and Their Requirements. MAS-113. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to enable trainees to identify regulatory organizations and oversight groups and monitor and provide guidance in the implementation of the requirements of…

Organizing. MAS-108. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to enable trainees to organize work activities efficiently and effectively. The first section of the module is an introduction that includes a terminal objective and…

Industrial Safety. MAS-123. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to prepare trainees to promote and monitor the industrial safety program at their plant. The following topics are covered in the module's individual sections:…

Purchasing and Accounting. MAS-116. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to prepare trainees to perform purchasing and accounting tasks efficiently and effectively. The first section is an introduction to the module. The next three…

Penicillium pedernalense sp. nov., isolated from whiteleg shrimp heads waste compost.

PubMed

Laich, Federico; Andrade, Jacinto

2016-11-01

Novel Penicillium-like strains were isolated during the characterization of the mycobiota community dynamics associated with shrimp waste composting. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial β-tubulin (BenA) gene and the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) sequences revealed that the novel strains were members of section Lanata-Divaricata and were closely related to Penicillium infrabuccalum DAOMC 250537T. On the basis of morphological and physiological characterization, and phylogenetic analysis, a novel Penicillium species, Penicillium pedernalense sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is F01-11T (=CBS 140770T=CECT 20949T), which was isolated from whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) heads waste compost in the Pedernales region (Manabí province, Ecuador).

40 CFR 273.81 - Factors for petitions to include other wastes under 40 CFR part 273.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... generic name to identify the waste category (e.g., batteries), the definition of universal waste in § 260... waste category (e.g., hazardous waste batteries).) Thus, only the portion of the waste stream that does...) to recycling, treatment, or disposal in compliance with Subtitle C of RCRA. (g) Regulation of the...

40 CFR 273.81 - Factors for petitions to include other wastes under 40 CFR part 273.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... generic name to identify the waste category (e.g., batteries), the definition of universal waste in § 260... waste category (e.g., hazardous waste batteries).) Thus, only the portion of the waste stream that does...) to recycling, treatment, or disposal in compliance with Subtitle C of RCRA. (g) Regulation of the...

40 CFR 273.81 - Factors for petitions to include other wastes under 40 CFR part 273.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... generic name to identify the waste category (e.g., batteries), the definition of universal waste in § 260... waste category (e.g., hazardous waste batteries).) Thus, only the portion of the waste stream that does...) to recycling, treatment, or disposal in compliance with Subtitle C of RCRA. (g) Regulation of the...

40 CFR 273.81 - Factors for petitions to include other wastes under 40 CFR part 273.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... generic name to identify the waste category (e.g., batteries), the definition of universal waste in § 260... waste category (e.g., hazardous waste batteries).) Thus, only the portion of the waste stream that does...) to recycling, treatment, or disposal in compliance with Subtitle C of RCRA. (g) Regulation of the...

40 CFR 273.81 - Factors for petitions to include other wastes under 40 CFR part 273.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... generic name to identify the waste category (e.g., batteries), the definition of universal waste in § 260... waste category (e.g., hazardous waste batteries).) Thus, only the portion of the waste stream that does... group of industries, is commonly generated by a wide variety of types of establishments (including, for...

Biodegradation of nicotine by a newly isolated Pseudomonas stutzeri JZD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petricevic, Jelena; Gujanicic, Vera; Radic, Danka; Jovicic Petrovic, Jelena; Jovic, Jelena; Raicevic, Vera

2013-04-01

The tobacco-manufacturing process and all activities that use tobacco, produce solid or liquid wastes with high concentrations of nicotine. Nicotine is a significant toxic waste product in tobacco industry. This waste is classified as 'toxic and hazardous' by European Union regulations when the nicotine content exceeds 500 milligrams per kilogram dry weight. Therefore, there is a major environmental requirement to remove nicotine from tobacco wastes. Bioremediation techniques which involve nicotine degradation by microorganisms have attracted attention during the last years, because microorganisms have the potential to reduce nicotine levels in tobacco and to detoxify tobacco wastes. The aim of this study is isolation and identification of nicotine degraded bacteria and optimization of nicotine degradation in laboratory conditions. An aerobic bacterial strain capable of effectively degrading nicotine was isolated from the tobacco industry waste, Serbia. After isolation, the liquid culture was spread onto the solid plates of the nicotine inorganic salt medium using the dilution plate method. Cell morphology of strain was observed by a light microscope and physiological characteristics were determined by Api technique and sequence analyzes of 16S rDNA. This isolate was identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri based on morphology, physiological characteristics, and Apiweb technique. Comparison with sequences available in data library showed the 99% similarity with 16S rDNA gene sequence of the species Pseudomonas stutzeri ( GenBank Acc. No. CP003725). We analyzed the effect of initial nicotine concentration (1g/L, 1.5 g/L, 2.5 g/L) on microbial activity in aim to optimize biodegradation. The effect of cultivation temperature (25°C; 30°C; 37°C) on nicotine degradation by P. stutzeri was evaluated after 24 h of cultivation, with 1.5 g/L nicotine added as the sole carbon source. Effect of biodegradation has depended on initial concentration. During incubation, number of bacteria was increased in all variants of initial concentrations. Nicotine degradation rate increased with increasing cultivation temperature. The optimal temperature was 37°C. The results suggest that the P. stutzeri may be useful for bioremediation of nicotine-polluted waste and confirms its possible application in solving of nicotine contamination problems. Key words: Pseudomonas stutzeri, biodegradation; nicotine; waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Funk, David John

The inadvertent creation of transuranic waste carrying hazardous waste codes D001 and D002 requires the treatment of the material to eliminate the hazardous characteristics and allow its eventual shipment and disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report briefly summarizes the surrogate testing that was done in support of our understanding of this waste form.

Geohydrology of the near-surface unsaturated zone adjacent to the disposal site for low-level radioactive waste near Beatty, Nevada: A section in Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings (Circular 1036)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Jeffrey M.; Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Shallow-land burial in arid areas is considered the best method for isolating low-level radioactive waste from the environment (Nichols and Goode, this report; Mercer and others, 1983). A major threat to waste isolation in shallow trenches is ground-water percolation. Repository sites in arid areas are believed to minimize the risk of ground-water contamination because such sites receive minimal precipitation and are underlain by thick unsaturated zones. Unfortunately, few data are available on rates of water percolation in an arid environment.

Technology Readiness Assessment of a Large DOE Waste Processing Facility

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-12

Waste Generation at Hanford – Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant ( WTP ) Project • Motivation to Conduct TRA • TRA Approach • Actions to ensure...Hanford’s WTP will be the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant to treat Hanford’s underground tank waste Waste Treatment Plant ( WTP ) Major...Mass Maximize Activity WTP Flow Sheet – Key Process Flows Hanford Tank Waste 10 How is the Vitrified Waste Dispositioned? High Level Waste Canisters

Recommended HSE-7 documents hierarchy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, R.B.; Jennrich, E.A.; Lund, D.M.

1990-12-12

This report recommends a hierarchy of waste management documents at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or Laboratory''). The hierarchy addresses documents that are required to plan, implement, and document waste management programs at Los Alamos. These documents will enable the waste management group and the six sections contained within that group to satisfy requirements that are imposed upon them by the US Department of Energy (DOE), DOE Albuquerque Operations, US Environmental Protection Agency, various State of New Mexico agencies, and Laboratory management.

Recommended HSE-7 documents hierarchy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, R.B.; Jennrich, E.A.; Lund, D.M.

1990-12-12

This report recommends a hierarchy of waste management documents at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or ``Laboratory``). The hierarchy addresses documents that are required to plan, implement, and document waste management programs at Los Alamos. These documents will enable the waste management group and the six sections contained within that group to satisfy requirements that are imposed upon them by the US Department of Energy (DOE), DOE Albuquerque Operations, US Environmental Protection Agency, various State of New Mexico agencies, and Laboratory management.

Identification and assessment of site treatment plan implementation opportunities for emerging technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bernard, E.A.

1995-12-31

The Department of Energy (DOE), in response to the 1992 Federal Facility Compliance Act, has prepared Site Treatment Plans (STP) for the approximately 2,000 waste streams identified within its mixed waste inventory Concurrently, emerging mixed waste treatment technologies are in final development. This paper defines a three-phase process to identify and assess implementation opportunities for these emerging technologies within the STP. It highlights the first phase, functional matching of expected treatment capabilities with proposed treatment requirements. Matches are based on treatment type, regulated contaminant and waste matrix type, for both capabilities and requirements. Results identify specific waste streams and volumesmore » that could be treated by each emerging technology. A study for Plasma Hearth Process, Delphi DETOX{sup sm}, Supercritical Water Oxidation and Vitrification shows that about 200,000 ml of DOE`s mixed waste inventory can potentially be treated by one or more of these emerging technologies. Actual implementations are small fractions of the treatable inventory. Differences between potential and actual implementations must be minimized to accrue optimum benefit from implementation of emerging or alternative treatment technologies. Functional matching is the first phase in identifying and quantifying benefits, addressing technology system and treatment issues, and providing, in part, the basis for STP implementation decisions. DOE, through EM`s Office of Technology Development, has funded this work.« less

An overview of EPA regulation of the safe disposal of transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

PubMed

Wolbarst, A B; Forinash, E K; Byrum, C O; Peake, R T; Marcinowski, F; Kruger, M U

2001-02-01

In March of 1999, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeast New Mexico, the world's first deep geological repository for radioactive materials, began receiving defense-related transuranic waste. The WIPP was designed and constructed by the U.S. Department of Energy, but critical to its opening was certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the repository complies with the radioactive waste disposal regulations set forth as environmental radiation protection standards (40 CFR Part 191) and compliance criteria (40 CFR Part 194). This paper provides a summary of the regulatory process, including the Environmental Protection Agency's waste containment, groundwater protection, and individual dose regulations for the WIPP; the Department of Energy's performance assessment and the other parts of its compliance certification application; and the Environmental Protection Agency's review and analysis of the compliance certification application and related documentation.

Dose rate prediction methodology for remote handled transuranic waste workers at the waste isolation pilot plant.

PubMed

Hayes, Robert

2002-10-01

An approach is described for estimating future dose rates to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant workers processing remote handled transuranic waste. The waste streams will come from the entire U.S. Department of Energy complex and can take on virtually any form found from the processing sequences for defense-related production, radiochemistry, activation and related work. For this reason, the average waste matrix from all generator sites is used to estimate the average radiation fields over the facility lifetime. Innovative new techniques were applied to estimate expected radiation fields. Non-linear curve fitting techniques were used to predict exposure rate profiles from cylindrical sources using closed form equations for lines and disks. This information becomes the basis for Safety Analysis Report dose rate estimates and for present and future ALARA design reviews when attempts are made to reduce worker doses.

Final environmental impact statement. Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-10-01

This volume contains the appendices for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Alternative geologic environs are considered. Salt, crystalline rock, argillaceous rock, and tuff are discussed. Studies on alternate geologic regions for the siting of WIPP are reviewed. President Carter's message to Congress on the management of radioactive wastes and the findings and recommendations of the interagency review group on nuclear waste management are included. Selection criteria for the WIPP site including geologic, hydrologic, tectonic, physicochemical compatability, and socio-economic factors are presented. A description of the waste types and the waste processing procedures aremore » given. Methods used to calculate radiation doses from radionuclide releases during operation are presented. A complete description of the Los Medanos site, including archaeological and historic aspects is included. Environmental monitoring programs and long-term safety analysis program are described. (DMC)« less

Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

In the United States, low-level radioactive waste is disposed by shallow-land burial. Low-level radioactive waste generated by non-Federal facilities has been buried at six commercially operated sites; low-level radioactive waste generated by Federal facilities has been buried at eight major and several minor Federally operated sites (fig. 1). Generally, low-level radioactive waste is somewhat imprecisely defined as waste that does not fit the definition of high-level radioactive waste and does not exceed 100 nCi/g in the concentration of transuranic elements. Most low-level radioactive waste generated by non-Federal facilities is generated at nuclear powerplants; the remainder is generated primarily at research laboratories, hospitals, industrial facilities, and universities. On the basis of half lives and concentrations of radionuclides in low-level radioactive waste, the hazard associated with burial of such waste generally lasts for about 500 years. Studies made at several of the commercially and Federally operated low-level radioactive-waste repository sites indicate that some of these sites have not provided containment of waste nor the expected protection of the environment.

Characterization, monitoring, and sensor technology catalogue

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matalucci, R.V.; Esparza-Baca, C.; Jimenez, R.D.

1995-12-01

This document represents a summary of 58 technologies that are being developed by the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Office of Science and Technology (OST) to provide site, waste, and process characterization and monitoring solutions to the DOE weapons complex. The information was compiled to provide performance data on OST-developed technologies to scientists and engineers responsible for preparing Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies (RI/FSs) and preparing plans and compliance documents for DOE cleanup and waste management programs. The information may also be used to identify opportunities for partnering and commercialization with industry, DOE laboratories, other federal and state agencies, and the academic community.more » Each technology is featured in a format that provides: (1) a description, (2) technical performance data, (3) applicability, (4) development status, (5) regulatory considerations, (6) potential commercial applications, (7) intellectual property, and (8) points-of-contact. Technologies are categorized into the following areas: (1) Bioremediation Monitoring, (2) Decontamination and Decommissioning, (3) Field Analytical Laboratories, (4) Geophysical and Hydrologic Characterization, (5) Hazardous Inorganic Contaminant Analysis, (6) Hazardous Organic Contaminant Analysis, (7) Mixed Waste, (8) Radioactive Contaminant Analysis, (9) Remote Sensing,(10)Sampling and Drilling, (11) Statistically Guided Sampling, and (12) Tank Waste.« less

The highly successful safe remediation of the Fernald waste pits undertaken under the privatization model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cherry, Mark; Lojek, Dave; Murphy, Con

2003-02-23

Remediation of eight waste pits at the Department of Energy (DOE) Fernald site, located northwest of Cincinnati, Ohio, involves excavating approximately one million tonnes in-situ of low-level waste which were placed in pits during Fernald's production era. This unique project, one of the largest in the history of CERCLA/Superfund, includes uranium and thorium contaminated waste, soils and sludges. These wet soils and sludges are thermally dried in a processing facility to meet Department of Transportation (DOT) transportation and disposal facility waste acceptance criteria, loaded into railcars and shipped to the Envirocare waste disposal facility at Clive, Utah. This project ismore » now approximately 60% complete with more than 415,000 tonnes (460,000 tons) of waste material safely shipped in 74 unit trains to Envirocare. Work is scheduled to be completed in early 2005. Success to date demonstrates that a major DOE site remediation project can be safely and successfully executed in partnership with private industry, utilizing proven commercial best practices, existing site labor resources and support of local stakeholders. In 1997 under the DOE's privatization initiative, Fluor Fernald, Inc. (Fluor Fernald) solicited the services of the remediation industry to design, engineer, procure, construct, own and operate a facility that would undertake the remediation of the waste pits. The resulting procurement was awarded to IT Corporation, currently Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure, Inc. (Shaw). The contractor was required to finance the procurement and construction of its facilities and infrastructure. The contract was performance-based and payment would be made on the successful loadout of the waste from the facility on a per-ton basis meeting the Envirocare waste acceptance criteria. This paper details the performance to date, the challenges encountered, and the seamless partnering between DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fluor Fernald, Shaw, labor un ions, and the local community in creating and executing a successful project.« less

Isolation, identification and characterization of indigenous fungi for bioremediation of hexavalent chromium, nickel and cobalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernahadini, Nelis; Suhandono, Sony; Choesin, Devi N.; Chaerun, Siti K.; Kadarusman, Ade

2014-03-01

Waste from nickel mining of Sorowako in South Sulawesi contains hexavalent chromium, nickel and cobalt metals in high concentration and may have a negative impact to the environment. Common waste treatment systems such as chemical treatment using a reducing reagent may still have a negative impact. Bioremediation using fungi or bacteria becomes more popular because it is an environmentally friendly alternative. The purposes of this study are to isolate and identify indigenous fungi that are resistant to heavy metals (hexavalent chromium, nickel, and cobalt) and are capable of reducing the concentration of metals in mining wastes. Ten fungal isolates were successfully isolated from the soils and pond sediments in the area of nickel mining in Sorowako. Selection of superior isolate was carried out by growing all the isolates on PDA medium, which contained all of the three metals. One superior isolate was identified to be able to grow on medium with concentrations of 6400 ppm hexavalent chromium, 200 ppm nickel and 50 ppm cobalt. Molecular identification and phylogenetic studies of the isolate using fungal PCR primers developed to amplify the ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region showed that the isolate sequence was very close to Trichoderma atroviride with 99.8% similarity. Optimum incubation time for the uptake of hexavalent chromium was 3 days, nickel and cobalt was 5 days, respectively, with an optimum pH of 4.

Assessment of effectiveness of geologic isolation systems. CIRMIS data system. Volume 4. Driller's logs, stratigraphic cross section and utility routines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedrichs, D.R.

1980-01-01

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologicmore » systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. The various input parameters required in the analysis are compiled in data systems. The data are organized and prepared by various input subroutines for use by the hydrologic and transport codes. The hydrologic models simulate the groundwater flow systems and provide water flow directions, rates, and velocities as inputs to the transport models. Outputs from the transport models are basically graphs of radionuclide concentration in the groundwater plotted against time. After dilution in the receiving surface-water body (e.g., lake, river, bay), these data are the input source terms for the dose models, if dose assessments are required. The dose models calculate radiation dose to individuals and populations. CIRMIS (Comprehensive Information Retrieval and Model Input Sequence) Data System is a storage and retrieval system for model input and output data, including graphical interpretation and display. This is the fourth of four volumes of the description of the CIRMIS Data System.« less

Development of consistent hazard controls for DOE transuranic waste operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woody, W.J.

2007-07-01

This paper describes the results of a re-engineering initiative undertaken with the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) in order to standardize hazard analysis assumptions and methods and resulting safety controls applied to multiple transuranic (TRU) waste operations located across the United States. A wide range of safety controls are historically applied to transuranic waste operations, in spite of the fact that these operations have similar operational characteristics and hazard/accident potential. The re-engineering effort supported the development of a DOE technical standard with specific safety controls designated for accidents postulated during waste container retrieval, staging/storage, venting, onsitemore » movements, and characterization activities. Controls cover preventive and mitigative measures; include both hardware and specific administrative controls; and provide protection to the facility worker, onsite co-located workers and the general public located outside of facility boundaries. The Standard development involved participation from all major DOE sites conducting TRU waste operations. Both safety analysts and operations personnel contributed to the re-engineering effort. Acknowledgment is given in particular to the following individuals who formed a core working group: Brenda Hawks, (DOE Oak Ridge Office), Patrice McEahern (CWI-Idaho), Jofu Mishima (Consultant), Louis Restrepo (Omicron), Jay Mullis (DOE-ORO), Mike Hitchler (WSMS), John Menna (WSMS), Jackie East (WSMS), Terry Foppe (CTAC), Carla Mewhinney (WIPP-SNL), Stephie Jennings (WIPP-LANL), Michael Mikolanis (DOESRS), Kraig Wendt (BBWI-Idaho), Lee Roberts (Fluor Hanford), and Jim Blankenhorn (WSRC). Additional acknowledgment is given to Dae Chung (EM) and Ines Triay (EM) for leadership and management of the re-engineering effort. (authors)« less

Isolation of clinically relevant fungal species from solid waste and environment of dental health services.

PubMed

Vieira, C D; de Carvalho, M A R; de Resende, M A; de Menezes Cussiol, N A; Alvarez-Leite, M E; dos Santos, S G; de Oliveira, M B; de Magalhães, T F F; Silva, M X; Nicoli, J R; de Macêdo Farias, L

2010-10-01

This study was undertaken to detect, identify and determine antifungal susceptibility of yeast strains isolated from dental solid waste and to evaluate airborne fungi in the Brazilian dental health care environment and in the waste storage room. A group of 17 yeast strains were identified by macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, API 20C Aux system and Multiplex PCR. All 104 airborne fungal colonies were identified by macroscopic and microscopic morphology. The CLSI broth microdilution method was utilized as the susceptibility test. Candida parapsilosis was the prevailing yeast species recovered from waste, followed by Rhodotorula glutinis. Three strains of Candida guilliermondii presented minimal inhibitory concentration values considered to be susceptible dose dependent (2 μg ml(-1)) to voriconazole. Of all airborne fungal species, 69% were recovered from the waste storage room and 31% were recovered from the clinical/surgical environment. Most of them were identified as Cladosporium spp. These findings reinforce the potential risk of waste handling and point out the need for safe management to minimize the spread of these agents to the environment. Filamentous fungi isolation in almost all sampled environments indicates that a periodic monitoring of airborne microbiota in the dental health care service environment is required. The survival of yeast strains for 48 h suggests that dental waste should be carefully controlled and monitored. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weaver, Douglas James

The mission of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is to demonstrate the safe, environmentally sound, cost effective, permanent disposal of Transuranic (TRU) waste left from production of nuclear weapons.

Bacteria isolated from amoebae/bacteria consortium

DOEpatents

Tyndall, R.L.

1995-05-30

New protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. Consortia and bacteria isolated therefrom are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. Consortia, bacteria isolated therefrom, and dispersants isolated therefrom are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

Bacteria isolated from amoebae/bacteria consortium

DOEpatents

Tyndall, Richard L.

1995-01-01

New protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. Consortia and bacteria isolated therefrom are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. Consortia, bacteria isolated therefrom, and dispersants isolated therefrom are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

Plant and Industry Experience. MAS-122. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This learning module, which is part of a management and supervisor training program for managers and supervisors employed at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Division, is designed to prepare trainees to use plant and industry experience to improve plant safety and reliability. The following topics are covered in the module's individual…

Communications. MAS-106. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to enable trainees to communicate effectively in the workplace. The first section of the module is an introduction that includes a terminal objective and opening remarks…

Introduction to the MAST Program. MAS-100. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to provide participants with knowledge and skills necessary to take full advantage of the MAST learning experience. The module contains program guidelines, sample…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Witherspoon, P.A.

The problem of isolating radioactive wastes from the biosphere presents specialists in the fields of earth sciences with some of the most complicated problems they have ever encountered. This is especially true for high level waste (HLW) which must be isolated in the underground and away from the biosphere for thousands of years. Essentially every country that is generating electricity in nuclear power plants is faced with the problem of isolating the radioactive wastes that are produced. The general consensus is that this can be accomplished by selecting an appropriate geologic setting and carefully designing the rock repository. Much newmore » technology is being developed to solve the problems that have been raised and there is a continuing need to publish the results of new developments for the benefit of all concerned. The 28th International Geologic Congress that was held July 9--19, 1989 in Washington, DC provided an opportunity for earth scientists to gather for detailed discussions on these problems. Workshop W3B on the subject, Geological Problems in Radioactive Waste Isolation -- A World Wide Review'' was organized by Paul A Witherspoon and Ghislain de Marsily and convened July 15--16, 1989 Reports from 19 countries have been gathered for this publication. Individual papers have been cataloged separately.« less

Treatment of Spent Argentine Ion Exchange Resin Using Vitrification - Results of FY01 Testing at the Savannah River Technology Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, C.L.

2002-08-14

Under the Science and Technology Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation on Radioactive and Mixed Waste Management (JCCRM), the Department of Energy (DOE) is helping to transfer waste treatment technology to international atomic energy commissions. In 1996, as part of the JCCRM, DOE established a collaborative research agreement with Argentina's Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (CNEA). A primary mission of the CNEA is to direct waste management activities for Argentina's nuclear industry.

STATUS OF EPA/DOE MOU TECHNICAL WORKGROUP ACTIVITIES: HG WASTE TREATMENT

EPA Science Inventory

EPA's Land Disposal Restrictions program currently has technology-specific treatment standards for hazardous wastes containing greater than or equal to 260ppm total mercury (Hg) (i.e., high Hg subcategory wastes). The treatment standards specify RMERC for high Hg subcategory wast...

New Brunswick Laboratory. Progress report, October 1995--September 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Fiscal year (FY) 1996 was a very good year for New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL), whose major sponsor is the Office of Safeguards and Security (NN-51) in the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nonproliferation and National Security, Office of Security Affairs. Several projects pertinent to the NBL mission were completed, and NBL`s interactions with partners and customers were encouraging. Among the partners with which NBL interacted in this report period were the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), NN-51. Environmental Program Group of the DOE Chicago Operations Office, International Safeguards Project Office, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), Ukraine Working Group,more » Fissile Materials Assurance Working Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) in Belgium, Brazilian/Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC), Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company, and other DOE facilities and laboratories. NBL staff publications, participation in safeguards assistance and other nuclear programs, development of new reference materials, involvement in the updating and refinement of DOE documents, service in enhancing the science education of others, and other related activities enhanced NBL`s status among DOE laboratories and facilities. Noteworthy are the facts that NBL`s small inventory of nuclear materials is accurately accounted for, and, as in past years, its materials and human resources were used in peaceful nuclear activities worldwide.« less

Materials in the U.S. Municipal Waste Stream, 1960 to 2012 (in tons)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has collected and reported data on the generation and disposal of waste in the United States for more than 30 years. We use this information to measure the success of waste reduction and recycling programs across the country. Our trash, or municipal solid waste (MSW), is made up of the things we commonly use and then throw away. These materials include items such as packaging, food scraps, grass clippings, sofas, computers, tires, and refrigerators. MSW does not include industrial, hazardous, or construction waste. The data in Materials and Products in the Municipal Waste Stream, 1960 to 2012, provides estimated data in thousands of tons discarded after recycling and compost recovery for the years 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012. In this data set, discards include combustion with energy recovery. This data table does not include construction & demolition debris, industrial process wastes, or certain other wastes. Details may not add to totals due to rounding.

9 CFR 94.5 - Regulation of certain garbage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... dispose of regulated garbage in landfills at Alaskan ports only, if and only if the cruise ship does not... solid waste. (i) Industrial process wastes, mining wastes, sewage sludge, incinerator ash, or other...

Nucleic acid isolation

DOEpatents

Longmire, J.L.; Lewis, A.K.; Hildebrand, C.E.

1988-01-21

A method is provided for isolating DNA from eukaryotic cell and flow sorted chromosomes. When DNA is removed from chromosome and cell structure, detergent and proteolytic digestion products remain with the DNA. These products can be removed with organic extraction, but the process steps associated with organic extraction reduces the size of DNA fragments available for experimental use. The present process removes the waste products by dialyzing a solution containing the DNA against a solution containing polyethylene glycol (PEG). The waste products dialyze into the PEG leaving isolated DNA. The remaining DNA has been prepared with fragments containing more than 160 kb. The isolated DNA has been used in conventional protocols without effect on the protocol.

Associate Directorate Environmental Management Infrastructure Plan for Area G and Area L Domes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stevens, Patrice Ann; Baumer, Andrew Ronald

Technical Area 54, at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is situated in the east-central portion of the Laboratory on the Mesita del Buey between Pajarito Canyon to the south and Cañada del Buey to the north. TA-54 includes four MDAs designated as G, H, J, and L; a waste characterization, container storage, and transfer facility; active TRU waste and MLLW waste storage and low-level waste (LLW) disposal operations at Area G; active hazardous and mixed low-level (MLLW) waste storage operations at Area L; and administrative and support areas. MDA J has previously under-gone closure. Area G is a waste managementmore » and disposal area, used for the disposal and storage of radioactive wastes since 1957. Since August 2015, Area G has been in warm standby and provides minimal operations to support safety, compliance, and nitrate salt remediation. Located within Area G, MDA G covers 63-acres. MDA G contains 334 active and inactive waste management units, which include 36 pits, 294 shafts, and 4 trenches. In 1971, Area G began use for the retrievable storage of TRU waste. There are two pits, four trenches and 60 shafts that contain retrievable TRU waste. Thirty-three of the shafts contain TRU waste that may present unique problems for retrieval. In 1986, segregation of MLLW was initiated at Area G for treatment and temporary storage or for off-site disposal. Area G is the only active LLW disposal facility at the Laboratory. Current operations at Area G include storage and characterization of TRU and mixed TRU waste destined for off-site disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico and the storage of MLLW destined for off-site treatment and/or disposal. Several above-ground container storage units (CSUs) are currently used for storage of containerized MLLW and/or mixed TRU wastes. These consist of asphalt pads and associated fabric domes or other structures. As defined by the Consent Order, MDA G contains 229 of the 334 subsurface waste management units at Area G. These MDA G disposal units include 32 pits, 193 shafts, and 4 trenches and contain LLW, MLLW and TRU waste. The remaining 105 solid waste management units (SWMUs) include RCRA-regulated landfill and storage units and DOE-regulated LLW disposal units. The TA-54 closure project must ensure that continuing waste operations at Area G and their transition to an interim or enduring facility are coordinated with closure activities.« less

Albuquerque Operations Office, Albuquerque, New Mexico: Technology summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-08-01

This document has been prepared by the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) Office of Technology Development (OTD) in order to highlight research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation (RDDT&E) activities funded through the Albuquerque Operations Office. Technologies and processes described have the potential to enhance DOE`s cleanup and waste management efforts, as well as improve US industry`s competitiveness in global environmental markets. The information has been assembled from recently produced OTD documents that highlight technology development activities within each of the OTD program elements. These integrated program summaries include: Volatile Organic Compounds in Non-Arid Soils, Volatile Organic Compounds inmore » Arid Soils, Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration, Uranium in Soils Integrated Demonstration, Characterization, Monitoring, and Sensor Technology, In Situ Remediation, Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration, Underground Storage Tank, Efficient Separations and Processing, Mixed Waste Integrated Program, Rocky Flats Compliance Program, Pollution Prevention Program, Innovation Investment Area, and Robotics Technology.« less

Comparison of isolate dadih with yeast dadih in improving nutrition quality of Cassava Waste (CW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginting, N.

2018-03-01

The cassava industry in North Sumatra Province was one of the most significant agricultural industries. Waste from the cassava industry which was called cassava waste/CW/Onggok was used as feed for ruminants such as cattle, sheep and monogastric such as pigs. The low nutrients in CW caused the need to find a way for improving the nutrients quality. This research was conducted with the aim to help livestockers to ferment their livestock feed. This study compared the ability of fermentation between dadih isolate with dadih yeast. Dadih is traditional food in Indonesia where milk is fermented in bamboo tube. Dadih yeast was made by mixing dadih and whey with flour, made in around shape and sun dried. The results showed that pH of CW by dadih isolate was the lowest while crude protein, crude fiber and fat in CW treated with dadih isolate were improved significantly compared either to control or to dadih starter while fermented CW was better than non-fermented CW. It was recommended livestockers to ferment CW by using either by dadih isolate or dadih starter.

FY 1994 program summary: Office of Technology Development, Office of Research and Development, Office of Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-10-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management, formerly the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM), was established in November 1989 as the first step toward correcting contamination problems resulting from nearly 50 years of nuclear weapons production and fuel processing activities. EM consolidates several DOE organizations previously responsible for the handling, treatment, and disposition of radioactive and hazardous waste. Within EM, the Office of Technology Development (OTD/EM-50) is responsible for developing technologies to meet DOE`s goal for environmental restoration. OTD manages an aggressive national program of applied research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation (RDDT andmore » E) for environmental cleanup, waste management, and related technologies. The program is designed to resolve major technical issues, to rapidly advanced beyond current technologies for environmental restoration and waste management operations, and to expedite compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. This report summarizes Fiscal Year 1994 (FY94) programmatic information, accomplishments, and planned activities relevant to the individual activities within OTD`s RDDT and E.« less

Mercury contamination - Amalgamate (contract with NFS and ADA). Stabilize Elemental Mercury Wastes. Mixed Waste Focus Area. OST Reference Number 1675

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

1999-09-01

Through efforts led by the Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) and its Mercury Working Group (HgWG), the inventory of bulk elemental mercury contaminated with radionuclides stored at various U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites is thought to be approximately 16 m3 (Conley et al. 1998). At least 19 different DOE sites have this type of mixed low-level waste in their storage facilities. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifies amalgamation as the treatment method for radioactively contaminated elemental mercury. Although the chemistry of amalgamation is well known, the practical engineering of a sizable amalgamation process has not beenmore » tested (Tyson 1993). To eliminate the existing DOE inventory in a reasonable timeframe, scaleable equipment is needed that can: produce waste forms that meet the EPA definition of amalgamation, produce waste forms that pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) limit of 0.20 mg/L, limit mercury vapor concentrations during processing to below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) 8-hour worker exposure limit (50 mg/m3) for mercury, and perform the above economically.« less

Hanford Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) Performance Assessment 2001 Version [Formerly DOE/RL-97-69] [SEC 1 & 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MANN, F.M.

2000-08-01

The Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Performance Assessment examines the long-term environmental and human health effects associated with the planned disposal of the vitrified low-activity fraction of waste presently contained in Hanford Site tanks. The tank waste is the byproduct of separating special nuclear materials from irradiated nuclear fuels over the past 50 years. This waste is stored in underground single- and double-shell tanks. The tank waste is to be retrieved, separated into low-activity and high-level fractions, and then immobilized by vitrification. The US. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to dispose of the low-activity fraction in the Hanford Site 200 Eastmore » Area. The high-level fraction will be stored at the Hanford Site until a national repository is approved. This report provides the site-specific long-term environmental information needed by the DOE to modify the current Disposal Authorization Statement for the Hanford Site that would allow the following: construction of disposal trenches; and filling of these trenches with ILAW containers and filler material with the intent to dispose of the containers.« less

Environmental Assessment for Selection and Operation of the Proposed Field Research Centers for the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N /A

2000-04-18

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER), within the Office of Science (SC), proposes to add a Field Research Center (FRC) component to the existing Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program. The NABIR Program is a ten-year fundamental research program designed to increase the understanding of fundamental biogeochemical processes that would allow the use of bioremediation approaches for cleaning up DOE's contaminated legacy waste sites. An FRC would be integrated with the existing and future laboratory and field research and would provide a means of examining the fundamental biogeochemical processes that influence bioremediationmore » under controlled small-scale field conditions. The NABIR Program would continue to perform fundamental research that might lead to promising bioremediation technologies that could be demonstrated by other means in the future. For over 50 years, DOE and its predecessor agencies have been responsible for the research, design, and production of nuclear weapons, as well as other energy-related research and development efforts. DOE's weapons production and research activities generated hazardous, mixed, and radioactive waste products. Past disposal practices have led to the contamination of soils, sediments, and groundwater with complex and exotic mixtures of compounds. This contamination and its associated costs and risks represents a major concern to DOE and the public. The high costs, long duration, and technical challenges associated with remediating the subsurface contamination at DOE sites present a significant need for fundamental research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences that will contribute to new and cost-effective solutions. One possible low-cost approach for remediating the subsurface contamination of DOE sites is through the use of a technology known as bioremediation. Bioremediation has been defined as the use of microorganisms to biodegrade or biotransform hazardous organic contaminants to environmentally safe levels in soils, subsurface materials, water, sludges, and residues.. While bioremediation technology is promising, DOE managers and non-DOE scientists have recognized that the fundamental scientific information needed to develop effective bioremediation technologies for cleanup of the legacy waste sites is lacking in many cases. DOE believes that field-based research is needed to realize the full potential of bioremediation. The Department of Energy faces a unique set of challenges associated with cleaning up waste at its former weapons production and research sites. These sites contain complex mixtures of contaminants in the subsurface, including radioactive compounds. In many cases, the fundamental field-based scientific information needed to develop safe and effective remediation and cleanup technologies is lacking. DOE needs fundamental research on the use of microorganisms and their products to assist DOE in the decontamination and cleanup of its legacy waste sites. The existing NABIR program to-date has focused on fundamental scientific research in the laboratory. Because subsurface hydrologic and geologic conditions at contaminated DOE sites cannot easily be duplicated in a laboratory, however, the DOE needs a field component to permit existing and future laboratory research results to be field-tested on a small scale in a controlled outdoor setting. Such field-testing needs to be conducted under actual legacy waste field conditions representative of those that DOE is most in need of remediating. Ideally, these field conditions should be as representative as practicable of the types of subsurface contamination conditions that resulted from legacy wastes from the nuclear weapons program activities. They should also be representative of the types of hydrologic and geologic conditions that exist across the DOE complex.« less

10 CFR 61.13 - Technical analyses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61... characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate... inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification...

10 CFR 61.13 - Technical analyses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61... characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate... inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification...

10 CFR 61.13 - Technical analyses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61... characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate... inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification...

10 CFR 61.13 - Technical analyses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61... characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate... inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification...

Deep Borehole Field Test Laboratory and Borehole Testing Strategy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Brady, Patrick V.; MacKinnon, Robert J.

2016-09-19

Deep Borehole Disposal (DBD) of high-level radioactive wastes has been considered an option for geological isolation for many years (Hess et al. 1957). Recent advances in drilling technology have decreased costs and increased reliability for large-diameter (i.e., ≥50 cm [19.7”]) boreholes to depths of several kilometers (Beswick 2008; Beswick et al. 2014). These advances have therefore also increased the feasibility of the DBD concept (Brady et al. 2009; Cornwall 2015), and the current field test design will demonstrate the DBD concept and these advances. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Strategy for the Management and Disposal of Used Nuclear Fuelmore » and High-Level Radioactive Waste (DOE 2013) specifically recommended developing a research and development plan for DBD. DOE sought input or expression of interest from States, local communities, individuals, private groups, academia, or any other stakeholders willing to host a Deep Borehole Field Test (DBFT). The DBFT includes drilling two boreholes nominally 200m [656’] apart to approximately 5 km [16,400’] total depth, in a region where crystalline basement is expected to begin at less than 2 km depth [6,560’]. The characterization borehole (CB) is the smaller-diameter borehole (i.e., 21.6 cm [8.5”] diameter at total depth), and will be drilled first. The geologic, hydrogeologic, geochemical, geomechanical and thermal testing will take place in the CB. The field test borehole (FTB) is the larger-diameter borehole (i.e., 43.2 cm [17”] diameter at total depth). Surface handling and borehole emplacement of test package will be demonstrated using the FTB to evaluate engineering feasibility and safety of disposal operations (SNL 2016).« less

Summary of Uranium Solubility Studies in Concrete Waste Forms and Vadose Zone Environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golovich, Elizabeth C.; Wellman, Dawn M.; Serne, R. Jeffrey

2011-09-30

One of the methods being considered for safely disposing of Category 3 low-level radioactive wastes is to encase the waste in concrete. Concrete encasement would contain and isolate the waste packages from the hydrologic environment and act as an intrusion barrier. The current plan for waste isolation consists of stacking low-level waste packages on a trench floor, surrounding the stacks with reinforced steel, and encasing these packages in concrete. These concrete-encased waste stacks are expected to vary in size with maximum dimensions of 6.4 m long, 2.7 m wide, and 4 m high. The waste stacks are expected to havemore » a surrounding minimum thickness of 15 cm of concrete encasement. These concrete-encased waste packages are expected to withstand environmental exposure (solar radiation, temperature variations, and precipitation) until an interim soil cover or permanent closure cover is installed and to remain largely intact thereafter. Any failure of concrete encasement may result in water intrusion and consequent mobilization of radionuclides from the waste packages. This report presents the results of investigations elucidating the uranium mineral phases controlling the long-term fate of uranium within concrete waste forms and the solubility of these phases in concrete pore waters and alkaline, circum-neutral vadose zone environments.« less

International development workshops. Final technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-08-06

The US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) began to act on their recognition of the importance of education in nuclear literacy, specifically in radioactive waste management (RWM), several years ago. To address this Goal for nuclear literacy, the US DOE; through the Information and Education Division of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) and in cooperation with the OECD/NEA, organized an ``International Workshop on Education in the Field of Radioactive Waste Management`` in Engelberg, Switzerland in June of 1991. To this end, amore » grant to support nuclear literacy and RWM was written and funded by the OCRWM and the education division of the DOE Yucca Mountain Office in 1990. The over-riding Goal of that workshop and the DOE grant was to find ways of raising the level of nuclear literacy in the general public through educational programs in radioactive waste management (RWM). The two Main Objectives of the workshop were: first, to contribute to an information base for education systems, on global aspects of radioactive waste management; and second, to achieve international consensus on the basic tools and methods required to develop the information base. These two objectives also became the principal objectives of the DOE International Workshops grant. In other words, the global and local (Nevada) objectives were one and the same. Workshop overviews and accomplishments are summarized in this report.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crolley, R.; Thompson, M.

There has been a need for a faster and cheaper deployment model for information technology (IT) solutions to address waste management needs at US Department of Energy (DOE) complex sites for years. Budget constraints, challenges in deploying new technologies, frequent travel, and increased job demands for existing employees have prevented IT organizations from staying abreast of new technologies or deploying them quickly. Despite such challenges, IT organizations have added significant value to waste management handling through better worker safety, tracking, characterization, and disposition at DOE complex sites. Systems developed for site-specific missions have broad applicability to waste management challenges andmore » in many cases have been expanded to meet other waste missions. Radio frequency identification (RFID) and global positioning satellite (GPS)-enabled solutions have reduced the risk of radiation exposure and safety risks. New web-based and mobile applications have enabled precision characterization and control of nuclear materials. These solutions have also improved operational efficiencies and shortened schedules, reduced cost, and improved regulatory compliance. Collaboration between US Department of Energy (DOE) complex sites is improving time to delivery and cost efficiencies for waste management missions with new information technologies (IT) such as wireless computing, global positioning satellite (GPS), and radio frequency identification (RFID). Integrated solutions developed at separate DOE complex sites by new technology Centers of Excellence (CoE) have increased material control and accountability, worker safety, and environmental sustainability. CoEs offer other DOE sister sites significant cost and time savings by leveraging their technology expertise in project scoping, implementation, and ongoing operations.« less

INNOVATIVE FOSSIL FUEL FIRED VITRIFICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR SOIL REMEDIATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Hnat; L.M. Bartone; M. Pineda

2001-07-13

This Summary Report summarizes the progress of Phases 3, 3A and 4 of a waste technology Demonstration Project sponsored under a DOE Environmental Management Research and Development Program and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory-Morgantown (DOE-NETL) for an ''Innovative Fossil Fuel Fired Vitrification Technology for Soil Remediation''. The Summary Reports for Phases 1 and 2 of the Program were previously submitted to DOE. The total scope of Phase 3 was to have included the design, construction and demonstration of Vortec's integrated waste pretreatment and vitrification process for the treatment of low level waste (LLW), TSCA/LLWmore » and mixed low-level waste (MLLW). Due to funding limitations and delays in the project resulting from a law suit filed by an environmental activist and the extended time for DOE to complete an Environmental Assessment for the project, the scope of the project was reduced to completing the design, construction and testing of the front end of the process which consists of the Material Handling and Waste Conditioning (MH/C) Subsystem of the vitrification plant. Activities completed under Phases 3A and 4 addressed completion of the engineering, design and documentation of the Material Handling and Conditioning System such that final procurement of the remaining process assemblies can be completed and construction of a Limited Demonstration Project be initiated in the event DOE elects to proceed with the construction and demonstration testing of the MH/C Subsystem.« less

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of clinically relevant bacteria isolated from dental waste and waste workers' hands, mucosas and coats.

PubMed

Tagliaferri, T L; Vieira, C D; de Carvalho, M A R; Ladeira, L C D; Magalhães, P P; de Macêdo Farias, L; Dos Santos, S G

2017-10-01

Infectious wastes are potential sources of pathogenic micro-organisms, which may represent a risk to the professionals who manage them. In this study, we aimed to characterize the infectious bacteria present in dental waste and waste workers. The dental waste produced over 24 h was collected and waste workers were sampled by swabbing. Isolate resistance profiles were characterized by Vitek ® and PCR and biofilm formation by Congo Red agar, string test and microtitre assay. To assess similarity between the waste and the workers' samples, a random amplified polymorphic DNA test was used. Twenty-eight bacteria were identified as clinically relevant. The most frequent gene was bla TEM present in five Gram-negative micro-organisms, and one bla SHV in Klebsiella pneumoniae. All Pseudomonas aeruginosa were positive to extracellular polymeric substances formation, except one isolated from a worker. Klebsiella pneumoniae had negative results for the string test. Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed better adherence at 25°C after 48 h of incubation and K. pneumonia had the best biofilm formation at the same temperature, after 24 h. The similarity between P. aeruginosa recovered from dental waste and from workers was low, however, it is important to note that a pathogen was found on a worker's hands and that improvements in biosafety are required. Infectious dental waste can contain clinically relevant bacteria with important resistance and biofilm profiles. These micro-organisms could be transmitted to waste workers, other professionals and patients if the principles of biosafety measures are neglected. To our knowledge, no study has ever evaluated the microbial characterization and the potential contamination risk of dental infectious waste and waste handlers. The presence of clinically relevant bacteria in the hands and nasal mucosa of waste workers highlights the need for studies in this field to clarify the risk of these pathogens in dental healthcare services, and to stress the need for an efficient waste management. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

NRC Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Program: Overview of Consultation and Monitoring Activities at the Idaho National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site - What We Have Learned - 12470

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suber, Gregory

2012-07-01

In 2005 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) began to implement a new set of responsibilities under the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of Fiscal Year 2005. Section 3116 of the NDAA requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consult with the NRC for certain non-high level waste determinations and also requires NRC to monitor DOE's disposal actions related to those determinations. In Fiscal Year 2005, the NRC staff began consulting with DOE and completed reviews of draft waste determinations for salt waste at the Savannah River Site. In 2006, a second review was completed onmore » tank waste residuals including sodium-bearing waste at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm at the Idaho National Laboratory. Monitoring Plans were developed for these activities and the NRC is actively monitoring disposal actions at both sites. NRC is currently in consultation with DOE on the F-Area Tank Farm closure and anticipates entering consultation on the H-Area Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site. This paper presents, from the NRC perspective, an overview of how the consultation and monitoring process has evolved since its conception in 2005. It addresses changes in methods and procedures used to collect and develop information used by the NRC in developing the technical evaluation report and monitoring plan under consultation and the implementation the plan under monitoring. It will address lessons learned and best practices developed throughout the process. The NDAA has presented significant challenges for the NRC and DOE. Past and current successes demonstrate that the NDAA can achieve its intended goal of facilitating tank closure at DOE legacy defense waste sites. The NRC believes many of the challenges in performing the WD reviews have been identified and addressed. Lessons learned have been collected and documented throughout the review process. Future success will be contingent on each agencies commitment to consistently apply the lessons learned and continue to create an open and collaborative work environment to maintain the process of continuous improvement. (authors)« less

40 CFR 60.1915 - What is yard waste?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... lands. Yard waste does not include two items: (a) Construction, renovation, and demolition wastes that are exempt from the definition of “municipal solid waste” in § 60.1940. (b) Clean wood that is exempt...

40 CFR 62.15370 - What is yard waste?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... lands. Yard waste does not include two items: (a) Construction, renovation, and demolition wastes that are exempt from the definition of “municipal solid waste” in § 62.15410. (b) Clean wood that is exempt...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mayberry, J.; Stelle, S.; O`Brien, M.

The Mixed Waste Integrated Program Logic Diagram was developed to provide technical alternative for mixed wastes projects for the Office of Technology Development`s Mixed Waste Integrated Program (MWIP). Technical solutions in the areas of characterization, treatment, and disposal were matched to a select number of US Department of Energy (DOE) treatability groups represented by waste streams found in the Mixed Waste Inventory Report (MWIR).

40 CFR 194.8 - Approval process for waste shipment from waste generator sites for disposal at the WIPP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... waste generator site will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to... transmittal to the WIPP Waste Information System database of waste characterization data, in accordance with... will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to DOE. EPA will not...

40 CFR 194.8 - Approval process for waste shipment from waste generator sites for disposal at the WIPP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... waste generator site will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to... transmittal to the WIPP Waste Information System database of waste characterization data, in accordance with... will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to DOE. EPA will not...

40 CFR 194.8 - Approval process for waste shipment from waste generator sites for disposal at the WIPP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... waste generator site will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to... transmittal to the WIPP Waste Information System database of waste characterization data, in accordance with... will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to DOE. EPA will not...

40 CFR 194.8 - Approval process for waste shipment from waste generator sites for disposal at the WIPP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... waste generator site will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to... transmittal to the WIPP Waste Information System database of waste characterization data, in accordance with... will be conveyed in a letter from the Administrator's authorized representative to DOE. EPA will not...

Bioleaching of Gold and Silver from Waste Printed Circuit Boards by Pseudomonas balearica SAE1 Isolated from an e-Waste Recycling Facility.

PubMed

Kumar, Anil; Saini, Harvinder Singh; Kumar, Sudhir

2018-02-01

Indigenous bacterial strain Pseudomonas balearica SAE1, tolerant to e-waste toxicity was isolated from an e-waste recycling facility Exigo Recycling Pvt. Ltd., India. Toxicity tolerance of bacterial strain was analyzed using crushed (particle size ≤150 µm) waste computer printed circuit boards (PCBs)/liter (L) of culture medium. The EC 50 value for SAE1 was 325.7 g/L of the e-waste pulp density. Two-step bioleaching was then applied to achieve the dissolution of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) from the e-waste. To maximize precious metal dissolution, factors including pulp density, glycine concentration, pH level, and temperature were optimized. The optimization resulted in 68.5 and 33.8% of Au and Ag dissolution, respectively, at a pH of 9.0, a pulp density of 10 g/L, a temperature of 30 °C, and a glycine concentration of 5 g/L. This is the first study of Au and Ag bioleaching using indigenous e-waste bacteria and its analysis to determine e-waste toxicity tolerance.

Evaluation of potential hazard exposure resulting from DOE waste treatment and disposal at Rollins Environmental Services, Baton Rouge, LA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-04-01

The equivalent dose rate to populations potentially exposed to wastes shipped to Rollins Environmental Services, Baton Rouge, LA from Oak Ridge and Savannah River Operations of the Department of Energy was estimated. Where definitive information necessary to the estimation of a dose rate was unavailable, bounding assumptions were employed to ensure an overestimate of the actual dose rate experienced by the potentially exposed population. On this basis, it was estimated that a total of about 3.85 million pounds of waste was shipped from these DOE operations to Rollins with a maximum combined total activity of about 0.048 Curies. Populations nearmore » the Rollins site could potentially be exposed to the radionuclides in the DOE wastes via the air pathway after incineration of the DOE wastes or by migration from the soil after landfill disposal. AIRDOS was used to estimate the dose rate after incineration. RESRAD was used to estimate the dose rate after landfill disposal. Calculations were conducted with the estimated radioactive specie distribution in the wastes and, as a test of the sensitivity of the results to the estimated distribution, with the entire activity associated with individual radioactive species such as Cs-137, Ba-137, Sr-90, Co-60, U-234, U-235 and U-238. With a given total activity, the dose rates to nearby individuals were dominated by the uranium species.« less

Utilization of Solid Waste as a Substrate for Production of Oil from Oleaginous Microorganisms.

PubMed

Laker, Fortunate; Agaba, Arnold; Akatukunda, Andrew; Gazet, Robert; Barasa, Joshua; Nanyonga, Sarah; Wendiro, Deborah; Wacoo, Alex Paul

2018-01-01

The overwhelming demand of oil and fats to meet the ever increasing needs for biofuel, cosmetics production, and other industrial purposes has enhanced a number of innovations in this industry. One such innovation is the use of microorganisms as alternative sources of oil and fats. Organic solid waste that is causing a big challenge of disposal worldwide is biodegradable and can be utilized as substrate for alternative oil production. The study evaluated the potential of isolated yeast-like colonies to grow and accumulate oil by using organic solid waste as substrate. Of the 25 yeast-like colonies isolated from the soil samples collected from three different suburbs in Kampala district, Uganda, 20 were screened positive for accumulation of lipid but only 2 were oleaginous. The NHC isolate with the best oil accumulation potential of 48.8% was used in the central composite design (CCD) experiments. The CCD experimental results revealed a maximum oil yield of 61.5% from 1.25 g/L cell biomass at 10 g/L of solid waste and temperature of 25°C. The study revealed that organic solid waste could be used as a substrate for microbial oil production.

Problem Solving and Decision Making. MAS-105. Waste Isolation Division (WID). Management and Supervisor Training (MAST) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM.

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to enable trainees to solve problems and make decisions in an efficient and effective manner. The first section of the module is an introduction that includes a terminal…

Technetium Incorporation in Glass for the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.; Kim, Dong Sang

2015-01-14

A priority of the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) is to dispose of nuclear wastes accumulated in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in eastern Washington State. These nuclear wastes date from the Manhattan Project of World War II and from plutonium production during the Cold War. The DOE plans to separate high-level radioactive wastes from low activity wastes and to treat each of the waste streams by vitrification (immobilization of the nuclides in glass) for disposal. The immobilized low-activity waste will be disposed of here at Hanford and the immobilized high-level waste at the nationalmore » geologic repository. Included in the inventory of highly radioactive wastes is large volumes of 99Tc (~9 × 10E2 TBq or ~2.5 × 104 Ci or ~1500 kg). A problem facing safe disposal of Tc-bearing wastes is the processing of waste feed into in a chemically durable waste form. Technetium incorporates poorly into silicate glass in traditional glass melting. It readily evaporates during melting of glass feeds and out of the molten glass, leading to a spectrum of high-to-low retention (ca. 20 to 80%) in the cooled glass product. DOE-ORP currently has a program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Rutgers University and in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University that seeks to understand aspects of Tc retention by means of studying Tc partitioning, molten salt formation, volatilization pathways, and cold cap chemistry. Another problem involves the stability of Tc in glass in both the national geologic repository and on-site disposal after it has been immobilized. The major environmental concern with 99Tc is its high mobility in addition to a long half-life (2.1×105 yrs). The pertechnetate ion (TcO4-) is highly soluble in water and does not adsorb well onto the surface of minerals and so migrates nearly at the same velocity as groundwater. Long-term corrosion of glass waste forms is an area of current interest to the DOE, but attention to the release of Tc from glass has been little explored. It is expected that the release of Tc from glass should be highly dependent on the local glass structure as well as the chemistry of the surrounding environment, including groundwater pH. Though the speciation of Tc in glass has been previously studied, and the Tc species present in waste glass have been previously reported, environmental Tc release mechanisms are poorly understood. The recent advances in Tc chemistry that have given rise to an understanding of incorporation in the glass giving rise to significantly higher single-pass retention during vitrification are presented. Additionally, possible changes to the baseline flowsheet that allow for relatively minor volumes of Tc reporting to secondary waste treatment will be discussed.« less

1987 Oak Ridge model conference: Proceedings: Volume I, Part 3, Waste Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1987-01-01

A conference sponsored by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), was held on waste management. Topics of discussion were transuranic waste management, chemical and physical treatment technologies, waste minimization, land disposal technology and characterization and analysis. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases. (CBS)

40 CFR 436.31 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and ground water seepage. However, if a mine is also used for treatment of process generated waste... other facility used for treatment of such waste water. The term does not include waste water used for... waste water. (c) The term “10-year 24-hour precipitation event” shall mean the maximum 24 hour...

40 CFR 264.551 - Grandfathered Corrective Action Management Units (CAMUs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT, STORAGE... remediation wastes into or within a CAMU does not constitute creation of a unit subject to minimum technology... wastes for implementing corrective action or cleanup at the facility. A CAMU must be located within the...

The Role of Chromohalobacter on Transport of Lanthanides and Cesium in the Dolomite Mineral System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zengotita, Frances; Emerson, Hilary Palmer; Dittrich, Timothy M.

2017-12-01

The chemical behavior of actinide series elements and fission products is a concern for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant repository due to their uncertain mobility in the subsurface salt formation. In this work, we are observing the behavior of the halophilic bacterium, Chromohalobacter, and its effect on the mobility of lanthanides and cesium in the presence of dolomite. Batch and minicolumn experiments were conducted with Cs + and lanthanides (Nd 3+, Eu 3+) to quantify potential transport with bacteria. Preliminary results show that Cs does not interact strongly with dolomite or Chromohalobacter, while the lanthanides can interact strongly with bothmore » minerals and bacteria depending on which the Ln contacts first.« less

TWRS Retrieval and Storage Mission and Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) Disposal Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BURBANK, D.A.

This project plan has a twofold purpose. First, it provides a waste stream project plan specific to the River Protection Project (RPP) (formerly the Tank Waste Remediation System [TWRS] Project) Immobilized Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Disposal Subproject for the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) that meets the requirements of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-90-01 (Ecology et al. 1994) and is consistent with the project plan content guidelines found in Section 11.5 of the Tri-Party Agreement action plan (Ecology et al. 1998). Second, it provides an upper tier document that can be used as themore » basis for future subproject line-item construction management plans. The planning elements for the construction management plans are derived from applicable U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) planning guidance documents (DOE Orders 4700.1 [DOE 1992] and 430.1 [DOE 1995a]). The format and content of this project plan are designed to accommodate the requirements mentioned by the Tri-Party Agreement and the DOE orders. A cross-check matrix is provided in Appendix A to explain where in the plan project planning elements required by Section 11.5 of the Tri-Party Agreement are addressed.« less

DESIGN ANALYSIS FOR THE DEFENSE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL CONTAINER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

G. Radulesscu; J.S. Tang

The purpose of ''Design Analysis for the Defense High-Level Waste Disposal Container'' analysis is to technically define the defense high-level waste (DHLW) disposal container/waste package using the Waste Package Department's (WPD) design methods, as documented in ''Waste Package Design Methodology Report'' (CRWMS M&O [Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management and Operating Contractor] 2000a). The DHLW disposal container is intended for disposal of commercial high-level waste (HLW) and DHLW (including immobilized plutonium waste forms), placed within disposable canisters. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-managed spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in disposable canisters may also be placed in a DHLW disposal container alongmore » with HLW forms. The objective of this analysis is to demonstrate that the DHLW disposal container/waste package satisfies the project requirements, as embodied in Defense High Level Waste Disposal Container System Description Document (SDD) (CRWMS M&O 1999a), and additional criteria, as identified in Waste Package Design Sensitivity Report (CRWMS M&Q 2000b, Table 4). The analysis briefly describes the analytical methods appropriate for the design of the DHLW disposal contained waste package, and summarizes the results of the calculations that illustrate the analytical methods. However, the analysis is limited to the calculations selected for the DHLW disposal container in support of the Site Recommendation (SR) (CRWMS M&O 2000b, Section 7). The scope of this analysis is restricted to the design of the codisposal waste package of the Savannah River Site (SRS) DHLW glass canisters and the Training, Research, Isotopes General Atomics (TRIGA) SNF loaded in a short 18-in.-outer diameter (OD) DOE standardized SNF canister. This waste package is representative of the waste packages that consist of the DHLW disposal container, the DHLW/HLW glass canisters, and the DOE-managed SNF in disposable canisters. The intended use of this analysis is to support Site Recommendation reports and to assist in the development of WPD drawings. Activities described in this analysis were conducted in accordance with the Development Plan ''Design Analysis for the Defense High-Level Waste Disposal Container'' (CRWMS M&O 2000c) with no deviations from the plan.« less

Assessment for the management of NORM wastes in conventional hazardous and nonhazardous waste landfills.

PubMed

Mora, Juan C; Baeza, Antonio; Robles, Beatriz; Sanz, Javier

2016-06-05

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) wastes are generated in huge quantities in several industries and their management has been carried out under considerations of industrial non-radioactive wastes, before the concern on the radioactivity content was included in the legislation. Therefore these wastes were conditioned using conventional methods and the waste disposals were designed to isolate toxic elements from the environment for long periods of time. Spanish regulation for these conventional toxic waste disposals includes conditions that assure adequate isolation to minimize the impact of the wastes to the environment in present and future conditions. After 1996 the radiological impact of the management of NORM wastes is considered and all the aspects related with natural radiations and the radiological control regarding the management of residues from NORM industries were developed in the new regulation. One option to be assessed is the disposal of NORM wastes in hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposals, as was done before this new regulation. This work analyses the management of NORM wastes in these landfills to derive the masses that can be disposed without considerable radiological impact. Generic dose assessments were carried out under highly conservative hypothesis and a discussion on the uncertainty and variability sources was included to provide consistency to the calculations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hanford Site Composite Analysis Technical Approach Description: Vadose Zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, M. D.; Nichols, W. E.; Ali, A.

2017-10-30

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in DOE O 435.1 Chg. 1, Radioactive Waste Management, and DOE M 435.1 Chg 1, Radioactive Waste Management Manual, requires the preparation and maintenance of a composite analysis (CA). The primary purpose of the CA is to provide a reasonable expectation that the primary public dose limit is not likely to be exceeded by multiple source terms that may significantly interact with plumes originating at a low-level waste disposal facility. The CA is used to facilitate planning and land use decisions that help assure disposal facility authorization will not result in long-term compliance problems;more » or, to determine management alternatives, corrective actions, or assessment needs, if potential problems are identified.« less

Success of the Melton Valley Watershed Remediation at the ORNL - 12351

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adler, David; Wilkerson, Laura; Sims, Lynn

2012-07-01

The source remediation of the Melton Valley (MV) Watershed at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge National Laboratory was completed 5 years ago (September 2006). Historic operations at the laboratory had resulted in chemical and radionuclide contaminant releases and potential risks or hazards within 175 contaminated units scattered across an area of 430 hectares (1062 acres) within the watershed. Contaminated areas included burial grounds, landfills, underground tanks, surface impoundments, liquid disposal pit/trenches, hydrofracture wells, leak and spill spites, inactive surface structures, and contaminated soil and sediments. The remediation of the watershed was detailed in the MV Interim Actionmore » Record of Decision (ROD) and included a combination of actions encompassing containment, isolation, stabilization, removal, and treatment of sources within the watershed and established the monitoring and land use controls that would result in protection of human health. The actions would take place over 5 years with an expenditure of over $340 M. The MV remedial actions left hazardous wastes in-place (e.g., buried wastes beneath hydraulic isolation caps) and cleanup at levels that do not allow for unrestricted access and unlimited exposure. The cleanup with the resultant land use would result in a comprehensive monitoring plan for groundwater, surface water, and biological media, as well as the tracking of the land use controls to assure their completion. This paper includes an overview of select performance measures and monitoring results, as detailed in the annual Remediation Effectiveness Report and the Five-Year Report. (authors)« less

Biotechnological potential of Bacillus salmalaya 139SI: a novel strain for remediating water polluted with crude oil waste.

PubMed

Ismail, Salmah; Dadrasnia, Arezoo

2015-01-01

Environmental contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons, mainly crude oil waste from refineries, is becoming prevalent worldwide. This study investigates the bioremediation of water contaminated with crude oil waste. Bacillus salamalaya 139SI, a bacterium isolated from a private farm soil in the Kuala Selangor in Malaysia, was found to be a potential degrader of crude oil waste. When a microbial population of 108 CFU ml-1 was used, the 139SI strain degraded 79% and 88% of the total petroleum hydrocarbons after 42 days of incubation in mineral salt media containing 2% and 1% of crude oil waste, respectively, under optimum conditions. In the uninoculated medium containing 1% crude oil waste, 6% was degraded. Relative to the control, the degradation was significantly greater when a bacteria count of 99 × 108 CFU ml-1 was added to the treatments polluted with 1% oil. Thus, this isolated strain is useful for enhancing the biotreatment of oil in wastewater.

Biotechnological Potential of Bacillus salmalaya 139SI: A Novel Strain for Remediating Water Polluted with Crude Oil Waste

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Environmental contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons, mainly crude oil waste from refineries, is becoming prevalent worldwide. This study investigates the bioremediation of water contaminated with crude oil waste. Bacillus salamalaya 139SI, a bacterium isolated from a private farm soil in the Kuala Selangor in Malaysia, was found to be a potential degrader of crude oil waste. When a microbial population of 108 CFU ml-1 was used, the 139SI strain degraded 79% and 88% of the total petroleum hydrocarbons after 42 days of incubation in mineral salt media containing 2% and 1% of crude oil waste, respectively, under optimum conditions. In the uninoculated medium containing 1% crude oil waste, 6% was degraded. Relative to the control, the degradation was significantly greater when a bacteria count of 99 × 108 CFU ml-1 was added to the treatments polluted with 1% oil. Thus, this isolated strain is useful for enhancing the biotreatment of oil in wastewater. PMID:25875763

NRC Consultation and Monitoring at the Savannah River Site: Focusing Reviews of Two Different Disposal Actions - 12181

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ridge, A. Christianne; Barr, Cynthia S.; Pinkston, Karen E.

Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consult with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for certain non-high level waste determinations. The NDAA also requires NRC to monitor DOE's disposal actions related to those determinations. In Fiscal Year 2011, the NRC staff reviewed DOE performance assessments for tank closure at the F-Tank Farm (FTF) Facility and salt waste disposal at the Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) as part of consultation and monitoring, respectively. Differences in inventories, waste forms,more » and key barriers led to different areas of focus in the NRC reviews of these two activities at the SRS. Because of the key role of chemically reducing grouts in both applications, the evaluation of chemical barriers was significant to both reviews. However, radionuclide solubility in precipitated metal oxides is expected to play a significant role in FTF performance whereas release of several key radionuclides from the SDF is controlled by sorption or precipitation within the cementitious wasteform itself. Similarly, both reviews included an evaluation of physical barriers to flow, but differences in the physical configurations of the waste led to differences in the reviews. For example, NRC's review of the FTF focused on the modeled degradation of carbon steel tank liners while the staff's review of the SDF performance included a detailed evaluation of the physical degradation of the saltstone wasteform and infiltration-limiting closure cap. Because of the long time periods considered (i.e., tens of thousands of years), the NRC reviews of both facilities included detailed evaluation of the engineered chemical and physical barriers. The NRC staff reviews of residual waste disposal in the FTF and salt waste disposal in the SDF focused on physical barriers to flow and chemical barriers to radionuclide release from the waste. Because the waste inventory and concentration at both sites is sufficient to generate unacceptable doses to an off-site member of the public or inadvertent intruder in the absence of engineered barriers, the NRC staff review focused on the engineering features DOE plans to put in place to limit radionuclide release. At the FTF, DOE expects that peak doses are delayed beyond a 10,000 year performance period by a combination of (1) the flow-limiting effect of the steel tank liner and (2) chemical conditions created by the stabilizing grout overlying the waste that limit the solubility of key radionuclides for tens of thousands of years. At the SDF, DOE expects that flow will be significantly limited by water shedding along the closure cap lower drainage layer and that radionuclide release will be further limited by radionuclide precipitation or sorption within the high pH, chemically reducing conditions created within the saltstone waste form. Because the performance of both facilities depends on the performance of engineered barriers for thousands of years, the reviews included a detailed evaluation of the expected long-term behavior of these barriers. As previously discussed, NRC staff reviews of DOE waste determinations during consultation are designed to evaluate the three NDAA criteria, whereas the review of an updated PA during monitoring only addresses whether the NRC staff has reasonable assurance that the planned disposal action will meet the performance objectives of 10 CFR Part 61. The NRC staff review of the Waste Determination for the FTF did not include conclusions about whether the planned disposal of residual waste at the FTF would meet the NDAA criteria because of the substantial uncertainties in the degree of waste removal DOE would achieve and other technical uncertainties. The main product of the NRC staff review of the planned FTF disposal action is the recommendation that DOE should conduct waste release experiments to increase support for key modeling assumptions related to: (1) the evolution of pH and Eh in the grouted tank system over time; (2) identification of HRR association with solid phases comprising the residual wastes; and (3) expected solubility of HRRs under a range of environmental or service conditions that the residual wastes in the contaminated zone are expected to be exposed to over time. Implementation of this recommendation is deemed crucial for NRC staff to have reasonable assurance that the performance objectives in 10 CFR Part 61, Subpart C can be met. Given the risk-significance of Tank 18 to the overall PA and the short timeline for closure of this tank, the NRC staff recommended that DOE should initiate discussions with NRC staff regarding implementation of this recommendation for Tank 18 as soon as practical. The NRC staff also recommended that experiments to address this recommendation should be conducted prior to final closure of Tank 18. Results of the Tank 18 residual waste experiments, if conducted, will be evaluated by NRC staff to determine the need for additional data collection, experiments, and modeling for Tank 18, as well as other FTF tanks. Additional information regarding the NRC staff's recommendations in this area, including details on the suggested implementation of other recommendations will be provided in the NRC staff's plan for monitoring the FTF later in FY 2012, after DOE makes a final decision on the waste determination. The NRC staff's review of waste disposal at the SDF is ongoing. When complete, the SDF TER will indicate whether the NRC staff continues to have reasonable assurance that waste disposal at the SDF will meet the performance objectives of 10 CFR Part 61 (NDAA Criterion 3). The TER also will include risk insights that will form the basis of the NRC staff's revised monitoring plan for the SDF. The NRC staff will publish an updated monitoring plan for the SDF later in FY 2012. (authors)« less

Department of Energy's first waste determinations under section 3116: how did the process work?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Picha Jr, K.G.; Kaltreider, R.; Suttora, L.

2007-07-01

Congress passed the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2005 on October 9, 2004, and the President signed it into law on October 28, 2004. Section 3116(a) of the NDAA allows the Department of Energy (DOE) to, in consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), determine whether certain radioactive waste resulting from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel at two DOE sites is not high-level radioactive waste, and dispose of that waste in compliance with the performance objectives set out in subpart C of 10 CFR part 61 for low-level waste. On January 17, 2006, themore » Department issued its first waste determination under the NDAA for salt waste disposal at the Savannah River Site. On November 19, 2006, the Department issued its second waste determination for closure of tanks at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm Facility. These two determinations and a third draft determination illustrate the range of issues that may be encountered in preparing a waste determination in accordance with NDAA Section 3116. This paper discusses the experiences associated with these first two completed waste determinations and an in-progress third waste determination, and discusses lessons learned from the projects that can be applied to future waste determinations. (authors)« less

76 FR 3678 - Board Meeting: February 16, 2011-Las Vegas, NV, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-20

... NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD Board Meeting: February 16, 2011--Las Vegas, NV, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Will Meet To Discuss DOE Activities Related to Managing Spent Nuclear...-203, Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will...

77 FR 41720 - Hazardous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste; Proposed Exclusion

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-16

... delist? B. How does IBM generate the waste? C. How did IBM sample and analyze the petitioned waste? D..., thickened/conditioned, and pressed to generate the F006 waste stream. C. How did IBM sample and analyze the... the volatiles and semi-volatiles samples were non- detect. E. How did EPA evaluate the risk of...

Nucleic acid isolation process

DOEpatents

Longmire, Jonathan L.; Lewis, Annette K.; Hildebrand, Carl E.

1990-01-01

A method is provided for isolating DNA from eukaryotic cell and flow sorted chromosomes. When DNA is removed from chromosome and cell structure, detergent and proteolytic digestion products remain with the DNA. These products can be removed with organic extraction, but the process steps associated with organic extraction reduce the size of DNA fragments available for experimental use. The present process removes the waste products by dialyzing a solution containing the DNA against a solution containing polyethylene glycol (PEG). The waste products dialyze into the PEG leaving isolated DNA. The remaining DNA has been prepared with fragments containing more than 160 kb. The isolated DNA has been used in conventional protocols without affect on the protocol.

A West Valley Demonstration Project Milestone - Achieving Certification to Ship Waste to the Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jackson, J. P.; Pastor, R. S.

2002-02-28

The West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) has successfully pretreated and vitrified nearly all of the 600,000 gallons of liquid high-level radioactive waste that was generated at the site of the only commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant to have operated in the United States. Low-level waste (LLW) generated during the course of the cleanup effort now requires disposal. Currently the WVDP only ships Class A LLW for off-site disposal. It has been shipping Class A wastes to Envirocare of Utah, Inc. since 1997. However, the WVDP may also have a future need to ship Class B and Class C waste, whichmore » Envirocare is not currently authorized to accept. The Nevada Test Site (NTS), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facility, can accept all three waste classifications. The WVDP set a goal to receive certification to begin shipping Class A wastes to NTS by 2001. Formal certification/approval was granted by the DOE Nevada Operations Office on July 12, 2001. This paper discusses how the WVDP contractor, West Valley Nuclear Services Company (WVNSCO), completed the activities required to achieve NTS certification in 2001 to ship waste to its facility. The information and lessons learned provided are significant because the WVDP is the only new generator receiving certification based on an NTS audit in January 2001 that resulted in no findings and only two observations--a rating that is unparalleled in the DOE Complex.« less

Mixed waste focus area alternative technologies workshop

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borduin, L.C.; Palmer, B.A.; Pendergrass, J.A.

1995-05-24

This report documents the Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA)-sponsored Alternative Technology Workshop held in Salt Lake City, Utah, from January 24--27, 1995. The primary workshop goal was identifying potential applications for emerging technologies within the Options Analysis Team (OAT) ``wise`` configuration. Consistent with the scope of the OAT analysis, the review was limited to the Mixed Low-Level Waste (MLLW) fraction of DOE`s mixed waste inventory. The Los Alamos team prepared workshop materials (databases and compilations) to be used as bases for participant review and recommendations. These materials derived from the Mixed Waste Inventory Report (MWIR) data base (May 1994), themore » Draft Site Treatment Plan (DSTP) data base, and the OAT treatment facility configuration of December 7, 1994. In reviewing workshop results, the reader should note several caveats regarding data limitations. Link-up of the MWIR and DSTP data bases, while representing the most comprehensive array of mixed waste information available at the time of the workshop, requires additional data to completely characterize all waste streams. A number of changes in waste identification (new and redefined streams) occurred during the interval from compilation of the data base to compilation of the DSTP data base with the end result that precise identification of radiological and contaminant characteristics was not possible for these streams. To a degree, these shortcomings compromise the workshop results; however, the preponderance of waste data was linked adequately, and therefore, these analyses should provide useful insight into potential applications of alternative technologies to DOE MLLW treatment facilities.« less

Solidification Technologies for Restoration of Sites Contaminated with Hazardous Wastes

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

OR1 -5- 10-0 1 to DOE, Office of Technology Development. Kalb, P., J. Heiser, and P. Colombo, 1991. “ Modified Sulfur Cement Encapsulation of Mixed...Incinerator Ash Waste Encapsulated in Modified Sulfur Cement,” Brookhaven National Laboratory for US DOE Contract No DE-AC02-76CD000 16. Lin, S...wastes, 2 modified sulfur cement, 22,72 47,49,5 I , 53,55,57,59,61,63,65 obsidian, 35,36,38,39,40,32,43 organic binders, 7,25 organic polymer binders

Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by isolated fungi in solid waste medium.

PubMed

Zahra, Sahebnazar; Abbas, Shojaosadati Seyed; Mahsa, Mohammad-Taheri; Mohsen, Nosrati

2010-03-01

In this study, biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by isolated landfill-source fungi was evaluated in a controlled solid waste medium. The fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Fusarium solani, were isolated from samples taken from an aerobic aged municipal landfill in Tehran. These fungi could degrade LDPE via the formation of a biofilm in a submerged medium. In the sterilized solid waste medium, LPDE films were buried for 100 days in a 1-L flask containing 400 g sterile solid waste raw materials at 28 degrees C. Each fungus was added to a separate flask. The moisture content and pH of the media were maintained at the optimal levels for each fungus. Photo-oxidation (25 days under UV-irradiation) was used as a pretreatment of the LDPE samples. The progress of the process was monitored by measurement of total organic carbon (TOC), pH, temperature and moisture. The results obtained from monitoring the process using isolated fungi under sterile conditions indicate that these fungi are able to grow in solid waste medium. The results of FT-IR and SEM analyses show that A. terreus and A. fumigatus, despite the availability of other organic carbon of materials, could utilize LDPE as carbon source. While there has been much research in the field of LDPE biodegradation under solid conditions, this is the first report of degradation of LDPE by A. fumigatus. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by isolated fungi in solid waste medium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zahra, Sahebnazar; Abbas, Shojaosadati Seyed, E-mail: sa_shoja@modares.ac.i; Mahsa, Mohammad-Taheri

In this study, biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by isolated landfill-source fungi was evaluated in a controlled solid waste medium. The fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Fusarium solani, were isolated from samples taken from an aerobic aged municipal landfill in Tehran. These fungi could degrade LDPE via the formation of a biofilm in a submerged medium. In the sterilized solid waste medium, LPDE films were buried for 100 days in a 1-L flask containing 400 g sterile solid waste raw materials at 28 deg. C. Each fungus was added to a separate flask. The moisture content and pHmore » of the media were maintained at the optimal levels for each fungus. Photo-oxidation (25 days under UV-irradiation) was used as a pretreatment of the LDPE samples. The progress of the process was monitored by measurement of total organic carbon (TOC), pH, temperature and moisture. The results obtained from monitoring the process using isolated fungi under sterile conditions indicate that these fungi are able to grow in solid waste medium. The results of FT-IR and SEM analyses show that A. terreus and A. fumigatus, despite the availability of other organic carbon of materials, could utilize LDPE as carbon source. While there has been much research in the field of LDPE biodegradation under solid conditions, this is the first report of degradation of LDPE by A. fumigatus.« less

40 CFR 220.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... agents, radioactive materials, chemicals, biological and laboratory waste, wreck or discarded equipment, rock, sand, excavation debris, industrial, municipal, agricultural, and other waste, but such term does... matter of any kind or description, including, but not limited to, dredged material, solid waste...

Waste isolation safety assessment program. Task 4. Third contractor information meeting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-06-01

The Contractor Information Meeting (October 14 to 17, 1979) was part of the FY-1979 effort of Task 4 of the Waste Isolation Safety Assessment Program (WISAP): Sorption/Desorption Analysis. The objectives of this task are to: evaluate sorption/desorption measurement methods and develop a standardized measurement procedure; produce a generic data bank of nuclide-geologic interactions using a wide variety of geologic media and groundwaters; perform statistical analysis and synthesis of these data; perform validation studies to compare short-term laboratory studies to long-term in situ behavior; develop a fundamental understanding of sorption/desorption processes; produce x-ray and gamma-emitting isotopes suitable for the study ofmore » actinides at tracer concentrations; disseminate resulting information to the international technical community; and provide input data support for repository safety assessment. Conference participants included those subcontracted to WISAP Task 4, representatives and independent subcontractors to the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation, representatives from other waste disposal programs, and experts in the area of waste/geologic media interaction. Since the meeting, WISAP has been divided into two programs: Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) (modeling efforts) and Waste/Rock Interactions Technology (WRIT) (experimental work). The WRIT program encompasses the work conducted under Task 4. This report contains the information presented at the Task 4, Third Contractor Information Meeting. Technical Reports from the subcontractors, as well as Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), are provided along with transcripts of the question-and-answer sessions. The agenda and abstracts of the presentations are also included. Appendix A is a list of the participants. Appendix B gives an overview of the WRIT program and details the WRIT work breakdown structure for 1980.« less

Radioactive waste isolation in salt: special advisory report on the status of the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation's plans for repository performance assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ditmars, J.D.; Walbridge, E.W.; Rote, D.M.

1983-10-01

Repository performance assessment is analysis that identifies events and processes that might affect a repository system for isolation of radioactive waste, examines their effects on barriers to waste migration, and estimates the probabilities of their occurrence and their consequences. In 1983 Battelle Memorial Institute's Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) prepared two plans - one for performance assessment for a waste repository in salt and one for verification and validation of performance assessment technology. At the request of the US Department of Energy's Salt Repository Project Office (SRPO), Argonne National Laboratory reviewed those plans and prepared this report to advisemore » SRPO of specific areas where ONWI's plans for performance assessment might be improved. This report presents a framework for repository performance assessment that clearly identifies the relationships among the disposal problems, the processes underlying the problems, the tools for assessment (computer codes), and the data. In particular, the relationships among important processes and 26 model codes available to ONWI are indicated. A common suggestion for computer code verification and validation is the need for specific and unambiguous documentation of the results of performance assessment activities. A major portion of this report consists of status summaries of 27 model codes indicated as potentially useful by ONWI. The code summaries focus on three main areas: (1) the code's purpose, capabilities, and limitations; (2) status of the elements of documentation and review essential for code verification and validation; and (3) proposed application of the code for performance assessment of salt repository systems. 15 references, 6 figures, 4 tables.« less

Draft Genome Sequence of a Tetrabromobisphenol A–Degrading Strain, Ochrobactrum sp. T, Isolated from an Electronic Waste Recycling Site

PubMed Central

Liang, Zhishu; Li, Guiying; Zhang, Guoxia; Das, Ranjit

2016-01-01

Ochrobactrum sp. T was previously isolated from a sludge sample collected from an electronic waste recycling site and characterized as a unique tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)–degrading bacterium. Here, the draft genome sequence (3.9 Mb) of Ochrobactrum sp. T is reported to provide insights into its diversity and its TBBPA biodegradation mechanism in polluted environments. PMID:27445374

Recovery and characterization of proteins from pangas (Pangasius pangasius) processing waste obtained through pH shift processing.

PubMed

Surasani, Vijay Kumar Reddy; Kudre, Tanaji; Ballari, Rajashekhar V

2018-04-01

Study was conducted to recover proteins from pangas (Pangasius pangasius) processing waste (fillet frames) using pH shift method and to characterize the recovered isolates. pH 2.0 from acidic range and pH 13.0 from alkaline range were found to have maximum protein recovery (p < 0.05). During the recovery process, acidic pH (pH 2.0) was found to have minimal effect on proteins resulting in more stable isolates and strong protein gels. Alkaline pH (pH 13.0) caused protein denaturation resulting in less stable proteins and poor gel network. Both acidic and alkaline-aided processing caused significant (p < 0.05) reductions in total lipid, myoglobin, and pigment content thus by resulting in whiter protein isolates and gels. The content of total essential amino acids increased during pH shift processing, indicating the enrichment of essential amino acids. No microbial counts were detected in any of the isolates prepared using acid and alkaline extraction methods. pH shift processing was found to be promising in the utilization of fish processing waste for the recovery of functional proteins from pangas processing waste thus by reducing the supply demand gap as well pollution problems.

Site maps and facilities listings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-11-01

In September 1989, a Memorandum of Agreement among DOE offices regarding the environmental management of DOE facilities was signed by appropriate Assistant Secretaries and Directors. This Memorandum of Agreement established the criteria for EM line responsibility. It stated that EM would be responsible for all DOE facilities, operations, or sites (1) that have been assigned to DOE for environmental restoration and serve or will serve no future production need; (2) that are used for the storage, treatment, or disposal of hazardous, radioactive, and mixed hazardous waste materials that have been properly characterized, packaged, and labelled, but are not used formore » production; (3) that have been formally transferred to EM by another DOE office for the purpose of environmental restoration and the eventual return to service as a DOE production facility; or (4) that are used exclusively for long-term storage of DOE waste material and are not actively used for production, with the exception of facilities, operations, or sites under the direction of the DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. As part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement, Field Offices within DOE submitted their listings of facilities, systems, operation, and sites for which EM would have line responsibility. It is intended that EM facility listings will be revised on a yearly basis so that managers at all levels will have a valid reference for the planning, programming, budgeting and execution of EM activities.« less

75 FR 61228 - Board Meeting: Technical Lessons Gained From High-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal Efforts

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

... NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD Board Meeting: Technical Lessons Gained From High-Level... Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will meet in Dulles... of Energy on technical issues and to review the technical validity of DOE activities related to...

Selection and Characterization of Biofuel-Producing Environmental Bacteria Isolated from Vegetable Oil-Rich Wastes

PubMed Central

Escobar-Niño, Almudena; Luna, Carlos; Luna, Diego; Marcos, Ana T.; Cánovas, David; Mellado, Encarnación

2014-01-01

Fossil fuels are consumed so rapidly that it is expected that the planet resources will be soon exhausted. Therefore, it is imperative to develop alternative and inexpensive new technologies to produce sustainable fuels, for example biodiesel. In addition to hydrolytic and esterification reactions, lipases are capable of performing transesterification reactions useful for the production of biodiesel. However selection of the lipases capable of performing transesterification reactions is not easy and consequently very few biodiesel producing lipases are currently available. In this work we first isolated 1,016 lipolytic microorganisms by a qualitative plate assay. In a second step, lipolytic bacteria were analyzed using a colorimetric assay to detect the transesterification activity. Thirty of the initial lipolytic strains were selected for further characterization. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 23 of the bacterial isolates were Gram negative and 7 were Gram positive, belonging to different clades. Biofuel production was analyzed and quantified by gas chromatography and revealed that 5 of the isolates produced biofuel with yields higher than 80% at benchtop scale. Chemical and viscosity analysis of the produced biofuel revealed that it differed from biodiesel. This bacterial-derived biofuel does not require any further downstream processing and it can be used directly in engines. The freeze-dried bacterial culture supernatants could be used at least five times for biofuel production without diminishing their activity. Therefore, these 5 isolates represent excellent candidates for testing biofuel production at industrial scale. PMID:25099150

Materials Discarded in the U.S. Municipal Waste Stream, 1960 to 2009 (in tons)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has collected and reported data on the generation and disposal of waste in the United States for more than 30 years. We use this information to measure the success of waste reduction and recycling programs across the country. Our trash, or municipal solid waste (MSW), is made up of the things we commonly use and then throw away. These materials include items such as packaging, food scraps, grass clippings, sofas, computers, tires, and refrigerators. MSW does not include industrial, hazardous, or construction waste. The data on Materials Discarded in the Municipal Waste Stream, 1960 to 2009, provides estimated data in thousands of tons discarded after recycling and compost recovery for the years 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009. In this data set, discards include combustion with energy recovery. This data table does not include construction & demolition debris, industrial process wastes, or certain other wastes. The Other category includes electrolytes in batteries and fluff pulp, feces, and urine in disposable diapers. Details may not add to totals due to rounding.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The purpose of this analysis is to provide information necessary for the Department of Energy (DOE) to evaluate the practical utility of the Nitrate to Ammonia and Ceramic or Glass (NAC/NAG/NAX) process, which is under development in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The NAC/NACx/NAX process can convert aqueous radioactive nitrate-laden waste to a glass, ceramic, or grout solid waste form. The tasks include, but are not limited to, the following: Identify current commercial technologies to meet hazardous and radiological waste disposal requirements. The technologies may be thermal or non-thermal but must be all inclusive (i.e., must convert a radionuclide-containing nitratemore » waste with a pH around 12 to a stable form that can be disposed at permitted facilities); evaluate and compare DOE-sponsored vitrification, grouting, and minimum additive waste stabilization projects for life-cycle costs; compare the technologies above with respect to material costs, capital equipment costs, operating costs, and operating efficiencies. For the NAC/NAG/NAX process, assume aluminum reactant is government furnished and ammonia gas may be marketed; compare the identified technologies with respect to frequency of use within DOE for environmental management applications with appropriate rationale for use; Assess the potential size of the DOE market for the NAC/NAG/NAX process; assess and off-gas issues; and compare with international technologies, including life-cycle estimates.« less

Transuranic Waste Program Framework Agreement - December Deliverable July 2012

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, Patricia

Framework agreement deliverables are: (1) 'DOE/NNSA commits to complete removal of all non-cemented above-ground EM Legacy TRU and newly generated TRU currently-stored at Area G as of October 1, 2011, by no later than June 30, 2014. This inventory of above-ground TRU is defined as 3706 cubic meters of material.' (2) 'DOE commits to the complete removal of all newly generated TRU received in Area G during FY 2012 and 2013 by no later than December 31, 2014.' (3) 'Based on projected funding profiles, DOE/NNSA will develop by December 31, 2012, a schedule, including pacing milestones, for disposition of themore » below-ground TRU requiring retrieval at Area G.' Objectives are to: (1) restore the 'Core Team' to develop the December, 2012 deliverable; (2) obtain agreement on the strategy for below ground water disposition; and (3) establish timeline for completion of the deliverable. Below Grade Waste Strategy is to: (1) Perform an evaluation on below grade waste currently considered retrievable TRU; (2) Only commit to retrieve waste that must be retrieved; (3) Develop the Deliverable including Pacing Milestones based on planned commitments; (4) Align all Regulatory Documents for Consistency; and (5) answer these 3 primary questions, is the waste TRU; is the waste retrievable, can retrieval cause more harm than benefit?« less

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) conceptual design report. Part I: executive summary. Part II: facilities and system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-06-01

The pilot plant is developed for ERDA low-level contact-handled transuranic waste, ERDA remote-handled intermediate-level transuranic waste, and for high-level waste experiments. All wastes placed in the WIPP arrive at the site processed and packaged; no waste processing is done at the WIPP. All wastes placed into the WIPP are retrievable. The proposed site for WIPP lies 26 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. This document includes the executive summary and a detailed description of the facilities and systems. (DLC)

TRU waste absorbent addition project at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

PubMed

Colson, R Griff; Auman, Laurence E

2003-08-01

ABSTRACT In order to meet a commitment to ship 3,100 m3 of transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) developed a process to add absorbent to TRU waste drums that did not meet WIPP waste acceptance criteria. The development, implementation, and safe completion of this project contributed to the INEEL's success in meeting the commitment three months early.

Method of separating bacteria from free living amoebae

DOEpatents

Tyndall, Richard L.

1994-01-01

New protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. Consortia and bacteria isolated therefrom are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. Consortia, bacteria isolated therefrom, and dispersants isolated therefrom are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

Method of dispersing a hydrocarbon using bacteria

DOEpatents

Tyndall, Richard L.

1996-01-01

New protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. Consortia and bacteria isolated therefrom are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. Consortia, bacteria isolated therefrom, and dispersants isolated therefrom are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

Federal environmental standards of potential importance to operations and activities at US Department of Energy sites. Draft

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fowler, K.M.; Bilyard, G.R.; Davidson, S.A.

1993-06-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is now engaged in a program of environmental restoration nationwide across its 45 sites. It is also bringing its facilities into compliance with environmental regulations, decontaminating and decommissioning unwanted facilities, and constructing new waste management facilities. One of the most difficult questions that DOE must face in successfully remediating its inactive waste sites, decontaminating and decommissioning its inactive facilities, and operating its waste management facilities is: ``What criteria and standards should be met?`` Acceptable standards or procedures for determining standards will assist DOE in its conduct of ongoing waste management and pending cleanup activitiesmore » by helping to ensure that those activities are conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and are accepted by the regulatory community and the public. This document reports on the second of three baseline activities that are being conducted as prerequisites to either the development of quantitative standards that could be used by DOE, or consistent procedures for developing such standards. The first and third baseline activities are also briefly discussed in conjunction with the second of the three activities.« less

Environmental analysis burial of offsite low-level waste at SRP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poe, W. L.; Moyer, R. A.

1980-12-01

The environmental effects of receipt and burial of low level naval waste are assessed. This low level waste was sent to the NRC-licensed burial ground operated by Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc., at Barnwell, South Carolina. The DOE announced that DOE-generated low level waste would no longer be buried at commercial waste burial sites. The SRP was selected to receive the Naval waste described in this analysis. Receipt and burial of these wastes will have a negligible effect on SRP's environment and increase only sightly the environmental effects of the SRP operations discussed in the EIS on SRP waste management operations. The environmental effects of burial of this waste at Chem-Nuclear Burial Ground or at the SRP Burial Ground are described in this environmental analysis to permit assessment of incremental effects caused by the decision to bury this Naval waste in the SRP Burial Ground rather than in the Barnwell Burial Ground. The radiological effects from burial of this waste in either the SRP or Chem-Nuclear Burial Ground are very small when compared to those from natural background radiation or to the annual population dose commitment from operation of SRP. The environmental effects of burial at SRP to dose commitments normally received by the population surrounding SRP are compared.

WASTE MINIMIZATION OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT: PHILADELPHIA NAVAL SHIPYARD

EPA Science Inventory

The Waste Reduction Evaluation at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program consists of a series of demonstration and evaluation projects for waste reduction conducted cooperatively by EPA and various parts of the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), and other Federal ag...

Frequent Questions on International Agreements on Transboundary Shipments of Waste

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Answers FAQs such as How does the OECD control the shipment of hazardous waste between Member countries? Where do I find the green and amber lists of waste? Why hasn't the United States ratified the Basel Convention?

Project characteristics monitoring report: BWIP (Basalt Waste Isolation Program) repository project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedli, E.A.; Herborn, D.I.; Taylor, C.D.

1988-03-01

This monitoring report has been prepared to show compliance with provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) and to provide local and state government agencies with information concerning the Basalt Waste Isolation Program (BWIP). This report contains data for the time period May 26, 1986 to February 1988. The data include employment figures, salaries, project purchases, taxes and fees paid, worker survey results, and project closedown personal interview summaries. This information has become particularly important since the decision in December 1987 to stop all BWIP activities except those for site reclamation. The Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Actmore » of 1987 requires nonreclamation work at the Hanford Site to stop as of March 22, 1988. 7 refs., 6 figs., 28 tabs.« less

Moving from recycling to waste prevention: A review of barriers and enables.

PubMed

Bartl, Andreas

2014-09-01

Current European waste policy does not mainly aim to treat waste streams but rather place in the foreground of interest the complete supply chain of a product. Waste prevention and re-use do have the highest priority and they take effect before the end-of-life phase of a product or a material is reached. Recycling only takes the third place whereas recovery and disposal represent the least favourable options. Recycling can help to decrease the consumption of primary resources but it does not tackle the causes but only the symptoms. In principle, recycling processes require energy and will generate side streams (i.e. waste). Furthermore, there are insuperable barriers and the practice is far from 100% recycling. The philosophy of waste prevention and re-use is completely different since they really tackle the causes. It is self-evident that a decrease of waste will also decrease the consumption of resources, energy and money to process the waste. However, even if European legislation is proceeding in the right direction, a clear decrease in waste generation did not occur up to now. Unfortunately, waste generation represents a positive factor of economic growth. Basically, waste generation is a huge business and numerous stakeholders are not interested to reduce waste. More sophisticated incentives are required to decouple economic growth from waste generation. © The Author(s) 2014.

Configuration management at an environmental restoration DOE facility (Fernald)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beckett, C.; Pasko, W.; Kupinski, T.

This report contains information about a meeting held to discuss the decontamination and decommissioning of the Fernald site in Ohio. This site contains two major types of waste. First is the legacy waste. This waste consists of the wastes which were left over from production which is stored in various drums and containers across the site. Second is the waste generated from the remedial activities.

In vitro functional properties of crude extracts and isolated compounds from banana pseudostem and rhizome.

PubMed

Kandasamy, Saravanan; Ramu, Sasikala; Aradhya, Somaradhya Mallikarjuna

2016-03-15

Pseudostem and rhizome are the significant bio-waste generated (43.48%) from the banana plant post fruit harvest, which are usually left in the plantation or incinerated and wasted. Amounts used in production for consumption are negligible. However, the material has an important part to play in indigenous systems of medicine. Based on the huge volume of bio-waste generated and its traditional medicinal use, it is worth exploiting it as a source of natural bioactive compounds. In the current study, sequential extracts from banana pseudostem (BPS) and rhizome (BR), and isolated compounds including chlorogenic acid, 4-epicyclomusalenone and cycloeucalenol acetate, were tested for their antimicrobial activity, antiplatelet aggregation and cytotoxicity. Isolated compounds and crude extracts exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacterial and fungal strains, platelet aggregation induced by collagen and cytotoxicity towards human liver cancer (HepG2) cells. Banana plant bio-waste, pseudostem and rhizome may serve as a potential source of multifunctional bioactive compounds and functional ingredient in food and other allied industries. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Internship - practical education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Porell, A.L.; Bauman, H.F.

1989-01-01

The current emphasis on regulatory compliance with environmental laws has depleted the availability of experienced environmental scientists and engineers needed to initiate critical environmental projects. Further, projects of short duration and long-term commitments to employment situations are considered a high risk for both the employer and the employee. Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., has met this challenge for federal agencies through the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program (HAZWRAP). Through unique interdepartmental agency agreements between the DOE and the Department of Defense (DOD) and contractual arrangements between Energy Systems, DOE, and the University of Tennessee's (UT's)more » Waste Management Institute (WMI), an intern program was formulated. HAZWRAP is a DOE headquarters' program for addressing hazardous-waste issues at all DOE facilities. Energy Systems is the support contractor office responsible for developing policies and implementing plans for this program. Under this charter, HAZWRAP assembled a large staff of experienced project managers for developing remedial actions plans, while providing other federal agencies assistance in implementing their remedial actions programs. HAZWRAP project managers are currently managing remedial investigations and feasibility studies at 130 federal facilities located throughout the DOD.« less

Citizen Contributions to the Closure of High-Level Waste (HLW) Tanks 18 and 19 at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) - 13448

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lawless, W.F.

2013-07-01

Citizen involvement in DOE's decision-making for the environmental cleanup from DOE's management of its nuclear wastes across the DOE complex has had a positive effect on the cleanup of its SRS site, characterized by an acceleration of cleanup not only for the Transuranic wastes at SRS, but also for DOE's first two closures of HLW tanks, both of which occurred at SRS. The Citizens around SRS had pushed successfully for the closures of Tanks 17 and 20 in 1997, becoming the first closures of HLW tanks under regulatory guidance in the USA. However, since then, HLW tank closures ceased duemore » to a lawsuit, the application of new tank clean-up technology, interagency squabbling between DOE and NRC over tank closure criteria, and finally and almost fatally, from budget pressures. Despite an agreement with its regulators for the closure of Tanks 18 and 19 by the end of calendar year 2012, the outlook in Fall 2011 to close these two tanks had dimmed. It was at this point that the citizens around SRS became reengaged with tank closures, helping DOE to reach its agreed upon milestone. (authors)« less

Hazards Associated with Legacy Nitrate Salt Waste Drums Managed under the Container Isolation Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Funk, David John; Clark, David Lewis

At present, there are 29 drums of nitrate waste salts (oxidizers with potentially acidic liquid bearing RCRA characteristics D001 and D002) that are awaiting processing, specifically to eliminate these characteristics and to allow for ultimate disposition at WIPP. As a result of the Feb. 14th, 2014 drum breach at WIPP, and the subsequent identification of the breached drum as a product ofLANL TRU waste disposition on May 15th, 2014, these 29 containers were moved into the Perrnacon in Dome 231 at TA-54 Area G, as part of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) approved container isolation plan. The plan ismore » designed to mitigate hazards associated with the nitrate salt bearing waste stream. The purpose of this document is to articulate the hazards associated with un-remediated nitrate salts while in storage at LANL. These hazards are distinctly different from the Swheat-remediated nitrate salt bearing drums, and this document is intended to support the request to remove the un-remediated drums from management under the container isolation plan. Plans to remediate and/or treat both of these waste types are being developed separately, and are beyond the scope of this document.« less

Production and Optimization of Physicochemical Parameters of Cellulase Using Untreated Orange Waste by Newly Isolated Emericella variecolor NS3.

PubMed

Srivastava, Neha; Srivastava, Manish; Manikanta, Ambepu; Singh, Pardeep; Ramteke, P W; Mishra, P K; Malhotra, Bansi D

2017-10-01

Cellulase enzymes have versatile industrial applications. This study was directed towards the isolation, production, and characterization of cellulase enzyme system. Among the five isolated fungal cultures, Emericella variecolor NS3 showed maximum cellulase production using untreated orange peel waste as substrate using solid-state fermentation (SSF). Maximum enzyme production of 31 IU/gds (per gram of dry substrate) was noticed at 6.0 g concentration of orange peel. Further, 50 °C was recorded as the optimum temperature for cellulase activity and the thermal stability for 240 min was observed at this temperature. In addition, the crude enzyme was stable at pH 5.0 and held its complete relative activity in presence of Mn 2+ and Fe 3+ . This study explored the production of crude enzyme system using biological waste with future potential for research and industrial applications.

Geologic isolation of nuclear waste at high latitudes: the role of ice sheets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Person, M.; McIntosh, J.; Iverson, N.; Neuzil, C.E.; Bense, V.

2012-01-01

Geologic isolation of high-level nuclear waste from the biosphere requires special consideration in countries at high latitudes (>40°N) owing to the possibility of future episodes of continental glaciation (Talbot 1999). It is now widely recognized that Pleistocene continental glaciations have had a profound effect on rates of sediment erosion (Cuffey & Paterson 2010) and deformation including tectonic thrusting (Pedersen 2005) as well as groundwater flow (Person et al. 2007; Lemieux et al. 2008a,b,c). In addition, glacial mechanical loads may have generated anomalous, or fossil, pore pressures within certain clay-rich confining units (e.g. Vinard et al. 2001). Because high-level nuclear wastes must be isolated from the biosphere as long as 1 million years (McMurry et al. 2003), the likelihood of one or more continental ice sheets overrunning high-latitude sites must be considered.

Assessment study for multi-barrier system used in radioactive borate waste isolation based on Monte Carlo simulations.

PubMed

Bayoumi, T A; Reda, S M; Saleh, H M

2012-01-01

Radioactive waste generated from the nuclear applications should be properly isolated by a suitable containment system such as, multi-barrier container. The present study aims to evaluate the isolation capacity of a new multi-barrier container made from cement and clay and including borate waste materials. These wastes were spiked by (137)Cs and (60)Co radionuclides to simulate that waste generated from the primary cooling circuit of pressurized water reactors. Leaching of both radionuclides in ground water was followed and calculated during ten years. Monte Carlo (MCNP5) simulations computed the photon flux distribution of the multi-barrier container, including radioactive borate waste of specific activity 11.22KBq/g and 4.18KBq/g for (137)Cs and (60)Co, respectively, at different periods of 0, 15.1, 30.2 and 302 years. The average total flux for 100cm radius of spherical cell was 0.192photon/cm(2) at initial time and 2.73×10(-4)photon/cm(2) after 302 years. Maximum waste activity keeping the surface radiation dose within the permissible level was calculated and found to be 56KBq/g with attenuation factors of 0.73cm(-1) and 0.6cm(-1) for cement and clay, respectively. The average total flux was 1.37×10(-3)photon/cm(2) after 302 years. Monte Carlo simulations revealed that the proposed multi-barrier container is safe enough during transportation, evacuation or rearrangement in the disposal site for more than 300 years. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status of Progress Made Toward Safety Analysis and Technical Site Evaluations for DOE Managed HLW and SNF.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sevougian, S. David; Stein, Emily; Gross, Michael B

The Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) Campaign of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) is conducting research and development (R&D) on generic deep geologic disposal systems (i.e., repositories). This report describes specific activities in FY 2016 associated with the development of a Defense Waste Repository (DWR)a for the permanent disposal of a portion of the HLW and SNF derived from national defense and research and development (R&D) activities of the DOE.

Mercury Contamination - Amalgamate (contract with NFS and ADA). Demonstration of DeHg SM Process. Mixed Waste Focus Area. OST Reference Number 1675

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

1999-09-01

Through efforts led by the Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) and its Mercury Working Group (HgWG), the inventory of bulk elemental mercury contaminated with radionuclides stored at various U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites is thought to be approximately 16 m3 (Conley et al. 1998). At least 19 different DOE sites have this type of mixed low-level waste in their storage facilities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifies amalgamation as the treatment method for radioactively contaminated elemental mercury. Although the chemistry of amalgamation is well known, the practical engineering of a sizable amalgamation process has not been tested (Tysonmore » 1993). To eliminate the existing DOE inventory in a reasonable timeframe, scalable equipment is needed that can produce waste forms that meet the EPA definition of amalgamation, produce waste forms that pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) limit of 0.20 mg/L, limit mercury vapor concentrations during processing to below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) 8-h worker exposure limit (50 mg/m3) for mercury, and perform the above economically.« less

Basic data report for drilling and hydrologic testing of drillhole DOE-2 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIIP) site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mercer, J.W.; Beauheim, R.L.; Snyder, R.P.

1987-04-01

Drillhole DOE-2 was drilled to investigate a structural depression marked by the downward displacement of stratigraphic markers in the Salado Formation. Contrary to several hypotheses, halite layers were thicker in the lower part of the Salado, not thinner as a result of any removal of halite. The upper Castile anhydrite in Drillhole DOE-2 is anomalously thick and is strongly deformed relative to the anhydrite in adjacent drillholes. In contrast, the halite was <8 ft thick and significantly thinner than usually encountered. The lower Castile anhydrite appears to be normal. The depression within the correlated marker beds in the Salado Formationmore » in Drillhole DOE-2 is interpreted as a result of gravity-driven deformation of the underlying Castile Formation. Several stratigraphic units were hydrologically tested in Drillhole DOE-2. Testing of the unsaturated lower portion of the Dewey Lake Red Beds was unsuccessful because of exceptionally small rates of fluid intake. Drill-stem tests were conducted in five intervals in the Rustler Formation, over the Marker Bed 138-139 interval in the Salado formation, and over three sandstone members of the Bell Canyon Formation. A pumping test was conducted in the Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation. Pressure-pulse tests were conducted over the entire Salado Formation. Fluid samples were collected from the Culebra Dolomite Member and from the Hays Member of the Bell Canyon Formation. 31 refs., 31 figs., 5 tabs.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goldston, W.T.

DOE issued Order 435.1, ''Radioactive Waste Management,'' on July 9, 1999 for immediate implementation. The requirements for Low Level Mixed, Transuranic, and High Level Waste have been completely rewritten. The entire DOE complex has been struggling with how to implement these new requirements within the one year required timeframe. This paper will chronicle the implementation strategy and actual results of the work to carry out that strategy at the Savannah River Site.

33 CFR 158.120 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., London, SE1 7SR, England. Medical waste means isolation wastes, infectious agents, human blood and blood... or facility which is a base of operations for ships serving the mineral and oil industry. Noxious...

33 CFR 158.120 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., London, SE1 7SR, England. Medical waste means isolation wastes, infectious agents, human blood and blood... or facility which is a base of operations for ships serving the mineral and oil industry. Noxious...

Environmental Management Waste Management Facility Waste Lot Profile 155.5 for K-1015-A Laundry Pit, East Tennessee Technology Park Oak Ridge, Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bechtel Jacobs, Raymer J.E.

2008-06-12

In 1989, the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), which includes the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), was placed on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) National Priorities List. The Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) (DOE 1992), effective January 1, 1992, now governs environmental restoration activities conducted under CERCLA at the ORR. Following signing of the FFA, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the state of Tennessee signed the Oak Ridge Accelerated Cleanup Plan Agreement on June 18, 2003. The purpose of this agreement is to define a streamlined decision-making process to facilitatemore » the accelerated implementation of cleanup, to resolve ORR milestone issues, and to establish future actions necessary to complete the accelerated cleanup plan by the end of fiscal year 2008. While the FFA continues to serve as the overall regulatory framework for remediation, the Accelerated Cleanup Plan Agreement supplements existing requirements to streamline the decision-making process. The disposal of the K-1015 Laundry Pit waste will be executed in accordance with the 'Record of Decision for Soil, Buried Waste, and Subsurface Structure Actions in Zone, 2, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee' (DOB/ORAH-2161&D2) and the 'Waste Handling Plan for the Consolidated Soil and Waste Sites with Zone 2, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee' (DOE/OR/01-2328&D1). This waste lot consists of a total of approximately 50 cubic yards of waste that will be disposed at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) as non-containerized waste. This material will be sent to the EMWMF in dump trucks. This profile is for the K-1015-A Laundry Pit and includes debris (e.g., concrete, metal rebar, pipe), incidental soil, plastic and wood, and secondary waste (such as plastic sheeting, hay bales and other erosion control materials, wooden pallets, contaminated equipment, decontamination materials, etc.).« less

The road to Yucca Mountain—Evolution of nuclear waste disposal in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, John S.; Levich, Robert A.

2016-01-01

The generation of electricity by nuclear power and the manufacturing of atomic weapons have created a large amount of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. There is a world-wide consensus that the best way to protect mankind and the environment is to dispose of this waste in a deep geologic repository. Initial efforts focused on salt as the best medium for disposal, but the heat generated by the radioactive waste led many earth scientists to examine other rock types. In 1976, the director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) wrote to the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), predecessor agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), suggesting that there were several favorable environments at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), and that the USGS already had extensive background information on the NTS. Later, in a series of communications and one publication, the USGS espoused the favorability of the thick unsaturated zone. After the passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (1982), the DOE compiled a list of nine favorable sites and settled on three to be characterized. In 1987, as the costs of characterizing three sites ballooned, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act directing the DOE to focus only on Yucca Mountain in Nevada, with the proviso that if anything unfavorable was discovered, work would stop immediately. The U.S. DOE, the U.S. DOE national laboratories, and the USGS developed more than 100 detailed plans to study various earth-science aspects of Yucca Mountain and the surrounding area, as well as materials studies and engineering projects needed for a mined geologic repository. The work, which cost more than 10 billion dollars and required hundreds of man-years of work, culminated in a license application submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2008.

A CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF COAL LIQUEFACTION PROCESS STREAMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

G.A. Robbins; R.A. Winschel; S.D. Brandes

This is the first Annual Technical Report of activities under DOE Contract No. DE-AC22-94PC93054. Activities from the first three quarters of the fiscal 1998 year were reported previously as Quarterly Technical Progress Reports (DOE/PC93054-57, DOE/PC93054-61, and DOE/PC93054-66). Activities for the period July 1 through September 30, 1998, are reported here. This report describes CONSOL's characterization of process-derived samples obtained from HTI Run PB-08. These samples were derived from operations with Black Thunder Mine Wyoming subbituminous coal, simulated mixed waste plastics, and pyrolysis oils derived from waste plastics and waste tires. Comparison of characteristics among the PB-08 samples was made tomore » ascertain the effects of feed composition changes. A comparison also was made to samples from a previous test (Run PB-06) made in the same processing unit, with Black Thunder Mine coal, and in one run condition with co-fed mixed plastics.« less

DC graphite arc furnace, a simple system to reduce mixed waste volume

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wittle, J.K.; Hamilton, R.A.; Trescot, J.

1995-12-31

The volume of low-level radioactive waste can be reduced by the high temperature in a DC Graphite Arc Furnace. This volume reduction can take place with the additional benefit of having the solid residue being stabilized by the vitrified product produced in the process. A DC Graphite Arc Furnace is a simple system in which electricity is used to generate heat to vitrify the material and thermally decompose any organic matter in the waste stream. Examples of this type of waste are protective clothing, resins, and grit blast materials produced in the nuclear industry. The various Department of Energy (DOE)more » complexes produce similar low-level waste streams. Electro-Pyrolysis, Inc. and Svedala/Kennedy Van Saun are engineering and building small 50-kg batch and up to 3,000 kg/hr continuous feed DC furnaces for the remediation, pollution prevention, and decontamination and decommissioning segments of the treatment community. This process has been demonstrated under DOE sponsorship at several facilities and has been shown to produce stable waste forms from surrogate waste materials.« less

Localized chemistry of 99Tc in simulated low activity waste glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, Jamie L.

A priority of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) is to dispose of the nuclear waste accumulated in the underground tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, WA. Incorporation and stabilization of technetium (99Tc) from these tanks into vitrified waste forms is a concern to the waste glass community and DOE due to 99Tc's long half-life ( 2.13˙105 y), and its high mobility in the subsurface environment under oxidizing conditions. Working in collaboration with researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and other national laboratories, plans were formulated to obtain first-of-a-kind chemical structure determination of poorly understood and environmentally relevant technetium compounds that relate to the chemistry of the Tc in nuclear waste glasses. Knowledge of the structure and spectral signature of these compounds aid in refining the understanding of 99Tc incorporation into and release from oxide based waste glass. In this research a first-of-its kind mechanism for the behavior of 99Tc during vitrification is presented, and the structural role of Tc(VII) and (IV) in borosilicate waste glasses is readdressed.

Tolerance to Ammonia of Thulinius ruffoi (Bertolani, 1981), a Tardigrade Isolated from a Sewage Treatment Plant.

PubMed

Sobczyk, Mateusz; Michno, Klaudia; Kosztyła, Paulina; Stec, Daniel; Michalczyk, Łukasz

2015-12-01

The acute toxicity of ammonia on Thulinius ruffoi (Bertolani, 1981), a eutardigrade isolated from a small waste water treatment plant (WWTP) in Poland, was estimated. Our results show that no active individuals survived a 24 h exposure to solutions equal to or higher than 125 mg/L of total ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N + NH4 (+)-N), which, under the conditions in our experiment, was equivalent to 1.17 mg/L of un-ionised ammonia (NH3). The LC50 concentration of total ammonia nitrogen was equal to 52 mg/L (or 0.65 mg/L un-ionised ammonia). Given that the norms for the concentration of ammonia in treated waters leaving WWTPs are usually several times lower than the LC50 for T. ruffoi, this species does not seem to be a good bioindicator candidate for WWTPs. In this paper we also note that various ecotoxicological studies use different methodological approaches and we suggest that a more uniform methodology may aid interspecific comparisons of LC50 values.

Radiation release at the nation's only operating deep geological repository--an independent monitoring perspective.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Ballard, S; Hardy, R

2014-11-04

Recent incidents at the nation's only operating deep geologic nuclear waste repository, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), resulted in the release of americium and plutonium from one or more defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste containers into the environment. WIPP is a U.S. Department of Energy mined geologic repository that has been in operation since March, 1999. Over 85,000 m3 of waste in various vented payload containers have been emplaced in the repository. The primary radionuclides within the disposed waste are 239+240Pu and 241Am, which account for more than 99% of the total TRU radioactivity disposed and scheduled for disposal in the repository. For the first time in its 15 years of operation, there was an airborne radiation release from the WIPP at approximately 11:30 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST) on Friday, February 14, 2014. The radiation release was likely caused by a chemical reaction inside a TRU waste drum that contained nitrate salts and organic sorbent materials. In a recent news release, DOE announced that photos taken of the waste underground showed evidence of heat and gas pressure resulting in a deformed lid, in material expelled through that deformation, and in melted plastic and rubber and polyethylene in the vicinity of that drum. Recent entries into underground Panel 7 have confirmed that at least one waste drum containing a nitrate salt bearing waste stream from Los Alamos National Laboratory was breached underground and was the most likely source of the release. Further investigation is underway to determine if other containers contributed to the release. Air monitoring across the WIPP site intensified following the first reports of radiation detection underground to ascertain whether or not there were releases to the ground surface. Independent analytical results of air filters from sampling stations on and near the WIPP facility have been released by us at the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center and confirmed trace amounts of 241Am and 239+240Pu, at ratios reflecting the suspect waste stream. The highest activity detected offsite was 115.2 μBq/m3 for 241Am and 10.2 μBq/m3 for 239+240 Pu. These concentrations in air were very small, localized, and below any level of public health or environmental concern.

Management of solid waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, W. T.; Stinton, L. H.

1980-04-01

Compliance with the latest regulatory requirements addressing disposal of radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary solid waste criteria in the selection, design, and operation of solid waste management facilities. Due to the state of flux of these regulatory requirements from EPA and NRC, several waste management options were of solid waste. The current regulatory constraints and the design and operational requirements for construction of both storage and disposal facilities for use in management of DOE-ORO solid waste are highlighted. Capital operational costs are included for both disposal and storage options.

Generic Degraded Congiguration Probability Analysis for DOE Codisposal Waste Package

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.F.A. Deng; M. Saglam; L.J. Gratton

2001-05-23

In accordance with the technical work plan, ''Technical Work Plan For: Department of Energy Spent Nuclear Fuel Work Packages'' (CRWMS M&O 2000c), this Analysis/Model Report (AMR) is developed for the purpose of screening out degraded configurations for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) types. It performs the degraded configuration parameter and probability evaluations of the overall methodology specified in the ''Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report'' (YMP 2000, Section 3) to qualifying configurations. Degradation analyses are performed to assess realizable parameter ranges and physical regimes for configurations. Probability calculations are then performed for configurations characterized by k{submore » eff} in excess of the Critical Limit (CL). The scope of this document is to develop a generic set of screening criteria or models to screen out degraded configurations having potential for exceeding a criticality limit. The developed screening criteria include arguments based on physical/chemical processes and probability calculations and apply to DOE SNF types when codisposed with the high-level waste (HLW) glass inside a waste package. The degradation takes place inside the waste package and is long after repository licensing has expired. The emphasis of this AMR is on degraded configuration screening and the probability analysis is one of the approaches used for screening. The intended use of the model is to apply the developed screening criteria to each DOE SNF type following the completion of the degraded mode criticality analysis internal to the waste package.« less

Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus sp. GZT, a 2,4,6-Tribromophenol-Degrading Strain Isolated from the River Sludge of an Electronic Waste-Dismantling Region

PubMed Central

Liang, Zhishu; Li, Guiying; Das, Ranjit

2016-01-01

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Bacillus sp. strain GZT, a 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP)-degrading bacterium previously isolated from an electronic waste-dismantling region. The draft genome sequence is 5.18 Mb and has a G+C content of 35.1%. This is the first genome report of a brominated flame retardant-degrading strain. PMID:27257197

A process for complete biodegradation of shrimp waste by a novel marine isolate Paenibacillus sp. AD with simultaneous production of chitinase and chitin oligosaccharides.

PubMed

Kumar, Aditya; Kumar, Deepak; George, Nancy; Sharma, Prince; Gupta, Naveen

2018-04-01

Disposal of chitinaceous waste is a major problem of seafood industry. Most of the known chitinolytic organisms have been studied with respect to pure chitin as substrate. Use of these organisms for degradation of seafood waste has not been explored much. In present study a marine bacterium capable of proficiently degrading shrimp waste with co-production of value added products like chitinase and chitin oligosaccharides was isolated from seafood waste dumping sites. On 16s rRNA and biochemical analysis bacterium was found to be a novel species of genus Paenibacillus.Under optimized condition complete shrimp waste degradation (99%) was achieved along with chitinase yield of 20.01 IUml -1 . SEM and FTIR showed the structural changes and breakage of bonds typical to that of chitin, which indicated that this process can be used for the degradation of other chitinaceous material also. Thin layer chromatography revealed the presence of chitin oligosaccharides of various degree of polymerization in the hydrolysate. Complete degradation of shrimp waste by Paenibacillus sp. AD makes it a potential candidate for the bioremediation of seafood waste at large scale. Concomitant production of chitinase and chitin oligosaccharides further makes the process economical and commercially viable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NEVADA TEST SITE WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA, JUNE 2006

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NEVADA SITE OFFICE

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and mixed waste (MW) for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) for storage or disposal.

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and mixed waste (MW) for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) for storage or disposal.

Thirteenth annual U.S. DOE low-level radioactive waste management conference: Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1991-12-31

The 40 papers in this document comprise the proceedings of the Department of Energy`s Thirteenth Annual Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference that was held in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 19--21, 1991. General subjects addressed during the conference included: disposal facility design; greater-than-class C low-level waste; public acceptance considerations; waste certification; site characterization; performance assessment; licensing and documentation; emerging low-level waste technologies; waste minimization; mixed waste; tracking and transportation; storage; and regulatory changes. Papers have been processed separately for inclusion on the data base.

10 CFR 961.2 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ENERGY STANDARD CONTRACT FOR DISPOSAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND/OR HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE General... owns or generates spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste, of domestic origin, generated in... part will commit DOE to accept title to, transport, and dispose of such spent fuel and waste. In...

Hazardous Waste Management Systems: Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste - Federal Register Notice, May 1, 1991

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA is announcing an administrative stay of a portion of the hazardous waste listing K069 so that the listing does not apply to slurries generated from air pollution control devices that are intended to capture acid gases.

75 FR 29786 - Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-27

... plans for managing spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Pursuant to its authority under... of Energy (DOE) plans for managing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW... the packaging and movement of the waste, how the recent decision to terminate the Yucca Mountain...

Characterization of Volume F Trash from the Three FY11 STS Missions: Trash Weights and Categorization and Microbial Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strayer, Richard F.; Hummerick, Mary E.; Richards, Jeffrey T.; McCoy, LaShelle E.; Roberts, Michael S.; Wheller, Raymond M.

2011-01-01

The project reported here provides microbial characterization support to the Waste Management Systems (WMS) element of NASA's Life Support and Habitation Systems (LSHS) program. Conventional microbiological methods were used to detect and enumerate microorganisms in STS Volume F Compartment trash for three shuttle missions: STS 133, 134, and 135. This trash was usually made available within 2 days of landing at KSC. The Volume F bag was weighed, opened and the contents were cataloged and placed into categories: personal hygiene items - inclUding EVA maximum absorbent garments (MAGs) and Elbow packs (daily toilet wipes, etc), drink containers, food waste (and containers), office waste (paper), and packaging materials - plastic film and duct tape. The average wet trash generation rate for the three STS missions was 0.362 % 0.157 kgwet crew 1 d-1 . This was considerably lower and more variable than the average rate for 4 STS missions reported for FY10. Trash subtotals by category: personal hygiene wastes, 56%; drink items, 11 %; food wastes, 18%; office waste, 3%; and plastic film, 12%. These wastes have an abundance of easily biodegraded compounds that can support the growth of microorganisms. Microbial characterization of trash showed that large numbers of bacteria and fungi have taken advantage of this readily available nutrient source to proliferate. Exterior and interior surfaces of plastic film bags containing trash were sampled and counts of cultivatable microbes were generally low and mostly occurred on trash bundles within the exterior trash bags. Personal hygiene wastes, drink containers, and food wastes and packaging all contained high levels of, mostly, aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and lower levels of yeasts and molds. Isolates from plate count media were obtained and identified .and were mostly aerobic heterotrophs with some facultative anaerobes. These are usually considered common environmental isolates on Earth. However, several pathogens were also isolated: Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

International Approaches for Nuclear Waste Disposal in Geological Formations: Report on Fifth Worldwide Review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faybishenko, Boris; Birkholzer, Jens; Persoff, Peter

2016-08-01

An important issue for present and future generations is the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Over the past over forty years, the development of technologies to isolate both spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and other high-level nuclear waste (HLW) generated at nuclear power plants and from production of defense materials, and low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste (LILW) in underground rock and sediments has been found to be a challenging undertaking. Finding an appropriate solution for the disposal of nuclear waste is an important issue for protection of the environment and public health, and it is a prerequisite for the futuremore » of nuclear power. The purpose of a deep geological repository for nuclear waste is to provide to future generations, protection against any harmful release of radioactive material, even after the memory of the repository may have been lost, and regardless of the technical knowledge of future generations. The results of a wide variety of investigations on the development of technology for radioactive waste isolation from 19 countries were published in the First Worldwide Review in 1991 (Witherspoon, 1991). The results of investigations from 26 countries were published in the Second Worldwide Review in 1996 (Witherspoon, 1996). The results from 32 countries were summarized in the Third Worldwide Review in 2001 (Witherspoon and Bodvarsson, 2001). The last compilation had results from 24 countries assembled in the Fourth Worldwide Review (WWR) on radioactive waste isolation (Witherspoon and Bodvarsson, 2006). Since publication of the last report in 2006, radioactive waste disposal approaches have continued to evolve, and there have been major developments in a number of national geological disposal programs. Significant experience has been obtained both in preparing and reviewing cases for the operational and long-term safety of proposed and operating repositories. Disposal of radioactive waste is a complex issue, not only because of the nature of the waste, but also because of the detailed regulatory structure for dealing with radioactive waste, the variety of stakeholders involved, and (in some cases) the number of regulatory entities involved.« less

Updated Liquid Secondary Waste Grout Formulation and Preliminary Waste Form Qualification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saslow, Sarah A.; Um, Wooyong; Russell, Renee L.

This report describes the results from liquid secondary waste grout (LSWG) formulation and cementitious waste form qualification tests performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS). New formulations for preparing a cementitious waste form from a high-sulfate liquid secondary waste stream simulant, developed for Effluent Management Facility (EMF) process condensates merged with low activity waste (LAW) caustic scrubber, and the release of key constituents (e.g. 99Tc and 129I) from these monoliths were evaluated. This work supports a technology development program to address the technology needs for Hanford Site Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) liquid secondarymore » waste (LSW) solidification and supports future Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) operations. High-priority activities included simulant development, LSWG formulation, and waste form qualification. The work contained within this report relates to waste form development and testing and does not directly support the 2017 integrated disposal facility (IDF) performance assessment (PA). However, this work contains valuable information for use in PA maintenance past FY17, and for future waste form development efforts. The provided data should be used by (i) cementitious waste form scientists to further understanding of cementitious dissolution behavior, (ii) IDF PA modelers who use quantified constituent leachability, effective diffusivity, and partitioning coefficients to advance PA modeling efforts, and (iii) the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) contractors and decision makers as they assess the IDF PA program. The results obtained help fill existing data gaps, support final selection of a LSWG waste form, and improve the technical defensibility of long-term waste form performance estimates.« less

Water-level data from wells in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, southeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richey, S.F.

1987-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey monitored water levels in wells in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a storage facility constructed in bedded salts in which defense-associated transuranic wastes will be deposited, in southeastern New Mexico during 1977 to 1985. A variety of methods was used to measure water levels. The particular method utilized at a given time depended on several factors, including the amount of condensation in the well, well-head configuration, depth to water, rate of water level change, and availability of equipment. The five methods utilized were: air line, Lynes pressure sentry system, M-scope, steel tape, and winch. (Lantz-PTT)

Environmental Management Waste Management Facility Proxy Waste Lot Profile 6.999 for Building K-25 West Wing, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rigsby V.P.

2009-02-12

In 1989, the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), which includes the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), was placed on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) National Priorities List. The Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) (DOE 1992), effective January 1, 1992, now governs environmental restoration activities conducted under CERCLA at the ORR. Following signing of the FFA, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the state of Tennessee signed the Oak Ridge Accelerated Cleanup Plan Agreement on June 18, 2002. The purpose of this agreement is to define a streamlined decision-making process to facilitatemore » the accelerated implementation of cleanup, resolve ORR milestone issues, and establish future actions necessary to complete the accelerated cleanup plan by the end of fiscal year 2008. While the FFA continues to serve as the overall regulatory framework for remediation, the Accelerated Cleanup Plan Agreement supplements existing requirements to streamline the decision-making process. Decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities of Bldg. K-25, the original gaseous diffusion facility, is being conducted by Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC (BJC) on behalf of the DOE. The planned CERCLA action covering disposal of building structure and remaining components from the K-25 building is scheduled as a non-time-critical CERCLA action as part of DOE's continuous risk reduction strategy for ETTP. The K-25 building is proposed for D&D because of its poor physical condition and the expense of surveillance and maintenance activities. The K-25/K-27 D&D Project proposes to dispose of the commingled waste listed below from the K-25 west side building structure and remaining components and process gas equipment and piping at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) under waste disposal proxy lot (WPXL) 6.999: (1) Building structure (e.g. concrete floors [excluding basement slab], roofing, structural steel supports, interior walls, and exterior walls) and support system components including the recirculation cooling water (RCW); electrical; communication; fire protection; ventilation; process coolant; process lube oil; utilities such as steam, water and drain lines; (2) Process Piping; (3) Seal Exhaust Headers; (4) Seal Exhaust Traps; (5) Process Valves; (6) Differential Blind Multipliers (DBM)/Partial Blind Multipliers (PBM); and (7) Aftercoolers (also known as Intercell coolers). Converters and compressors while components of the process gas system, are not included in this commingled waste lot. On January 6, 2009, a meeting was held with EPA, TDEC, DOE and the team for the sole purpose of finalizing the objectives, format, and content of WPXL 6.999. The objective of WPXL 6.999 was to provide a crosswalk to the building structure and the PGE components profiles. This was accomplished by providing tables with references to the specific section of the individual profiles for each of the WLs. There are two building profiles and eight PGE profiles. All of the waste identified in the individual profiles will be commingled, shipped, and disposed exclusively under WPXL 6.999. The individual profiles were provided to the EPA and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) for information purposes only. This summary WPXL 6.999 will be submitted to EPA, TDEC, and DOE for review and approval. The format agreed upon by the regulators and DOE form the basis for WPXL 6.999. The agreed format is found on pages v and vi of the CONTENTS section of this profile. The disposal of this waste will be executed in accordance with the Action Memorandum for the Decontamination and Decommissioning of the K-25 and K-27 Buildings, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE 2002), Removal Action Work Plan for the K-25 and K-27 Buildings, Process Equipment Removal and Demolition, K-25/K-27 Project, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE 2008a); Waste Handling Plan for Demolition of the K-25 and K-27 Building Structures and Remaining Components Located at the East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE 2005); and Waste Handling Plan for Building K-25 West Wing Process Equipment and Piping at the East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE 2008b).« less

Purification of liquid products of cotton wipes biotransformation with the aid of Trichoderma viridae in orbital flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viacheslav, Ilyin; Korshunov, Denis

Recovery of various organic wastes in space flight is an actual problem of modern astronautics and future interplanetary missions. Currently, organic waste are incinerated in the dense layers of the Earth's atmosphere in cargo containers. However, this method of anthropogenic waste treatment is not environmentally compatible with future interplanetary missions, and is not suitable due to planetary quarantine requirements. Furthermore, the maintaining of a closed ecosystem in spaceship is considered as one of the main ways of ensuring the food and air crew in the long term fully autonomous space expedition. Such isolated ecosystem is not conceivable without biotransformation of organic waste. In this regard, currently new ways of recycling organic waste are currently developed. The most promising method is a method for processing organic waste using thermophilic anaerobic microbial communities.However, the products of anaerobic fermentation of solid organic materials contain significant amounts of organic impurities, which often give them sour pH. This presents a significant problem because it does not allow to use this fluid as process water without pretreatment. Fermentation products - alcohols, volatile fatty acids other carbonaceous substances must be withdrawn.One way to solve this problem may be the use of microorganisms biodestructors for recycling organic impurities in the products of anaerobic biodegradation Under the proposed approach, the metabolic products (having acidic pH) of primary biotransformation of solid organic materials are used as media for the cultivation of fungi. Thus, cellulosic wastes are recycled in two successive stages. The aim of this work was to test the effectiveness of post-treatment liquid products of biodegradation of hygienic cotton wipes (common type of waste on the ISS) by the fungus Trichoderma viridae under orbital flight. The study was conducted onboard biosatellite Bion -M1, where was placed a bioreactor, designed to carry out the fermentation in space flight. For aerobic post-treatment of substrates remaining after biodegradation of cotton wipe there was selected a strain of the fungus Trihoderma viridae, able to grow at a slightly acid environment , and to bring the pH to neutral values. Bioreactor working volume of 40 ml, where 20 ml of liquid subjected to post-treatment was placed. Strain Trihoderma viridae, isolated from ISS environment, showed steady growth in terms identical to those of pre- cultivation. Efficiency of purification was assessed using the method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry comparing the amount and concentration of the volatile organic compounds in the samples. It turned out that the number of compounds detected in the flight sample almost halved compared to the original sample obtained after biodegradation gauze anaerobic bacteria. The total concentration of volatile impurities dropped 6 times. Thus, despite the limited resource of oxygen, due to lack of aeration in the bioreactor strain Trihoderma viridae demonstrated the ability to perform aerobic purification of substrate obtained after anaerobic biodegradation of cotton wipes under orbital flight.

Waste Management Project fiscal year 1998 multi-year work plan, WBS 1.2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobsen, P.H.

The Waste Management Project manages and integrates (non-TWRS) waste management activities at the site. Activities include management of Hanford wastes as well as waste transferred to Hanford from other DOE, Department of Defense, or other facilities. This work includes handling, treatment, storage, and disposal of radioactive, nonradioactive, hazardous, and mixed solid and liquid wastes. Major Waste Management Projects are the Solid Waste Project, Liquid Effluents Project, and Analytical Services. Existing facilities (e.g., grout vaults and canyons) shall be evaluated for reuse for these purposes to the maximum extent possible.

Regulatory decision with EPA/NRC/DOE/State Session (Panel)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O`Donnell, E.

1995-12-31

This panel will cover the Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s (NRC) proposed radiation limits in the Branch Technical Position on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Performance Assessment and the Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) draft regulation in Part 193. Representatives from NRC and EPA will discuss the inconsistencies in these two regulations. DOE and state representatives will discuss their perspective on how these regulations will affect low-level radioactive waste performance assessments.

Hanford facility dangerous waste permit application, PUREX storage tunnels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haas, C. R.

1997-09-08

The Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application is considered to be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (document number DOE/RL-91-28) and a Unit-Specific Portion. The scope of the Unit-Specific Portion is limited to Part B permit application documentation submitted for individual, `operating` treatment, storage, and/or disposal units, such as the PUREX Storage Tunnels (this document, DOE/RL-90-24).

A performance goal-based seismic design philosophy for waste repository facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hossain, Q.A.

1994-12-31

A performance goal-based seismic design philosophy, compatible with DOE`s present natural phenomena hazards mitigation and {open_quotes}graded approach{close_quotes} philosophy, has been proposed for high level nuclear waste repository facilities. The rationale, evolution, and the desirable features of this method have been described. Why and how the method should and can be applied to the design of a repository facility are also discussed.

Water Reuse and Wastewater Recycling at U.S. Army Installations: Policy Implications

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

Definition Blackwater Water captured from toilets and urinals along with kitchen waste. Direct potable reuse The introduction of highly treated reclaimed...reused. It does not include water from kitchen sinks or dishwashers. Indirect potable reuse The planned incorporation of reclaimed water into a raw...industrial cooling. * Some organizations do accept a definition of “graywater” that does include kitchen and dishwasher waste- water along with wastewater

The role of acceptable knowledge in transuranic waste disposal operations - 11117

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chancellor, Christopher John; Nelson, Roger

2010-11-08

The Acceptable Knowledge (AK) process plays a key role in the delineation of waste streams destined for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). General Electric's Vallecitos Nuclear Center (GEVNC) provides for an ideal case study of the application of AK in a multiple steward environment. In this review we will elucidate the pivotal role Acceptable Knowledge played in segregating Department of Energy (DOE) responsibilities from a commercial facility. The Acceptable Knowledge process is a necessary component of waste characterization that determines whether or not a waste stream may be considered for disposal at the WIPP site. This process may bemore » thought of as an effort to gain a thorough understanding of the waste origin, chemical content, and physical form gleaned by the collection of documentation that concerns generator/storage site history, mission, and operations; in addition to waste stream specific information which includes the waste generation process, the waste matrix, the quantity of waste concerned, and the radiological and chemical make up of the waste. The collection and dissemination of relevant documentation is the fundamental requirement for the AK process to work. Acceptable Knowledge is the predominant process of characterization and, therefore, a crucial part of WIPP's transuranic waste characterization program. This characterization process, when conducted to the standards set forth in WIPP's operating permit, requires confirmation/verification by physical techniques such as Non-Destructive Examination (NDE), Visual Examination (VE), and Non-Destructive Assay (NDA). These physical characterization techniques may vary in their appropriateness for a given waste stream; however, nothing will allow the substitution or exclusion of AK. Beyond the normal scope of operations, AK may be considered, when appropriate, a surrogate for the physical characterization techniques in a procedure that appeals to concepts such As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) and budgetary savings. This substitution is referred to as an Acceptable Knowledge Sufficiency Determination. With a Sufficiency Determination Request, AK may supplant the need for one or all of the physical analysis methods. This powerful procedure may be used on a scale as small as a single container to that of a vast waste stream. Only under the most stringent requirements will an AK Sufficiency Determination be approved by the regulators and, to date, only six such Sufficiency Determinations have been approved. Although Acceptable Knowledge is legislated into the operational procedures of the WIPP facility there is more to it than compliance. AK is not merely one of a long list of requirements in the characterization and verification of transuranic (TRU) waste destined for the WIPP. Acceptable Knowledge goes beyond the regulatory threshold by offering a way to reduce risk, cost, time, and uncertainty on its own laurels. Therefore, AK alone can be argued superior to any other waste characterization technique.« less

75 FR 62040 - Hazardous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste; Proposed Exclusion

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

... on- site in the pickle acid and low level radioactive wastewater treatment systems. Support... water production waste treatment system. Once- through non-contact cooling water does not require... production (deionized and make- up non-contact cooling water) treatment system and once through non- contact...

Ethanol production from food waste at high solid contents with vacuum recovery technology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ethanol production from food wastes does not only solve the environmental issues but also provide renewable biofuel to partially substitute fossil fuels. This study investigated the feasibility of utilization of food wastes for producing ethanol at high solid contents (35%, w/w). Vacuum recovery sys...

40 CFR 60.1005 - When does this subpart become effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30, 1999 or for Which... to municipal waste combustion unit planning and must be completed before construction is commenced on the municipal waste combustion unit. In particular, the preconstruction requirements in §§ 60.1050...

40 CFR 60.1005 - When does this subpart become effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30, 1999 or for Which... to municipal waste combustion unit planning and must be completed before construction is commenced on the municipal waste combustion unit. In particular, the preconstruction requirements in §§ 60.1050...

40 CFR 60.1005 - When does this subpart become effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30, 1999 or for Which... to municipal waste combustion unit planning and must be completed before construction is commenced on the municipal waste combustion unit. In particular, the preconstruction requirements in §§ 60.1050...

Method of dispersing a hydrocarbon using bacteria

DOEpatents

Tyndall, R.L.

1996-09-24

A new protozoan derived microbial consortia and method for their isolation are provided. The isolated consortia and bacteria are useful for treating wastes such as trichloroethylene and trinitrotoluene. The isolated consortia, bacteria, and dispersants are useful for dispersing hydrocarbons such as oil, creosote, wax, and grease.

WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT (WIPP): THE NATIONS' SOLUTION TO NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE AND DISPOSAL ISSUES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lopez, Tammy Ann

2014-07-17

In the southeastern portion of my home state of New Mexico lies the Chihuahauan desert, where a transuranic (TRU), underground disposal site known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) occupies 16 square miles. Full operation status began in March 1999, the year I graduated from Los Alamos High School, in Los Alamos, NM, the birthplace of the atomic bomb and one of the nation’s main TRU waste generator sites. During the time of its development and until recently, I did not have a full grasp on the role Los Alamos was playing in regards to WIPP. WIPP is usedmore » to store and dispose of TRU waste that has been generated since the 1940s because of nuclear weapons research and testing operations that have occurred in Los Alamos, NM and at other sites throughout the United States (U.S.). TRU waste consists of items that are contaminated with artificial, man-made radioactive elements that have atomic numbers greater than uranium, or are trans-uranic, on the periodic table of elements and it has longevity characteristics that may be hazardous to human health and the environment. Therefore, WIPP has underground rooms that have been carved out of 2,000 square foot thick salt formations approximately 2,150 feet underground so that the TRU waste can be isolated and disposed of. WIPP has operated safely and successfully until this year, when two unrelated events occurred in February 2014. With these events, the safety precautions and measures that have been operating at WIPP for the last 15 years are being revised and improved to ensure that other such events do not occur again.« less

Scenarios for the Hanford immobilized Low-Activity waste (ILAW) performance assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MANN, F.M.

The purpose of the next version of the Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Tank Waste (ILAW) Performance Assessment (ILAW PA) is to provide an updated estimate of the long-term human health and environmental impact of the disposal of ILAW and to compare these estimates against performance objectives displayed in Tables 1,2, and 3 (Mann 1999a). Such a radiological performance assessment is required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders on radioactive waste management (DOE 1988a and DOE 1999a). This document defines the scenarios that will be used for the next update of the PA that is scheduled to be issued in 2001.more » Since the previous performance assessment (Mann 1998) was issued, considerable additional data on waste form behavior and site-specific soil geotechnical properties have been collected. In addition, the 2001 ILAW PA will benefit from improved computer models and the experience gained from the previous performance assessment. However, the scenarios (that is, the features, events, and processes analyzed in the Performance assessment) for the next PA are very similar to the ones in the 1998 PA.« less

40 CFR 60.1000 - What does this subpart do?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30, 1999 or for Which...? This subpart establishes new source performance standards for new small municipal waste combustion...

40 CFR 60.1000 - What does this subpart do?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After August 30, 1999 or for Which...? This subpart establishes new source performance standards for new small municipal waste combustion...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, Thomas; Patterson, Russell; Camphouse, Chris

There are two primary regulatory requirements for Panel Closures at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the nation's only deep geologic repository for defense related Transuranic (TRU) and Mixed TRU waste. The Federal requirement is through 40 CFR 191 and 194, promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The state requirement is regulated through the authority of the Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) under the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act (HWA), New Mexico Statutes Annotated (NMSA) 1978, chap. 74-4-1 through 74-4-14, in accordance with the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (HWMR), 20.4.1 New Mexico Annotatedmore » Code (NMAC). The state regulations are implemented for the operational period of waste emplacement plus 30 years whereas the federal requirements are implemented from the operational period through 10,000 years. The 10,000 year federal requirement is related to the adequate representation of the panel closures in determining long-term performance of the repository. In Condition 1 of the Final Certification Rulemaking for 40 CFR Part 194, the EPA required a specific design for the panel closure system. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) has requested, through the Planned Change Request (PCR) process, that the EPA modify Condition 1 via its rulemaking process. The DOE has also requested, through the Permit Modification Request (PMR) process, that the NMED modify the approved panel closure system specified in Permit Attachment G1. The WIPP facility is carved out of a bedded salt formation 655 meters below the surface of southeast New Mexico. Condition 1 of the Final Certification Rulemaking specifies that the waste panels be closed using Option D which is a combination of a Salado mass concrete (SMC) monolith and an isolation/explosion block wall. The Option D design was also accepted as the panel closure of choice by the NMED. After twelve years of waste handling operations and a greater understanding of the waste and the behavior of the underground salt formation, the DOE has established a revised panel closure design. This revised design meets both the short-term NMED Permit requirements for the operational period, and also the Federal requirements for long-term repository performance. This new design is simpler, easier to construct and has less of an adverse impact on waste disposal operations than the originally approved Option D design. The Panel Closure Redesign is based on: (1) the results of in-situ constructability testing performed to determine run-of-mine salt reconsolidation parameters and how the characteristics of the bedded salt formation affect these parameters and, (2) the results of air flow analysis of the new design to determine that the limit for the migration of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) will be met at the compliance point. Waste panel closures comprise a repository feature that has been represented in WIPP performance assessment (PA) since the original Compliance Certification Application of 1996. Panel closures are included in WIPP PA models principally because they are a part of the disposal system, not because they play a substantive role in inhibiting the release of radionuclides to the outside environment. The 1998 rulemaking that certified WIPP to receive transuranic waste placed conditions on the panel closure design to be implemented in the repository. The revised panel closure design, termed the Run-of-Mine (ROM) Panel Closure System (ROMPCS), is comprised of 30.48 meters of ROM salt with barriers at each end. The ROM salt is generated from ongoing mining operations at the WIPP and may be compacted and/or moistened as it is emplaced in a panel entry. The barriers consist of bulkheads, similar to those currently used in the panels as room closures. A WIPP performance assessment has been completed that incorporates the ROMPCS design into the representation of the repository, and compares repository performance to that achieved with the approved Option D design. Several key physical processes and rock mechanics principles are incorporated into the performance assessment. First, creep closure of the salt rock surrounding a panel entry results in consolidation of the ROM salt emplaced in the entry. Eventually, the ROM salt comprising the ROMPCS will approach a condition similar to intact salt. As the ROM salt reaches higher fractional densities during consolidation, back stress will be imposed on the surrounding rock mass leading to eventual healing of the disturbed rock zone above and below the panel closure. Healing of the disturbed rock zone above and below the ROMPCS reduces the porosity and permeability in those areas. Analysis of the new design demonstrates that: (1) the WIPP continues to meet regulatory compliance requirements when the ROMPCS design is implemented instead of Option D, and (2) there is no impact on the short-term effectiveness of the panel closure to limit the concentration of VOCs at the WIPP site boundary to a fraction of the health-based exposure limits (HBLs) during the operational period. (authors)« less

Alkaline bioleaching of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash by autochthonous extremophiles.

PubMed

Ramanathan, Thulasya; Ting, Yen-Peng

2016-10-01

The increasing demand for energy and the generation of solid waste have caused an alarming rise in fly ash production globally. Since heavy metals continue to be in demand for the production of materials, resource recovery from the recycling of these wastes has the potential to delay the depletion of natural ores. The use of microorganisms for the leaching of metals, in a process called bioleaching, is an eco-friendly and economical way to treat the metal-laden wastes. Bioleaching of fly ash is challenging due largely to the alkaline nature and toxic levels of heavy metals which are detrimental to microbial growth and bioleaching activity. The present work reports the isolation of indigenous bacteria from a local landfill site and their bioleaching performance [corrected]. 38 autochthonous strains of bacteria were isolated from eight samples collected and plated on five different media. 18 of the isolates showed bioleaching potential, with significant alkaline pH or fly ash tolerance. Genetic characterization of the strains revealed a dominance of Firmicutes, with Alkalibacterium sp. TRTYP6 showing highest fly ash tolerance of up to 20% w/v fly ash, and growth over a pH range 8-12.5. The organism selectively recovered about 52% Cu from the waste. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a study on bioleaching with extreme alkaliphiles is reported. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 47613 - Board Meeting: September 13-14, 2011-Salt Lake City, UT; the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-05

... NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD Board Meeting: September 13-14, 2011--Salt Lake City, UT; the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Will Meet To Discuss DOE Plans for Used Fuel Disposition R... Amendments Act of 1987, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will hold a public meeting in Salt Lake...

Mission analysis for cross-site transfer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riesenweber, S.D.; Fritz, R.L.; Shipley, L.E.

1995-11-01

The Mission Analysis Report describes the requirements and constraints associated with the Transfer Waste Function as necessary to support the Manage Tank Waste, Retrieve Waste, and Process Tank Waste Functions described in WHC-SD-WM-FRD-020, Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Functions and Requirements Document and DOE/RL-92-60, Revision 1, TWRS Functions and Requirements Document, March 1994. It further assesses the ability of the ``initial state`` (or current cross-site transfer system) to meet the requirements and constraints.

Improving methane yield and quality via co-digestion of cow dung mixed with food waste.

PubMed

Awasthi, Sanjeev Kumar; Joshi, Rutu; Dhar, Hiya; Verma, Shivpal; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Varjani, Sunita; Sarsaiya, Surendra; Zhang, Zengqiang; Kumar, Sunil

2018-03-01

Methane (CH 4 ) production and quality were enhanced by the co-digestion of cow dung and food waste (FW) mixed with organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) under optimized conditions in bench and semi continuous-scale mode for a period of 30 days. A bacterium capable of high yield of CH 4 was enriched and isolated by employing activated sewage sludge as the inoculums. The thirteen bacterial isolates were identified through morphological and biochemical tests. Gas chromatography was used to analyze the chemical compositions of the generated biogas. CH 4 yields were significantly higher during co-digestion of Run II (7.59 L) than Run I (3.7 L). Therefore, the co-digestion of FW with OFMSW and Run II was observed to be a competent method for biogas conversion from organic waste resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Issues in establishing an aerosol radiological baseline for the waste isolation pilot plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico.

PubMed

Rodgers, J C; Kenney, J W

1997-02-01

The Department of Energy has constructed a deep geologic repository for defense transuranic waste disposal. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, located in Southeastern New Mexico, is slated to receive transuranic waste by truck delivery beginning in 1998. The Environmental Evaluation Group (EEG) provides an independent evaluation of the impact on the health and environment in New Mexico of the WIPP project. Since 1985, the EEG has operated a network of air monitoring sites around WIPP and in nearby communities. The radionuclide concentration data from these air samples have been assembled into a useful baseline data base after resolution of a number of methodological and quality assurance issues. Investigation thresholds for the principal radionuclides have been calculated from combined data collected from several sites. These action levels will provide a critical quantitative basis for decisions of whether future airborne radionuclide measurements are attributable to accidental releases.

Delphi`s DETOXSM process: Preparing to treat high organic content hazardous and mixed wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robertson, D.T.; Rogers, T.W.; Goldblatt, S.D.

1998-12-31

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Technology Center is sponsoring a full-scale technology demonstration of Delphi Research, Inc.`s patented DETOX{sup SM} catalytic wet chemical oxidation waste treatment process at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. The process is being developed primarily to treat hazardous and mixed wastes within the DOE complex as an alternative to incineration, but it has significant potential to treat wastes in the commercial sector. The results of the demonstration will be intensively studied and used to validate the technology. A critical objective in preparing for the demonstration was the successful completion ofmore » a programmatic Operational Readiness Review. Readiness Reviews are required by DOE for all new process startups. The Readiness Review provided the vehicle to ensure that Delphi was ready to start up and operate the DETOX{sup SM} process in the safest manner possible by implementing industry accepted management practices for safe operation. This paper provides an overview of the DETOX{sup SM} demonstration at SRS, and describes the crucial areas of the Readiness Review that marked the first steps in Delphi`s transition from a technology developer to an operating waste treatment services provider.« less

Final Report - "Foaming and Antifoaming and Gas Entrainment in Radioactive Waste Pretreatment and Immobilization Processes"

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wasan, Darsh T.

2007-10-09

The Savannah River Site (SRS) and Hanford site are in the process of stabilizing millions of gallons of radioactive waste slurries remaining from production of nuclear materials for the Department of Energy (DOE). The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at SRS is currently vitrifying the waste in borosilicate glass, while the facilities at the Hanford site are in the construction phase. Both processes utilize slurry-fed joule-heated melters to vitrify the waste slurries. The DWPF has experienced difficulty during operations. The cause of the operational problems has been attributed to foaming, gas entrainment and the rheological properties of the process slurries.more » The rheological properties of the waste slurries limit the total solids content that can be processed by the remote equipment during the pretreatment and meter feed processes. Highly viscous material can lead to air entrainment during agitation and difficulties with pump operations. Excessive foaming in waste evaporators can cause carryover of radionuclides and non-radioactive waste to the condensate system. Experimental and theoretical investigations of the surface phenomena, suspension rheology and bubble generation of interactions that lead to foaming and air entrainment problems in the DOE High Level and Low Activity Radioactive Waste separation and immobilization processes were pursued under this project. The first major task accomplished in the grant proposal involved development of a theoretical model of the phenomenon of foaming in a three-phase gas-liquid-solid slurry system. This work was presented in a recently completed Ph.D. thesis (9). The second major task involved the investigation of the inter-particle interaction and microstructure formation in a model slurry by the batch sedimentation method. Both experiments and modeling studies were carried out. The results were presented in a recently completed Ph.D. thesis. The third task involved the use of laser confocal microscopy to study the effectiveness of three slurry rheology modifiers. An effective modifier was identified which resulted in lowering the yield stress of the waste simulant. Therefore, the results of this research have led to the basic understanding of the foaming/antifoaming mechanism in waste slurries as well as identification of a rheology modifier, which enhances the processing throughput, and accelerates the DOE mission. The objectives of this research effort were to develop a fundamental understanding of the physico-chemical mechanisms that produced foaming and air entrainment in the DOE High Level (HLW) and Low Activity (LAW) radioactive waste separation and immobilization processes, and to develop and test advanced antifoam/defoaming/rheology modifier agents. Antifoams/rheology modifiers developed from this research ere tested using non-radioactive simulants of the radioactive wastes obtained from Hanford and the Savannah River Site (SRS).« less

Data sharing report characterization of the surveillance and maintenance project miscellaneous process inventory waste items Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weaver, Phyllis C.

2013-12-12

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (EM-OR) requested Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), working under the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) contract, to provide technical and independent waste management planning support under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Specifically, DOE EM-OR requested ORAU to plan and implement a sampling and analysis campaign to target certain items associated with URS|CH2M Oak Ridge, LLC (UCOR) surveillance and maintenance (S&M) process inventory waste. Eight populations of historical and reoccurring S&M waste at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have been identified in themore » Waste Handling Plan for Surveillance and Maintenance Activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, DOE/OR/01-2565&D2 (WHP) (DOE 2012) for evaluation and processing for final disposal. This waste was generated during processing, surveillance, and maintenance activities associated with the facilities identified in the process knowledge (PK) provided in Appendix A. A list of items for sampling and analysis were generated from a subset of materials identified in the WHP populations (POPs) 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, plus a small number of items not explicitly addressed by the WHP. Specifically, UCOR S&M project personnel identified 62 miscellaneous waste items that would require some level of evaluation to identify the appropriate pathway for disposal. These items are highly diverse, relative to origin; composition; physical description; contamination level; data requirements; and the presumed treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF). Because of this diversity, ORAU developed a structured approach to address item-specific data requirements necessary for acceptance in a presumed TSDF that includes the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF)—using the approved Waste Lot (WL) 108.1 profile—the Y-12 Sanitary Landfill (SLF) if appropriate; EnergySolutions Clive; and the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) (ORAU 2013b). Finally, the evaluation of these wastes was more suited to a judgmental sampling approach rather than a statistical design, meaning data were collected for each individual item, thereby providing information for item-byitem disposition decisions. ORAU prepared a sampling and analysis plan (SAP) that outlined data collection strategies, methodologies, and analytical guidelines and requirements necessary for characterizing targeted items (ORAU 2013b). The SAP described an approach to collect samples that allowed evaluation as to whether or not the waste would be eligible for disposal at the EMWMF. If the waste was determined not to be eligible for EMWMF disposal, then there would be adequate information collected that would allow the waste to be profiled for one of the alternate TSDFs listed above.« less

Mapping isolated wetlands in a Karst landscape: GIS and remote sensing methods

EPA Science Inventory

Isolated wetlands occur in many areas of the United States, and although they are relatively common, they are a resource not yet thoroughly understood by the scientific community. Isolated wetlands have received increased attention recently, due to the 2001 Solid Waste Agency of ...

Organic wastes decomposition technology, perspective for long-term autonomous missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viacheslav, Ilyin; Korshunov, Denis; Mardanov, Robert; Starkova, Lyubov; Deshevaya, Elena; Smirnov, Igor

At present time there is no large problem in waste management in ISS space flight conditions, since spacecrafts "Progress" is used for it's removal from orbital station and the wastes burns in dense layers of Earth's atmosphere. However such method does not approach for far inter-planetary flights since interplanetary quarantine desires do not allow to deposit contaminated wastes outside the spacecraft. Essential part of wastes is formed by disposed means of personal hygiene and greenhouse wastes which are not safe from sanitary-epidemiological aspect. Above mentioned materials have one common feature: they can be subjected to biodegradation using different microbial compositions. Microbial decomposition of wastes as meets the main crite-ria of safety and power consumption. We investigated the effectiveness of method of disposed personal hygiene means biodegradation by anaerobic thermophiles with further purification of obtained decomposition products from chemical solvents with the help of mesophilic isolates in microaerophile conditions. Bacteria of Clostridium genera were selected for cellulolysis be-cause of their high specific endoglucanasic activity which less depends on substrate nature and relatively high growth rate on cellulose contaning substrates. As result some strains in case of optimal conditions (substrata pretreating, pH correction) decomposed means of personal hygiene with level of biodegradation up to 90With the purpose of purification, liqiud medi-ums originating from Closrtidium sp. exhibiting used like substrates for cellololitic fungi. It was shown that the cultures are able to change pH of media from slow-acid to neutral. Also the effectiveness of plant wastes biodegradation (vegetables homogenates) was studied using associations of mesophile aerobes trophically adapted to substrates. Rate of biodestruction of dry mass varied near 76To purify liquid products of biodegradation from chemicals cellulolytic fungal strains as well as bacterial mesophylic association was used. Prevalence of cultures for purification was depended on pH of culture liquors. Chemical content of gaseous phase of cul-ture liquors was also studied. As it comes from chromatomass spectrometry data there was tremendous decrease of organic admixtures in liquid products of biodegradation after purifi-cation by fungal and bacterial cultures. These cultures were capable to support sustainable growth, feeding by metabolites of bacteria, which perform primary biodegradation. Also there was evaluated prospective of application of biofuel cells in the process of biotransformation of different substrates. Application of electrogenic bacteria could be perspective approach in wastes biodegradation technology.

Next Generation Waste Tracking: Linking Legacy Systems with Modern Networking Technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, Randy M.; Resseguie, David R.; Shankar, Mallikarjun

2010-01-01

This report describes results from a preliminary analysis to satisfy the Department of Energy (DOE) objective to ensure the safe, secure, efficient packaging and transportation of materials both hazardous and non hazardous [1, 2]. The DOE Office of Environmental Management (OEM) through Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has embarked on a project to further this objective. OEM and ORNL have agreed to develop, demonstrate and make available modern day cost effective technologies for characterization, identification, tracking, monitoring and disposal of radioactive waste when transported by, or between, motor, air, rail, and water modes. During the past 8 years ORNL hasmore » investigated and deployed Web 2.0 compliant sensors into the transportation segment of the supply chain. ORNL has recently demonstrated operational experience with DOE Oak Ridge Operations Office (ORO) and others in national test beds and applications within this domain of the supply chain. Furthermore, in addition to DOE, these hazardous materials supply chain partners included Federal and State enforcement agencies, international ports, and commercial sector shipping operations in a hazardous/radioactive materials tracking and monitoring program called IntelligentFreight. IntelligentFreight is an ORNL initiative encompassing 5 years of research effort associated with the supply chain. The ongoing ORNL SmartFreight programs include RadSTraM [3], GRadSTraM , Trusted Corridors, SensorPedia [4], SensorNet, Southeastern Transportation Corridor Pilot (SETCP) and Trade Data Exchange [5]. The integration of multiple technologies aimed at safer more secure conveyance has been investigated with the core research question being focused on testing distinctly different distributed supply chain information sharing systems. ORNL with support from ORO have demonstrated capabilities when transporting Environmental Management (EM) waste materials for disposal over an onsite haul road. ORNL has unified the operations of existing legacy hazardous, radioactive and related informational databases and systems using emerging Web 2.0 technologies. These capabilities were used to interoperate ORNL s waste generating, packaging, transportation and disposal with other DOE ORO waste management contractors. Importantly, the DOE EM objectives were accomplished in a cost effective manner without altering existing information systems. A path forward is to demonstrate and share these technologies with DOE EM, contractors and stakeholders. This approach will not alter existing DOE assets, i.e. Automated Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), Transportation Tracking and Communications System (TRANSCOM), the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) demonstrated package tracking system, etc« less

Predictions of Actinide Solubilities under Near-Field Conditions Expected in the WIPP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brush, L. H.; Xiong, Y.

2009-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) repository in southeast New Mexico for defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. The repository, which opened in March 1999, is located at a subsurface depth of 655 m (2150 ft) in the Salado Fm., a Permian bedded-salt formation. The repository will eventually contain the equivalent of 844,000 208 L (55 gal) drums of TRU waste. After filling the rooms and access drifts and installing panel closures, creep closure of the salt will crush the steel waste containers in most cases and encapsulate the waste. The WIPP actinide source term model used for long-term performance assessment (PA) of the repository comprises dissolved and suspended submodels (solubilities and colloids). This presentation will describe the solubilities. From the standpoint of long-term PA, the order of importance of the radioelements in the TRU waste to be emplaced in the WIPP is Pu ~ Am >> U > Th >> Np ~ Cm and fission products. The DOE has included all of these actinides, but not fission products, in the WIPP Actinide Source Term Program (ASTP). Anoxic corrosion of Fe- and Al-base metals and microbial consumption of cellulosic, plastic, and rubber materials will produce gas and create strongly reducing conditions in the WIPP after closure. The use of MgO as an engineered barrier to consume microbially produced CO2 will result in low fCO2 and basic pH. Under these conditions, Th, U, Np, Pu, and Am will speciate essentially entirely as Th(IV), U(IV), Np(IV), Pu(III), and Am(III); or Th(IV), U(VI), Np(V), Pu(IV), and Am(III). The DOE has developed thermodynamic speciation-and-solubility models for +III, +IV, and +V actinides in brines. Experimental data for Nd, Am, and Cm species were used to parameterize the +III Pitzer activity-coefficient model; data for Th species were used for the +IV model; and data for Np(V) species were used for the +V model. These models include the effects of the organic ligands acetate, citrate, EDTA, and oxalate in TRU waste. The oxidation-state analogy was then used to extend the +III model to Pu(III), and the +IV model to Pu(IV), U(IV), and Np(IV). The solubility of U(VI) was estimated. For the recent WIPP Compliance Recertification Application PA Baseline Calculations, we calculated actinide solubilities with fCO2 buffered at 3.14 × 10-6 atm by the brucite-hydromagnesite carbonation reaction, with pH maintained at ~9 by the brucite dissolution-precipitation reaction, and with estimated concentrations of the organic ligands in brines from the Salado and the Castile Fm., which underlies the Salado. The calculated +III, +IV, and +V solubilities are 1.56 × 10-6, 5.64 × 10-8, and 4.07 × 10-7 M, respectively, in Salado brine; and 1.51 × 10-6, 6.98 × 10-8, and 8.75 × 10-7 M in Castile brine. The U(VI) solubility estimated for both brines is 1 × 10-3 M. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

40 CFR 265.1 - Purpose, scope, and applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., stores, or disposes of hazardous waste in a State with a RCRA hazardous waste program authorized under... apply: (i) If the authorized State RCRA program does not cover disposal of hazardous waste by means of... them out include all Federal program requirements identified in § 271.1(j); (5) The owner or operator...

78 FR 63251 - Board Meeting; November 20, 2013 in Washington, DC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-23

... NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD Board Meeting; November 20, 2013 in Washington, DC The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will meet to discuss DOE SNF and HLW management research and... Policy Amendments Act of 1987, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will hold a public meeting...

75 FR 15423 - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Technical Evaluation Report for the Phase 1 Decommissioning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-29

... DOE to carry out a high-level radioactive waste management demonstration project at the Western New... solidification of high-level radioactive waste for disposal in a Federal repository for permanent disposal. The... and other facilities where the solidified high-level radioactive waste was stored, the facilities used...

Glass Science tutorial lecture No. 5: Historical review of USDOE tank waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McDaniel, E.W.

1995-02-01

This is a two day course whose objective is to present an unbiased historical overview of the DOE tank waste activities. World events which impacted the US nuclear program (or vise versa) will be presented. Liquid, mostly tank waste, and sludge are the primary concerns of this course.

77 FR 38789 - Notice of Availability of Draft Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Evaluation for the Concentrator...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Notice of Availability of Draft Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Evaluation...: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of a draft... Center in West Valley, New York, are waste incidental to reprocessing and thus are not high-level...

76 FR 37798 - DOE Response to Recommendation 2010-2 of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Pulse Jet...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

... Safety Board, Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant AGENCY: Department of... their Recommendation 2010-2, concerning Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant... Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) Recommendation 2010-2, Pulse Jet Mixing (PJM) at the Waste...

Does recyclable separation reduce the cost of municipal waste management in Japan?

PubMed

Chifari, Rosaria; Lo Piano, Samuele; Matsumoto, Shigeru; Tasaki, Tomohiro

2017-02-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a system involving multiple sub-systems that typically require demanding inputs, materials and resources to properly process generated waste throughput. For this reason, MSW management is generally one of the most expensive services provided by municipalities. In this paper, we analyze the Japanese MSW management system and estimate the cost elasticity with respect to the waste volumes at three treatment stages: collection, processing, and disposal. Although we observe economies of scale at all three stages, the collection cost is less elastic than the disposal cost. We also examine whether source separation at home affects the cost of MSW management. The empirical results show that the separate collection of the recyclable fraction leads to reduced processing costs at intermediate treatment facilities, but does not change the overall waste management cost. Our analysis also reveals that the cost of waste management systems decreases when the service is provided by private companies through a public tender. The cost decreases even more when the service is performed under the coordination of adjacent municipalities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation and characterization of multiple drug resistance bacterial pathogens from waste water in hospital and non-hospital environments, Northwest Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The importance of bacterial isolates from waste water environment as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance and a potential source of novel resistance genes to clinical pathogens is underestimated. This study is aimed at to isolate and characterize public health important bacteria from waste water in hospital and non- hospital environments and evaluate the distribution of multiple drug resistance bacteria in the study area. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Gondar from January-June 2012. The hospital waste water was taken from different sections of the Gondar University Teaching Hospital. Non- hospital environment samples were taken at different sites of the university campuses, Gondar College of Teachers education, and soft drink factory in Gondar. Samples were aseptically collected, transported and processed with in two hours following standard procedure. Identified organisms were assessed for different antibiotics following Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. All data was registered and entered in to SPSS version 16 computer program. P-values less than 0.05 were taken as statistically significant. Result A total of 60 waste water samples were processed for the presence of drug resistance pathogens. Among the total samples 113 bacterial isolates were recovered and of these 65 (57.5%) were from hospital environment and 48 (42.5%) were from non-hospital environment. The most frequently identified bacterium was Klebsiella spp. 30 (26.6%) followed by Pseudomonas spp. 19(16.8%), E. coli (11.5%) and Citrobacter spp (11.5%), and Staphylococcus aureus (8.2%). The over all prevalence of multiple drug resistance (MDR) in this study was 79/113 (69.9%). MDR in hospital environment was found to be 53/68 (81.5%) while in non hospital environment was found to be 26/48 (54.2%). Conclusions Multiple drug resistance to the commonly used antibiotics is high in the study area. The contamination of waste water by antibiotics or other pollutants lead to the rise of resistance due to selection pressure. The presence of antibiotic resistance organisms in this waste water should not be overlooked. Since this organisms may be vital to the safety and well-being of patients who are hospitalized and individual susceptible to infection. Therefore, proper waste water treatment plant should be established and improved sanitary measure should be practice. PMID:24708553

Isolation and characterization of multiple drug resistance bacterial pathogens from waste water in hospital and non-hospital environments, Northwest Ethiopia.

PubMed

Moges, Feleke; Endris, Mengistu; Belyhun, Yeshambel; Worku, Walelegn

2014-04-05

The importance of bacterial isolates from waste water environment as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance and a potential source of novel resistance genes to clinical pathogens is underestimated. This study is aimed at to isolate and characterize public health important bacteria from waste water in hospital and non- hospital environments and evaluate the distribution of multiple drug resistance bacteria in the study area. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Gondar from January-June 2012. The hospital waste water was taken from different sections of the Gondar University Teaching Hospital. Non- hospital environment samples were taken at different sites of the university campuses, Gondar College of Teachers education, and soft drink factory in Gondar. Samples were aseptically collected, transported and processed with in two hours following standard procedure. Identified organisms were assessed for different antibiotics following Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. All data was registered and entered in to SPSS version 16 computer program. P-values less than 0.05 were taken as statistically significant. A total of 60 waste water samples were processed for the presence of drug resistance pathogens. Among the total samples 113 bacterial isolates were recovered and of these 65 (57.5%) were from hospital environment and 48 (42.5%) were from non-hospital environment. The most frequently identified bacterium was Klebsiella spp. 30 (26.6%) followed by Pseudomonas spp. 19(16.8%), E. coli (11.5%) and Citrobacter spp (11.5%), and Staphylococcus aureus (8.2%). The over all prevalence of multiple drug resistance (MDR) in this study was 79/113 (69.9%). MDR in hospital environment was found to be 53/68 (81.5%) while in non hospital environment was found to be 26/48 (54.2%). Multiple drug resistance to the commonly used antibiotics is high in the study area. The contamination of waste water by antibiotics or other pollutants lead to the rise of resistance due to selection pressure. The presence of antibiotic resistance organisms in this waste water should not be overlooked. Since this organisms may be vital to the safety and well-being of patients who are hospitalized and individual susceptible to infection. Therefore, proper waste water treatment plant should be established and improved sanitary measure should be practice.

Space disposal of nuclear wastes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Priest, C. C.; Nixon, R. F.; Rice, E. E.

1980-01-01

The DOE has been studying several options for nuclear waste disposal, among them space disposal, which NASA has been assessing. Attention is given to space disposal destinations noting that a circular heliocentric orbit about halfway between Earth and Venus is the reference option in space disposal studies. Discussion also covers the waste form, showing that parameters to be considered include high waste loading, high thermal conductivity, thermochemical stability, resistance to leaching, fabrication, resistance to oxidation and to thermal shock. Finally, the Space Shuttle nuclear waste disposal mission profile is presented.

Microbial desalination cell for enhanced biodegradation of waste engine oil using a novel bacterial strain Bacillus subtilis moh3.

PubMed

Sabina, K; Fayidh, Mohammed A; Archana, G; Sivarajan, M; Babuskin, S; Babu, P Azhagu Saravana; Radha, K Krishnan; Sukumar, M

2014-01-01

Microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a bioelectrochemical system developed recently from microbial fuel cells (MFCs), for producing green energy from organic wastes along with desalination of saltwater. MDC is proved to be a better performer than MFC in terms of power output and chemical oxygen demand removal, with desalination as an additional feature. This study investigates the application potential of MDC for integrated biodegradation of waste engine oil. This study showed, for the first time, that waste engine oil could be used as an organic substrate in MDC, achieving biodegradation of engine oil along with considerable desalination and power production. Utilization of these wastes in MDC can protect the environment from waste engine oil contamination. Indigenous oil-degrading bacteria were isolated and identified from engine oil contaminated sludge. Degradation of waste engine oil by these novel isolates was studied in batch cultures and optimized the growth conditions. The same cultures when used in MDC, gave enhanced biodegradation (70.1 +/- 0.5%) along with desalination (68.3 +/- 0.6%) and power production (3.1 +/- 0.3 mW/m2). Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses were performed to characterize the degradation metabolites in the anolyte of MDC which clearly indicated the biodegradation of long chain, branched and cyclic hydrocarbons present in waste engine oil.

Information brochure on the Department of Energy's proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico. Project overview

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This project overview comprises the following: project history; WIPP fact sheet; legal actions required; major WIPP milestones; low-level waste volumes; nuclear waste transportation; WIPP site selection; and questions and answers from the Department of Energy request for public input prior to public meetings in Roswell and Hobbs, New Mexico.

Growth dynamics of Salmonella enterica strains on alfalfa sprouts and in waste seed irrigation water.

PubMed

Howard, Michael B; Hutcheson, Steven W

2003-01-01

Alfalfa sprouts and other seed sprouts have been implicated in numerous outbreaks of salmonellosis. The source of these epidemics appears to have been low-level contamination of seeds by Salmonella bacteria that developed into clinically significant populations during the seed germination process. To test the possibility that Salmonella enterica strains carry host range determinants that allow them to grow on alfalfa, strains isolated from alfalfa or other sources were surveyed for their ability to grow on germinating alfalfa seeds. An S. enterica serovar Cubana strain originally isolated from contaminated alfalfa sprouts multiplied most rapidly during the initial 24 h of the seed germination process. Germinating alfalfa seeds supported the multiplication of S. enterica cells prior to the emergence of the root radicle at 72 h. Thereafter, much lower rates of multiplication were apparent. The ability of S. enterica to grow on germinating alfalfa seeds was independent of the serovar, isolation source, or virulence of the strain. Isolates obtained from alfalfa attained population levels similar to those observed for strains isolated from contaminated meat products or stools. Each of the strains could be detected in the waste irrigation water, with populations being strongly correlated with those detected on the germinating alfalfa seeds. The S. enterica strains were capable of utilizing the waste irrigation water as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. S. enterica strains thus appear to grow saprophytically on soluble organics released from seeds during early phases of germination. The ability to detect S. enterica in the waste irrigation water early in the germination process indicates that this method may be used as a simple way to monitor the contamination of sprouts during commercial operations.

Evaluation of copper resistant bacteria from vineyard soils and mining waste for copper biosorption

PubMed Central

Andreazza, R.; Pieniz, S.; Okeke, B.C.; Camargo, F.A.O

2011-01-01

Vineyard soils are frequently polluted with high concentrations of copper due application of copper sulfate in order to control fungal diseases. Bioremediation is an efficient process for the treatment of contaminated sites. Efficient copper sorption bacteria can be used for bioremoval of copper from contaminated sites. In this study, a total of 106 copper resistant bacteria were examined for resistance to copper toxicity and biosorption of copper. Eighty isolates (45 from vineyard Mollisol, 35 from Inceptisol) were obtained from EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária) experimental station, Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil (29°09′53.92″S and 51°31′39.40″W) and 26 were obtained from copper mining waste from Caçapava do Sul, RS, Brazil (30°29′43.48″S and 53′32′37.87W). Based on resistance to copper toxicity and biosorption, 15 isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Maximal copper resistance and biosorption at high copper concentration were observed with isolate N2 which removed 80 mg L−1 in 24 h. Contrarily isolate N11 (Bacillus pumilus) displayed the highest specific copper biosorption (121.82 mg/L/OD unit in 24 h). GenBank MEGABLAST analysis revealed that isolate N2 is 99% similar to Staphylococcus pasteuri. Results indicate that several of our isolates have potential use for bioremediation treatment of vineyards soils and mining waste contaminated with high copper concentration. PMID:24031606

Dielectric Properties of Low-Level Liquid Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. E. Lagos; M. A. Ebadian

1998-10-20

The purpose of this study was to develop a data collection containing values for the dielectric properties of various low-level liquid waste (LLLW) simulants measured as a function of frequency, temperature, and composition. The investigation was motivated by current interest in the use of microwave processing for the treatment of radioactive waste. A large volume of transuranic liquid and sludge produced by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) during the production of nuclear fiel bars is stored at several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites around the United States. Waste storage and disposal space is scarce, expensive, and must bemore » minimized. Thus, several DOE sites are pursuing the use of microwave heating as a means of achieving volume reduction and solidification of low-level liquid wastes. It is important to know which microwave frequencies should be employed tc achieve the most efficient processing at a range of different temperatures. The dielectric properties of the LLLW simulants can be utilized to determine the optimum frequencies for use with a particular LLLW or with other LLLWS of similar composition. Furthermore, nonlinear thermal processes, such as thermal runaway, which occur in the material being treated cannot be modeled without a knowledge of the temperature dependence of the dielectric properties. Often, this data does not exist; however, when it does, only very limited data near room temperature are available. The data collection generated in this study can be used to predict the behavior of a variety of microwave thermal treatment technologies, which have the potential of substantially reducing the volume of the LLLWS that are currently stored at many DOE sites. This information should help the users of the microwave reduction and solidification technology to optimize microwave processes used in the treatment of LLLW. The microwave reduction and solidification technology has clear advantages over other methods of reducing LLLWS. These include the incineration of combustibles, the evaporation of combustibles, the evaporation of liquids, and the compaction of noncombustibles. The handling of radioactive liquid waste is generally carried out within closed systems consisting of highly corrosion-resistant, welded, leak-tight pipes, tanks, and other apparatus. High power microwave processing is a promising technology for reducing risks to the environment and human health, thereby supporting the DOE's decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) objectives.« less

RCRA Summary Document for the David Witherspoon 1630 Site, Knoxville, Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pfeffer, J.

2008-06-10

The 48-acre David Witherspoon, Inc. (DWI) 1630 Site operated as an unregulated industrial landfill and scrap yard. The Tennessee Division of Superfund (TDSF) closed the landfill in 1974. During the period of operation, the site received solid and liquid wastes from salvage and industrial operations. The site consists of five separate tracts of land including a small portion located across the Norfolk Southern Railroad track. The landfill occupies approximately 5 acres of the site, and roughly 20 acres of the 48 acres contains surface and buried debris associated with the DWI dismantling business operation. Beginning in 1968, the state ofmore » Tennessee licensed DWI to receive scrap metal at the DWI 1630 Site, contaminated with natural uranium and enriched uranium (235U) not exceeding 0.1 percent by weight (TDSF 1990). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has agreed to undertake remedial actions at the DWI 1630 Site as specified under a Consent Order with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) (Consent Order No. 90-3443, April 4, 1991), and as further delineated by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DOE and the State of Tennessee (MOU Regarding Implementation of Consent Orders, October 6, 1994). The soil and debris removal at the DWI 1630 Site is being performed by Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC (BJC) on behalf of the DOE. Remediation consists of removing contaminated soil and debris from the DWI 1630 site except for the landfill area and repairing the landfill cap. The DWI 1630 remediation waste that is being disposed at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) as defined as waste lot (WL) 146.1 and consists primarily of soils and soil like material, incidental debris and secondary waste generated from the excavation of debris and soil from the DWI 1630 site. The WL 146.1 includes soil, soil like material (e.g., shredded or chipped vegetation, ash), discrete debris items (e.g., equipment, drums, large scrap metal, cylinders, and cable) and populations of debris type items (e.g., piles of bricks, small scrap metal, roofing material, scaffolding, and shelving) that are located throughout the DWI 1630 site. The project also generates an additional small volume of secondary waste [e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE), and miscellaneous construction waste] that is bagged and included in bulk soil shipments to the EMWMF. The Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for the EMWMF does not allow for material that does not meet the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Land Disposal Restrictions (LDRs). The waste being excavated in certain areas of the DWI 1630 site contained soil that did not meet RCRA LDR criteria; therefore this waste had to be segregated for treatment or alternate disposal offsite. This document identifies the approach taken by the DWI 1630 project to further characterize the areas identified during the Phase II Remedial Investigation (RI) as potentially containing RCRA-characteristic waste. This document also describes the methodology used to determine excavation limits for areas determined to be RCRA waste, post excavation sampling, and the treatment and disposal of this material.« less

U.S. Department of Energy's initiatives for proliferation prevention program: solidification technologies for radioactive waste treatment in Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pokhitonov, Y.; Kelley, D.

Large amounts of liquid radioactive waste have existed in the U.S. and Russia since the 1950's as a result of the Cold War. Comprehensive action to treat and dispose of waste products has been lacking due to insufficient funding, ineffective technologies or no proven technologies, low priority by governments among others. Today the U.S. and Russian governments seek new, more reliable methods to treat liquid waste, in particular the legacy waste streams. A primary objective of waste generators and regulators is to find economical and proven technologies that can provide long-term stability for repository storage. In 2001, the V.G. Khlopinmore » Radium Institute (Khlopin), St. Petersburg, Russia, and Pacific Nuclear Solutions (PNS), Indianapolis, Indiana, began extensive research and test programs to determine the validity of polymer technology for the absorption and immobilization of standard and complex waste streams. Over 60 liquid compositions have been tested including extensive irradiation tests to verify polymer stability and possible degradation. With conclusive scientific evidence of the polymer's effectiveness in treating liquid waste, both parties have decided to enter the Russian market and offer the solidification technology to nuclear sites for waste treatment and disposal. In conjunction with these efforts, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will join Khlopin and PNS to explore opportunities for direct application of the polymers at predetermined sites and to conduct research for new product development. Under DOE's 'Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention'(IPP) program, funding will be provided to the Russian participants over a three year period to implement the program plan. This paper will present details of U.S. DOE's IPP program, the project structure and its objectives both short and long-term, training programs for scientists, polymer tests and applications for LLW, ILW and HLW, and new product development initiatives. (authors)« less

Feasibility study for a transportation operations system cask maintenance facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rennich, M.J.; Medley, L.G.; Attaway, C.R.

The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is responsible for the development of a waste management program for the disposition of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW). The program will include a transportation system for moving the nuclear waste from the sources to a geologic repository for permanent disposal. Specially designed casks will be used to safely transport the waste. The cask systems must be operated within limits imposed by DOE, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Department of Transportation (DOT). A dedicated facility for inspecting, testing, and maintaining the caskmore » systems was recommended by the General Accounting Office (in 1979) as the best means of assuring their operational effectiveness and safety, as well as regulatory compliance. In November of 1987, OCRWM requested a feasibility study be made of a Cask Maintenance Facility (CMF) that would perform the required functions. 46 refs., 16 figs., 13 tabs.« less

Report to Congress on the potential use of lead in the waste packages for a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1989-12-01

In the Report of the Senate Committee on Appropriations accompanying the Energy and Water Appropriation Act for 1989, the Committee directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to evaluate the use of lead in the waste packages to be used in geologic repositories for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. The evaluation that was performed in response to this directive is presented in this report. This evaluation was based largely on a review of the technical literature on the behavior of lead, reports of work conducted in other countries, and work performed for the waste-management program being conducted by the DOE.more » The initial evaluation was limited to the potential use of lead in the packages to be used in the repository. Also, the focus of this report is post closure performance and not on retrievability and handling aspects of the waste package. 100 refs., 8 figs., 15 tabs.« less

Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste shipping package/container identification and requirements study. National Low-Level Waste Management Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tyacke, M.

1993-08-01

This report identifies a variety of shipping packages (also referred to as casks) and waste containers currently available or being developed that could be used for greater-than-Class C (GTCC) low-level waste (LLW). Since GTCC LLW varies greatly in size, shape, and activity levels, the casks and waste containers that could be used range in size from small, to accommodate a single sealed radiation source, to very large-capacity casks/canisters used to transport or dry-store highly radioactive spent fuel. In some cases, the waste containers may serve directly as shipping packages, while in other cases, the containers would need to be placedmore » in a transport cask. For the purpose of this report, it is assumed that the generator is responsible for transporting the waste to a Department of Energy (DOE) storage, treatment, or disposal facility. Unless DOE establishes specific acceptance criteria, the receiving facility would need the capability to accept any of the casks and waste containers identified in this report. In identifying potential casks and waste containers, no consideration was given to their adequacy relative to handling, storage, treatment, and disposal. Those considerations must be addressed separately as the capabilities of the receiving facility and the handling requirements and operations are better understood.« less

Analysis of accident sequences and source terms at waste treatment and storage facilities for waste generated by U.S. Department of Energy Waste Management Operations, Volume 3: Appendixes C-H

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mueller, C.; Nabelssi, B.; Roglans-Ribas, J.

1995-04-01

This report contains the Appendices for the Analysis of Accident Sequences and Source Terms at Waste Treatment and Storage Facilities for Waste Generated by the U.S. Department of Energy Waste Management Operations. The main report documents the methodology, computational framework, and results of facility accident analyses performed as a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (WM PEIS). The accident sequences potentially important to human health risk are specified, their frequencies are assessed, and the resultant radiological and chemical source terms are evaluated. A personal computer-based computational framework and database have been developedmore » that provide these results as input to the WM PEIS for calculation of human health risk impacts. This report summarizes the accident analyses and aggregates the key results for each of the waste streams. Source terms are estimated and results are presented for each of the major DOE sites and facilities by WM PEIS alternative for each waste stream. The appendices identify the potential atmospheric release of each toxic chemical or radionuclide for each accident scenario studied. They also provide discussion of specific accident analysis data and guidance used or consulted in this report.« less

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000. DOE Operations at The Boeing Company, Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rutherford, Phil; Samuels, Sandy; Lee, Majelle

2001-09-01

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2000 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of the Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). In the past, these operations included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials, under the former Atomics International (AI) Division. Other activities included the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities for testing of liquid metal fast breeder components at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned company-operated, test facility within Area IV. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988, andmore » subsequently, all radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the previously used nuclear facilities and associated site areas. Large-scale D&D activities of the sodium test facilities began in 1996. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year of 2000 continue to indicate no significant releases of radioactive material from Rocketdyne sites. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling. All radioactive wastes are processed for disposal at DOE disposal sites and other sites approved by DOE and licensed for radioactive waste. Liquid radioactive wastes are not released into the environment and do not constitute an exposure pathway.« less

Waste certification program plan for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orrin, R.C.

1997-05-01

This document defines the waste certification program developed for implementation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The document describes the program structure, logic, and methodology for certification of ORNL wastes. The purpose of the waste certification program is to provide assurance that wastes are properly characterized and that the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for receiving facilities are met. The program meets the waste certification requirements outlined in US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A, Radioactive Waste Management, and ensures that 40 CFR documentation requirements for waste characterization are met for mixed (both radioactive and hazardous) and hazardous (including polychlorinated biphenyls)more » waste. Program activities will be conducted according to ORNL Level 1 document requirements.« less

Hanford Site Composite Analysis Technical Approach Description: Waste Form Release.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hardie, S.; Paris, B.; Apted, M.

2017-09-14

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in DOE O 435.1 Chg. 1, Radioactive Waste Management, requires the preparation and maintenance of a composite analysis (CA). The primary purpose of the CA is to provide a reasonable expectation that the primary public dose limit is not likely to be exceeded by multiple source terms that may significantly interact with plumes originating at a low-level waste disposal facility. The CA is used to facilitate planning and land use decisions that help assure disposal facility authorization will not result in long-term compliance problems; or, to determine management alternatives, corrective actions or assessment needs,more » if potential problems are identified.« less

Environment, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management Field Organization Directory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-07-01

This directory was developed by the Office of Environmental Guidance, RCRA/CERCLA Division (EH-231) from an outgrowth of the Departments efforts to identify and establish the regulatory response lead persons in the Field Organizations. The directory was developed for intemal EH-231 use to identify both the DOE and DOE contractor Field Organizations in the Environment, Environmental Restoration and Waste Management areas. The Field Organization directory is divided into three substantive sections: (1) Environment; (2) Environmental Restoration; and (3) Waste Management which are organized to correspond to the management hierarchy at each Field Organization. The information provided includes the facility name andmore » address, individual managers name, and telephone/fax numbers.« less

49 CFR 229.137 - Sanitation, general requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... toilet facility in which human waste falls via gravity to a holding tank where it is stored and...) of this section, that contains and removes human waste by a method that does not conform with the...

49 CFR 229.137 - Sanitation, general requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... toilet facility in which human waste falls via gravity to a holding tank where it is stored and...) of this section, that contains and removes human waste by a method that does not conform with the...

49 CFR 229.137 - Sanitation, general requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... toilet facility in which human waste falls via gravity to a holding tank where it is stored and...) of this section, that contains and removes human waste by a method that does not conform with the...

49 CFR 229.137 - Sanitation, general requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... toilet facility in which human waste falls via gravity to a holding tank where it is stored and...) of this section, that contains and removes human waste by a method that does not conform with the...

49 CFR 229.137 - Sanitation, general requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... toilet facility in which human waste falls via gravity to a holding tank where it is stored and...) of this section, that contains and removes human waste by a method that does not conform with the...

Sandia and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, 1974--1999

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MORA,CARL J.

2000-04-11

Engineers have learned to design and build big projects, which certainly describes the WIPP project, but also includes defense projects, highway networks, space exploration, the Internet, etc., through what has been called a messily complex embracing of contradictions. When something massive and complicated has to be built these days, it leads to a protracted political process in which every special interest makes a stand, lobbyists exert what influence they can, lawmakers bicker, contractors change things, Congress struggles with costs, environmentalists hold things up--and this is good. It may seem amazing that anything gets done, but when it does, everyone hasmore » had their say. It's an intensely democratic, even if expensive and time-consuming, process. The corporate historian of Sandia National Laboratories presents a unique background of the WIPP project and Sandia's part in it.« less

Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2007. DOE Operations at The Boeing Company, Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Area IV

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Ning; Rutherford, Phil; Lenox, Art

2008-09-30

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2007 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Area IV of Boeing’s Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). The Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a government-owned, company-operated test facility, was located in Area IV. The operations in Area IV included development, fabrication, and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials. Other activities in the area involved the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities that were used for testing non-nuclear liquid metal fast breeder components. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988; all subsequentmore » radiological work has been directed toward decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the former nuclear facilities and their associated sites. In May 2007, the D&D operations in Area IV were suspended until DOE completes the SSFL Area IV Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The environmental monitoring programs were continued throughout the year. Results of the radiological monitoring program for the calendar year 2007 continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling. All radioactive wastes are processed for disposal at DOE disposal sites and/or other licensed sites approved by DOE for radioactive waste disposal. No liquid radioactive wastes were released into the environment in 2007.« less

Tracking pathogen transmission at the human-wildlife interface: banded mongoose and Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Pesapane, R; Ponder, M; Alexander, K A

2013-06-01

A primary challenge to managing emerging infectious disease is identifying pathways that allow pathogen transmission at the human-wildlife interface. Using Escherichia coli as a model organism, we evaluated fecal bacterial transmission between banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) and humans in northern Botswana. Fecal samples were collected from banded mongoose living in protected areas (n = 87, 3 troops) and surrounding villages (n = 92, 3 troops). Human fecal waste was collected from the same environment (n = 46). Isolates were evaluated for susceptibility to 10 antibiotics. Resistant E. coli isolates from mongoose were compared to human isolates using rep-PCR fingerprinting and MLST-PCR. Antimicrobial resistant isolates were identified in 57 % of the mongoose fecal samples tested (range 31-78% among troops). At least one individual mongoose fecal sample demonstrated resistance to each tested antibiotic, and multidrug resistance was highest in the protected areas (40.9%). E. coli isolated from mongoose and human sources in this study demonstrated an extremely high degree of genetic similarity on rep-PCR (AMOVA, F ST = 0.0027, p = 0.18) with a similar pattern identified on MLST-PCR. Human waste may be an important source of microbial exposure to wildlife. Evidence of high levels of antimicrobial resistance even within protected areas identifies an emerging health threat and highlights the need for improved waste management in these systems.

Hospital waste management in Brazil: a case study.

PubMed

Mattoso, V D; Schalch, V

2001-12-01

The evaluation of the current definition, classification and quantification of hospital waste being carried out by hospitals in different countries is extremely important to avoid improper waste management practices. In this work, the waste management from a 400-bed Brazilian hospital which generates about 386 kg per day of hospital waste was studied. The generation rate of just over one kg per bed per day was considered small, although more than 50% of the waste from non-isolation wards consisted of food waste. It was also interesting to note that the highest generation rate per patient per day was found in private rooms and the lowest rate in the public ones. The waste practices used in this hospital are discussed in terms of current Brazilian legislation.

Transuranic Waste Processing Center (TWPC) Legacy Tank RH-TRU Sludge Processing and Compliance Strategy - 13255

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, Ben C.; Heacker, Fred K.; Shannon, Christopher

2013-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) needs to safely and efficiently treat its 'legacy' transuranic (TRU) waste and mixed low-level waste (LLW) from past research and defense activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) so that the waste is prepared for safe and secure disposal. The TWPC operates an Environmental Management (EM) waste processing facility on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). The TWPC is classified as a Hazard Category 2, non-reactor nuclear facility. This facility receives, treats, and packages low-level waste and TRU waste stored at various facilities on the ORR for eventual off-site disposal at various DOE sitesmore » and commercial facilities. The Remote Handled TRU Waste Sludge held in the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVSTs) was produced as a result of the collection, treatment, and storage of liquid radioactive waste originating from the ORNL radiochemical processing and radioisotope production programs. The MVSTs contain most of the associated waste from the Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT) in the ORNL's Tank Farms in Bethel Valley and the sludge (SL) and associated waste from the Old Hydro-fracture Facility tanks and other Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) tanks. The SL Processing Facility Build-outs (SL-PFB) Project is integral to the EM cleanup mission at ORNL and is being accelerated by DOE to meet updated regulatory commitments in the Site Treatment Plan. To meet these commitments a Baseline (BL) Change Proposal (BCP) is being submitted to provide continued spending authority as the project re-initiation extends across fiscal year 2012 (FY2012) into fiscal year 2013. Future waste from the ORNL Building 3019 U-233 Disposition project, in the form of U-233 dissolved in nitric acid and water, down-blended with depleted uranyl nitrate solution is also expected to be transferred to the 7856 MVST Annex Facility (formally the Capacity Increase Project (CIP) Tanks) for co-processing with the SL. The SL-PFB project will construct and install the necessary integrated systems to process the accumulated MVST Facilities SL inventory at the TWPC thus enabling safe and effective disposal of the waste. This BCP does not include work to support current MVST Facility Surveillance and Maintenance programs or the ORNL Building 3019 U-233 Disposition project, since they are not currently part of the TWPC prime contract. The purpose of the environmental compliance strategy is to identify the environmental permits and other required regulatory documents necessary for the construction and operation of the SL- PFB at the TWPC, Oak Ridge, TN. The permits and other regulatory documents identified are necessary to comply with the environmental laws and regulations of DOE Orders, and other requirements documented in the SL-PFB, Safety Design Strategy (SDS), SL-A-AD-002, R0 draft, and the Systems, Function and Requirements Document (SFRD), SL-X-AD-002, R1 draft. This compliance strategy is considered a 'living strategy' and it is anticipated that it will be revised as design progresses and more detail is known. The design basis on which this environmental permitting and compliance strategy is based is the Wastren Advantage, Inc., (WAI), TWPC, SL-PFB (WAI-BL-B.01.06) baseline. (authors)« less

Waste Package Component Design Methodology Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D.C. Mecham

2004-07-12

This Executive Summary provides an overview of the methodology being used by the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) to design waste packages and ancillary components. This summary information is intended for readers with general interest, but also provides technical readers a general framework surrounding a variety of technical details provided in the main body of the report. The purpose of this report is to document and ensure appropriate design methods are used in the design of waste packages and ancillary components (the drip shields and emplacement pallets). The methodology includes identification of necessary design inputs, justification of design assumptions, and usemore » of appropriate analysis methods, and computational tools. This design work is subject to ''Quality Assurance Requirements and Description''. The document is primarily intended for internal use and technical guidance for a variety of design activities. It is recognized that a wide audience including project management, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and others are interested to various levels of detail in the design methods and therefore covers a wide range of topics at varying levels of detail. Due to the preliminary nature of the design, readers can expect to encounter varied levels of detail in the body of the report. It is expected that technical information used as input to design documents will be verified and taken from the latest versions of reference sources given herein. This revision of the methodology report has evolved with changes in the waste package, drip shield, and emplacement pallet designs over many years and may be further revised as the design is finalized. Different components and analyses are at different stages of development. Some parts of the report are detailed, while other less detailed parts are likely to undergo further refinement. The design methodology is intended to provide designs that satisfy the safety and operational requirements of the YMP. Four waste package configurations have been selected to illustrate the application of the methodology during the licensing process. These four configurations are the 21-pressurized water reactor absorber plate waste package (21-PWRAP), the 44-boiling water reactor waste package (44-BWR), the 5 defense high-level radioactive waste (HLW) DOE spent nuclear fuel (SNF) codisposal short waste package (5-DHLWDOE SNF Short), and the naval canistered SNF long waste package (Naval SNF Long). Design work for the other six waste packages will be completed at a later date using the same design methodology. These include the 24-boiling water reactor waste package (24-BWR), the 21-pressurized water reactor control rod waste package (21-PWRCR), the 12-pressurized water reactor waste package (12-PWR), the 5 defense HLW DOE SNF codisposal long waste package (5-DHLWDOE SNF Long), the 2 defense HLW DOE SNF codisposal waste package (2-MC012-DHLW), and the naval canistered SNF short waste package (Naval SNF Short). This report is only part of the complete design description. Other reports related to the design include the design reports, the waste package system description documents, manufacturing specifications, and numerous documents for the many detailed calculations. The relationships between this report and other design documents are shown in Figure 1.« less

Annual Status Report (FY2015) Composite Analysis for Low Level Waste Disposal in the Central Plateau of the Hanford Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nichols, W. E.

2016-03-24

In accordance with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requirements in DOE O 435.1, and as implemented by DOE/RL-2000-29, the DOE Richland Operations Office has prepared this annual summary of the Hanford Site Composite Analysis for fiscal year 2015.

Annual Status Report (FY2016) Composite Analysis for Low Level Waste Disposal in the Central Plateau of the Hanford Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weber, M. C.; Nichols, W. E.

2017-03-14

In accordance with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requirements in DOE O 435.1 and as implemented by DOE/RL-2009-29, the DOE Richland Operations Office has prepared this annual summary of the Hanford Site Composite Analysis for fiscal year 2016.

76 FR 13397 - DOE Response to Recommendation 2010-2 of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Pulse Jet...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

... Safety Board, Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant AGENCY: Department of..., concerning Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant was published in the Federal... Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) Recommendation 2010-2, Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste...

25 CFR 170.903 - Who notifies tribes of the transport of radioactive waste?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Who notifies tribes of the transport of radioactive waste? 170.903 Section 170.903 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER... § 170.903 Who notifies tribes of the transport of radioactive waste? The Department of Energy (DOE) has...

25 CFR 170.903 - Who notifies tribes of the transport of radioactive waste?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Who notifies tribes of the transport of radioactive waste? 170.903 Section 170.903 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER... § 170.903 Who notifies tribes of the transport of radioactive waste? The Department of Energy (DOE) has...

40 CFR 262.42 - Exception reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... greater than 1 kg of acute hazardous waste listed in § 261.31 or § 261.33(e) in a calendar month, who does... greater than 1 kg of acute hazardous waste listed in § 261.31or § 261.33(e) in a calendar month, must... 262.42 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 262.42 - Exception reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... greater than 1 kg of acute hazardous waste listed in § 261.31 or § 261.33(e) in a calendar month, who does... greater than 1 kg of acute hazardous waste listed in § 261.31or § 261.33(e) in a calendar month, must... 262.42 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED...

Statement by Dr. Raul A. Deju to the Subcommittee on Radioactive Waste, Energy and Utilities Committee, Washington State Senate, Richland, Washington, October 21, 1982

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deju, R.A.

1982-10-01

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project's mission is to assess whether or not a nuclear waste repository can be sited in the basalts beneath the Hanford Site. Dr. Deju summarizes the results of the siting studies, the activities connected with waste package development, and ongoing engineering studies. In addition, he gives a glimpse of past technical reviews of the project and comments on major technical activities planned in the near future.

Analysis of rockbolt performance at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terrill, L.J.; Francke, C.T.; Saeb, S.

Rockbolt failures at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant have been recorded since 1990 and are categorized in terms of mode of failure. The failures are evaluated in terms of physical location of installation within the mine, local excavation geometry and stratigraphy, proximity to other excavations or shafts, and excavation age. The database of failures has revealed discrete ares of the mine containing relatively large numbers of failures. The results of metallurgical analyses and standard rockbolt load testing have generally been in agreement with the in situ evaluations.

Special Analysis for Disposal of High-Concentration I-129 Waste in the Intermediate-Level Vaults at the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collard, L.B.

2000-09-26

This revision was prepared to address comments from DOE-SR that arose following publication of revision 0. This Special Analysis (SA) addresses disposal of wastes with high concentrations of I-129 in the Intermediate-Level (IL) Vaults at the operating, low-level radioactive waste disposal facility (the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility or LLWF) on the Savannah River Site (SRS). This SA provides limits for disposal in the IL Vaults of high-concentration I-129 wastes, including activated carbon beds from the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF), based on their measured, waste-specific Kds.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, K. M.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environmental Management (EM) is sponsoring an international, collaborative project to develop a fundamental model for sulfate solubility in nuclear waste glass. The solubility of sulfate has a significant impact on the achievable waste loading for nuclear waste forms within the DOE complex. These wastes can contain relatively high concentrations of sulfate, which has low solubility in borosilicate glass. This is a significant issue for low-activity waste (LAW) glass and is projected to have a major impact on the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Sulfate solubility has also been amore » limiting factor for recent high level waste (HLW) sludge processed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). The low solubility of sulfate in glass, along with melter and off-gas corrosion constraints, dictate that the waste be blended with lower sulfate concentration waste sources or washed to remove sulfate prior to vitrification. The development of enhanced borosilicate glass compositions with improved sulfate solubility will allow for higher waste loadings and accelerate mission completion.The objective of the current scope being pursued by SHU is to mature the sulfate solubility model to the point where it can be used to guide glass composition development for DWPF and WTP, allowing for enhanced waste loadings and waste throughput at these facilities. A series of targeted glass compositions was selected to resolve data gaps in the model and is identified as Stage III. SHU fabricated these glasses and sent samples to SRNL for chemical composition analysis. SHU will use the resulting data to enhance the sulfate solubility model and resolve any deficiencies. In this report, SRNL provides chemical analyses for the Stage III, simulated HLW glasses fabricated by SHU in support of the sulfate solubility model development.« less

Maintenance Plan for the Composite Analysis of the Hanford Site, Southeast Washington.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehman, L. L.; Nichols, W. E.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) manuals for radioactive waste management, DOE M 435.1-1 Chg 21 and DOE-STD-5002-2017, require that the Hanford Site maintain site performance assessments and composite analyses (CAs). This document describes the plan for maintaining the CA that supports waste disposal and remedial actions for the Hanford Site. An initial CA of the site was issued in 1998, conditionally approved in 1999, received further analysis to satisfy conditions in an addendum in 2001, and was approved in 2002. This document meets the maintenance plan requirements described in DOE M 435.1-1 Chg 2 and DOE-STD-5002-2017 and implements themore » requirements of the disposal authorization related to the CA for the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, the responsible field office, and its contractors.« less

US Department of Energy's Efforts in Intelligent Processing Equipment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peavy, Richard D.; Mcfarland, Janet C.

1992-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) uses intelligent processing equipment (IPE) technologies to conduct research and development and manufacturing for energy and nuclear weapons programs. This paper highlights several significant IPE efforts underway in DOE. IPE technologies are essential to the accomplishment of DOE's missions, because of the need for small lot production, precision, and accuracy in manufacturing, hazardous waste management, and protection of the environment and the safety and health of the workforce and public. Applications of IPE technologies include environmental remediation and waste handling, advanced manufacturing, and automation of tasks carried out in hazardous areas. DOE laboratories have several key programs that integrate robotics, sensor, and control technologies. These programs embody a considerable technical capability that also may be used to enhance U.S. industrial competitiveness. DOE encourages closer cooperation with U.S. industrial partners based on mutual benefits. This paper briefly describes technology transfer mechanisms available for industrial involvement.

Report on inspection of compliance with DOE Order 2030.4B at the Savannah River Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-03-01

The purpose of this inspection was to evaluate contractor compliance at the Savannah River Site (SRS) with Department of Energy (DOE) Order 2030.4B, {open_quotes}Reporting Fraud, Waste, And Abuse To The Office Of Inspector General.{close_quotes} The specific objective was to determine if the SRS management and operating (M&O) contractors were complying with the requirements in Paragraph 6.c. of DOE Order 2030.4B. These requirements are: (1) annual notification to employees of their duty to report allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, corruption, or mismanagement; (2) display and publish the DOE Office of Inspector General (OIG) Hotline telephone number in common areas of buildings;more » (3) display and publish the DOE OIG Hotline number in telephone books and newsletters; and (4) notify the OIG cases referred to other law enforcement entities.« less

Impact of Corrections to the Spallings Volume Calculation on Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Performance Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kicker, Dwayne Curtis; Herrick, Courtney G; Zeitler, Todd

2015-11-01

The numerical code DRSPALL (from direct release spallings) is written to calculate the volume of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant solid waste subject to material failure and transport to the surface (i.e., spallings) as a result of a hypothetical future inadvertent drilling intrusion into the repository. An error in the implementation of the DRSPALL finite difference equations was discovered and documented in a software problem report in accordance with the quality assurance procedure for software requirements. This paper describes the corrections to DRSPALL and documents the impact of the new spallings data from the modified DRSPALL on previous performance assessment calculations.more » Updated performance assessments result in more simulations with spallings, which generally translates to an increase in spallings releases to the accessible environment. Total normalized radionuclide releases using the modified DRSPALL data were determined by forming the summation of releases across each potential release pathway, namely borehole cuttings and cavings releases, spallings releases, direct brine releases, and transport releases. Because spallings releases are not a major contributor to the total releases, the updated performance assessment calculations of overall mean complementary cumulative distribution functions for total releases are virtually unchanged. Therefore, the corrections to the spallings volume calculation did not impact Waste Isolation Pilot Plant performance assessment calculation results.« less

Genetic heterogeneity in familial renal magnesium wasting.

PubMed

Kantorovich, Vitaly; Adams, John S; Gaines, Jade E; Guo, Xiuqing; Pandian, Murugan R; Cohn, Daniel H; Rude, Robert K

2002-02-01

Isolated hereditary renal magnesium (Mg) wasting may result from mutations in the renal tubular epithelial cell tight junction protein paracellin-1 gene or the tubular Na(+),K(+)-ATPase gamma-subunit gene FXYD2. The FXYD2 gene mutation was discovered in two Dutch families as an autosomal dominant disorder. It is characterized by isolated renal Mg wasting with resultant symptomatic hypomagnesemia. The defective FXYD2 gene in these families mapped to chromosome 11q23. Here, we describe an American family with a similar phenotype but without linkage to the 11q23 locus; in testing 22 individuals in the pedigree multipoint LOD scores for five different loci from the 11q23 region were equal to -2.97. Compared with unaffected family members and normal controls, affected family members harbored significant reductions in the serum and lymphocyte Mg concentrations and in the serum immunoreactive PTH level with a 4-fold increase in the mean fractional urinary Mg excretion rate during a normomagnesemic clamp. Bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and proximal femur was significantly reduced in affected family members. In conclusion, our data demonstrate locus heterogeneity for the phenotype of isolated renal Mg wasting with hypomagnesemia and suggest that hypomagnesemia, at least in this pedigree, may be associated with low bone mass.

Biodegradation of waste lubricants by a newly isolated Ochrobactrum sp. C1.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, Munna; Biswas, Dipa; Sana, Santanu; Datta, Sriparna

2015-10-01

A potential degrader of paraffinic and aromatic hydrocarbons was isolated from oil-contaminated soil from steel plant effluent area in Burnpur, India. The strain was investigated for degradation of waste lubricants (waste engine oil and waste transformer oil) that often contain EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, USA) classified priority pollutants and was identified as Ochrobactrum sp. C1 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The strain C1 was found to tolerate unusually high waste lubricant concentration along with emulsification capability of the culture broth, and its degradation efficiency was 48.5 ± 0.5 % for waste engine oil and 30.47 ± 0.25 % for waste transformer oil during 7 days incubation period. In order to get optimal degradation efficiency, a three level Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the physical parameters namely pH, temperature and waste oil concentration. The results indicate that at temperature 36.4 °C, pH 7.3 and with 4.6 % (v/v) oil concentration, the percentage degradation of waste engine oil will be 57 % within 7 days. At this optimized condition, the experimental values (56.7 ± 0.25 %) are in a good agreement with the predicted values with a calculated R 2 to be 0.998 and significant correlation between biodegradation and emulsification activity (E 24  = 69.42 ± 0.32 %) of the culture broth toward engine oil was found with a correlation coefficient of 0.972. This is the first study showing that an Ochrobactrum sp. strain is capable of degrading waste lubricants, which might contribute to the bioremediation of waste lubricating oil-contaminated soil.

Configuration management plan for waste tank farms and the 242-A evaporator of tank waste remediation system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laney, T.

The configuration management architecture presented in this Configuration Management Plan is based on the functional model established by DOE-STD-1073-93, ``Guide for Operational Configuration Management Program.`` The DOE Standard defines the configuration management program by the five basic program elements of ``program management,`` ``design requirements,`` ``document control,`` ``change control,`` and ``assessments,`` and the two adjunct recovery programs of ``design reconstitution,`` and ``material condition and aging management.`` The CM model of five elements and two adjunct programs strengthen the necessary technical and administrative control to establish and maintain a consistent technical relationship among the requirements, physical configuration, and documentation. Although the DOEmore » Standard was originally developed for the operational phase of nuclear facilities, this plan has the flexibility to be adapted and applied to all life-cycle phases of both nuclear and non-nuclear facilities. The configuration management criteria presented in this plan endorses the DOE Standard and has been tailored specifically to address the technical relationship of requirements, physical configuration, and documentation during the full life cycle of the Waste Tank Farms and 242-A Evaporator of Tank Waste Remediation System.« less

Municipal waste processing apparatus

DOEpatents

Mayberry, J.L.

1988-04-13

This invention relates to apparatus for processing municipal waste, and more particularly to vibrating mesh screen conveyor systems for removing grit, glass, and other noncombustible materials from dry municipal waste. Municipal waste must be properly processed and disposed of so that it does not create health risks to the community. Generally, municipal waste, which may be collected in garbage trucks, dumpsters, or the like, is deposited in processing areas such as landfills. Land and environmental controls imposed on landfill operators by governmental bodies have increased in recent years, however, making landfill disposal of solid waste materials more expensive. 6 figs.

Flowsheets and source terms for radioactive waste projections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Forsberg, C.W.

1985-03-01

Flowsheets and source terms used to generate radioactive waste projections in the Integrated Data Base (IDB) Program are given. Volumes of each waste type generated per unit product throughput have been determined for the following facilities: uranium mining, UF/sub 6/ conversion, uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, boiling-water reactors (BWRs), pressurized-water reactors (PWRs), and fuel reprocessing. Source terms for DOE/defense wastes have been developed. Expected wastes from typical decommissioning operations for each facility type have been determined. All wastes are also characterized by isotopic composition at time of generation and by general chemical composition. 70 references, 21 figures, 53 tables.

APPLICATION OF A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR A CONTAINMENT SYSTEM LEAK DETECTION

EPA Science Inventory

The use of physical and hydraulic containment systems for the isolation of contaminated ground water associated with hazardous waste sites has increased during the last decade. Existing methodologies for monitoring and evaluating leakage from hazardous waste containment systems ...