Source term evaluation model for high-level radioactive waste repository with decay chain build-up.

PubMed

Chopra, Manish; Sunny, Faby; Oza, R B

2016-09-18

A source term model based on two-component leach flux concept is developed for a high-level radioactive waste repository. The long-lived radionuclides associated with high-level waste may give rise to the build-up of activity because of radioactive decay chains. The ingrowths of progeny are incorporated in the model using Bateman decay chain build-up equations. The model is applied to different radionuclides present in the high-level radioactive waste, which form a part of decay chains (4n to 4n + 3 series), and the activity of the parent and daughter radionuclides leaching out of the waste matrix is estimated. Two cases are considered: one when only parent is present initially in the waste and another where daughters are also initially present in the waste matrix. The incorporation of in situ production of daughter radionuclides in the source is important to carry out realistic estimates. It is shown that the inclusion of decay chain build-up is essential to avoid underestimation of the radiological impact assessment of the repository. The model can be a useful tool for evaluating the source term of the radionuclide transport models used for the radiological impact assessment of high-level radioactive waste repositories.

Analogues to features and processes of a high-level radioactive waste repository proposed for Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simmons, Ardyth M.; Stuckless, John S.; with a Foreword by Abraham Van Luik, U.S. Department of Energy

2010-01-01

Natural analogues are defined for this report as naturally occurring or anthropogenic systems in which processes similar to those expected to occur in a nuclear waste repository are thought to have taken place over time periods of decades to millennia and on spatial scales as much as tens of kilometers. Analogues provide an important temporal and spatial dimension that cannot be tested by laboratory or field-scale experiments. Analogues provide one of the multiple lines of evidence intended to increase confidence in the safe geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Although the work in this report was completed specifically for Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste under the U.S. Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the applicability of the science, analyses, and interpretations is not limited to a specific site. Natural and anthropogenic analogues have provided and can continue to provide value in understanding features and processes of importance across a wide variety of topics in addressing the challenges of geologic isolation of radioactive waste and also as a contribution to scientific investigations unrelated to waste disposal. Isolation of radioactive waste at a mined geologic repository would be through a combination of natural features and engineered barriers. In this report we examine analogues to many of the various components of the Yucca Mountain system, including the preservation of materials in unsaturated environments, flow of water through unsaturated volcanic tuff, seepage into repository drifts, repository drift stability, stability and alteration of waste forms and components of the engineered barrier system, and transport of radionuclides through unsaturated and saturated rock zones.

Public acceptance for centralized storage and repositories of low-level waste session (Panel)

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

Lutz, H.R.

1995-12-31

Participants from various parts of the world will provide a summary of their particular country`s approach to low-level waste management and the cost of public acceptance for low-level waste management facilities. Participants will discuss the number, geographic location, and type of low-level waste repositories and centralized storage facilities located in their countries. Each will discuss the amount, distribution, and duration of funds to gain public acceptance of these facilities. Participants will provide an estimated $/meter for centralized storage facilities and repositories. The panel will include a brief discussion about the ethical aspects of public acceptance costs, approaches for negotiating acceptance,more » and lessons learned in each country. The audience is invited to participate in the discussion.« less

Characterization of Discharge Areas of Radionuclides Originating From Nuclear Waste Repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marklund, L.; Xu, S.; Worman, A.

2009-05-01

If leakages in nuclear waste repositories located in crystalline bedrock arise, radionuclides will reach the biosphere and cause a risk of radiological impact. The extent of the radiological impact depends on in which landscape elements the radionuclides emerge. In this study, we investigate if there are certain landscape elements that generally will act as discharge areas for radionuclides leaking from subsurface deposits. We also characterize the typical properties that distinguish these areas from others. In humid regions, landscape topography is the most important driving force for groundwater flow. Because groundwater is the main transporting agent for migrating radionuclides, the topography will determine the flowpaths of leaking radionuclides. How topography and heterogeneities in the subsurface affect the discharge distribution of the radionuclides is therefore an important scope of this study. To address these issues, we developed a 3-D transport model. Our analyses are based on site-specific data from two different areas in Sweden, Forsmark, Uppland, and Oskarshamn, Småland. The Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Company (SKB) has selected these two areas as candidate areas for a deep repository of nuclear waste and the areas are currently subject to site investigations. Our results suggest that there are hot-spots in the landscape i.e. areas with high probability of receiving large amounts of radionuclides from a leaking repository of nuclear waste. The hot-spots concentrate in the sea, streams, lakes and wetlands. All these elements are found at lower elevations in the landscape. This pattern is mostly determined by the landscape topography and the locations of fracture zones. There is a relationship between fracture zones and topography, and therefore the importance of the topography for the discharge area distribution is not contradicted by the heterogeneity in the bedrock. The varieties of landscape elements which have potential for receiving

The preliminary design and feasibility study of the spent fuel and high level waste repository in the Czech Republic

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

Valvoda, Z.; Holub, J.; Kucerka, M.

1996-12-31

In the year 1993, began the Program of Development of the Spent Fuel and High Level Waste Repository in the Conditions of the Czech Republic. During the first phase, the basic concept and structure of the Program has been developed, and the basic design criteria and requirements were prepared. In the conditions of the Czech Republic, only an underground repository in deep geological formation is acceptable. Expected depth is between 500 to 1000 meters and as host rock will be granites. A preliminary variant design study was realized in 1994, that analyzed the radioactive waste and spent fuel flow frommore » NPPs to the repository, various possibilities of transportation in accordance to the various concepts of spent fuel conditioning and transportation to the underground structures. Conditioning and encapsulation of spent fuel and/or radioactive waste is proposed on the repository site. Underground disposal structures are proposed at one underground floor. The repository will have reserve capacity for radioactive waste from NPPs decommissioning and for waste non acceptable to other repositories. Vertical disposal of unshielded canisters in boreholes and/or horizontal disposal of shielded canisters is studied. As the base term of the start up of the repository operation, the year 2035 has been established. From this date, a preliminary time schedule of the Project has been developed. A method of calculating leveled and discounted costs within the repository lifetime, for each of selected 5 variants, was used for economic calculations. Preliminary expected parametric costs of the repository are about 0,1 Kc ($0.004) per MWh, produced in the Czech NPPs. In 1995, the design and feasibility study has gone in more details to the technical concept of repository construction and proposed technologies, as well as to the operational phase of the repository. Paper will describe results of the 1995 design work and will present the program of the repository development in

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

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

Colloid-Facilitated Radionuclide Transport: Current State of Knowledge from a Nuclear Waste Repository Risk Assessment Perspective

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

Reimus, Paul William; Zavarin, Mavrik; Wang, Yifeng

2017-01-25

This report provides an overview of the current state of knowledge of colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport from a nuclear waste repository risk assessment perspective. It draws on work that has been conducted over the past 3 decades, although there is considerable emphasis given to work that has been performed over the past 3-5 years as part of the DOE Used Fuel Disposition Campaign. The timing of this report coincides with the completion of a 3-year DOE membership in the Colloids Formation and Migration (CFM) partnership, an international collaboration of scientists studying colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides at both the laboratory and field-scalesmore » in a fractured crystalline granodiorite at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland. This Underground Research Laboratory has hosted the most extensive and carefully-controlled set of colloid-facilitated solute transport experiments that have ever been conducted in an in-situ setting, and a summary of the results to date from these efforts, as they relate to transport over long time and distance scales, is provided in Chapter 3 of this report.« less

Numerical Modeling of Thermal-Hydrology in the Near Field of a Generic High-Level Waste Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matteo, E. N.; Hadgu, T.; Park, H.

2016-12-01

Disposal in a deep geologic repository is one of the preferred option for long term isolation of high-level nuclear waste. Coupled thermal-hydrologic processes induced by decay heat from the radioactive waste may impact fluid flow and the associated migration of radionuclides. This study looked at the effects of those processes in simulations of thermal-hydrology for the emplacement of U. S. Department of Energy managed high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel. Most of the high-level waste sources have lower thermal output which would reduce the impact of thermal propagation. In order to quantify the thermal limits this study concentrated on the higher thermal output sources and on spent nuclear fuel. The study assumed a generic nuclear waste repository at 500 m depth. For the modeling a representative domain was selected representing a portion of the repository layout in order to conduct a detailed thermal analysis. A highly refined unstructured mesh was utilized with refinements near heat sources and at intersections of different materials. Simulations looked at different values for properties of components of the engineered barrier system (i.e. buffer, disturbed rock zone and the host rock). The simulations also looked at the effects of different durations of surface aging of the waste to reduce thermal perturbations. The PFLOTRAN code (Hammond et al., 2014) was used for the simulations. Modeling results for the different options are reported and include temperature and fluid flow profiles in the near field at different simulation times. References:G. E. Hammond, P.C. Lichtner and R.T. Mills, "Evaluating the Performance of Parallel Subsurface Simulators: An Illustrative Example with PFLOTRAN", Water Resources Research, 50, doi:10.1002/2012WR013483 (2014). Sandia National Laboratories 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

YUCCA MOUNTAIN: Earth-Science Issues at a Geologic Repository for High-Level Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Jane C. S.

2004-05-01

The nation has over 40,000 metric tonnes (MT) of nuclear waste destined for disposal in a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain. In this review, we highlight some of the important geoscience issues associated with the project and place them in the context of the process by which a final decision on Yucca Mountain will be made. The issues include understanding how water could infiltrate the repository, corrode the canisters, dissolve the waste, and transport it to the biosphere during a 10,000-year compliance period in a region, the Basin and Range province, that is known for seismic and volcanic activity. Although the site is considered to be "dry," a considerable amount of water is present as pore waters and as structural water in zeolites. The geochemical environment is oxidizing, and the present repository design will maintain temperatures at greater than 100°C for thousands of years. Geoscientists in this project are challenged to make unprecedented predictions about coupled thermal, hydrologic, mechanical, and geochemical processes governing the future behavior of the repository and to conduct research in a regulatory and legal environment that requires a quantitative analysis of repository performance.

Iron-nickel alloys as canister material for radioactive waste disposal in underground repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apps, J. A.

1982-09-01

Canisters containing high-level radioactive waste must retain their integrity in an underground waste repository for at least one thousand years after burial (Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 1981). Since no direct means of verifying canister integrity is plausible over such a long period, indirect methods must be chosen. A persuasive approach is to examine the natural environment and find a suitable material which is thermodynamically compatible with the host rock under the environmental conditions with the host rock under the environmental conditions expected in a waste repository. Several candidates have been proposed, among them being iron-nickel alloys that are known to occur naturally in altered ultramafic rocks. The following review of stability relations among iron-nickel alloys below 3500 C is the initial phase of a more detailed evaluation of these alloys as suitable canister materials.

France's State of the Art Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors Qualified for the Monitoring of the French Underground Repository for High Level and Intermediate Level Long Lived Radioactive Wastes.

PubMed

Delepine-Lesoille, Sylvie; Girard, Sylvain; Landolt, Marcel; Bertrand, Johan; Planes, Isabelle; Boukenter, Aziz; Marin, Emmanuel; Humbert, Georges; Leparmentier, Stéphanie; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Ouerdane, Youcef

2017-06-13

This paper presents the state of the art distributed sensing systems, based on optical fibres, developed and qualified for the French Cigéo project, the underground repository for high level and intermediate level long-lived radioactive wastes. Four main parameters, namely strain, temperature, radiation and hydrogen concentration are currently investigated by optical fibre sensors, as well as the tolerances of selected technologies to the unique constraints of the Cigéo's severe environment. Using fluorine-doped silica optical fibre surrounded by a carbon layer and polyimide coating, it is possible to exploit its Raman, Brillouin and Rayleigh scattering signatures to achieve the distributed sensing of the temperature and the strain inside the repository cells of radioactive wastes. Regarding the dose measurement, promising solutions are proposed based on Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA) responses of sensitive fibres such as the P-doped ones. While for hydrogen measurements, the potential of specialty optical fibres with Pd particles embedded in their silica matrix is currently studied for this gas monitoring through its impact on the fibre Brillouin signature evolution.

Coupling of Nuclear Waste Form Corrosion and Radionuclide Transports in Presence of Relevant Repository Sediments

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

Wall, Nathalie A.; Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla P.

2015-09-30

Assessments of waste form and disposal options start with the degradation of the waste forms and consequent mobilization of radionuclides. Long-term static tests, single-pass flow-through tests, and the pressurized unsaturated flow test are often employed to study the durability of potential waste forms and to help create models that predict their durability throughout the lifespan of the disposal site. These tests involve the corrosion of the material in the presence of various leachants, with different experimental designs yielding desired information about the behavior of the material. Though these tests have proved instrumental in elucidating various mechanisms responsible for material corrosion,more » the chemical environment to which the material is subject is often not representative of a potential radioactive waste repository where factors such as pH and leachant composition will be controlled by the near-field environment. Near-field materials include, but are not limited to, the original engineered barriers, their resulting corrosion products, backfill materials, and the natural host rock. For an accurate performance assessment of a nuclear waste repository, realistic waste corrosion experimental data ought to be modeled to allow for a better understanding of waste form corrosion mechanisms and the effect of immediate geochemical environment on these mechanisms. Additionally, the migration of radionuclides in the resulting chemical environment during and after waste form corrosion must be quantified and mechanisms responsible for migrations understood. The goal of this research was to understand the mechanisms responsible for waste form corrosion in the presence of relevant repository sediments to allow for accurate radionuclide migration quantifications. The rationale for this work is that a better understanding of waste form corrosion in relevant systems will enable increased reliance on waste form performance in repository environments and

Topic I: Induced changes in hydrology at low-level radioactive waste repository sites: 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

Prudic, David E.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Engineering practices, including the excavation of trenches, placement of waste, nature of waste forms, backfilling procedures and materials, and trench-cover construction and materials at low-level radioactive-waste repository sites greatly affect the geohydrology of the sites. Engineering practices are dominant factors in eventual stability and isolation of the waste. The papers presented relating to Topic I were discussions of the hydrogeologic setting at existing low-level radioactive-waste repository sites and changes in the hydrology induced by site operations. Papers summarizing detailed studies presented at this workshop include those at sites near Sheffield, Ill.; Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn.; West Valley, N.Y.; Maxey Flats, Ky.; Barnwell, S.C.; and Beatty, Nev. 

Statistical sensitivity analysis of a simple nuclear waste repository model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronen, Y.; Lucius, J. L.; Blow, E. M.

1980-06-01

A preliminary step in a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the modeling of a nuclear waste repository. The purpose of the complete analysis is to determine which modeling parameters and physical data are most important in determining key design performance criteria and then to obtain the uncertainty in the design for safety considerations. The theory for a statistical screening design methodology is developed for later use in the overall program. The theory was applied to the test case of determining the relative importance of the sensitivity of near field temperature distribution in a single level salt repository to modeling parameters. The exact values of the sensitivities to these physical and modeling parameters were then obtained using direct methods of recalculation. The sensitivity coefficients found to be important for the sample problem were thermal loading, distance between the spent fuel canisters and their radius. Other important parameters were those related to salt properties at a point of interest in the repository.

Perceived risk, stigma, and potential economic impacts of a high-level nuclear waste repository in Nevada

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

Slovic, P.; Layman, M.; Kraus, N.N.

1989-07-01

This paper describes a program of research designed to assess the potential impacts of a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, upon tourism, retirement and job-related migration, and business development in Las Vegas and the state. Adverse economic impacts may be expected to result from two related social processes. One has to do with perceptions of risk and socially amplified reactions to ``unfortunate events`` associated with the repository (major and minor accidents, discoveries of radiation releases, evidence of mismanagement, attempts to sabotage or disrupt the facility, etc.). The second process that may trigger significant adverse impacts is thatmore » of stigmatization. The conceptual underpinnings of risk perception, social amplification, and stigmatization are discussed in this paper and empirical data are presented to demonstrate how nuclear images associated with Las Vegas and the State of Nevada might trigger adverse effects on tourism, migration, and business development.« less

France’s State of the Art Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors Qualified for the Monitoring of the French Underground Repository for High Level and Intermediate Level Long Lived Radioactive Wastes

PubMed Central

Delepine-Lesoille, Sylvie; Girard, Sylvain; Landolt, Marcel; Bertrand, Johan; Planes, Isabelle; Boukenter, Aziz; Marin, Emmanuel; Humbert, Georges; Leparmentier, Stéphanie; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Ouerdane, Youcef

2017-01-01

This paper presents the state of the art distributed sensing systems, based on optical fibres, developed and qualified for the French Cigéo project, the underground repository for high level and intermediate level long-lived radioactive wastes. Four main parameters, namely strain, temperature, radiation and hydrogen concentration are currently investigated by optical fibre sensors, as well as the tolerances of selected technologies to the unique constraints of the Cigéo’s severe environment. Using fluorine-doped silica optical fibre surrounded by a carbon layer and polyimide coating, it is possible to exploit its Raman, Brillouin and Rayleigh scattering signatures to achieve the distributed sensing of the temperature and the strain inside the repository cells of radioactive wastes. Regarding the dose measurement, promising solutions are proposed based on Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA) responses of sensitive fibres such as the P-doped ones. While for hydrogen measurements, the potential of specialty optical fibres with Pd particles embedded in their silica matrix is currently studied for this gas monitoring through its impact on the fibre Brillouin signature evolution. PMID:28608831

Investigating the Thermal Limit of Clay Minerals for Applications in Nuclear Waste Repository Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matteo, E. N.; Miller, A. W.; Kruichak, J.; Mills, M.; Tellez, H.; Wang, Y.

2013-12-01

Clay minerals are likely candidates to aid in nuclear waste isolation due to their low permeability, favorable swelling properties, and high cation sorption capacities. Establishing the thermal limit for clay minerals in a nuclear waste repository is a potentially important component of repository design, as flexibility of the heat load within the repository can have a major impact on the selection of repository design. For example, the thermal limit plays a critical role in the time that waste packages would need to cool before being transferred to the repository. Understanding the chemical and physical changes that occur in clay minerals at various temperatures above the current thermal limit (of 100 °C) can enable decision-makers with information critical to evaluating the potential trade-offs of increasing the thermal limit within the repository. Most critical is gaining understanding of how varying thermal conditions in the repository will impact radionuclide sorption and transport in clay materials either as engineered barriers or as disposal media. A variety of clays (illite, mixed layer illite/smectite, montmorillonite, and palygorskite) were heated for a range of temperatures between 100-500 °C. These samples were characterized by a variety of methods, including nitrogen adsorption, x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, barium chloride exchange for cation exchange capacity (CEC), and iodide sorption. The nitrogen porosimetry shows that for all the clays, thermally-induced changes in BET surface area are dominated by collapse/creation of the microporosity, i.e. pore diameters < 17 angstroms. Changes in micro porosity (relative to no heat treatment) are most significant for heat treatments 300 °C and above. Alterations are also seen in the chemical properties (CEC, XRD, iodide sorption) of clays, and like pore size distribution changes, are most significant above 300 °C. Overall, the results imply that changes seen in pores size distribution

Long-Term Modeling of Coupled Processes in a Generic Salt Repository for Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste: Analysis of the Impacts of Halite Solubility Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco Martin, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Battistelli, A.; Birkholzer, J. T.

2015-12-01

Rock salt is a potential medium for the underground disposal of nuclear waste because it has several assets, such as its ability to creep and heal fractures and its water and gas tightness in the undisturbed state. In this research, we focus on disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste and we consider a generic salt repository with in-drift emplacement of waste packages and crushed salt backfill. As the natural salt creeps, the crushed salt backfill gets progressively compacted and an engineered barrier system is subsequently created [1]. The safety requirements for such a repository impose that long time scales be considered, during which the integrity of the natural and engineered barriers have to be demonstrated. In order to evaluate this long-term integrity, we perform numerical modeling based on state-of-the-art knowledge. Here, we analyze the impacts of halite dissolution and precipitation within the backfill and the host rock. For this purpose, we use an enhanced equation-of-state module of TOUGH2 that properly includes temperature-dependent solubility constraints [2]. We perform coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical modeling and we investigate the influence of the mentioned impacts. The TOUGH-FLAC simulator, adapted for large strains and creep, is used [3]. In order to quantify the importance of salt dissolution and precipitation on the effective porosity, permeability, pore pressure, temperature and stress field, we compare numerical results that include or disregard fluids of variable salinity. The sensitivity of the results to some parameters, such as the initial saturation within the backfill, is also addressed. References: [1] Bechthold, W. et al. Backfilling and Sealing of Underground Repositories for Radioactive Waste in Salt (BAMBUS II Project). Report EUR20621 EN: European Atomic Energy Community, 2004. [2] Battistelli A. Improving the treatment of saline brines in EWASG for the simulation of hydrothermal systems. Proceedings, TOUGH Symposium 2012

WORKSHOP ON DEVELOPMENT OF RADIONUCLIDE GETTERS FOR THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN WASTE REPOSITORY

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

K.C. Holt

materials, such as hydrotalcite, do not have sufficient affinity to be useful getters. Despite these problems, the great increase in the repository performance and corresponding decrease in uncertainty promised by a useful getter has generated significant interest in these materials. This report is the result a workshop sponsored by the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management and Office of Science and Technology and International of the DOE to assess the state of research in this field.« less

Alternative methods of salt disposal at the seven salt sites for a nuclear waste repository

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

Not Available

1987-02-01

This study discusses the various alternative salt management techniques for the disposal of excess mined salt at seven potentially acceptable nuclear waste repository sites: Deaf Smith and Swisher Counties, Texas; Richton and Cypress Creek Domes, Mississippi; Vacherie Dome, Louisiana; and Davis and Lavender Canyons, Utah. Because the repository development involves the underground excavation of corridors and waste emplacement rooms, in either bedded or domed salt formations, excess salt will be mined and must be disposed of offsite. The salt disposal alternatives examined for all the sites include commercial use, ocean disposal, deep well injection, landfill disposal, and underground mine disposal.more » These alternatives (and other site-specific disposal methods) are reviewed, using estimated amounts of excavated, backfilled, and excess salt. Methods of transporting the excess salt are discussed, along with possible impacts of each disposal method and potential regulatory requirements. A preferred method of disposal is recommended for each potentially acceptable repository site. 14 refs., 5 tabs.« less

Container Approval for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste with Negligible Heat Generation in the German Konrad Repository - 12148

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

Voelzke, Holger; Nieslony, Gregor; Ellouz, Manel

Since the license for the Konrad repository was finally confirmed by legal decision in 2007, the Federal Institute for Radiation Protection (BfS) has been performing further planning and preparation work to prepare the repository for operation. Waste conditioning and packaging has been continued by different waste producers as the nuclear industry and federal research institutes on the basis of the official disposal requirements. The necessary prerequisites for this are approved containers as well as certified waste conditioning and packaging procedures. The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is responsible for container design testing and evaluation of quality assurancemore » measures on behalf of BfS under consideration of the Konrad disposal requirements. Besides assessing the container handling stability (stacking tests, handling loads), design testing procedures are performed that include fire tests (800 deg. C, 1 hour) and drop tests from different heights and drop orientations. This paper presents the current state of BAM design testing experiences about relevant container types (box shaped, cylindrical) made of steel sheets, ductile cast iron or concrete. It explains usual testing and evaluation methods which range from experimental testing to analytical and numerical calculations. Another focus has been laid on already existing containers and packages. The question arises as to how they can be evaluated properly especially with respect to lack of completeness of safety assessment and fabrication documentation. At present BAM works on numerous applications for container design testing for the Konrad repository. Some licensing procedures were successfully finished in the past and BfS certified several container types like steel sheet, concrete until cast iron containers which are now available for waste packaging for final disposal. However, large quantities of radioactive wastes had been placed into interim storage using containers

Thermoelastic analysis of spent fuel and high level radioactive waste repositories in salt. A semi-analytical solution. [JUDITH

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

St. John, C.M.

1977-04-01

An underground repository containing heat generating, High Level Waste or Spent Unreprocessed Fuel may be approximated as a finite number of heat sources distributed across the plane of the repository. The resulting temperature, displacement and stress changes may be calculated using analytical solutions, providing linear thermoelasticity is assumed. This report documents a computer program based on this approach and gives results that form the basis for a comparison between the effects of disposing of High Level Waste and Spent Unreprocessed Fuel.

The future of high-level nuclear waste disposal, state sovereignty and the tenth amendment: Nevada v. Watkins

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

Swazo, S.

The federal government`s monopoly over America`s nuclear energy production began during World War II with the birth of the Atomic Age. During the next thirty years, nuclear waste inventories increased with minor congressional concern. In the early 1970s, the need for federal legislation to address problems surrounding nuclear waste regulation, along with federal efforts to address these problems, became critical. Previous federal efforts had completely failed to address nuclear waste disposal. In 1982, Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to deal with issues of nuclear waste management and disposal, and to set an agenda for the development ofmore » two national high-level nuclear waste repositories. This article discusses the legal challenge to the NWPA in the Nevada v. Watkins case. This case illustrates the federalism problems faced by the federal government in trying to site the nation`s only high-level nuclear waste repository within a single state.« less

The Microbiology of Subsurface, Salt-Based Nuclear Waste Repositories: Using Microbial Ecology, Bioenergetics, and Projected Conditions to Help Predict Microbial Effects on Repository Performance

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

Swanson, Juliet S.; Cherkouk, Andrea; Arnold, Thuro

This report summarizes the potential role of microorganisms in salt-based nuclear waste repositories using available information on the microbial ecology of hypersaline environments, the bioenergetics of survival under high ionic strength conditions, and “repository microbiology” related studies. In areas where microbial activity is in question, there may be a need to shift the research focus toward feasibility studies rather than studies that generate actual input for performance assessments. In areas where activity is not necessary to affect performance (e.g., biocolloid transport), repository-relevant data should be generated. Both approaches will lend a realistic perspective to a safety case/performance scenario that willmore » most likely underscore the conservative value of that case.« less

Coupled Multi-physical Simulations for the Assessment of Nuclear Waste Repository Concepts: Modeling, Software Development and Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massmann, J.; Nagel, T.; Bilke, L.; Böttcher, N.; Heusermann, S.; Fischer, T.; Kumar, V.; Schäfers, A.; Shao, H.; Vogel, P.; Wang, W.; Watanabe, N.; Ziefle, G.; Kolditz, O.

2016-12-01

As part of the German site selection process for a high-level nuclear waste repository, different repository concepts in the geological candidate formations rock salt, clay stone and crystalline rock are being discussed. An open assessment of these concepts using numerical simulations requires physical models capturing the individual particularities of each rock type and associated geotechnical barrier concept to a comparable level of sophistication. In a joint work group of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), scientists of the UFZ are developing and implementing multiphysical process models while BGR scientists apply them to large scale analyses. The advances in simulation methods for waste repositories are incorporated into the open-source code OpenGeoSys. Here, recent application-driven progress in this context is highlighted. A robust implementation of visco-plasticity with temperature-dependent properties into a framework for the thermo-mechanical analysis of rock salt will be shown. The model enables the simulation of heat transport along with its consequences on the elastic response as well as on primary and secondary creep or the occurrence of dilatancy in the repository near field. Transverse isotropy, non-isothermal hydraulic processes and their coupling to mechanical stresses are taken into account for the analysis of repositories in clay stone. These processes are also considered in the near field analyses of engineered barrier systems, including the swelling/shrinkage of the bentonite material. The temperature-dependent saturation evolution around the heat-emitting waste container is described by different multiphase flow formulations. For all mentioned applications, we illustrate the workflow from model development and implementation, over verification and validation, to repository-scale application simulations using methods of high performance computing.

Images of a place and vacation preferences: Implications of the 1989 surveys for assessing the economic impacts of a nuclear waste repository in Nevada

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

Slovic, P.; Layman, M.; Flynn, J.H.

1990-11-01

In July, 1989 the authors produced a report titled Perceived Risk, Stigma, and Potential Economic Impacts of a High-Level Nuclear-Waste Repository in Nevada (Slovic et al., 1989). That report described a program of research designed to assess the potential impacts of a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada upon tourism, retirement and job-related migration, and business development in Las Vegas and the state. It was concluded that adverse economic impacts potentially may result from two related social processes. Specifically, the study by Slovic et al. employed analyses of imagery in order to overcome concerns about the validity ofmore » direct questions regarding the influence of a nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain upon a person`s future behaviors. During the latter months of 1989, data were collected in three major telephone surveys, designed to achieve the following objectives: (1) to replicate the results from the Phoenix, Arizona, surveys using samples from other populations that contribute to tourism, migration, and development in Nevada; (2) to retest the original Phoenix respondents to determine the stability of their images across an 18-month time period and to determine whether their vacation choices subsequent to the first survey were predictable from the images they produced in that original survey; (3) to elicit additional word-association images for the stimulus underground nuclear waste repository in order to determine whether the extreme negative images generated by the Phoenix respondents would occur with other samples of respondents; and (4) to develop and test a new method for imagery elicitation, based upon a rating technique rather than on word associations. 2 refs., 8 figs., 13 tabs.« 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.

Molecular hydrogen: An abundant energy source for bacterial activity in nuclear waste repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Libert, M.; Bildstein, O.; Esnault, L.; Jullien, M.; Sellier, R.

A thorough understanding of the energy sources used by microbial systems in the deep terrestrial subsurface is essential since the extreme conditions for life in deep biospheres may serve as a model for possible life in a nuclear waste repository. In this respect, H 2 is known as one of the most energetic substrates for deep terrestrial subsurface environments. This hydrogen is produced from abiotic and biotic processes but its concentration in natural systems is usually maintained at very low levels due to hydrogen-consuming bacteria. A significant amount of H 2 gas will be produced within deep nuclear waste repositories, essentially from the corrosion of metallic components. This will consequently improve the conditions for microbial activity in this specific environment. This paper discusses different study cases with experimental results to illustrate the fact that microorganisms are able to use hydrogen for redox processes (reduction of O 2, NO3-, Fe III) in several waste disposal conditions. Consequences of microbial activity include: alteration of groundwater chemistry and shift in geochemical equilibria, gas production or consumption, biocorrosion, and potential modifications of confinement properties. In order to quantify the impact of hydrogen bacteria, the next step will be to determine the kinetic rate of the reactions in realistic conditions.

Scenario Analysis for the Safety Assessment of Nuclear Waste Repositories: A Critical Review.

PubMed

Tosoni, Edoardo; Salo, Ahti; Zio, Enrico

2018-04-01

A major challenge in scenario analysis for the safety assessment of nuclear waste repositories pertains to the comprehensiveness of the set of scenarios selected for assessing the safety of the repository. Motivated by this challenge, we discuss the aspects of scenario analysis relevant to comprehensiveness. Specifically, we note that (1) it is necessary to make it clear why scenarios usually focus on a restricted set of features, events, and processes; (2) there is not yet consensus on the interpretation of comprehensiveness for guiding the generation of scenarios; and (3) there is a need for sound approaches to the treatment of epistemic uncertainties. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Limitations to the use of two-dimensional thermal modeling of a nuclear waste repository

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

Davis, B.W.

1979-01-04

Thermal modeling of a nuclear waste repository is basic to most waste management predictive models. It is important that the modeling techniques accurately determine the time-dependent temperature distribution of the waste emplacement media. Recent modeling studies show that the time-dependent temperature distribution can be accurately modeled in the far-field using a 2-dimensional (2-D) planar numerical model; however, the near-field cannot be modeled accurately enough by either 2-D axisymmetric or 2-D planar numerical models for repositories in salt. The accuracy limits of 2-D modeling were defined by comparing results from 3-dimensional (3-D) TRUMP modeling with results from both 2-D axisymmetric andmore » 2-D planar. Both TRUMP and ADINAT were employed as modeling tools. Two-dimensional results from the finite element code, ADINAT were compared with 2-D results from the finite difference code, TRUMP; they showed almost perfect correspondence in the far-field. This result adds substantially to confidence in future use of ADINAT and its companion stress code ADINA for thermal stress analysis. ADINAT was found to be somewhat sensitive to time step and mesh aspect ratio. 13 figures, 4 tables.« less

Development of a sorption data base for the cementitious near-field of a repository for radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieland, E.; Bradbury, M. H.; van Loon, L.

2003-01-01

The migration of radionuclides within a repository for radioactive waste is retarded due to interaction with the engineered barrier system. Sorption processes play a decisive role in the retardation of radionuclides in the repository environment, and thus, the development of sorption data bases (SDBs) is an important task and an integral part of performance assessment. The methodology applied in the development of a SDB for the cementitious near-field of a repository for long-lived intermediate-level waste is presented in this study. The development of such a SDB requires knowledge of the chemical conditions of the near-field and information on the uptake process of radionuclides by hardened cement paste. The principles upon which the selection of the “best available” laboratory sorption values is based are outlined. The influence of cellulose degradation products, cement additives and cement-derived colloids on the sorption behaviour of radionuclides is addressed in conjunction with the development of the SDB.

Geological repository for nuclear high level waste in France from feasibility to design within a legal framework

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

Voizard, Patrice; Mayer, Stefan; Ouzounian, Gerald

Over the past 15 years, the French program on deep geologic disposal of high level and long-lived radioactive waste has benefited from a clear legal framework as the result of the December 30, 1991 French Waste Act. To fulfil its obligations stipulated in this law, ANDRA has submitted the 'Dossier 2005 Argile' (clay) and 'Dossier 2005 Granite' to the French Government. The first of those reports presents a concept for the underground disposal of nuclear waste at a specific clay site and focuses on a feasibility study. Knowledge of the host rock characteristics is based on the investigations carried outmore » at the Meuse/Haute Marne Underground Research Laboratory. The repository concept addresses various issues, the most important of which relates to the large amount of waste, the clay host rock and the reversibility requirement. This phase has ended upon review and evaluation of the 'Dossier 2005' made by different organisations including the National Review Board, the National Safety Authority and the NEA International Review Team. By passing the 'new', June 28, 2006 Planning Act on the sustainable management of radioactive materials and waste, the French parliament has further defined a clear legal framework for future work. This June 28 Planning Act thus sets a schedule and defines the objectives for the next phase of repository design in requesting the submission of a construction authorization application by 2015. The law calls for the repository program to be in a position to commission disposal installations by 2025. (authors)« less

Restoration of areas disturbed by site studies for a mined commercial radioactive waste repository: The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP)

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

Brandt, C.A.; Rickard, W.H. Jr.; Biehert, R.W.

1989-01-01

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) was undertaken to environmentally characterize a portion of the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State as a potential host for the nation's first mined commercial nuclear waste repository. Studies were terminated by Congress in 1987. Between 1976 and 1987, 72 areas located across the Hanford Site were disturbed by the BWIP. These areas include borehole pads, a large Exploratory Shaft Facility, and the Near Surface Test Facility. Most boreholes were cleared of vegetation, leveled, and stabilized with a thick layer of compacted pit-run gravel and sand. The Near Surface Test Facilitymore » consists of three mined adits, a rock-spoils bench, and numerous support facilities. Restoration began in 1988 with the objective of returning sites to pre-existing conditions using native species. The Hanford Site retains some of the last remnants of the shrub-steppe ecosystem in Washington. The primary constraints to restoring native vegetation at Hanford are low precipitation and the presence of cheatgrass, an extremely capable alien competitor. 5 figs.« less

Characteristics of potential repository wastes. Volume 2

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

Not Available

1992-07-01

The LWR spent fuels discussed in Volume 1 of this report comprise about 99% of all domestic non-reprocessed spent fuel. In this report we discuss other types of spent fuels which, although small in relative quantity, consist of a number of diverse types, sizes, and compositions. Many of these fuels are candidates for repository disposal. Some non-LWR spent fuels are currently reprocessed or are scheduled for reprocessing in DOE facilities at the Savannah River Site, Hanford Site, and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. It appears likely that the reprocessing of fuels that have been reprocessed in the past will continuemore » and that the resulting high-level wastes will become part of defense HLW. However, it is not entirely clear in some cases whether a given fuel will be reprocessed, especially in cases where pretreatment may be needed before reprocessing, or where the enrichment is not high enough to make reprocessing attractive. Some fuels may be canistered, while others may require special means of disposal. The major categories covered in this chapter include HTGR spent fuel from the Fort St. Vrain and Peach Bottom-1 reactors, research and test reactor fuels, and miscellaneous fuels, and wastes generated from the decommissioning of facilities.« less

Characterizing the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada--hydrology and geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, John S.; Levich, Robert A.

2012-01-01

This hydrology and geochemistry volume is a companion volume to the 2007 Geological Society of America Memoir 199, The Geology and Climatology of Yucca Mountain and Vicinity, Southern Nevada and California, edited by Stuckless and Levich. The work in both volumes was originally reported in the U.S. Department of Energy regulatory document Yucca Mountain Site Description, for the site characterization study of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed U.S. geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. The selection of Yucca Mountain resulted from a nationwide search and numerous committee studies during a period of more than 40 yr. The waste, largely from commercial nuclear power reactors and the government's nuclear weapons programs, is characterized by intense penetrating radiation and high heat production, and, therefore, it must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. The extensive, unique, and often innovative geoscience investigations conducted at Yucca Mountain for more than 20 yr make it one of the most thoroughly studied geologic features on Earth. The results of these investigations contribute extensive knowledge to the hydrologic and geochemical aspects of radioactive waste disposal in the unsaturated zone. The science, analyses, and interpretations are important not only to Yucca Mountain, but also to the assessment of other sites or alternative processes that may be considered for waste disposal in the future. Groundwater conditions, processes, and geochemistry, especially in combination with the heat from radionuclide decay, are integral to the ability of a repository to isolate waste. Hydrology and geochemistry are discussed here in chapters on unsaturated zone hydrology, saturated zone hydrology, paleohydrology, hydrochemistry, radionuclide transport, and thermally driven coupled processes affecting long-term waste isolation. This introductory chapter reviews some of the reasons for choosing to study Yucca Mountain as a

Characterizing the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: hydrology and geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, John S.; Levich, Robert A.

2012-01-01

This hydrology and geochemistry volume is a companion volume to the 2007 Geological Society of America Memoir 199, The Geology and Climatology of Yucca Mountain and Vicinity, Southern Nevada and California, edited by Stuckless and Levich. The work in both volumes was originally reported in the U.S. Department of Energy regulatory document Yucca Mountain Site Description, for the site characterization study of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed U.S. geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. The selection of Yucca Mountain resulted from a nationwide search and numerous committee studies during a period of more than 40 yr. The waste, largely from commercial nuclear power reactors and the government's nuclear weapons programs, is characterized by intense penetrating radiation and high heat production, and, therefore, it must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. The extensive, unique, and often innovative geoscience investigations conducted at Yucca Mountain for more than 20 yr make it one of the most thoroughly studied geologic features on Earth. The results of these investigations contribute extensive knowledge to the hydrologic and geochemical aspects of radioactive waste disposal in the unsaturated zone. The science, analyses, and interpretations are important not only to Yucca Mountain, but also to the assessment of other sites or alternative processes that may be considered for waste disposal in the future. Groundwater conditions, processes, and geochemistry, especially in combination with the heat from radionuclide decay, are integral to the ability of a repository to isolate waste. Hydrology and geochemistry are discussed here in chapters on unsaturated zone hydrology, saturated zone hydrology, paleohydrology, hydrochemistry, radionuclide transport, and thermally driven coupled processes affecting long-term waste isolation. This introductory chapter reviews some of the reasons for choosing to study Yucca Mountain as a

Radionuclide transport behavior in a generic geological radioactive waste repository.

PubMed

Bianchi, Marco; Liu, Hui-Hai; Birkholzer, Jens T

2015-01-01

We performed numerical simulations of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport to study the influence of several factors, including the ambient hydraulic gradient, groundwater pressure anomalies, and the properties of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ), on the prevailing transport mechanism (i.e., advection or molecular diffusion) in a generic nuclear waste repository within a clay-rich geological formation. By comparing simulation results, we show that the EDZ plays a major role as a preferential flowpath for radionuclide transport. When the EDZ is not taken into account, transport is dominated by molecular diffusion in almost the totality of the simulated domain, and transport velocity is about 40% slower. Modeling results also show that a reduction in hydraulic gradient leads to a greater predominance of diffusive transport, slowing down radionuclide transport by about 30% with respect to a scenario assuming a unit gradient. In addition, inward flow caused by negative pressure anomalies in the clay-rich formation further reduces transport velocity, enhancing the ability of the geological barrier to contain the radioactive waste. On the other hand, local high gradients associated with positive pressure anomalies can speed up radionuclide transport with respect to steady-state flow systems having the same regional hydraulic gradients. Transport behavior was also found to be sensitive to both geometrical and hydrogeological parameters of the EDZ. Results from this work can provide useful knowledge toward correctly assessing the post-closure safety of a geological disposal system. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Coupled THMC models for bentonite in clay repository for nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Li, Y.; Anguiano, H. H.

2015-12-01

Illitization, the transformation of smectite to illite, could compromise some beneficiary features of an engineered barrier system (EBS) that is composed primarily of bentonite and clay host rock. It is a major determining factor to establish the maximum design temperature of the repositories because it is believed that illitization could be greatly enhanced at temperatures higher than 100 oC and thus significantly lower the sorption and swelling capacity of bentonite and clay rock. However, existing experimental and modeling studies on the occurrence of illitization and related performance impacts are not conclusive, in part because the relevant couplings between the thermal, hydrological, chemical, and mechanical (THMC) processes have not been fully represented in the models. Here we present fully coupled THMC simulations of a generic nuclear waste repository in a clay formation with bentonite-backfilled EBS. Two scenarios were simulated for comparison: a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister can reach about 200 oC and a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister peaks at about 100 oC. The model simulations demonstrate that illitization is in general more significant at higher temperatures. We also compared the chemical changes and the resulting swelling stress change for two types of bentonite: Kunigel-VI and FEBEX bentonite. Higher temperatures also lead to much higher stress in the near field, caused by thermal pressurization and vapor pressure buildup in the EBS bentonite and clay host rock. Chemical changes lead to a reduction in swelling stress, which is more pronounced for Kunigel-VI bentonite than for FEBEX bentonite.

AASG State Geothermal Data Repository for the National Geothermal Data System.

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

2012-01-01

This Drupal metadata and documents capture and management system is a repository, used for maintenance of metadata which describe resources contributed to the AASG State Geothermal Data System. The repository also provides an archive for files that are not hosted by the agency contributing the resource. Data from all 50 state geological surveys is represented here, and is contributed in turn to the National Geothermal Data System.

Potential impact of Andrassy bentonite microbial diversity in the long-term performance of a deep nuclear waste repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadza, M. Y. Mohd; Tadza, M. A. Mohd; Bag, R.; Harith, N. S. H.

2018-01-01

Copper and steel canning and bentonite buffer are normally forseen as the primary containment component of a deep nuclear waste repository. Distribution of microbes in subsurface environments have been found to be extensive and directly or indirectly may exert influence on waste canister corrosion and the mobility of radionuclides. The understanding of clays and microbial interaction with radionuclides will be useful in predicting the microbial impacts on the performance of the waste repositories. The present work characterizes the culture-dependent microbial diversity of Andrassy bentonite recovered from Tawau clay deposits. The evaluation of microbial populations shows the presence of a number of cultivable microbes (e.g. Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Achromobacter, Bacillus, Paecilomyces, Trichoderma, and Fusarium). Additionally, a pigmented yeast strain Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was also recovered from the formation. Both Bacillus and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa have high tolerance towards U radiation and toxicity. The presence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa in Andrassy bentonite might be able to change the speciation of radionuclides (e.g. uranium) in a future deep repository. However, concern over the presence of Fe (III) reduction microbes such as Bacillus also found in the formation could lead to corrosion of copper steel canister and affect the overall performance of the containment system.

US/German Collaboration in Salt Repository Research, Design and Operation - 13243

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

Steininger, Walter; Hansen, Frank; Biurrun, Enrique

2013-07-01

Recent developments in the US and Germany [1-3] have precipitated renewed efforts in salt repository investigations and related studies. Both the German rock salt repository activities and the US waste management programs currently face challenges that may adversely affect their respective current and future state-of-the-art core capabilities in rock salt repository science and technology. The research agenda being pursued by our respective countries leverages collective efforts for the benefit of both programs. The topics addressed by the US/German salt repository collaborations align well with the findings and recommendations summarized in the January 2012 US Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclearmore » Future (BRC) report [4] and are consistent with the aspirations of the key topics of the Strategic Research Agenda of the Implementing Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste Technology Platform (IGD-TP) [5]. Against this background, a revival of joint efforts in salt repository investigations after some years of hibernation has been undertaken to leverage collective efforts in salt repository research, design, operations, and related issues for the benefit of respective programs and to form a basis for providing an attractive, cost-effective insurance against the premature loss of virtually irreplaceable scientific expertise and institutional memory. (authors)« less

A Prototype Performance Assessment Model for Generic Deep Borehole Repository for High-Level Nuclear Waste - 12132

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

Lee, Joon H.; Arnold, Bill W.; Swift, Peter N.

2012-07-01

A deep borehole repository is one of the four geologic disposal system options currently under study by the U.S. DOE to support the development of a long-term strategy for geologic disposal of commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The immediate goal of the generic deep borehole repository study is to develop the necessary modeling tools to evaluate and improve the understanding of the repository system response and processes relevant to long-term disposal of UNF and HLW in a deep borehole. A prototype performance assessment model for a generic deep borehole repository has been developed using themore » approach for a mined geological repository. The preliminary results from the simplified deep borehole generic repository performance assessment indicate that soluble, non-sorbing (or weakly sorbing) fission product radionuclides, such as I-129, Se-79 and Cl-36, are the likely major dose contributors, and that the annual radiation doses to hypothetical future humans associated with those releases may be extremely small. While much work needs to be done to validate the model assumptions and parameters, these preliminary results highlight the importance of a robust seal design in assuring long-term isolation, and suggest that deep boreholes may be a viable alternative to mined repositories for disposal of both HLW and UNF. (authors)« less

Role of natural analogs in performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories

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

Sagar, B.; Wittmeyer, G.W.

1995-09-01

Mathematical models of the flow of water and transport of radionuclides in porous media will be used to assess the ability of deep geologic repositories to safely contain nuclear waste. These models must, in some sense, be validated to ensure that they adequately describe the physical processes occurring within the repository and its geologic setting. Inasmuch as the spatial and temporal scales over which these models must be applied in performance assessment are very large, validation of these models against laboratory and small-scale field experiments may be considered inadequate. Natural analogs may provide validation data that are representative of physico-chemicalmore » processes that occur over spatial and temporal scales as large or larger than those relevant to repository design. The authors discuss the manner in which natural analog data may be used to increase confidence in performance assessment models and conclude that, while these data may be suitable for testing the basic laws governing flow and transport, there is insufficient control of boundary and initial conditions and forcing functions to permit quantitative validation of complex, spatially distributed flow and transport models. The authors also express their opinion that, for collecting adequate data from natural analogs, resources will have to be devoted to them that are much larger than are devoted to them at present.« less

Projected environmental impacts of radioactive material transportation to the first US repository site

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

Neuhauser, K.S.; Cashwell, J.W.; Reardon, P.C.

1986-12-31

This paper discusses the relative national environmental impacts of transporting nuclear wastes to each of the nine candidate repository sites in the United States. Several of the potential sites are closely clustered and, for the purpose of distance and routing calculations, are treated as a single location. These are: Cypress Creek Dome and Richton Dome in Mississippi (Gulf Interior Region), Deaf Smith County and Swisher County sites in Texas (Permian Basin), and Davis Canyon and Lavender Canyon site in Utah (Paradox Basin). The remaining sites are: Vacherie Dome, Louisiana; Yucca Mountain, Nevada; and Hanford Reservation, Washington. For compatibility with bothmore » the repository system authorized by the NWPA and with the MRS option, two separate scenarios were analyzed. In belief, they are (1) shipment of spent fuel and high-level wastes (HLW) directly from waste generators to a repository (Reference Case) and (2) shipment of spent fuel to a Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility and then to a repository. Between 17 and 38 truck accident fatalities, between 1.4 and 7.7 rail accident fatalities, and between 0.22 and 12 radiological health effects can be expected to occur as a result of radioactive material transportation during the 26-year operating period of the first repository. During the same period in the United States, about 65,000 total deaths from truck accidents and about 32,000 total deaths from rail accidents would occur; also an estimated 58,300 cancer fatalities are predicted to occur in the United States during a 26-year period from exposure to background radiation alone (not including medical and other manmade sources). The risks reported here are upper limits and are small by comparison with the "natural background" of risks of the same type. 3 refs., 6 tabs.« less

The siting program of geological repository for spent fuel/high-level waste in Czech Republic

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

Novotny, P.

1993-12-31

The management of high-level waste in Czech Republic have a very short history, because before the year 1989 spent nuclear fuel was re-exported back to USSR. The project ``Geological research of HLW repository in Czech Republic`` was initiated during 1990 by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic and by this project delegated the Czech Geological Survey (CGU) Prague. The first CGU project late in 1990 for multibarrier concept has proposed a geological repository to be located at a depth of about 500 m. Screening and studies of potential sites for repository started in 1991. First stage representedmore » regional siting of the Czech Republic for perspective rock types and massifs. In cooperation with GEOPHYSICS Co., Geophysical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles University Prague 27 perspective regions were selected, using criteria IAEA. This work in the Czech Republic was possible thanks to the detailed geological studies done in the past and thanks to the numerous archive data, concentrated in the central geological archive GEOFOND. Selection of perspective sites also respected natural conservation regions, regions conserving water and mineral waters resources. CGU opened up contact with countries with similar geological situation and started cooperation with SKB (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co.). The Project of geological research for the next 10 years is a result of these activities.« less

Use of Groundwater Lifetime Expectancy for the Performance Assessment of Deep Geologic Radioactive Waste Repositories.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornaton, F.; Park, Y.; Normani, S.; Sudicky, E.; Sykes, J.

2005-12-01

Long-term solutions for the disposal of toxic wastes usually involve isolation of the wastes in a deep subsurface geologic environment. In the case of spent nuclear fuel, the safety of the host repository depends on two main barriers: the engineered barrier and the natural geological barrier. If radionuclide leakage occurs from the engineered barrier, the geological medium represents the ultimate barrier that is relied upon to ensure safety. Consequently, an evaluation of radionuclide travel times from the repository to the biosphere is critically important in a performance assessment analysis. In this study, we develop a travel time framework based on the concept of groundwater lifetime expectancy as a safety indicator. Lifetime expectancy characterizes the time radionuclides will spend in the subsurface after their release from the repository and prior to discharging into the biosphere. The probability density function of lifetime expectancy is computed throughout the host rock by solving the backward-in-time solute transport equation subject to a properly posed set of boundary conditions. It can then be used to define optimal repository locations. In a second step, the risk associated with selected sites can be evaluated by simulating an appropriate contaminant release history. The proposed methodology is applied in the context of a typical Canadian Shield environment. Based on a statistically-generated three-dimension network of fracture zones embedded in the granitic host rock, the sensitivity and the uncertainty of lifetime expectancy to the hydraulic and dispersive properties of the fracture network, including the impact of conditioning via their surface expressions, is computed in order to demonstrate the utility of the methodology.

Albedo Neutron Dosimetry in a Deep Geological Disposal Repository for High-Level Nuclear Waste.

PubMed

Pang, Bo; Becker, Frank

2017-04-28

Albedo neutron dosemeter is the German official personal neutron dosemeter in mixed radiation fields where neutrons contribute to personal dose. In deep geological repositories for high-level nuclear waste, where neutrons can dominate the radiation field, it is of interest to investigate the performance of albedo neutron dosemeter in such facilities. In this study, the deep geological repository is represented by a shielding cask loaded with spent nuclear fuel placed inside a rock salt emplacement drift. Due to the backscattering of neutrons in the drift, issues concerning calibration of the dosemeter arise. Field-specific calibration of the albedo neutron dosemeter was hence performed with Monte Carlo simulations. In order to assess the applicability of the albedo neutron dosemeter in a deep geological repository over a long time scale, spent nuclear fuel with different ages of 50, 100 and 500 years were investigated. It was found out, that the neutron radiation field in a deep geological repository can be assigned to the application area 'N1' of the albedo neutron dosemeter, which is typical in reactors and accelerators with heavy shielding. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tectonic characterization of a potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitney, John W.; O'Leary, Dennis W.

1993-01-01

Tectonic characterization of a potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is needed to assess seismic and possible volcanic hazards that could affect the site during the preclosure (next 100 years) and the behavior of the hydrologic system during the postclosure (the following 10,000 years) periods. Tectonic characterization is based on assembling mapped geological structures in their chronological order of development and activity, and interpreting their dynamic interrelationships. Addition of mechanistic models and kinematic explanations for the identified tectonic processes provides one or more tectonic models having predictive power. Proper evaluation and application of tectonic models can aid in seismic design and help anticipate probable occurrence of future geologic events of significance to the repository and its design.

Functions of an engineered barrier system for a nuclear waste repository in basalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coons, W. E.; Moore, E. L.; Smith, M. J.; Kaser, J. D.

1980-01-01

The functions of components selected for an engineered barrier system for a nuclear waste repository in basalt are defined providing a focal point for barrier material research and development by delineating the purpose and operative lifetime of each component of the engineered system. A five component system (comprised of waste form, canister, buffer, overpack, and tailored backfill) is discussed. Redundancy is provided by subsystems of physical and chemical barriers which act in concert with the geology to provide a formidable barrier to transport of hazardous materials to the biosphere. The barrier system is clarified by examples pertinent to storage in basalt, and a technical approach to barrier design and material selection is proposed.

Leaching of plutonium from a radioactive waste glass by eight groundwaters from the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rees, T.F.; Cleveland, J.M.; Nash, K.L.

1985-01-01

The leachability of a radioactive waste glass formulated to Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory specification 80-270 has been studied using eight actual groundwaters with a range of chemical compositions as leachants. Waters collected from the Grande Ronde Basalt (Washington State) and from alluvial deposits in the Hualapai Valley (Arizona) were the most effective at removing plutonium from this glass. Leaching was shown to be incongruent; plutonium was removed from the glass more slowly than the overall glass matrix. The results of these experiments indicate the need to study the leachability of actual waste forms using the actual projected groundwaters that are most likely to come into contact with the waste should a radioactive waste repository be breached.

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

On radiocarbon and plutonium leakage to groundwater in the vicinity of a shallow-land radioactive waste repository.

PubMed

Gudelis, A; Gvozdaite, R; Kubareviciene, V; Druteikiene, R; Lukosevicius, S; Sutas, A

2010-06-01

A shallow-land radioactive waste repository operated in boggy forest environment from 1963 to 1989. During the operation period, a considerable amount of technogenic radionuclides, in solidified state, was disposed into the vault established in the geological structure at the depth of up to 3m. Environmental monitoring activities started after the closure of the repository in 1989. Recent investigations revealed transfer of radiocarbon and plutonium to the groundwater in the prevailing flow direction. Activity concentration of (239,240)Pu in non-filtered fraction of the groundwater from observation well no. 4 determined by alpha-spectrometry was 6.4 x 10(-5) Bq l(-1) in 2005, and 3.2 x 10(-4) Bq l(-1) in 2006. Further analysis of colloid-facilitated transport of plutonium is planned. Variation of (14)C activity concentration in the same well was monitored in 2006. It varied from 0.2+/-0.1 Bq l(-1) in October to 2.8+/-0.6 Bq l(-1) in June and July. Results imply further research into radiocarbon transfer to atmosphere and selected plant species. Copyright (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review: The state-of-art of sparse channel models and their applicability to performance assessment of radioactive waste repositories in fractured crystalline formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueiredo, Bruno; Tsang, Chin-Fu; Niemi, Auli; Lindgren, Georg

2016-11-01

Laboratory and field experiments done on fractured rock show that flow and solute transport often occur along flow channels. `Sparse channels' refers to the case where these channels are characterised by flow in long flow paths separated from each other by large spacings relative to the size of flow domain. A literature study is presented that brings together information useful to assess whether a sparse-channel network concept is an appropriate representation of the flow system in tight fractured rock of low transmissivity, such as that around a nuclear waste repository in deep crystalline rocks. A number of observations are made in this review. First, conventional fracture network models may lead to inaccurate results for flow and solute transport in tight fractured rocks. Secondly, a flow dimension of 1, as determined by the analysis of pressure data in well testing, may be indicative of channelised flow, but such interpretation is not unique or definitive. Thirdly, in sparse channels, the percolation may be more influenced by the fracture shape than the fracture size and orientation but further studies are needed. Fourthly, the migration of radionuclides from a waste canister in a repository to the biosphere may be strongly influenced by the type of model used (e.g. discrete fracture network, channel model). Fifthly, the determination of appropriateness of representing an in situ flow system by a sparse-channel network model needs parameters usually neglected in site characterisation, such as the density of channels or fracture intersections.

Coupling Legacy and Contemporary Deterministic Codes to Goldsim for Probabilistic Assessments of Potential Low-Level Waste Repository Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattie, P. D.; Knowlton, R. G.; Arnold, B. W.; Tien, N.; Kuo, M.

2006-12-01

project between Sandia National Laboratories and Taiwan's Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) for the preliminary assessment of several candidate low-level waste repository sites. Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy under Contract DE AC04 94AL85000.

Coupling fuel cycles with repositories: how repository institutional choices may impact fuel cycle design

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

Forsberg, C.; Miller, W.F.

2013-07-01

The historical repository siting strategy in the United States has been a top-down approach driven by federal government decision making but it has been a failure. This policy has led to dispatching fuel cycle facilities in different states. The U.S. government is now considering an alternative repository siting strategy based on voluntary agreements with state governments. If that occurs, state governments become key decision makers. They have different priorities. Those priorities may change the characteristics of the repository and the fuel cycle. State government priorities, when considering hosting a repository, are safety, financial incentives and jobs. It follows that statesmore » will demand that a repository be the center of the back end of the fuel cycle as a condition of hosting it. For example, states will push for collocation of transportation services, safeguards training, and navy/private SNF (Spent Nuclear Fuel) inspection at the repository site. Such activities would more than double local employment relative to what was planned for the Yucca Mountain-type repository. States may demand (1) the right to take future title of the SNF so if recycle became economic the reprocessing plant would be built at the repository site and (2) the right of a certain fraction of the repository capacity for foreign SNF. That would open the future option of leasing of fuel to foreign utilities with disposal of the SNF in the repository but with the state-government condition that the front-end fuel-cycle enrichment and fuel fabrication facilities be located in that state.« less

Nuclear Waste Facing the Test of Time: The Case of the French Deep Geological Repository Project.

PubMed

Poirot-Delpech, Sophie; Raineau, Laurence

2016-12-01

The purpose of this article is to consider the socio-anthropological issues raised by the deep geological repository project for high-level, long-lived nuclear waste. It is based on fieldwork at a candidate site for a deep storage project in eastern France, where an underground laboratory has been studying the feasibility of the project since 1999. A project of this nature, based on the possibility of very long containment (hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer), involves a singular form of time. By linking project performance to geology's very long timescale, the project attempts "jump" in time, focusing on a far distant future, without understanding it in terms of generations. But these future generations remain measurements of time on the surface, where the issue of remembering or forgetting the repository comes to the fore. The nuclear waste geological storage project raises questions that neither politicians nor scientists, nor civil society, have ever confronted before. This project attempts to address a problem that exists on a very long timescale, which involves our responsibility toward generations in the far future.

Public involvement on closure of Asse II radioactive waste repository in Germany

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

Kallenbach-Herbert, Beate

2013-07-01

From 1967 to 1978, about 125,800 barrels of low- and intermediate level waste were disposed of - nominally for research purposes - in the former 'Asse' salt mine which had before been used for the production of potash for many years. Since 1988 an inflow of brine is being observed which will cause dangers of flooding and of a collapse due to salt weakening and dissolution if it should increase. Since several years the closure of the Asse repository is planned with the objective to prevent the flooding and collapse of the mine and the release of radioactive substances tomore » the biosphere. The first concept that was presented by the former operator, however, seemed completely unacceptable to regional representatives from politics and NGOs. Their activities against these plans made the project a top issue on the political agenda from the federal to the local level. The paper traces the main reasons which lead to the severe safety problems in the past as well as relevant changes in the governance system today. A focus is put on the process for public involvement in which the Citizens' Advisory Group 'A2B' forms the core measure. Its structure and framework, experience and results, expectations from inside and outside perspectives are presented. Furthermore the question is tackled how far this process can serve as an example for a participatory approach in a siting process for a geological repository for high active waste which can be expected to be highly contested in the affected regions. (authors)« less

Use of petrophysical data for siting of deep geological repository of radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrenko, Liliana; Shestopalov, Vyacheslav

2017-11-01

The paper is devoted to analyzing the petrophysical properties and petrographical characteristics of Volyn region with the view to choosing the least permeable and so the most suitable geological formation for the radioactive waste disposal. On a basis of the petrophysical estimations of the granitoids properties the argumentation of permeability has been developed for the petrotypes of Volyn region. Also method of classification of the petrotypes with their relative rate of suitability for radioactive waste disposal was developed. As a result of studying the perspectives were shown of the zhytomyr and korosten types of the granitoids as host rock for the radioactive waste disposal. According to the results of investigations performed by Swedish researchers a comparative analysis of rocks based on the age of formation, composition, structural features and some petrophysical properties of granitoids as host rocks for repository of radioactive waste was performed. Detail comparison the data of the granitoids of the Forsmark site in Sweden and the data of the granitoids of the Volyn megablock can be one of the next steps in researching the host rocks for the development of the RW disposal system in Ukraine.

Implementation of the Brazilian National Repository - RBMN Project - 13008

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

Cassia Oliveira de Tello, Cledola

2013-07-01

Ionizing radiation in Brazil is used in electricity generation, medicine, industry, agriculture and for research and development purposes. All these activities can generate radioactive waste. At this point, in Brazil, the use of nuclear energy and radioisotopes justifies the construction of a national repository for radioactive wastes of low and intermediate-level. According to Federal Law No. 10308, Brazilian National Commission for Nuclear Energy (CNEN) is responsible for designing and constructing the intermediate and final storages for radioactive wastes. Additionally, a restriction on the construction of Angra 3 is that the repository is under construction until its operation start, attaining somemore » requirements of the Brazilian Environmental Regulator (IBAMA). Besides this NPP, in the National Energy Program is previewed the installation of four more plants, by 2030. In November 2008, CNEN launched the Project RBMN (Repository for Low and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Wastes), which aims at the implantation of a National Repository for disposal of low and intermediate-level of radiation wastes. This Project has some aspects that are unique in the Brazilian context, especially referring to the time between its construction and the end of its institutional period. This time is about 360 years, when the area will be released for unrestricted uses. It means that the Repository must be safe and secure for more than three hundred years, which is longer than half of the whole of Brazilian history. This aspect is very new for the Brazilian people, bringing a new dimension to public acceptance. Another point is this will be the first repository in South America, bringing a real challenge for the continent. The current status of the Project is summarized. (authors)« less

Performance assessments of nuclear waste repositories--A dialogue on their value and limitations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ewing, Rodney C.; Tierney, Martin S.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Rechard, Rob P.

1999-01-01

Performance Assessment (PA) is the use of mathematical models to simulate the long-term behavior of engineered and geologic barriers in a nuclear waste repository; methods of uncertainty analysis are used to assess effects of parametric and conceptual uncertainties associated with the model system upon the uncertainty in outcomes of the simulation. PA is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of its certification process for geologic repositories for nuclear waste. This paper is a dialogue to explore the value and limitations of PA. Two “skeptics” acknowledge the utility of PA in organizing the scientific investigations that are necessary for confident siting and licensing of a repository; however, they maintain that the PA process, at least as it is currently implemented, is an essentially unscientific process with shortcomings that may provide results of limited use in evaluating actual effects on public health and safety. Conceptual uncertainties in a PA analysis can be so great that results can be confidently applied only over short time ranges, the antithesis of the purpose behind long-term, geologic disposal. Two “proponents” of PA agree that performance assessment is unscientific, but only in the sense that PA is an engineering analysis that uses existing scientific knowledge to support public policy decisions, rather than an investigation intended to increase fundamental knowledge of nature; PA has different goals and constraints than a typical scientific study. The “proponents” describe an ideal, sixstep process for conducting generalized PA, here called probabilistic systems analysis (PSA); they note that virtually all scientific content of a PA is introduced during the model-building steps of a PSA, they contend that a PA based on simple but scientifically acceptable mathematical models can provide useful and objective input to regulatory decision makers. The value of the results of any PA must lie between these two

Basic repository environmental assessment design basis, Lavender Canyon site

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

Not Available

1988-01-01

This study examines the engineering factors and costs associated with the construction, operation, and decommissioning of a high-level nuclear waste repository in salt in the Paradox Basin in Lavender Canyon, Utah. The study assumes a repository capacity of 36,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of unreprocessed spent fuel and 36,000 MTHM of commercial high-level reprocessing waste, along with 7020 canisters of defense high-level reprocessing waste and associated quantities of remote- and contact-handled transuranic waste (TRU). With the exception of TRU, all the waste forms are placed in 300- to 1000-year-life carbon-steel waste packages in a collocated waste handling andmore » packaging facility (WHPF), which is also described. The construction, operation, and decommissioning of the proposed repository is estimated to cost approximately $5.51 billion. Costs include those for the collocated WHPP, engineering, and contingency, but exclude waste form assembly and shipment to the site and waste package fabrication and shipment to the site. These costs reflect the relative average wage rates of the region and the relatively sound nature of the salt at this site. Construction would require an estimated 7.75 years. Engineering factors and costs are not strongly influenced by environmental considerations. 51 refs., 24 figs., 20 tabs.« less

Role of geophysics in identifying and characterizing sites for high-level nuclear waste repositories.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wynn, J.C.; Roseboom, E.H.

1987-01-01

Evaluation of potential high-level nuclear waste repository sites is an area where geophysical capabilities and limitations may significantly impact a major governmental program. Since there is concern that extensive exploratory drilling might degrade most potential disposal sites, geophysical methods become crucial as the only nondestructive means to examine large volumes of rock in three dimensions. Characterization of potential sites requires geophysicists to alter their usual mode of thinking: no longer are anomalies being sought, as in mineral exploration, but rather their absence. Thus the size of features that might go undetected by a particular method take on new significance. Legal and regulatory considerations that stem from this different outlook, most notably the requirements of quality assurance (necessary for any data used in support of a repository license application), are forcing changes in the manner in which geophysicists collect and document their data. -Authors

Influence of climate on landscape characteristics in safety assessments of repositories for radioactive wastes.

PubMed

Becker, J K; Lindborg, T; Thorne, M C

2014-12-01

In safety assessments of repositories for radioactive wastes, large spatial and temporal scales have to be considered when developing an approach to risk calculations. A wide range of different types of information may be required. Local to the site of interest, temperature and precipitation data may be used to determine the erosional regime (which may also be conditioned by the vegetation characteristics adopted, based both on climatic and other considerations). However, geomorphological changes may be governed by regional rather than local considerations, e.g. alteration of river base levels, river capture and drainage network reorganisation, or the progression of an ice sheet or valley glacier across the site. The regional climate is in turn governed by the global climate. In this work, a commentary is presented on the types of climate models that can be used to develop projections of climate change for use in post-closure radiological impact assessments of geological repositories for radioactive wastes. These models include both Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models and Earth Models of Intermediate Complexity. The relevant outputs available from these models are identified and consideration is given to how these outputs may be used to inform projections of landscape development. Issues of spatial and temporal downscaling of climate model outputs to meet the requirements of local-scale landscape development modelling are also addressed. An example is given of how climate change and landscape development influence the radiological impact of radionuclides potentially released from the deep geological disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel that SKB (the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company) proposes to construct at Forsmark, Sweden. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo simulations for generic granite repository studies

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

Chu, Shaoping; Lee, Joon H; Wang, Yifeng

In a collaborative study between Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for the DOE-NE Office of Fuel Cycle Technologies Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Campaign project, we have conducted preliminary system-level analyses to support the development of a long-term strategy for geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. A general modeling framework consisting of a near- and a far-field submodel for a granite GDSE was developed. A representative far-field transport model for a generic granite repository was merged with an integrated systems (GoldSim) near-field model. Integrated Monte Carlo model runs with the combined near- and farfield transport modelsmore » were performed, and the parameter sensitivities were evaluated for the combined system. In addition, a sub-set of radionuclides that are potentially important to repository performance were identified and evaluated for a series of model runs. The analyses were conducted with different waste inventory scenarios. Analyses were also conducted for different repository radionuelide release scenarios. While the results to date are for a generic granite repository, the work establishes the method to be used in the future to provide guidance on the development of strategy for long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste in a granite repository.« 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

Proceedings of the 7th US/German Workshop on Salt Repository Research, Design, and Operation.

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

Hansen, Francis D.; Steininger, Walter; Bollingerfehr, Willhelm

The 7th US/German Workshop on Salt Repository Research, Design, and Operation was held in Washington, DC on September 7-9, 2016. Over fifty participants representing governmental agencies, internationally recognized salt research groups, universities, and private companies helped advance the technical basis for salt disposal of radioactive waste. Representatives from several United States federal agencies were able to attend, including the Department of Energy´s Office of Environmental Management and Office of Nuclear Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. A similar representation from the German ministries showcased the covenant established in a Memorandummore » of Understanding executed between the United States and Germany in 2011. The US/German workshops´ results and activities also contribute significantly to the Nuclear Energy Agency Salt Club repository research agenda.« 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

Actinide Sorption in a Brine/Dolomite Rock System: Evaluating the Degree of Conservatism in Kd Ranges used in Performance Assessment Modeling for the WIPP Nuclear Waste Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittrich, T. M.; Reed, D. T.

2015-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, NM is the only operating nuclear waste repository in the US and has been accepting transuranic (TRU) waste since 1999. The WIPP is located in a salt deposit approximately 650 m below the surface and performance assessment (PA) modeling for a 10,000 year period is required to recertify the operating license with the US EPA every five years. The main pathway of concern for environmental release of radioactivity is a human intrusion caused by drilling into a pressurized brine reservoir below the repository. This could result in the flooding of the repository and subsequent transport in the high transmissivity layer (dolomite-rich Culebra formation) above the waste disposal rooms. We evaluate the degree of conservatism in the estimated sorption partition coefficients (Kds) ranges used in the PA based on an approach developed with granite rock and actinides (Dittrich and Reimus, 2015; Dittrich et al., 2015). Sorption onto the waste storage material (Fe drums) may also play a role in mobile actinide concentrations. We will present (1) a conceptual overview of how Kds are used in the PA model, (2) technical background of the evolution of the ranges and (3) results from batch and column experiments and model predictions for Kds with WIPP dolomite and clays, brine with various actinides, and ligands (e.g., acetate, citrate, EDTA) that could promote transport. The current Kd ranges used in performance models are based on oxidation state and are 5-400, 0.5-10,000, 0.03-200, and 0.03-20 mL g-1 for elements with oxidation states of III, IV, V, and VI, respectively. Based on redox conditions predicted in the brines, possible actinide species include Pu(III), Pu(IV), U(IV), U(VI), Np(IV), Np(V), Am(III), and Th(IV). We will also discuss the challenges of upscaling from lab experiments to field scale predictions, the role of colloids, and the effect of engineered barrier materials (e.g., MgO) on transport conditions. Dittrich

Methods for Probabilistic Radiological Dose Assessment at a High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maheras, Steven James

Methods were developed to assess and evaluate the uncertainty in offsite and onsite radiological dose at a high-level radioactive waste repository to show reasonable assurance that compliance with applicable regulatory requirements will be achieved. Uncertainty in offsite dose was assessed by employing a stochastic precode in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulation using an offsite radiological dose assessment code. Uncertainty in onsite dose was assessed by employing a discrete-event simulation model of repository operations in conjunction with an occupational radiological dose assessment model. Complementary cumulative distribution functions of offsite and onsite dose were used to illustrate reasonable assurance. Offsite dose analyses were performed for iodine -129, cesium-137, strontium-90, and plutonium-239. Complementary cumulative distribution functions of offsite dose were constructed; offsite dose was lognormally distributed with a two order of magnitude range. However, plutonium-239 results were not lognormally distributed and exhibited less than one order of magnitude range. Onsite dose analyses were performed for the preliminary inspection, receiving and handling, and the underground areas of the repository. Complementary cumulative distribution functions of onsite dose were constructed and exhibited less than one order of magnitude range. A preliminary sensitivity analysis of the receiving and handling areas was conducted using a regression metamodel. Sensitivity coefficients and partial correlation coefficients were used as measures of sensitivity. Model output was most sensitive to parameters related to cask handling operations. Model output showed little sensitivity to parameters related to cask inspections.

Milestones for disposal of radioactive waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in the United States

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

Rechard, R.P.

1998-04-01

Since its identification as a potential deep geologic repository in about 1973, the regulatory assessment process for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico has developed over the past 25 years. National policy issues, negotiated agreements, and court settlements over the first half of the project had a strong influence on the amount and type of scientific data collected. Assessments and studies before the mid 1980s were undertaken primarily (1) to satisfy needs for environmental impact statements, (2) to develop general understanding of selected natural phenomena associated with nuclear waste disposal, or (3) to satisfy negotiated agreements withmore » the State of New Mexico. In the last third of the project, federal compliance policy and actual regulations were sketched out, but continued to evolve until 1996. During this eight-year period, four preliminary performance assessments, one compliance performance assessment, and one verification performance assessment were performed.« less

The new Wallula CO2 project may revive the old Columbia River Basalt (western USA) nuclear-waste repository project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Michael O.

2018-02-01

A novel CO2 sequestration project at Wallula, Washington, USA, makes ample use of the geoscientific data collection of the old nuclear waste repository project at the Hanford Site nearby. Both projects target the Columbia River Basalt (CRB). The new publicity for the old project comes at a time when the approach to high-level nuclear waste disposal has undergone fundamental changes. The emphasis now is on a technical barrier that is chemically compatible with the host rock. In the ideal case, the waste container is in thermodynamic equilibrium with the host-rock groundwater regime. The CRB groundwater has what it takes to represent the ideal case.

Use of groundwater lifetime expectancy for the performance assessment of a deep geologic waste repository: 1. Theory, illustrations, and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornaton, F. J.; Park, Y.-J.; Normani, S. D.; Sudicky, E. A.; Sykes, J. F.

2008-04-01

Long-term solutions for the disposal of toxic wastes usually involve isolation of the wastes in a deep subsurface geologic environment. In the case of spent nuclear fuel, if radionuclide leakage occurs from the engineered barrier, the geological medium represents the ultimate barrier that is relied upon to ensure safety. Consequently, an evaluation of radionuclide travel times from a repository to the biosphere is critically important in a performance assessment analysis. In this study, we develop a travel time framework based on the concept of groundwater lifetime expectancy as a safety indicator. Lifetime expectancy characterizes the time that radionuclides will spend in the subsurface after their release from the repository and prior to discharging into the biosphere. The probability density function of lifetime expectancy is computed throughout the host rock by solving the backward-in-time solute transport adjoint equation subject to a properly posed set of boundary conditions. It can then be used to define optimal repository locations. The risk associated with selected sites can be evaluated by simulating an appropriate contaminant release history. The utility of the method is illustrated by means of analytical and numerical examples, which focus on the effect of fracture networks on the uncertainty of evaluated lifetime expectancy.

MODELING OF THE GROUNDWATER TRANSPORT AROUND A DEEP BOREHOLE NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY

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

N. Lubchenko; M. Rodríguez-Buño; E.A. Bates

2015-04-01

The concept of disposal of high-level nuclear waste in deep boreholes drilled into crystalline bedrock is gaining renewed interest and consideration as a viable mined repository alternative. A large amount of work on conceptual borehole design and preliminary performance assessment has been performed by researchers at MIT, Sandia National Laboratories, SKB (Sweden), and others. Much of this work relied on analytical derivations or, in a few cases, on weakly coupled models of heat, water, and radionuclide transport in the rock. Detailed numerical models are necessary to account for the large heterogeneity of properties (e.g., permeability and salinity vs. depth, diffusionmore » coefficients, etc.) that would be observed at potential borehole disposal sites. A derivation of the FALCON code (Fracturing And Liquid CONvection) was used for the thermal-hydrologic modeling. This code solves the transport equations in porous media in a fully coupled way. The application leverages the flexibility and strengths of the MOOSE framework, developed by Idaho National Laboratory. The current version simulates heat, fluid, and chemical species transport in a fully coupled way allowing the rigorous evaluation of candidate repository site performance. This paper mostly focuses on the modeling of a deep borehole repository under realistic conditions, including modeling of a finite array of boreholes surrounded by undisturbed rock. The decay heat generated by the canisters diffuses into the host rock. Water heating can potentially lead to convection on the scale of thousands of years after the emplacement of the fuel. This convection is tightly coupled to the transport of the dissolved salt, which can suppress convection and reduce the release of the radioactive materials to the aquifer. The purpose of this work has been to evaluate the importance of the borehole array spacing and find the conditions under which convective transport can be ruled out as a radionuclide transport

Geotechnical support and topical studies for nuclear waste geologic repositories

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

Not Available

1989-01-01

The present report lists the technical reviews and comments made during the fiscal year 1988 and summarizes the technical progress of the topical studies. In the area of technical assistance, there were numerous activities detailed in the next section. These included 24 geotechnical support activities, including reviews of 6 Study Plans (SP) and participation in 6 SP Review Workshops, review of one whole document Site Characterization Plan (SCP) and participation in the Assembled Document SCP Review Workshops by 6 LBL reviewers; the hosting of a DOE program review, the rewriting of the project statement of work, 2 trips to technicalmore » and planning meetings; preparation of proposed work statements for two new topics for DOE, and 5 instances of technical assistance to DOE. These activities are described in a Table in the following section entitled Geoscience Technical Support for Nuclear Waste Geologic Repositories.''« less

On the importance of coupled THM processes to predict the long-term response of a generic salt repository for high-level nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco Martin, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.

2013-12-01

Salt is a potential medium for the underground disposal of nuclear waste because it has several assets, in particular its ability to creep and heal fractures generated by excavation and its water and gas tightness in the undisturbed state. In this research, we focus on disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste (such as spent fuel) and we consider a generic salt repository with in-drift emplacement of waste packages and subsequent backfill of the drifts with run-of-mine crushed salt. As the natural salt creeps, the crushed salt backfill gets progressively compacted and an engineered barrier system is subsequently created. In order to evaluate the integrity of the natural and engineered barriers over the long-term, it is important to consider the coupled effects of the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical processes that take place. In particular, the results obtained so far show how the porosity reduction of the crushed salt affects the saturation and pore pressure evolution throughout the repository, both in time and space. Such compaction is induced by the stress and temperature regime within the natural salt. Also, transport properties of the host rock are modified not only by thermo-mechanically and hydraulically-induced damaged processes, but also by healing/sealing of existing fractures. In addition, the THM properties of the backfill evolve towards those of the natural salt during the compaction process. All these changes are based on dedicated laboratory experiments and on theoretical considerations [1-3]. Different scenarios are modeled and compared to evaluate the relevance of different processes from the perspective of effective nuclear waste repositories. The sensitivity of the results to some parameters, such as capillarity, is also addressed. The simulations are conducted using an updated version of the TOUGH2-FLAC3D simulator, which is based on a sequential explicit method to couple flow and geomechanics [4]. A new capability for large strains and creep

Background studies in support of a feasibility assessment on the use of copper-base materials for nuclear waste packages in a repository in tuff

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

Van Konynenburg, R.A.; Kundig, K.J.A.; Lyman, W.S.

1990-06-01

This report combines six work units performed in FY`85--86 by the Copper Development Association and the International Copper Research Association under contract with the University of California. The work includes literature surveys and state-of-the-art summaries on several considerations influencing the feasibility of the use of copper-base materials for fabricating high-level nuclear waste packages for the proposed repository in tuff rock at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The general conclusion from this work was that copper-base materials are viable candidates for inclusion in the materials selection process for this application. 55 refs., 48 figs., 22 tabs.

Preliminary safety evaluation of an aircraft impact on a near-surface radioactive waste repository

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

Lo Frano, R.; Forasassi, G.; Pugliese, G.

2013-07-01

The aircraft impact accident has become very significant in the design of a nuclear facilities, particularly, after the tragic September 2001 event, that raised the public concern about the potential damaging effects that the impact of a large civilian airplane could bring in safety relevant structures. The aim of this study is therefore to preliminarily evaluate the global response and the structural effects induced by the impact of a military or commercial airplane (actually considered as a 'beyond design basis' event) into a near surface radioactive waste (RWs) disposal facility. The safety evaluation was carried out according to the Internationalmore » safety and design guidelines and in agreement with the stress tests requirements for the security track. To achieve the purpose, a lay out and a scheme of a possible near surface repository, like for example those of the El Cabril one, were taken into account. In order to preliminarily perform a reliable analysis of such a large-scale structure and to determine the structural effects induced by such a types of impulsive loads, a realistic, but still operable, numerical model with suitable materials characteristics was implemented by means of FEM codes. In the carried out structural analyses, the RWs repository was considered a 'robust' target, due to its thicker walls and main constitutive materials (steel and reinforced concrete). In addition to adequately represent the dynamic response of repository under crashing, relevant physical phenomena (i.e. penetration, spalling, etc.) were simulated and analysed. The preliminary assessment of the effects induced by the dynamic/impulsive loads allowed generally to verify the residual strength capability of the repository considered. The obtained preliminary results highlighted a remarkable potential to withstand the impact of military/large commercial aircraft, even in presence of ongoing concrete progressive failure (some penetration and spalling of the concrete wall

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

International Approaches for Nuclear Waste Disposal in Geological Formations: Geological Challenges in Radioactive Waste Isolation—Fifth Worldwide Review

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

Faybishenko, Boris; Birkholzer, Jens; Sassani, David

The overall objective of the Fifth Worldwide Review (WWR-5) is to document the current state-of-the-art of major developments in a number of nations throughout the World pursuing geological disposal programs, and to summarize challenging problems and experience that have been obtained in siting, preparing and reviewing cases for the operational and long-term safety of proposed and operating nuclear waste repositories. The scope of the Review is to address current specific technical issues and challenges in safety case development along with the interplay of technical feasibility, siting, engineering design issues, and operational and post-closure safety. In particular, the chapters included inmore » the report present the following types of information: the current status of the deep geological repository programs for high level nuclear waste and low- and intermediate level nuclear waste in each country, concepts of siting and radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management in different countries (with the emphasis of nuclear waste disposal under different climatic conditions and different geological formations), progress in repository site selection and site characterization, technology development, buffer/backfill materials studies and testing, support activities, programs, and projects, international cooperation, and future plans, as well as regulatory issues and transboundary problems.« less

Nuclear waste disposal: Gambling on Yucca Mountain

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

Ginsburg, S.

1995-05-01

This document describes the historical aspects of nuclear energy ,nuclear weapons usage, and development of the nuclear bureaucracy in the United States, and discusses the selection and siting of Yucca Mountain, Nevada for a federal nuclear waste repository. Litigation regarding the site selection and resulting battles in the political arena and in the Nevada State Legislature are also presented. Alternative radioactive waste disposal options, risk assessments of the Yucca Mountain site, and logistics regarding the transportation and storage of nuclear waste are also presented. This document also contains an extensive bibliography.

Fault Frictional Stability in a Nuclear Waste Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orellana, Felipe; Violay, Marie; Scuderi, Marco; Collettini, Cristiano

2016-04-01

Exploitation of underground resources induces hydro-mechanical and chemical perturbations in the rock mass. In response to such disturbances, seismic events might occur, affecting the safety of the whole engineering system. The Mont Terri Rock Laboratory is an underground infrastructure devoted to the study of geological disposal of nuclear waste in Switzerland. At the site, it is intersected by large fault zones of about 0.8 - 3 m in thickness and the host rock formation is a shale rock named Opalinus Clay (OPA). The mineralogy of OPA includes a high content of phyllosilicates (50%), quartz (25%), calcite (15%), and smaller proportions of siderite and pyrite. OPA is a stiff, low permeable rock (2×10-18 m2), and its mechanical behaviour is strongly affected by the anisotropy induced by bedding planes. The evaluation of fault stability and associated fault slip behaviour (i.e. seismic vs. aseismic) is a major issue in order to ensure the long-term safety and operation of the repository. Consequently, experiments devoted to understand the frictional behaviour of OPA have been performed in the biaxial apparatus "BRAVA", recently developed at INGV. Simulated fault gouge obtained from intact OPA samples, were deformed at different normal stresses (from 4 to 30 MPa), under dry and fluid-saturated conditions. To estimate the frictional stability, the velocity-dependence of friction was evaluated during velocity steps tests (1-300 μm/s). Slide-hold-slide tests were performed (1-3000 s) to measure the amount of frictional healing. The collected data were subsequently modelled with the Ruina's slip dependent formulation of the rate and state friction constitutive equations. To understand the deformation mechanism, the microstructures of the sheared gouge were analysed. At 7 MPa normal stress and under dry conditions, the friction coefficient decreased from a peak value of μpeak,dry = 0.57 to μss,dry = 0.50. Under fluid-saturated conditions and same normal stress, the

Effects of cellulose degradation products on the mobility of Eu(III) in repositories for low and intermediate level radioactive waste.

PubMed

Diesen, Veronica; Forsberg, Kerstin; Jonsson, Mats

2017-10-15

The deep repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste SFR in Sweden will contain large amounts of cellulosic waste materials contaminated with radionuclides. Over time the repository will be filled with water and alkaline conditions will prevail. In the present study degradation of cellulosic materials and the ability of cellulosic degradation products to solubilize and thereby mobilise Eu(III) under repository conditions has been investigated. Further, the possible immobilization of Eu(III) by sorption onto cement in the presence of degradation products has been investigated. The cellulosic material has been degraded under anaerobic and aerobic conditions in alkaline media (pH: 12.5) at ambient temperature. The degradation was followed by measuring the total organic carbon (TOC) content in the aqueous phase as a function of time. After 173days of degradation the TOC content is highest in the anaerobic artificial cement pore water (1547mg/L). The degradation products are capable of solubilising Eu(III) and the total europium concentration in the aqueous phase was 900μmol/L after 498h contact time under anaerobic conditions. Further it is shown that Eu(III) is adsorbed to the hydrated cement to a low extent (<9μmol Eu/g of cement) in the presence of degradation products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modelling geochemical and microbial consumption of dissolved oxygen after backfilling a high level radiactive waste repository.

PubMed

Yang, Changbing; Samper, Javier; Molinero, Jorge; Bonilla, Mercedes

2007-08-15

Dissolved oxygen (DO) left in the voids of buffer and backfill materials of a deep geological high level radioactive waste (HLW) repository could cause canister corrosion. Available data from laboratory and in situ experiments indicate that microbes play a substantial role in controlling redox conditions near a HLW repository. This paper presents the application of a coupled hydro-bio-geochemical model to evaluate geochemical and microbial consumption of DO in bentonite porewater after backfilling of a HLW repository designed according to the Swedish reference concept. In addition to geochemical reactions, the model accounts for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) respiration and methane oxidation. Parameters for microbial processes were derived from calibration of the REX in situ experiment carried out at the Aspö underground laboratory. The role of geochemical and microbial processes in consuming DO is evaluated for several scenarios. Numerical results show that both geochemical and microbial processes are relevant for DO consumption. However, the time needed to consume the DO trapped in the bentonite buffer decreases dramatically from several hundreds of years when only geochemical processes are considered to a few weeks when both geochemical reactions and microbially-mediated DOC respiration and methane oxidation are taken into account simultaneously.

French Geological Repository Project for High Level and Long-Lived Waste: Scientific Programme

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

Landais, P.; Lebon, P.; Ouzounian, G.

2008-07-01

The feasibility study presented in the Dossier 2005 Argile set out to evaluate the conditions for building, operating and managing a reversible disposal facility. The research was directed at demonstrating a potential for confining long-lived radioactive waste in a deep clay formation by establishing the feasibility of the disposal principle. Results have been enough convincing and a Planning Act was passed on 28 June, 2006. Decision in principle has been taken to dispose of intermediate and high level long-lived radioactive waste in a geological repository. An application file for a license to construct a disposal facility is requested by endmore » of 2014 and its commissioning is planned for 2025. Based on previous results as well as on recommendations made by various Dossier 2005 evaluators, a new scientific programme for 2006-2015 has been defined. It gives details of what will be covered over the 2006-2015 period. Particular emphasis is placed on consolidating scientific data, increasing understanding of certain mechanisms and using a scientific and technical integration approach. It aims at integrating scientific developments and engineering advances. The scientific work envisaged beyond 2006 has the benefit of a unique context, which is direct access to the geological medium over long timescales. It naturally extends the research carried out to date, and incorporates additional investigations of the geological medium, and the preparation of demonstration work especially through full-scale tests. Results will aim at improving the representation of repository evolutions over time, extract the relevant parameters for monitoring during the reversibility phases, reduce the parametric uncertainties and enhance the robustness of models for performance calculations and safety analyses. Structure and main orientation of the ongoing scientific programme are presented. (author)« less

Physico-chemical interactions at the concrete-bitumen interface of nuclear waste repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertron, A.; Ranaivomanana, H.; Jacquemet, N.; Erable, B.; Sablayrolles, C.; Escadeillas, G.; Albrecht, A.

2013-07-01

This study investigates the fate of nitrate and organic acids at the bitumenconcrete-steel interface within a repository storage cell for long-lived, intermediatelevel, radioactive wastes. The interface was simulated by a multiphase system in which cementitious matrices (CEM V-paste specimens) were exposed to bitumen model leachates consisting of nitrates and acetic acid with and without oxalic acid, chemical compounds likely to be released by bitumen. Leaching experiments were conducted with daily renewal of the solutions in order to accelerate reactions. C-steel chips, simulating the presence of steel in the repository, were added in the systems for some experiments. The concentrations of anions (acetate, oxalate, nitrate, and nitrite) and cations (calcium, potassium, ammonium) and the pH were monitored over time. Mineralogical changes of the cementitious matrices were analysed by XRD. The results confirmed the stability of nitrates in the absence of steel, whereas, reduction of nitrates was observed in the presence of steel (production of NH4+). The action of acetic acid on the cementitious matrix was similar to that of ordinary leaching; no specific interaction was detected between acetate and cementitious cations. The reaction of oxalic acid with the cementitious phases led to the precipitation of calcium oxalate salts in the outer layer of the matrix. The concentration of oxalate was reduced by 65% inside the leaching medium.

Proceedings of the scientific visit on crystalline rock repository development.

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

Mariner, Paul E.; Hardin, Ernest L.; Miksova, Jitka

2013-02-01

A scientific visit on Crystalline Rock Repository Development was held in the Czech Republic on September 24-27, 2012. The visit was hosted by the Czech Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (RAWRA), co-hosted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The purpose of the visit was to promote technical information exchange between participants from countries engaged in the investigation and exploration of crystalline rock for the eventual construction of nuclear waste repositories. The visit was designed especially for participants of countries that have recently commenced (or recommenced) national repository programmes in crystalline host rock formations.more » Discussion topics included repository programme development, site screening and selection, site characterization, disposal concepts in crystalline host rock, regulatory frameworks, and safety assessment methodology. Interest was surveyed in establishing a %E2%80%9Cclub,%E2%80%9D the mission of which would be to identify and address the various technical challenges that confront the disposal of radioactive waste in crystalline rock environments. The idea of a second scientific visit to be held one year later in another host country received popular support. The visit concluded with a trip to the countryside south of Prague where participants were treated to a tour of the laboratory and underground facilities of the Josef Regional Underground Research Centre.« less

10 CFR 63.112 - Requirements for preclosure safety analysis of the geologic repository operations area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... geologic repository operations area. 63.112 Section 63.112 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN A GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Technical... repository operations area. The preclosure safety analysis of the geologic repository operations area must...

Depleted uranium as a backfill for nuclear fuel waste package

DOEpatents

Forsberg, Charles W.

1998-01-01

A method for packaging spent nuclear fuel for long-term disposal in a geological repository. At least one spent nuclear fuel assembly is first placed in an unsealed waste package and a depleted uranium fill material is added to the waste package. The depleted uranium fill material comprises flowable particles having a size sufficient to substantially fill any voids in and around the assembly and contains isotopically-depleted uranium in the +4 valence state in an amount sufficient to inhibit dissolution of the spent nuclear fuel from the assembly into a surrounding medium and to lessen the potential for nuclear criticality inside the repository in the event of failure of the waste package. Last, the waste package is sealed, thereby substantially reducing the release of radionuclides into the surrounding medium, while simultaneously providing radiation shielding and increased structural integrity of the waste package.

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

Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venneri, Francesco

1998-04-01

Nuclear waste from commercial power plants contains large quantities of plutonium, other fissionable actinides, and long-lived fission products that are potential proliferation concerns and create challenges for the long-term storage. Different strategies for dealing with nuclear waste are being followed by various countries because of their geologic situations and their views on nuclear energy, reprocessing and non-proliferation. The current United States policy is to store unprocessed spent reactor fuel in a geologic repository. Other countries are opting for treatment of nuclear waste, including partial utilization of the fissile material contained in the spent fuel, prior to geologic storage. Long-term uncertainties are hampering the acceptability and eventual licensing of a geologic repository for nuclear spent fuel in the US, and driving up its cost. The greatest concerns are with the potential for radiation release and exposure from the spent fuel for tens of thousands of years and the possible diversion and use of the actinides contained in the waste for weapons construction. Taking advantage of the recent breakthroughs in accelerator technology and of the natural flexibility of subcritical systems, the Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste (ATW) concept offers the United States and other countries the possibility to greatly reduce plutonium, higher actinides and environmentally hazardous fission products from the waste stream destined for permanent storage. ATW does not eliminate the need for, but instead enhances the viability of permanent waste repositories. Far from being limited to waste destruction, the ATW concept also brings to the table new technologies that could be relevant for next-generation power producing reactors. In the ATW concept, spent fuel would be shipped to the ATW site where the plutonium, transuranics and selected long-lived fission products would be destroyed by fission or transmutation in their first and only pass through the

10 CFR 63.113 - Performance objectives for the geologic repository after permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance objectives for the geologic repository after...-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN A GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Technical Criteria Postclosure Performance Objectives § 63.113 Performance objectives for the geologic repository after permanent...

Environmental protection problems in the vicinity of the Zelazny most flotation wastes depository in Poland.

PubMed

Lasocki, Stanislaw; Antoniuk, Janusz; Moscicki, Jerzy

2003-08-01

The Zelazny Most depository of wastes from copper-ore processing, located in southwest Poland, is the largest mineral wastes repository in Europe. Moreover, it is located in a seismically active area. The seismicity is induced and is connected with mining works in the nearby underground copper mines. Any release of the contents of the repository to the environment could have devastating and even catastrophic consequences. For this reason, geophysical methods are used for continuous monitoring the state of the repository containment dams. The article presents examples of the application of geoelectric methods for detecting sites of leakage of contaminated water and a sketch of the seismic hazard analysis, which was used to predict future seismic vibrations of the repository dams.

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for two-phase flow in the vicinity of the repository in the 1996 performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Disturbed conditions

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

HELTON,JON CRAIG; BEAN,J.E.; ECONOMY,K.

2000-05-22

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis results obtained in the 1996 performance assessment (PA) for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) are presented for two-phase flow in the vicinity of the repository under disturbed conditions resulting from drilling intrusions. Techniques based on Latin hypercube sampling, examination of scatterplots, stepwise regression analysis, partial correlation analysis and rank transformations are used to investigate brine inflow, gas generation repository pressure, brine saturation and brine and gas outflow. Of the variables under study, repository pressure and brine flow from the repository to the Culebra Dolomite are potentially the most important in PA for the WIPP. Subsequentmore » to a drilling intrusion repository pressure was dominated by borehole permeability and generally below the level (i.e., 8 MPa) that could potentially produce spallings and direct brine releases. Brine flow from the repository to the Culebra Dolomite tended to be small or nonexistent with its occurrence and size also dominated by borehole permeability.« less

10 CFR 60.111 - Performance of the geologic repository operations area through permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance of the geologic repository operations area... OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Performance Objectives § 60.111 Performance of the geologic repository operations area through permanent closure. (a...

Geoengineering properties of potential repository units at Yucca Mountain, southern Nevada

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

Tillerson, J.R.; Nimick, F.B.

1984-12-01

The Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project is currently evaluating volcanic tuffs at the Yucca Mountain site, located on and adjacent to the Nevada Test Site, for possible use as a host rock for a radioactive waste repository. The behavior of tuff as an engineering material must be understood to design, license, construct, and operate a repository. Geoengineering evaluations and measurements are being made to develop confidence in both the analysis techniques for thermal, mechanical, and hydrothermal effects and the supporting data base of rock properties. The analysis techniques and the data base are currently used for repository design,more » waste package design, and performance assessment analyses. This report documents the data base of geoengineering properties used in the analyses that aided the selection of the waste emplacement horizon and in analyses synopsized in the Environmental Assessment Report prepared for the Yucca Mountain site. The strategy used for the development of the data base relies primarily on data obtained in laboratory tests that are then confirmed in field tests. Average thermal and mechanical properties (and their anticipated variations) are presented. Based upon these data, analyses completed to date, and previous excavation experience in tuff, it is anticipated that existing mining technology can be used to develop stable underground openings and that repository operations can be carried out safely.« less

Depleted uranium as a backfill for nuclear fuel waste package

DOEpatents

Forsberg, C.W.

1998-11-03

A method is described for packaging spent nuclear fuel for long-term disposal in a geological repository. At least one spent nuclear fuel assembly is first placed in an unsealed waste package and a depleted uranium fill material is added to the waste package. The depleted uranium fill material comprises flowable particles having a size sufficient to substantially fill any voids in and around the assembly and contains isotopically-depleted uranium in the +4 valence state in an amount sufficient to inhibit dissolution of the spent nuclear fuel from the assembly into a surrounding medium and to lessen the potential for nuclear criticality inside the repository in the event of failure of the waste package. Last, the waste package is sealed, thereby substantially reducing the release of radionuclides into the surrounding medium, while simultaneously providing radiation shielding and increased structural integrity of the waste package. 6 figs.

End of FY10 report - used fuel disposition technical bases and lessons learned : legal and regulatory framework for high-level waste disposition in the United States.

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

Weiner, Ruth F.; Blink, James A.; Rechard, Robert Paul

This report examines the current policy, legal, and regulatory framework pertaining to used nuclear fuel and high level waste management in the United States. The goal is to identify potential changes that if made could add flexibility and possibly improve the chances of successfully implementing technical aspects of a nuclear waste policy. Experience suggests that the regulatory framework should be established prior to initiating future repository development. Concerning specifics of the regulatory framework, reasonable expectation as the standard of proof was successfully implemented and could be retained in the future; yet, the current classification system for radioactive waste, including hazardousmore » constituents, warrants reexamination. Whether or not consideration of multiple sites are considered simultaneously in the future, inclusion of mechanisms such as deliberate use of performance assessment to manage site characterization would be wise. Because of experience gained here and abroad, diversity of geologic media is not particularly necessary as a criterion in site selection guidelines for multiple sites. Stepwise development of the repository program that includes flexibility also warrants serious consideration. Furthermore, integration of the waste management system from storage, transportation, and disposition, should be examined and would be facilitated by integration of the legal and regulatory framework. Finally, in order to enhance acceptability of future repository development, the national policy should be cognizant of those policy and technical attributes that enhance initial acceptance, and those policy and technical attributes that maintain and broaden credibility.« less

10 CFR 60.112 - Overall system performance objective for the geologic repository after permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... repository after permanent closure. 60.112 Section 60.112 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Performance Objectives § 60.112 Overall system performance objective for the geologic repository after permanent closure...

Three-dimensional thermal analysis of a high-level waste repository

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

Altenbach, T.J.

1979-04-01

The analysis used the TRUMP computer code to evaluate the thermal fields for six repository scenarios that studied the effects of room ventilation, room backfill, and repository thermal diffusivity. The results for selected nodes are presented as plots showing the effect of temperature as a function of time. 15 figures, 6 tables.

Concrete and cement composites used for radioactive waste deposition.

PubMed

Koťátková, Jaroslava; Zatloukal, Jan; Reiterman, Pavel; Kolář, Karel

2017-11-01

This review article presents the current state-of-knowledge of the use of cementitious materials for radioactive waste disposal. An overview of radwaste management processes with respect to the classification of the waste type is given. The application of cementitious materials for waste disposal is divided into two main lines: i) as a matrix for direct immobilization of treated waste form; and ii) as an engineered barrier of secondary protection in the form of concrete or grout. In the first part the immobilization mechanisms of the waste by cement hydration products is briefly described and an up-to date knowledge about the performance of different cementitious materials is given, including both traditional cements and alternative binder systems. The advantages, disadvantages as well as gaps in the base of information in relation to individual materials are stated. The following part of the article is aimed at description of multi-barrier systems for intermediate level waste repositories. It provides examples of proposed concepts by countries with advanced waste management programmes. In the paper summary, the good knowledge of the material durability due to its vast experience from civil engineering is highlighted however with the urge for specific approach during design and construction of a repository in terms of stringent safety requirements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Schematic designs for penetration seals for a reference repository in bedded salt

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

Kelsall, P.C.; Case, J.B.; Meyer, D.

1982-11-01

The isolation of radioactive wastes in geologic repositories requires that man-made penetrations such as shafts, tunnels, or boreholes are adequately sealed. This report describes schematic seal designs for a repository in bedded salt referenced to the straitigraphy of southeastern New Mexico. The designs are presented for extensive peer review and will be updated as site-specific conceptual designs when a site for a repository in salt has been selected. The principal material used in the seal system is crushed salt obtained from excavating the repository. It is anticipated that crushed salt will consolidate as the repository rooms creep close to themore » degree that mechanical and hydrologic properties will eventually match those of undisturbed, intact salt. For southeastern New Mexico salt, analyses indicate that this process will require approximately 1000 years for a seal located at the base of one of the repository shafts (where there is little increase in temperature due to waste emplacement) and approximately 400 years for a seal located in an access tunnel within the repository. Bulkheads composed of contrete or salt bricks are also included in the seal system as components which will have low permeability during the period required for salt consolidation.« less

Science is the first step to siting nuclear waste repositories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuzil, Christopher E.

2014-01-01

As Shaw [2014] notes, U.S. research on shale as a repository host was halted before expending anything close to the effort devoted to studying crystalline rock, salt, and - most notably - tuff at Yucca Mountain. The new political reality regarding Yucca Mountain may allow reconsideration of the decision to abandon research on shale as a repository host.

10 CFR 63.111 - Performance objectives for the geologic repository operations area through permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance objectives for the geologic repository... (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN A GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA... repository operations area through permanent closure. (a) Protection against radiation exposures and releases...

Microstructural and mineralogical characterization of selected shales in support of nuclear waste repository studies

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

Lee, S.Y.; Hyder, L.K.; Alley, P.D.

1988-01-01

Five shales were examined as part of the Sedimentary Rock Program evaluation of this medium as a potential host for a US civilian nuclear waste repository. The units selected for characterization were the Chattanooga Shale from Fentress County, Tennessee; the Pierre Shale from Gregory County, South Dakota; the Green River Formation from Garfield County, Colorado; and the Nolichucky Shale and Pumpkin Valley Shale from Roane County, Tennessee. The micromorphology and structure of the shales were examined by petrographic, scanning electron, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Chemical and mineralogical compositions were studied through the use of energy-dispersive x-ray, neutron activation, atomicmore » absorption, thermal, and x-ray diffraction analysis techniques. 18 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Comparison of selected foreign plans and practices for spent fuel and high-level waste management

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

Schneider, K.J.; Mitchell, S.J.; Lakey, L.T.

1990-04-01

This report describes the major parameters for management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive wastes in selected foreign countries as of December 1989 and compares them with those in the United States. The foreign countries included in this study are Belgium, Canada, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. All the countries are planning for disposal of spent fuel and/or high-level wastes in deep geologic repositories. Most countries (except Canada and Sweden) plan to reprocess their spent fuel and vitrify the resultant high-level liquid wastes; in comparison, the US plans direct disposal ofmore » spent fuel. The US is planning to use a container for spent fuel as the primary engineered barrier. The US has the most developed repository concept and has one of the earliest scheduled repository startup dates. The repository environment presently being considered in the US is unique, being located in tuff above the water table. The US also has the most prescriptive regulations and performance requirements for the repository system and its components. 135 refs., 8 tabs.« less

10 CFR 63.161 - Emergency plan for the geologic repository operations area through permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Emergency plan for the geologic repository operations area... OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN A GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Emergency Planning Criteria § 63.161 Emergency plan for the geologic repository operations area through permanent...

Region-to-area screening methodology for the Crystalline Repository Project

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

None

1985-04-01

The purpose of this document is to describe the Crystalline Repository Project's (CRP) process for region-to-area screening of exposed and near-surface crystalline rock bodies in the three regions of the conterminous United States where crystalline rock is being evaluated as a potential host for the second nuclear waste repository (i.e., in the North Central, Northeastern, and Southeastern Regions). This document indicates how the US Department of Energy's (DOE) General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for Nuclear Waste Repositories (10 CFR 960) were used to select and apply factors and variables for the region-to-area screening, explains how these factors andmore » variable are to be applied in the region-to-area screening, and indicates how this methodology relates to the decision process leading to the selection of candidate areas. A brief general discussion of the screening process from the national survey through area screening and site recommendation is presented. This discussion sets the scene for detailed discussions which follow concerning the region-to-area screening process, the guidance provided by the DOE Siting Guidelines for establishing disqualifying factors and variables for screening, and application of the disqualifying factors and variables in the screening process. This document is complementary to the regional geologic and environmental characterization reports to be issued in the summer of 1985 as final documents. These reports will contain the geologic and environmental data base that will be used in conjunction with the methodology to conduct region-to-area screening.« less

Public Preferences Related to Radioactive Waste Management in the United States: Methodology and Response Reference Report for the 2016 Energy and Environment Survey.

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

Jenkins-Smith, Hank C.; Silva, Carol L.; Gupta, Kuhika

This report presents the questions and responses to a nationwide survey taken June 2016 to track preferences of US residents concerning the environment, energy, and radioactive waste management. A focus of the 2016 survey is public perceptions on different options for managing spent nuclear fuel, including on-site storage, interim storage, deep boreholes, general purpose geologic repositories, and geologic repositories for only defense-related waste. Highlights of the survey results include the following: (1) public attention to the 2011 accident and subsequent cleanup at the Fukushima nuclear facility continues to influence the perceived balance of risk and benefit for nuclear energy; (2)more » the incident at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in 2014 could influence future public support for nuclear waste management; (3) public knowledge about US nuclear waste management policies has remined higher than seen prior to the Fukushima nuclear accident and submittal of the Yucca Mountain application; (6) support for a mined disposal facility is higher than for deep borehole disposal, building one more interim storage facilities, or continued on-site storage of spent nuclear fuel; (7) support for a repository that comingles commercial and defense related waste is higher than for a repository for only defense related waste; (8) the public’s level of trust accorded to the National Academies, university scientists, and local emergency responders is the highest and the level trust accorded to advocacy organizations, public utilities, and local/national press is the lowest; and (9) the public is willing to serve on citizens panels but, in general, will only modestly engage in issues related to radioactive waste management.« less

Large-Scale In-situ Experiments to Determine Geochemical Alterations and Microbial Activities at the Geological Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choung, S.; Francis, A. J.; Um, W.; Choi, S.; Kim, S.; Park, J.; Kim, S.

2013-12-01

The countries that have generated nuclear power have facing problems on the disposal of accumulated radioactive wastes. Geological disposal method has been chosen in many countries including Korea. A safety issue after the closure of geological repository has been raised, because microbial activities lead overpressure in the underground facilities through gas production. In particular, biodegradable organic materials derived from low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes play important role on microbial activities in the geological repository. This study performed large scale in-situ experiments using organic wastes and groundwater, and investigated geochemical alteration and microbial activities at early stage (~63 days) as representative of the period, after closure of the geological repository. The geochemical alteration controlled significantly the microorganism types and populations. Database of the biogeochemical alteration facilitates prediction of radionuclides' mobility and establishment of remedial strategy against unpredictable accidents and hazards at early stage right after closure of the geological repository.

10 CFR 60.132 - Additional design criteria for surface facilities in the geologic repository operations area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... geologic repository operations area. 60.132 Section 60.132 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Design Criteria for the Geologic Repository Operations Area § 60.132 Additional design criteria for surface facilities in...

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for two-phase flow in the vicinity of the repository in the 1996 performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Undisturbed conditions

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

HELTON,JON CRAIG; BEAN,J.E.; ECONOMY,K.

2000-05-19

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis results obtained in the 1996 performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant are presented for two-phase flow the vicinity of the repository under undisturbed conditions. Techniques based on Latin hypercube sampling, examination of scatterplots, stepwise regression analysis, partial correlation analysis and rank transformation are used to investigate brine inflow, gas generation repository pressure, brine saturation and brine and gas outflow. Of the variables under study, repository pressure is potentially the most important due to its influence on spallings and direct brine releases, with the uncertainty in its value being dominated by the extent to whichmore » the microbial degradation of cellulose takes place, the rate at which the corrosion of steel takes place, and the amount of brine that drains from the surrounding disturbed rock zone into the repository.« less

Politics of nuclear waste

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

Colglazier, E.W. Jr.

1982-01-01

In November of 1979, the Program in Science, Technology and Humanism and the Energy Committee of the Aspen Institute organized a conference on resolving the social, political, and institutional conflicts over the permanent siting of radioactive wastes. This book was written as a result of this conference. The chapters provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the governance issues connected with radioactive waste management as well as a sampling of the diverse views of the interested parties. Chapter 1 looks in depth of radioactive waste management in the United States, with special emphasis on the events of the Carter Administrationmore » as well as on the issues with which the Reagen administration must deal. Chapter 2 compares waste management policies and programs among the industralized countries. Chapter 3 examines the factional controversies in the last administration and Congress over nuclear waste issues. Chapter 4 examines the complex legal questions involved in the federal-state conflicts over nuclear waste management. Chapter 5 examines the concept of consultation and concurrence from the perspectives of a host state that is a candidate for a repository and an interested state that has special concerns regarding the demonstration of nuclear waste disposal technology. Chapter 6 examines US and European perspectives concerning public participation in nuclear waste management. Chapter 7 discusses propaganda in the issues. The epilogue attempts to assess the prospects for consensus in the United States on national policies for radioactive waste management. All of the chapter in this book should be interpreted as personal assessments. (DP)« less

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

The microbiology of the Maqarin site, Jordan -- A natural analogue for cementitious radioactive waste repositories

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

West, J.M.; Coombs, P.; Gardner, S.J.

1995-12-31

The Maqarin site, Jordan is being studied as a natural analogue of a cementitious radioactive waste repository. The microbiology has been studied and diverse microbial populations capable of tolerating alkaline pH were detected at all sampling localities. Dissolved organic carbon was identified as the potentially most important reductant with sulfate identified as the main oxidant, both supply energy for microbial life. Calculations on upper limits of microbial numbers were made with a microbiology code (MGSE) using existing information but the results are overestimates when compared with field observations. This indicates that the model is very conservative and that more informationmore » on, for example, carbon sources is required.« less

Laboratory Testing of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Surrogate Waste Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broome, S.; Bronowski, D.; Pfeifle, T.; Herrick, C. G.

2011-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy geological repository for the permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. The waste is emplaced in rooms excavated in the bedded Salado salt formation at a depth of 655 m below the ground surface. After emplacement of the waste, the repository will be sealed and decommissioned. WIPP Performance Assessment modeling of the underground material response requires a full and accurate understanding of coupled mechanical, hydrological, and geochemical processes and how they evolve with time. This study was part of a broader test program focused on room closure, specifically the compaction behavior of waste and the constitutive relations to model this behavior. The goal of this study was to develop an improved waste constitutive model. The model parameters are developed based on a well designed set of test data. The constitutive model will then be used to realistically model evolution of the underground and to better understand the impacts on repository performance. The present study results are focused on laboratory testing of surrogate waste materials. The surrogate wastes correspond to a conservative estimate of the degraded containers and TRU waste materials after the 10,000 year regulatory period. Testing consists of hydrostatic, uniaxial, and triaxial tests performed on surrogate waste recipes that were previously developed by Hansen et al. (1997). These recipes can be divided into materials that simulate 50% and 100% degraded waste by weight. The percent degradation indicates the anticipated amount of iron corrosion, as well as the decomposition of cellulosics, plastics, and rubbers. Axial, lateral, and volumetric strain and axial and lateral stress measurements were made. Two unique testing techniques were developed during the course of the experimental program. The first involves the use of dilatometry to measure sample volumetric strain under a hydrostatic condition. Bulk

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

Information basis for developing comprehensive waste management system-US-Japan joint nuclear energy action plan waste management working group phase I report.

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

Nutt, M.; Nuclear Engineering Division

2010-05-25

The activity of Phase I of the Waste Management Working Group under the United States - Japan Joint Nuclear Energy Action Plan started in 2007. The US-Japan JNEAP is a bilateral collaborative framework to support the global implementation of safe, secure, and sustainable, nuclear fuel cycles (referred to in this document as fuel cycles). The Waste Management Working Group was established by strong interest of both parties, which arise from the recognition that development and optimization of waste management and disposal system(s) are central issues of the present and future nuclear fuel cycles. This report summarizes the activity of themore » Waste Management Working Group that focused on consolidation of the existing technical basis between the U.S. and Japan and the joint development of a plan for future collaborative activities. Firstly, the political/regulatory frameworks related to nuclear fuel cycles in both countries were reviewed. The various advanced fuel cycle scenarios that have been considered in both countries were then surveyed and summarized. The working group established the working reference scenario for the future cooperative activity that corresponds to a fuel cycle scenario being considered both in Japan and the U.S. This working scenario involves transitioning from a once-through fuel cycle utilizing light water reactors to a one-pass uranium-plutonium fuel recycle in light water reactors to a combination of light water reactors and fast reactors with plutonium, uranium, and minor actinide recycle, ultimately concluding with multiple recycle passes primarily using fast reactors. Considering the scenario, current and future expected waste streams, treatment and inventory were discussed, and the relevant information was summarized. Second, the waste management/disposal system optimization was discussed. Repository system concepts were reviewed, repository design concepts for the various classifications of nuclear waste were summarized, and the

Environmental assessment: Reference repository location, Hanford site, Washington

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

none,

1986-05-01

In February 1983, the US Department of Energy (DOE) identified a reference repository location at the Hanford Site in Washington as one of the nine potentially acceptable sites for a mined geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The site is in the Columbia Plateau, which is one of five distinct geohydrologic settings considered for the first repository. To determine their suitability, the Hanford Site and the eight other potentially acceptable sites have been evaluated in accordance with the DOE's General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for the Nuclear Waste Repositories. These evaluations were reported inmore » draft environmental assessments (EAs), which were issued for public review and comment. After considering the comments received on the draft EAs, the DOE prepared the final EAs. On the basis of the evaluations reported in this EA, the DOE has found that the Hanford site is not disqualified under the guidelines. The DOE has also found that it is suitable for site characterization because the evidence does not support a conclusion that the site will not be able to meet each of the qualifying conditions specified in the guidelines. On the basis of these findings, the DOE is nominating the Hanford site as one of five sites suitable for characterization.« less

Progress Towards International Repositories

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

McCombie, C.; Chapman, N.

2002-02-27

The nuclear fuel cycle is designed to be very international, with some specialist activities (e.g. fuel fabrication, reprocessing, etc.) being confined to a few countries. Nevertheless, political and public opposition has in the past been faced by proposals to internationalise the back-end of the cycle, in particular waste disposal. Attitudes, however, have been changing recently and there is now more acceptance of the general concept of shared repositories and of specific proposals such as that of Pangea. However, as for national facilities, progress towards implementation of shared repositories will be gradual. Moreover, the best vehicle for promoting the concept maymore » not be a commercial type of organization. Consequently the Pangea project team are currently establishing a widely based Association for this purpose.« less

Effects of Heat Generation on Nuclear Waste Disposal in Salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, D. J.

2008-12-01

Disposal of nuclear waste in salt is an established technology, as evidenced by the successful operations of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) since 1999. The WIPP is located in bedded salt in southeastern New Mexico and is a deep underground facility for transuranic (TRU) nuclear waste disposal. There are many advantages for placing radioactive wastes in a geologic bedded-salt environment. One desirable mechanical characteristic of salt is that it flows plastically with time ("creeps"). The rate of salt creep is a strong function of temperature and stress differences. Higher temperatures and deviatoric stresses increase the creep rate. As the salt creeps, induced fractures may be closed and eventually healed, which then effectively seals the waste in place. With a backfill of crushed salt emplaced around the waste, the salt creep can cause the crushed salt to reconsolidate and heal to a state similar to intact salt, serving as an efficient seal. Experiments in the WIPP were conducted to investigate the effects of heat generation on the important phenomena and processes in and around the repository (Munson et al. 1987; 1990; 1992a; 1992b). Brine migration towards the heaters was induced from the thermal gradient, while salt creep rates showed an exponential dependence on temperature. The project "Backfill and Material Behavior in Underground Salt Repositories, Phase II" (BAMBUS II) studied the crushed salt backfill and material behavior with heat generation at the Asse mine located near Remlingen, Germany (Bechthold et al. 2004). Increased salt creep rates and significant reconsolidation of the crushed salt were observed at the termination of the experiment. Using the data provided from both projects, exploratory modeling of the thermal-mechanical response of salt has been conducted with varying thermal loading and waste spacing. Increased thermal loading and decreased waste spacing drive the system to higher temperatures, while both factors are desired to

10 CFR Appendix II to Part 960 - NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository... SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Pt. 960, App. II Appendix II to Part 960—NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance Under proposed 40 CFR part 191, subpart A...

10 CFR Appendix I to Part 960 - NRC and EPA Requirements for Postclosure Repository Performance

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false NRC and EPA Requirements for Postclosure Repository... SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Pt. 960, App. I Appendix I to Part 960—NRC and EPA Requirements for Postclosure Repository Performance Under proposed 40 CFR part 191, subpart B...

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

Illitization within bentonite engineered barrier system in clay repositories for nuclear waste and its effect on the swelling stress: a coupled THMC modeling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Liu, H. H.

2014-12-01

Geological repositories for disposal of high-level nuclear waste generally rely on a multi-barrier system to isolate radioactive waste from the biosphere. An engineered barrier system (EBS), which comprises in many design concepts a bentonite backfill, is widely used. Clay formations have been considered as a host rock throughout the world. Illitization, the transformation of smectite to illite, could compromise some beneficiary features of EBS bentonite and clay host rock such as sorption and swelling capacity. It is the major determining factor to establish the maximum design temperature of the repositories because it is believed that illitization could be greatly enhanced at temperatures higher than 100 oC. However, existing experimental and modeling studies on the occurrence of illitization and related performance impacts are not conclusive, in part because the relevant couplings between the thermal, hydrological, chemical, and mechanical (THMC) processes have not been fully represented in the models. Here we present a fully coupled THMC simulation study of a generic nuclear waste repository in a clay formation with a bentonite-backfilled EBS. Two scenarios were simulated for comparison: a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister can reach about 200 oC and a case in which the temperature in the bentonite near the waste canister peaks at about 100 oC. The model simulations demonstrate that illitization is in general more significant under higher temperature. However, the quantity of illitization is affected by many chemical factors and therefore varies a great deal. The most important chemical factors are the concentration of K in the pore water as well as the abundance and dissolution rate of K-feldspar. For the particular case and bentonite properties studied, the reduction in swelling stress as a result of chemical changes vary from 2% up to 70% depending on chemical and temperature conditions, and key mechanical parameters. The

The French Geological Repository Project Cigeo - 12023

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

Harman, Alain; Labalette, Thibaud; Dupuis, Marie-Claude

The French Agency for Radioactive Waste Management, ANDRA, was launched by law in 1991 to perform and develop the research programme for managing high level and intermediate level long-lived radioactive waste generated by the French nuclear fleet. After a 15-year intensive research programme, including the study of alternative solutions, an overall review and assessment of the results was organized, including a national public debate. As a result, the Parliament passed a Planning Act on radioactive waste management in 2006. Commissioning of a geological repository by 2025 was one of the most important decisions taken at that time. To reach thismore » goal, a license application must be submitted and reviewed by the competent authorities by 2015. A detailed review and consultation process is, as well, defined in the Planning Act. Beside the legal framework the project needs to progress on two fronts. The first one is on siting. A significant milestone was reached in 2009 with the definition of a defined area to locate the underground repository facilities. This area was approved in March 2010 by the Government, after having collected the opinions and positions of all the interested parties, at both National and local levels. A new phase of dialogue with local players began to refine the implementation scenarios of surface facilities. The final site selection will be approved after a public debate planned for 2013. The second one is the industrial organization, planning and costing. The industrial project of this geological repository was called Cigeo (Centre Industriel de Stockage Geologique). Given the amount of work to be done to comply with the given time framework, a detailed organization with well-defined milestones must be set-up. Cigeo will be a specific nuclear facility, built and operated underground for over a hundred years. The consequence of this long duration is that the development of the repository facilities will take place in successive

Case for retrievable high-level nuclear waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roseboom, Eugene H.

1994-01-01

Plans for the nation's first high-level nuclear waste repository have called for permanently closing and sealing the repository soon after it is filled. However, the hydrologic environment of the proposed site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, should allow the repository to be kept open and the waste retrievable indefinitely. This would allow direct monitoring of the repository and maintain the options for future generations to improve upon the disposal methods or use the uranium in the spent fuel as an energy resource.

Can shale safely host US nuclear waste?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuzil, C.E.

2013-01-01

"Even as cleanup efforts after Japan’s Fukushima disaster offer a stark reminder of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) stored at nuclear plants worldwide, the decision in 2009 to scrap Yucca Mountain as a permanent disposal site has dimmed hope for a repository for SNF and other high-level nuclear waste (HLW) in the United States anytime soon. About 70,000 metric tons of SNF are now in pool or dry cask storage at 75 sites across the United States [Government Accountability Office, 2012], and uncertainty about its fate is hobbling future development of nuclear power, increasing costs for utilities, and creating a liability for American taxpayers [Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, 2012].However, abandoning Yucca Mountain could also result in broadening geologic options for hosting America’s nuclear waste. Shales and other argillaceous formations (mudrocks, clays, and similar clay-rich media) have been absent from the U.S. repository program. In contrast, France, Switzerland, and Belgium are now planning repositories in argillaceous formations after extensive research in underground laboratories on the safety and feasibility of such an approach [Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, 2012; Nationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle (NAGRA), 2010; Organisme national des déchets radioactifs et des matières fissiles enrichies, 2011]. Other nations, notably Japan, Canada, and the United Kingdom, are studying argillaceous formations or may consider them in their siting programs [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2012; Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), (2011a); Powell et al., 2010]."

Permanent Disposal of Nuclear Waste in Salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, F. D.

2016-12-01

Salt formations hold promise for eternal removal of nuclear waste from our biosphere. Germany and the United States have ample salt formations for this purpose, ranging from flat-bedded formations to geologically mature dome structures. Both nations are revisiting nuclear waste disposal options, accompanied by extensive collaboration on applied salt repository research, design, and operation. Salt formations provide isolation while geotechnical barriers reestablish impermeability after waste is placed in the geology. Between excavation and closure, physical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and hydrological processes ensue. Salt response over a range of stress and temperature has been characterized for decades. Research practices employ refined test techniques and controls, which improve parameter assessment for features of the constitutive models. Extraordinary computational capabilities require exacting understanding of laboratory measurements and objective interpretation of modeling results. A repository for heat-generative nuclear waste provides an engineering challenge beyond common experience. Long-term evolution of the underground setting is precluded from direct observation or measurement. Therefore, analogues and modeling predictions are necessary to establish enduring safety functions. A strong case for granular salt reconsolidation and a focused research agenda support salt repository concepts that include safety-by-design. 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. Author: F. D. Hansen, Sandia National Laboratories

Application of Non-Human Biota Assessment Methodologies to the Assessment of Potential Impacts from a Nuclear Waste Repository

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

Smith, K.L.; Robinson, C.A.; Ikonen, A.T.K.

2007-07-01

The protection of the environment from the effects of ionising radiation has become increasingly more topical over the last few years as the intentions enshrined in international principles and agreements have become more binding through national and international law. For example, the Directive on impact of certain projects on the environment (EIA Directive 85/337/EEC) [CEC, 1985], amended in 1997 [CEC, 1997], places a mandatory requirement on all EU Member States to conduct environmental impact assessments for a range of project having potential impact on the environment, including radioactive waste disposal. Such assessments must consider humans, fauna and flora, the abioticmore » environment (soil, water, air), material assets and cultural heritage as well as the interactions between these factors. In Finland, Posiva Oy are responsible for the overall repository programme for spent nuclear fuel and, as such, are conducting the Safety Case Assessment for a proposed geological repository for nuclear waste. Within the European legislation framework, the Finnish regulatory body requires that the repository safety case assessment should include not only human radiological safety, but also an assessment of the potential impact upon populations of non-human biota. Specifically, the Safety Case should demonstrate that there will be: - no decline in the biodiversity of currently living populations; - no significant detriment to populations of fauna and flora; and, - no detrimental effects on individuals of domestic animals and rare plants and animals. At present, there are no internationally agreed criteria that explicitly address protection of the environment from ionising radiation. However, over recent years a number of assessment methodologies have been developed including, at a European level, the Framework for the Assessment of Environmental impact (FASSET) and Environmental Risks from Ionising Contaminants (ERICA). The International Committee on Radiation

Colloid formation during waste form reaction: Implications for nuclear waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bates, J. K.; Bradley, J.; Teetsov, A.; Bradley, C. R.; Buchholtz ten Brink, Marilyn R.

1992-01-01

Insoluble plutonium- and americium-bearing colloidal particles formed during simulated weathering of a high-level nuclear waste glass. Nearly 100 percent of the total plutonium and americium in test ground water was concentrated in these submicrometer particles. These results indicate that models of actinide mobility and repository integrity, which assume complete solubility of actinides in ground water, underestimate the potential for radionuclide release into the environment. A colloid-trapping mechanism may be necessary for a waste repository to meet long-term performance specifications.

Coupled Biological-Geomechanical-Geochemical Effects of the Disturbed Rock Zone on the Performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunagan, S. C.; Herrick, C. G.; Lee, M. Y.

2008-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is located at a depth of 655 m in bedded salt in southeastern New Mexico and is operated by the U.S. Department of Energy as a deep underground disposal facility for transuranic (TRU) waste. The WIPP must comply with the EPA's environmental regulations that require a probabilistic risk analysis of releases of radionuclides due to inadvertent human intrusion into the repository at some time during the 10,000-year regulatory period. Sandia National Laboratories conducts performance assessments (PAs) of the WIPP using a system of computer codes representing the evolution of underground repository and emplaced TRU waste in order to demonstrate compliance. One of the important features modeled in a PA is the disturbed rock zone (DRZ) surrounding the emplacement rooms in the repository. The extent and permeability of DRZ play a significant role in the potential radionuclide release scenarios. We evaluated the phenomena occurring in the repository that affect the DRZ and their potential effects on the extent and permeability of the DRZ. Furthermore, we examined the DRZ's role in determining the performance of the repository. Pressure in the completely sealed repository will be increased by creep closure of the salt and degradation of TRU waste contents by microbial activity in the repository. An increased pressure in the repository will reduce the extent and permeability of the DRZ. The reduced DRZ extent and permeability will decrease the amount of brine that is available to interact with the waste. Furthermore, the potential for radionuclide release from the repository is dependent on the amount of brine that enters the repository. As a result of these coupled biological-geomechanical-geochemical phenomena, the extent and permeability of the DRZ has a significant impact on the potential radionuclide releases from the repository and, in turn, the repository performance. Sandia is a multi program laboratory operated by Sandia

A Proposal for Geologic Radioactive Waste Disposal Environmental Zero-State and Subsequent Monitoring Definition - First Lessons Learned from the French Environment Observatory - 13188

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

Landais, Patrick; Leclerc, Elisabeth; Mariotti, Andre

Obtaining a reference state of the environment before the beginning of construction work for a geological repository is essential as it will be useful for further monitoring during operations and beyond, thus keeping a memory of the original environmental state. The area and the compartments of the biosphere to be observed and monitored as well as the choice of the markers (e.g. bio-markers, biodiversity, quality of the environment, etc.) to be followed must be carefully selected. In parallel, the choice and selection of the environmental monitoring systems (i.e. scientific and technical criteria, social requirements) will be of paramount importance formore » the evaluation of the perturbations that could be induced during the operational phase of the repository exploitation. This paper presents learning points of the French environment observatory located in the Meuse/Haute-Marne that has been selected for studying the feasibility of the underground disposal of high level wastes in France. (authors)« less

US nuclear repository in jeopardy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwynne, Peter

2009-04-01

Physicists have expressed uneasiness about the future of nuclear-waste storage in the US after President Barack Obama's administration proposed slashing funds for a long-planned repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. If approved by Congress, the cuts seem likely to spell the death knell of the project, which has been in the works since 1987 and has so far cost the government 9.5bn.

Transuranic inventory reduction in repository by partitioning and transmutation

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

Kang, C.H.; Kazimi, M.S.

1992-01-01

The promise of a new reprocessing technology and the issuance of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations concerning a geologic repository rekindle the interest in partitioning and transmutation of transuranic (TRU) elements from discharged reactor fuel as a high level waste management option. This paper investigates the TRU repository inventory reduction capability of the proposed advanced liquid metal reactors (ALMRs) and integral fast reactors (IFRs) as well as the plutonium recycled light water reactors (LWRs).

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

Immobilization of Technetium in a Metallic Waste Form

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

S.M. Frank; D. D. Keiser, Jr.; K. C. Marsden

Fission-product technetium accumulated during treatment of spent nuclear fuel will ultimately be disposed of in a geological repository. The exact form of Tc for disposal has yet to be determined; however, a reasonable solution is to incorporate elemental Tc into a metallic waste form similar to the waste form produced during the pyrochemical treatment of spent, sodium-bonded fuel. This metal waste form, produced at the Idaho National Laboratory, has undergone extensive qualification examination and testing for acceptance to the Yucca Mountain geological repository. It is from this extensive qualification effort that the behavior of Tc and other fission products inmore » the waste form has been elucidated, and that the metal waste form is extremely robust in the retention of fission products, such as Tc, in repository like conditions. This manuscript will describe the metal waste form, the behavior of Tc in the waste form; and current research aimed at determining the maximum possible loading of Tc into the metal waste and subsequent determination of the performance of high Tc loaded metal waste forms.« less

Closure development for high-level nuclear waste containers for the tuff repository; Phase 1, Final report

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

Robitz, E.S. Jr.; McAninch, M.D. Jr.; Edmonds, D.P.

1990-09-01

This report summarizes Phase 1 activities for closure development of the high-level nuclear waste package task for the tuff repository. Work was conducted under U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Contract 9172105, administered through the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), as part of the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP), funded through the DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). The goal of this phase was to select five closure processes for further evaluation in later phases of the program. A decision tree methodology was utilized to perform an objective evaluation of 15 potential closure processes. Information was gathered via a literaturemore » survey, industrial contacts, and discussions with project team members, other experts in the field, and the LLNL waste package task staff. The five processes selected were friction welding, electron beam welding, laser beam welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and plasma arc welding. These are felt to represent the best combination of weldment material properties and process performance in a remote, radioactive environment. Conceptual designs have been generated for these processes to illustrate how they would be implemented in practice. Homopolar resistance welding was included in the Phase 1 analysis, and developments in this process will be monitored via literature in Phases 2 and 3. Work was conducted in accordance with the YMP Quality Assurance Program. 223 refs., 20 figs., 9 tabs.« less

Potential benefits of waste transmutation to the U.S. high-level waste respository

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

Michaels, G.E.

1995-10-01

This paper reexamines the potential benefits of waste transmutation to the proposed U.S. geologic repository at the Yucca Mountain site based on recent progress in the performance assessment for the Yucca Mountain base case of spent fuel emplacement. It is observed that actinides are assumed to have higher solubility than in previous studies and that Np and other actinides now dominate the projected aqueous releases from a Yucca Mountain repository. Actinides are also indentified as the dominant source of decay heat in the repository, and the effect of decay heat in perturbing the hydrology, geochemistry, and thermal characteristics of Yuccamore » Mountain are reviewed. It is concluded that the potential for thermally-driven, buoyant, gas-phase flow at Yucca Mountain introduces data and modeling requirements that will increase the costs of licensing the site and may cause the site to be unattractive for geologic disposal of wastes. A transmutation-enabled cold repository is proposed that might allow licensing of a repository to be based upon currently observable characteristics of the Yucca Mountain site.« less

The radiation resistance and cobalt biosorption activity of yeast strains isolated from the Lanyu low-level radioactive waste repository in Taiwan.

PubMed

Li, Chia-Chin; Chung, Hsiao-Ping; Wen, Hsiao-Wei; Chang, Ching-Tu; Wang, Ya-Ting; Chou, Fong-In

2015-08-01

The ubiquitous nature of microbes has made them the pioneers in radionuclides adsorption and transport. In this study, the radiation resistance and nuclide biosorption capacity of microbes isolated from the Lanyu low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) repository in Taiwan was assessed, the evaluation of the possibility of using the isolated strain as biosorbents for (60)Co and Co (II) from contaminated aqueous solution and the potential impact on radionuclides release. The microbial content of solidified waste and broken fragments of containers at the Lanyu LLRW repository reached 10(5) CFU/g. Two yeast strains, Candida guilliermondii (CT1) and Rhodotorula calyptogenae (RT1) were isolated. The radiation dose necessary to reduce the microbial count by one log cycle of CT1 and RT1 was 2.1 and 0.8 kGy, respectively. Both CT1 and RT1 can grow under a radiation field with dose rate of 6.8 Gy/h, about 100 times higher than that on the surface of the LLRW container in Lanyu repository. CT1 and RT1 had the maximum (60)Co biosorption efficiency of 99.7 ± 0.1% and 98.3 ± 0.2%, respectively in (60)Co aqueous solution (700 Bq/mL), and the (60)Co could stably retained for more than 30 days in CT 1. Nearly all of the Co was absorbed and reached equilibrium within 1 h by CT1 and RT1 in the 10 μg/g Co (II) aqueous solution. Biosorption efficiency test showed almost all of the Co (II) was adsorbed by CT1 in 20 μg/g Co (II) aqueous solution, the efficiency of biosorption by RT1 in 10 μg/g of Co (II) was lower. The maximum Co (II) sorption capacity of CT1 and RT1 was 5324.0 ± 349.0 μg/g (dry wt) and 3737.6 ± 86.5 μg/g (dry wt), respectively, in the 20 μg/g Co (II) aqueous solution. Experimental results show that microbial activity was high in the Lanyu LLRW repository in Taiwan. Two isolated yeast strains, CT1 and RT1 have high potential for use as biosorbents for (60)Co and Co (II) from contaminated aqueous solution, on the other hand, but may have the

Cigeo, the French Geological Repository Project - 13022

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

Labalette, Thibaud; Harman, Alain; Dupuis, Marie-Claude

The Cigeo industrial-scale geological disposal centre is designed for the disposal of the most highly-radioactive French waste. It will be built in an argillite formation of the Callovo-Oxfordian dating back 160 million years. The Cigeo project is located near the Bure village in the Paris Basin. The argillite formation was studied since 1974, and from the Meuse/Haute-Marne underground research laboratory since end of 1999. Most of the waste to be disposed of in the Cigeo repository comes from nuclear power plants and from reprocessing of their spent fuel. (authors)

Generic repository design concepts and thermal analysis (FY11).

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

Howard, Robert; Dupont, Mark; Blink, James A.

2011-08-01

Reference concepts for geologic disposal of used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in the U.S. are developed, including geologic settings and engineered barriers. Repository thermal analysis is demonstrated for a range of waste types from projected future, advanced nuclear fuel cycles. The results show significant differences among geologic media considered (clay/shale, crystalline rock, salt), and also that waste package size and waste loading must be limited to meet targeted maximum temperature values. In this study, the UFD R&D Campaign has developed a set of reference geologic disposal concepts for a range of waste types that could potentially be generatedmore » in advanced nuclear FCs. A disposal concept consists of three components: waste inventory, geologic setting, and concept of operations. Mature repository concepts have been developed in other countries for disposal of spent LWR fuel and HLW from reprocessing UNF, and these serve as starting points for developing this set. Additional design details and EBS concepts will be considered as the reference disposal concepts evolve. The waste inventory considered in this study includes: (1) direct disposal of SNF from the LWR fleet, including Gen III+ advanced LWRs being developed through the Nuclear Power 2010 Program, operating in a once-through cycle; (2) waste generated from reprocessing of LWR UOX UNF to recover U and Pu, and subsequent direct disposal of used Pu-MOX fuel (also used in LWRs) in a modified-open cycle; and (3) waste generated by continuous recycling of metal fuel from fast reactors operating in a TRU burner configuration, with additional TRU material input supplied from reprocessing of LWR UOX fuel. The geologic setting provides the natural barriers, and establishes the boundary conditions for performance of engineered barriers. The composition and physical properties of the host medium dictate design and construction approaches, and determine hydrologic and thermal responses

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

Native Americans and state and local governments

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

Rusco, E.R.

1991-10-01

Native Americans` concerns arising from the possibility of establishment of a nuclear repository for high level wastes at Yucca Mountain fall principally into two main categories. First, the strongest objection to the repository comes from traditional Western Shoshones. Their objections are based on a claim that the Western Shoshones still own Yucca Mountain and also on the assertion that putting high level nuclear wastes into the ground is a violation of their religious views regarding nature. Second, there are several reservations around the Yucca Mountain site that might be affected in various ways by building of the repository. There ismore » a question about how many such reservations there are, which can only be decided when more information is available. This report discusses two questions: the bearing of the continued vigorous assertion by traditionalist Western Shoshones of their land claim; and the extent to which Nevada state and local governments are able to understand and represent Indian viewpoints about Yucca Mountain.« less

Logistics Modeling of Emplacement Rate and Duration of Operations for Generic Geologic Repository Concepts

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

Kalinina, Elena Arkadievna; Hardin, Ernest

This study identified potential geologic repository concepts for disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and (2) evaluated the achievable repository waste emplacement rate and the time required to complete the disposal for these concepts. Total repository capacity is assumed to be approximately 140,000 MT of spent fuel. The results of this study provide an important input for the rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) disposal cost analysis. The disposal concepts cover three major categories of host geologic media: crystalline or hard rock, salt, and argillaceous rock. Four waste package sizes are considered: 4PWR/9BWR; 12PWR/21BWR; 21PWR/44BWR, and dual purpose canisters (DPCs). The DPC concepts assumemore » that the existing canisters will be sealed into disposal overpacks for direct disposal. Each concept assumes one of the following emplacement power limits for either emplacement or repository closure: 1.7 kW; 2.2 kW; 5.5 kW; 10 kW; 11.5 kW, and 18 kW.« less

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

Geologic and geophysical characterization studies of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential high-level radioactive-waste repository

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitney, J.W.; Keefer, W.R.

2000-01-01

In recognition of a critical national need for permanent radioactive-waste storage, Yucca Mountain in southwestern Nevada has been investigated by Federal agencies since the 1970's, as a potential geologic disposal site. In 1987, Congress selected Yucca Mountain for an expanded and more detailed site characterization effort. As an integral part of this program, the U.S. Geological Survey began a series of detailed geologic, geophysical, and related investigations designed to characterize the tectonic setting, fault behavior, and seismicity of the Yucca Mountain area. This document presents the results of 13 studies of the tectonic environment of Yucca Mountain, in support of a broad goal to assess the effects of future seismic and fault activity in the area on design, long-term performance, and safe operation of the potential surface and subsurface repository facilities.

Anthropogenic influences on groundwater in the vicinity of a long-lived radioactive waste repository: Anthropogenic influences on groundwater

DOE PAGES

Thomas, Matthew A.; Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Ward, Anderson L.

2017-04-25

The groundwater flow system in the Culebra Dolomite Member (Culebra) of the Permian Rustler Formation is a potential radionuclide release pathway from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the only deep geological repository for transuranic waste in the United States. We did not expect that early conceptual models of the Culebra, groundwater levels would fluctuate markedly, except in response to long-term climatic changes, with response times on the order of hundreds to thousands of years. Recent groundwater pressures measured in monitoring wells record more than 25 m of drawdown. The fluctuations are attributed to pumping activities at a privately-owned wellmore » that may be associated with the demand of the Permian Basin hydrocarbon industry for water. Furthermore, the unprecedented magnitude of drawdown provides an opportunity to quantitatively assess the influence of unplanned anthropogenic forcings near the WIPP. Spatially variable realizations of Culebra saturated hydraulic conductivity and storativity were used to develop groundwater flow models to estimate a pumping rate for the private well and investigate its effect on advective transport. Simulated drawdown shows reasonable agreement with observations (average Model Efficiency coefficient = 0.7). Steepened hydraulic gradients associated with the pumping reduce estimates of conservative particle travel times across the domain by one-half and shift the intersection of the average particle track with the compliance boundary by more than two kilometers. Finally, the value of the transient simulations conducted for this study lie in their ability to (i) improve understanding of the Culebra groundwater flow system and (ii) challenge the notion of time-invariant land use in the vicinity of the WIPP.« less

Anthropogenic influences on groundwater in the vicinity of a long-lived radioactive waste repository: Anthropogenic influences on groundwater

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

Thomas, Matthew A.; Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Ward, Anderson L.

The groundwater flow system in the Culebra Dolomite Member (Culebra) of the Permian Rustler Formation is a potential radionuclide release pathway from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the only deep geological repository for transuranic waste in the United States. We did not expect that early conceptual models of the Culebra, groundwater levels would fluctuate markedly, except in response to long-term climatic changes, with response times on the order of hundreds to thousands of years. Recent groundwater pressures measured in monitoring wells record more than 25 m of drawdown. The fluctuations are attributed to pumping activities at a privately-owned wellmore » that may be associated with the demand of the Permian Basin hydrocarbon industry for water. Furthermore, the unprecedented magnitude of drawdown provides an opportunity to quantitatively assess the influence of unplanned anthropogenic forcings near the WIPP. Spatially variable realizations of Culebra saturated hydraulic conductivity and storativity were used to develop groundwater flow models to estimate a pumping rate for the private well and investigate its effect on advective transport. Simulated drawdown shows reasonable agreement with observations (average Model Efficiency coefficient = 0.7). Steepened hydraulic gradients associated with the pumping reduce estimates of conservative particle travel times across the domain by one-half and shift the intersection of the average particle track with the compliance boundary by more than two kilometers. Finally, the value of the transient simulations conducted for this study lie in their ability to (i) improve understanding of the Culebra groundwater flow system and (ii) challenge the notion of time-invariant land use in the vicinity of the WIPP.« less

Radioactive waste management in Poland status and strategy for the future

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

Wlodarski, J.

1995-12-01

Site selection for a new radioactive waste repository in Poland has been started. The repository will contain low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes and spent fuel. Superficial, shallow underground and deep underground disposal options were considered; 39 potential sites have been selected. Issues to be resolved regarding waste management in Poland are also outlined in this paper.

10 CFR Appendix F to Part 50 - Policy Relating to the Siting of Fuel Reprocessing Plants and Related Waste Management Facilities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... transferred to a Federal repository no later than 10 years following separation of fission products from the.... Disposal of high-level radioactive fission product waste material will not be permitted on any land other... of the policy stated above with respect to high-level radioactive fission product wastes generated...

10 CFR Appendix F to Part 50 - Policy Relating to the Siting of Fuel Reprocessing Plants and Related Waste Management Facilities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... transferred to a Federal repository no later than 10 years following separation of fission products from the.... Disposal of high-level radioactive fission product waste material will not be permitted on any land other... of the policy stated above with respect to high-level radioactive fission product wastes generated...

Current Status of The Romanian National Deep Geological Repository Program

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

Radu, M.; Nicolae, R.; Nicolae, D.

2008-07-01

Construction of a deep geological repository is a very demanding and costly task. By now, countries that have Candu reactors, have not processed the spent fuel passing to the interim storage as a preliminary step of final disposal within the nuclear fuel cycle back-end. Romania, in comparison to other nations, represents a rather small territory, with high population density, wherein the geological formation areas with radioactive waste storage potential are limited and restricted not only from the point of view of the selection criteria due to the rocks natural characteristics, but also from the point of view of their involvementmore » in social and economical activities. In the framework of the national R and D Programs, series of 'Map investigations' have been made regarding the selection and preliminary characterization of the host geological formation for the nation's spent fuel deep geological repository. The fact that Romania has many deposits of natural gas, oil, ore and geothermal water, and intensively utilizes soil and also is very forested, cause some of the apparent acceptable sites to be rejected in the subsequent analysis. Currently, according to the Law on the spent fuel and radioactive waste management, including disposal, The National Agency of Radioactive Waste is responsible and coordinates the national strategy in the field and, subsequently, further actions will be decided. The Romanian National Strategy, approved in 2004, projects the operation of a deep geological repository to begin in 2055. (authors)« less

Modelling of the reactive transport for rock salt-brine in geological repository systems based on improved thermodynamic database (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, W.; Alkan, H.; Xie, M.; Moog, H.; Sonnenthal, E. L.

2009-12-01

The release and migration of toxic contaminants from the disposed wastes is one of the main issues in long-term safety assessment of geological repositories. In the engineered and geological barriers around the nuclear waste emplacements chemical interactions between the components of the system may affect the isolation properties considerably. As the chemical issues change the transport properties in the near and far field of a nuclear repository, modelling of the transport should also take the chemistry into account. The reactive transport modelling consists of two main components: a code that combines the possible chemical reactions with thermo-hydrogeological processes interactively and a thermodynamic databank supporting the required parameters for the calculation of the chemical reactions. In the last decade many thermo-hydrogeological codes were upgraded to include the modelling of the chemical processes. TOUGHREACT is one of these codes. This is an extension of the well known simulator TOUGH2 for modelling geoprocesses. The code is developed by LBNL (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Univ. of California) for the simulation of the multi-phase transport of gas and liquid in porous media including heat transfer. After the release of its first version in 1998, this code has been applied and improved many times in conjunction with considerations for nuclear waste emplacement. A recent version has been extended to calculate ion activities in concentrated salt solutions applying the Pitzer model. In TOUGHREACT, the incorporated equation of state module ECO2N is applied as the EOS module for non-isothermal multiphase flow in a fluid system of H2O-NaCl-CO2. The partitioning of H2O and CO2 between liquid and gas phases is modelled as a function of temperature, pressure, and salinity. This module is applicable for waste repositories being expected to generate or having originally CO2 in the fluid system. The enhanced TOUGHREACT uses an EQ3/6-formatted database

Nuclear Waste Package Mockups: A Study of In-situ Redox State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helean, K.; Anderson, B.; Brady, P. V.

2006-05-01

The Yucca Mountain Repository (YMR), located in southern Nevada, is to be the first facility in the U.S. for the permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuels. Total system performance assessment(TSPA) has indicated that among the major radionuclides contributing to dose are Np, Tc, and I. These three radionuclides are mobile in most geochemical settings, and therefore sequestering them within the repository horizon is a priority for the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). Corroding steel may offset radionuclide transport processes within the proposed waste packages at YMR by retaining radionuclides, creating locally reducing conditions, and reducing porosity. Ferrous iron has been shown to reduce UO22+ to UO2s, and some ferrous iron-bearing ion-exchange materials have been shown to adsorb radionuclides and heavy metals. Locally reducing conditions may lead to the reduction and subsequent immobilization of problematic dissolved species such as TcO4-, NpO2+, and UO22+ and can also inhibit corrosion of spent nuclear fuel. Water occluded during corrosion produces bulky corrosion products, and consequently less porosity is available for water and radionuclide transport. The focus of this study is on the nature of Yucca Mountain waste package corrosion products and their effects on local redox conditions, radionuclide transport, and porosity. In order to measure in-situ redox, six small-scale (1:40) waste package mockups were constructed using A516 and 316 stainless steel, the same materials as the proposed Yucca Mountain waste packages. The mockups are periodically injected with a simulated groundwater and the accumulated effluent and corrosion products are evaluated for their Fe(II)/Fe(III) content and mineralogy. Oxygen fugacities are then calculated and, thus, in-situ redox conditions are determined. Early results indicate that corrosion products are largely amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxides, goethite and magnetite. That information together with the

Industrial Program of Waste Management - Cigeo Project - 13033

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

Butez, Marc; Bartagnon, Olivier; Gagner, Laurent

2013-07-01

The French Planning Act of 28 June 2006 prescribed that a reversible repository in a deep geological formation be chosen as the reference solution for the long-term management of high-level and intermediate-level long-lived radioactive waste. It also entrusted the responsibility of further studies and design of the repository (named Cigeo) upon the French Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), in order for the review of the creation-license application to start in 2015 and, subject to its approval, the commissioning of the repository to take place in 2025. Andra is responsible for siting, designing, implementing, operating the future geological repository, including operationalmore » and long term safety and waste acceptance. Nuclear operators (Electricite de France (EDF), AREVA NC, and the French Commission in charge of Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies (CEA) are technically and financially responsible for the waste they generate, with no limit in time. They provide Andra, on one hand, with waste packages related input data, and on the other hand with their long term industrial experiences of high and intermediate-level long-lived radwaste management and nuclear operation. Andra, EDF, AREVA and CEA established a cooperation agreement for strengthening their collaborations in these fields. Within this agreement Andra and the nuclear operators have defined an industrial program for waste management. This program includes the waste inventory to be taken into account for the design of the Cigeo project and the structural hypothesis underlying its phased development. It schedules the delivery of the different categories of waste and defines associated flows. (authors)« 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.

10 CFR Appendix II to Part 960 - NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance II Appendix II to Part 960 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Pt. 960, App. II Appendix II to Part 960—NRC and...

10 CFR Appendix II to Part 960 - NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance II Appendix II to Part 960 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Pt. 960, App. II Appendix II to Part 960—NRC and...

10 CFR Appendix II to Part 960 - NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance II Appendix II to Part 960 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Pt. 960, App. II Appendix II to Part 960—NRC and...

10 CFR Appendix I to Part 960 - NRC and EPA Requirements for Postclosure Repository Performance

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false NRC and EPA Requirements for Postclosure Repository Performance I Appendix I to Part 960 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Pt. 960, App. I Appendix I to Part 960—NRC and...

10 CFR Appendix II to Part 960 - NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false NRC and EPA Requirements for Preclosure Repository Performance II Appendix II to Part 960 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY Pt. 960, App. II Appendix II to Part 960—NRC and...

Study of thermo-hydro-mechanical processes at a potential site of an Indian nuclear waste repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maheshwar, Sachin; Verma, A. K.; Singh, T. N.; Bajpai, R. K.

2015-12-01

A detailed scientific study is required for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes because they generate extremely high heat during their half-life period. Although, several methods have been proposed for the disposal of nuclear wastes, deep underground repository is considered to be a suitable option. In this paper, field investigation has been done near to Bhima basin of peninsular India. Detailed fracture analysis near the borehole shows very prominent maxima of fractures striking N55∘E coinciding with the trace of master basement cover metasediment fault. Physico-mechanical properties of rocks have been determined in the laboratory. The host rock chosen is granite and engineered barrier near the canister is proposed to be clay. A thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) analysis has been done to study the effect of heat on deformations, stresses and pore-pressure variation in granite and clay barriers. For this purpose, finite difference method has been used. Suitable rheological models have been used to model elastic canister and elasto-plastic engineered barrier and host rock. It has been found that both temperature and stresses at any point in the rockmass is below the design criteria which are 100∘C for temperature and 0.2 for damage number.

Future intrusion of oxygenated glacial meltwaters into the Fennoscandian shield: a possibility to consider in performance assessments for nuclear-waste disposal sites?: Chapter 6

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glynn, Pierre

2008-01-01

Provost et al. (1998) and Glynn and Voss (1999; also published in Glynn et al., 1999) considered the possibility that during future glaciations, oxygenated glacial meltwaters from two- to three-kilometer thick ice sheets could potentially intrude to the 500 m depth of planned nuclear-waste repositories. This possibility has been of concern because of potential negative effects on the stability of the repository engineered environment, and because of the potential mobilization of radionuclides should the oxygenated waters come into contact with the radioactive waste. The above reports argued that given the current state of knowledge, it was hard to discount the possibility that oxygenated waters could penetrate to repository level depth. The reports also suggested that oxidizing conditions might be present in the fractured rock environment for significant amounts of time, on the order of thousands to tens of thousands of years. In some earlier reports, Swedish and Finnish governmental agencies in charge of nuclear-waste disposal had considered the possibility that oxygenated meltwaters might intrude to the repository depth (SKI: 1992; Martinerie et al, 1992; Ahonen and Vieno, 1994). Subsequent to the publication of Provost et al. (1998), Glynn et al. (1999) and Glynn and Voss (1999), the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Handling Company (SKB) commissioned efforts to examine more thoroughly the possibilities that oxygenated meltwaters might occur under ice-sheet conditions and intrude to the repository depth.

The environmental constraint needs for design improvements to the Saligny I/LLW-repository near Cernavoda NPP

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

Barariu, Gheorghe

2007-07-01

The paper presents the new perspectives on the development of the L/ILW Final Repository Project which will be built near Cernavoda NPP. The Repository is designed to satisfy the main performance objectives in accordance to IAEA recommendation. Starting in October 1996, Romania became a country with an operating nuclear power plant. Reactor 2 reached the criticality on May 6, 2007 and it will be put in commercial operation in September 2007. The Ministry of Economy and Finance has decided to proceed with the commissioning of Units 3 and 4 of Cernavoda NPP till 2014. The Strategy for radioactive waste managementmore » was elaborated by National Agency for Radioactive Waste (ANDRAD), the jurisdictional authority for definitive disposal and the coordination of nuclear spent fuel and radioactive waste management (Order 844/2004) with attributions established by Governmental Decision (GO) 31/2006. The Strategy specifies the commissioning of the Saligny L/IL Radwaste Repository near Cernavoda NPP in 2014. When designing the L/IL Radwaste Repository, the following prerequisites have been taken into account: 1) Cernavoda NPP will be equipped with 4 Candu 6 units. 2) National Legislation in radwaste management will be reviewed and/or completed to harmonize with UE standards 3) The selected site is now in process of confirmation after a comprehensive set of interdisciplinary investigations. (author)« less

Environmental and health impacts of February 14, 2014 radiation release from the nation's only deep geologic nuclear waste repository.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Lemons, B G; Ballard, S; Hardy, R

2015-08-01

The environmental impact of the February 14, 2014 radiation release from the nation's only deep geologic nuclear waste repository, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was assessed using monitoring data from an independent monitoring program conducted by the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center (CEMRC). After almost 15 years of safe and efficient operations, the WIPP had one of its waste drums rupture underground resulting in the release of moderate levels of radioactivity into the underground air. A small amount of radioactivity also escaped to the surface through the ventilation system and was detected above ground. It was the first unambiguous release from the WIPP repository. The dominant radionuclides released were americium and plutonium, in a ratio that matches the content of the breached drum. The accelerated air monitoring campaign, which began following the accident, indicates that releases were low and localized, and no radiation-related health effects among local workers or the public would be expected. The highest activity detected was 115.2 μBq/m(3) for (241)Am and 10.2 μBq/m(3) for (239+240)Pu at a sampling station located 91 m away from the underground air exhaust point and 81.4 μBq/m(3) of (241)Am and 5.8 μBq/m(3) of (239+240)Pu at a monitoring station located approximately one kilometer northwest of the WIPP facility. CEMRC's recent monitoring data show that the concentration levels of these radionuclides have returned to normal background levels and in many instances, are not even detectable, demonstrating no long-term environmental impacts of the recent radiation release event at the WIPP. This article presents an evaluation of almost one year of environmental monitoring data that informed the public that the levels of radiation that got out to the environment were very low and did not, and will not harm anyone or have any long-term environmental consequence. In terms of radiological risk at or in the vicinity of the

Multi-scale groundwater flow modeling during temperate climate conditions for the safety assessment of the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository site at Forsmark, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joyce, Steven; Hartley, Lee; Applegate, David; Hoek, Jaap; Jackson, Peter

2014-09-01

Forsmark in Sweden has been proposed as the site of a geological repository for spent high-level nuclear fuel, to be located at a depth of approximately 470 m in fractured crystalline rock. The safety assessment for the repository has required a multi-disciplinary approach to evaluate the impact of hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical conditions close to the repository and in a wider regional context. Assessing the consequences of potential radionuclide releases requires quantitative site-specific information concerning the details of groundwater flow on the scale of individual waste canister locations (1-10 m) as well as details of groundwater flow and composition on the scale of groundwater pathways between the facility and the surface (500 m to 5 km). The purpose of this article is to provide an illustration of multi-scale modeling techniques and the results obtained when combining aspects of local-scale flows in fractures around a potential contaminant source with regional-scale groundwater flow and transport subject to natural evolution of the system. The approach set out is novel, as it incorporates both different scales of model and different levels of detail, combining discrete fracture network and equivalent continuous porous medium representations of fractured bedrock.

National Pesticide Standard Repository

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's National Pesticide Standards Repository collects and maintains an inventory of analytical “standards” of registered pesticides in the United States, as well as some that are not currently registered for food and product testing and monitoring.

Chemistry of diagenetically altered tuffs at a potential nuclear waste repository, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

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

Broxton, D.E.; Warren, R.G.; Hagan, R.C.

1986-10-01

The chemistry of diagenetically altered tuffs at a potential nuclear waste repository, Yucca Mountain, Nevada is described. These tuffs contain substantial amounts of zeolites that are highly sorptive of certain radionuclides. Because of their widespread distribution, the zeolitic tuffs could provide important barriers to radionuclide migration. Physical properties of these tuffs and of their constituent zeolites are influenced by their chemical compositions. This study defines the amount of chemical variability within diagenetically altered tuffs and within diagenetic minerals at Yucca Mountain. Zeolitic tuffs at Yucca Mountain formed by diagenetic alteration of rhyolitic vitric tuffs. Despite their similar starting compositions, thesemore » tuffs developed compositions that vary both vertically and laterally. Widespread chemical variations were the result of open-system chemical diagenesis in which chemical components of the tuffs were mobilized and redistributed by groundwaters. Alkalies, alkaline earths, and silica were the most mobile elements during diagenesis. The zeolitic tuffs can be divided into three compositional groups: (1) calcium- and magnesium-rich tuffs associated with relatively thin zones of alteration in the unsaturated zone; (2) tuffs in thick zones of alteration at and below the water table that grade laterally from sodic compositions on the western side of Yucca Mountain to calcic compositions on the eastern side; and (3) potassic tuffs at the north end of Yucca Mountain. Physical properties of tuffs and their consistuent zeolites at Yucca Mountain may be affected by variations in compositions. Properties important for assessment of repository performance include behavior and ion exchange.« less

Consequences of the Thermal Transient on the Evolution of the Damaged Zone Around a Repository for Heat-Emitting High-Level Radioactive Waste in a Clay Formation: a Performance Assessment Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Li; Weetjens, Eef; Sillen, Xavier; Vietor, Tim; Li, Xiangling; Delage, Pierre; Labiouse, Vincent; Charlier, Robert

2014-01-01

A proper evaluation of the perturbations of the host rock induced by the excavation and the emplacement of exothermic wastes is essential for the assessment of the long-term safety of high-level radioactive waste disposals in clay formations. The impact of the thermal transient on the evolution of the damaged zone (DZ) has been explored in the European Commission project TIMODAZ (thermal impact on the damaged zone around a radioactive waste disposal in clay host rocks, 2006-2010). This paper integrates the scientific results of the TIMODAZ project from a performance assessment (PA) point of view, showing how these results support and justify key PA assumptions and the values of PA model parameters. This paper also contextualises the significance of the thermal impact on the DZ from a safety case perspective, highlighting how the project outcomes result into an improved understanding of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the clay host rocks. The results obtained in the TIMODAZ project strengthen the assessment basis of the safety evaluation of the current repository designs. There was no evidence throughout the TIMODAZ experimental observations of a temperature-induced additional opening of fractures nor of a significant permeability increase of the DZ. Instead, thermally induced plasticity, swelling and creep seem to be beneficial to the sealing of fractures and to the recovery of a very low permeability in the DZ, close to that of an undisturbed clay host rock. Results from the TIMODAZ project indicate that the favourable properties of the clay host rock, which guarantee the effectiveness of the safety functions of the repository system, are expected to be maintained after the heating-cooling cycle. Hence, the basic assumptions usually made in PA calculations so far are expected to remain valid, and the performance of the system should not be affected in a negative way by the thermal evolution of the DZ around a radioactive waste repository in clay host rock.

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

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.

High-level waste disposal, ethics and thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Michael O.

2008-06-01

Moral philosophy applied to nuclear waste disposal can be linked to paradigmatic science. Simple thermodynamic principles tell us something about rightness or wrongness of our action. Ethical judgement can be orientated towards the chemical compatibility between waste container and geological repository. A container-repository system as close as possible to thermodynamic equilibrium is ethically acceptable. It aims at unlimited stability, similar to the stability of natural metal deposits within the Earth’s crust. The practicability of the guideline can be demonstrated.

The United States Polar Rock Repository: A geological resource for the Earth science community

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grunow, Annie M.; Elliot, David H.; Codispoti, Julie E.

2007-01-01

The United States Polar Rock Repository (USPRR) is a U. S. national facility designed for the permanent curatorial preservation of rock samples, along with associated materials such as field notes, annotated air photos and maps, raw analytic data, paleomagnetic cores, ground rock and mineral residues, thin sections, and microfossil mounts, microslides and residues from Polar areas. This facility was established by the Office of Polar Programs at the U. S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to minimize redundant sample collecting, and also because the extreme cold and hazardous field conditions make fieldwork costly and difficult. The repository provides, along with an on-line database of sample information, an essential resource for proposal preparation, pilot studies and other sample based research that should make fieldwork more efficient and effective. This latter aspect should reduce the environmental impact of conducting research in sensitive Polar Regions. The USPRR also provides samples for educational outreach. Rock samples may be borrowed for research or educational purposes as well as for museum exhibits.

Limits to the use of highly compacted bentonite as a deterrent for microbiologically influenced corrosion in a nuclear fuel waste repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroes-Gascoyne, Simcha; Hamon, Connie J.; Maak, Peter

Recent studies have suggested that microbial activity in highly compacted bentonite (⩾1600 kg/m 3) is severely suppressed. Therefore, it appears that the dry density of emplaced bentonite barriers in a geological repository for nuclear waste may be tailored such that a microbiologically unfavorable environment can be created adjacent to used fuel containers. This would ensure that microbiologically influenced corrosion is a negligible contributor to the overall corrosion process. However, this premise is valid only as long as the emplaced bentonite maintains a uniform high dry density (⩾1600 kg/m 3) because it has been shown that high dry density only suppresses microbial activity but not necessarily eliminates the viable microbial population in bentonite. In a repository, a reduction in the dry density of highly compacted bentonite may occur at a number of interface locations, such as placement gaps, contact regions with materials of different densities and contact points with water-carrying fractures in the rock. Experiments were carried out in our laboratory to examine the effects of a reduction in dry density (from 1600 kg/m 3 to about 1000 kg/m 3) on the recovery of microbial culturability in compacted bentonite. Results showed that upon expansion of compacted bentonite into a void, the resulting reduction in dry density stimulated or restored culturability of indigenous microbes. In a repository this would increase the possibility of in situ activity, which might be detrimental for the longevity of waste containers. Reductions in dry density, therefore, should be minimized or eliminated by adequate design and placement methods of compacted bentonite. Materials compliance models can be used to determine the required as-placed dry densities of bentonite buffer and gap fillings to achieve specific targets for long-term equilibrium dry densities for various container placement room designs. Locations where flowing fractures could be in contact with highly

Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems: REFERENCE SITE INITIAL ASSESSMENT FOR A SALT DOME REPOSITORY

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

Harwell, M. A.; Brandstetter, A.; Benson, G. L.

1982-06-01

As a methodology demonstration for the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI), the Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program conducted an initial reference site analysis of the long-term effectiveness of a salt dome repository. The Hainesville Salt Dome in Texas was chosen to be representative of the Gulf Coast interior salt domes; however, the Hainesville Site has been eliminated as a possible nuclear waste repository site. The data used for this exercise are not adequate for an actual assessment, nor have all the parametric analyses been made that would adequately characterize the response of the geosystem surroundingmore » the repository. Additionally, because this was the first exercise of the complete AEGIS and WASTE Rock Interaction Technology (WRIT) methodology, this report provides the initial opportunity for the methodology, specifically applied to a site, to be reviewed by the community outside the AEGIS. The scenario evaluation, as a part of the methodology demonstration, involved consideration of a large variety of potentially disruptive phenomena, which alone or in concert could lead to a breach in a salt dome repository and to a subsequent transport of the radionuclides to the environment. Without waste- and repository-induced effects, no plausible natural geologic events or processes which would compromise the repository integrity could be envisioned over the one-million-year time frame after closure. Near-field (waste- and repository-induced) effects were excluded from consideration in this analysis, but they can be added in future analyses when that methodology development is more complete. The potential for consequential human intrusion into salt domes within a million-year time frame led to the consideration of a solution mining intrusion scenario. The AEGIS staff developed a specific human intrusion scenario at 100 years and 1000 years post-closure, which is one of a whole suite of possible scenarios. This

Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems: REFERENCE SITE INITIAL ASSESSMENT FOR A SALT DOME REPOSITORY

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

Harwell, M. A.; Brandstetter, A.; Benson, G. L.

1982-06-01

As a methodology demonstration for the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI), the Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program conducted an initial reference site analysis of the long-term effectiveness of a salt dome repository. The Hainesville Salt Dome in Texas was chosen to be representative of the Gulf Coast interior salt domes; however, the Hainesville Site has been eliminated as a possible nuclear waste repository site. The data used for this exercise are not adequate for an actual assessment, nor have all the parametric analyses been made that would adequately characterize the response of the geosystem surroundingmore » the repository. Additionally, because this was the first exercise of the complete AEGIS and WASTE Rock Interaction Technology (WRIT) methodology, this report provides the initial opportunity for the methodology, specifically applied to a site, to be reviewed by the community outside the AEGIS. The scenario evaluation, as a part of the methodology demonstration, involved consideration of a large variety of potentially disruptive phenomena, which alone or in concert could lead to a breach in a salt dome repository and to a subsequent transport of the radionuclides to the environment. Without waste- and repository-induced effects, no plausible natural geologic events or processes which would compromise the repository integrity could be envisioned over the one-million-year time frame after closure. Near-field (waste- and repository-induced) effects were excluded from consideration in this analysis, but they can be added in future analyses when that methodology development is more complete. The potential for consequential human intrusion into salt domes within a million-year time frame led to the consideration of a solution mining intrusion scenario. The AEGIS staff developed a specific human intrusion scenario at 100 years and 1000 years post-closure, which is one of a whole suite of possible scenarios. This

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.

The Louisiana State University waste-to-energy incinerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-10-01

This proposed action is for cost-shared construction of an incinerator/steam-generation facility at Louisiana State University under the State Energy Conservation Program (SECP). The SECP, created by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, calls upon DOE to encourage energy conservation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency by providing Federal technical and financial assistance in developing and implementing comprehensive state energy conservation plans and projects. Currently, LSU runs a campus-wide recycling program in order to reduce the quantity of solid waste requiring disposal. This program has removed recyclable paper from the waste stream; however, a considerable quantity of other non-recyclable combustible wastes are produced on campus. Until recently, these wastes were disposed of in the Devil's Swamp landfill (also known as the East Baton Rouge Parish landfill). When this facility reached its capacity, a new landfill was opened a short distance away, and this new site is now used for disposal of the University's non-recyclable wastes. While this new landfill has enough capacity to last for at least 20 years (from 1994), the University has identified the need for a more efficient and effective manner of waste disposal than landfilling. The University also has non-renderable biological and potentially infectious waste materials from the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Student Health Center, primarily the former, whose wastes include animal carcasses and bedding materials. Renderable animal wastes from the School of Veterinary Medicine are sent to a rendering plant. Non-renderable, non-infectious animal wastes currently are disposed of in an existing on-campus incinerator near the School of Veterinary Medicine building.

The Louisiana State University waste-to-energy incinerator

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

Not Available

1994-10-26

This proposed action is for cost-shared construction of an incinerator/steam-generation facility at Louisiana State University under the State Energy Conservation Program (SECP). The SECP, created by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, calls upon DOE to encourage energy conservation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency by providing Federal technical and financial assistance in developing and implementing comprehensive state energy conservation plans and projects. Currently, LSU runs a campus-wide recycling program in order to reduce the quantity of solid waste requiring disposal. This program has removed recyclable paper from the waste stream; however, a considerable quantity of other non-recyclable combustible wastes aremore » produced on campus. Until recently, these wastes were disposed of in the Devil`s Swamp landfill (also known as the East Baton Rouge Parish landfill). When this facility reached its capacity, a new landfill was opened a short distance away, and this new site is now used for disposal of the University`s non-recyclable wastes. While this new landfill has enough capacity to last for at least 20 years (from 1994), the University has identified the need for a more efficient and effective manner of waste disposal than landfilling. The University also has non-renderable biological and potentially infectious waste materials from the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Student Health Center, primarily the former, whose wastes include animal carcasses and bedding materials. Renderable animal wastes from the School of Veterinary Medicine are sent to a rendering plant. Non-renderable, non-infectious animal wastes currently are disposed of in an existing on-campus incinerator near the School of Veterinary Medicine building.« less

An assessment of strontium sorption onto bentonite buffer material in waste repository.

PubMed

Pathak, Pankaj

2017-03-01

In the present study, changes occurring in sorption characteristics of a representative bentonite (WIn-BT) exposed to SrCl 2 (0.001-0.1 M) under the pH range of 1-13 were investigated. Such interaction revealed a significant variation in surface charge density and binding energy of ions with respect to bentonite, and alteration in their physicochemical properties viz., specific surface area, cation exchange capacity, thermal and mechanical behaviour were observed. The distribution coefficients (k d ) calculated for sorption onto virgin (UCBT) and contaminated bentonite (CBT) indicated a greater influence of mineralogical changes occurred with variance of pH and strontium concentration. Notably, the sorption mechanism clearly elucidates the effect of structural negative charge and existence of anionic metal species onto CBT, and depicted the reason behind significant k d values at highly acidic and alkaline pH. The maximum k d of UCBT and CBT (0.001M SrCl2) were 8.99 and 2.92 L/kg, respectively, at the soil pH 8.5; whereas it was 2.37 and 1.23 L/kg at pH 1 for the CBT (0.1M SrCl2) and CBT (0.01M SrCl2) , respectively. The findings of this study can be useful to identify the physicochemical parameters of candidate buffer material and sorption reversibility in waste repository.

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.

High Resolution 3d Imaging during the Construction of National Radioactive Waste Repository from BÁTAAPÁTI, Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaich, A.; Deák, F.; Pötsch, M.

2012-12-01

The Hungarian National Radioactive Waste Repository is being built in the neighborhood of the village called Bátaapáti. The program of the new disposal facility for the low- and intermediate-level wastes (L/ILW) is conducted by PURAM (Public Limited Company for Radioactive Waste Management). The Bátaapáti underground research program began in February 2005, with the excavation of the two inclined exploratory tunnels. These tunnels have 30 m distance between their axes, 10% inclination and 1.7 km length, and have reached the 0 m Baltic sea-level in the Mórágy Granite Formation. The safety of nuclear repository mainly is influenced by the ground behaviour and its fracturing hence mapping of the geological features has a great importance. Because of the less stable ground, the cavern walls were shotcreted after every tunnelling advance. The site geologists were required to make the tunnel mapping after every drill and blast cycle. The time interval was short and the documenting work was unrepeatable due to the shotcrete supported walls, so it was very important to use a modern, precise system to create 3D photorealistic models of the rock surfaces on the excavated tunnel walls. We have chosen the photogrammetric method, because it has adequate resolution and quality for the photo combined 3D models. At the beginning, we had used the JointMetriX3D (JMX) system and subsequently ShapeMetriX3D (SMX) in the repository chamber excavation phase. From the acquired 3D images through geological mapping is performed as the system allows directly measuring geometric information on visible discontinuities such as dip and dip direction. Descriptive rock mass parameters such as spacing, area, roughness are instantly available. In this article we would like to continue that research having made by JMX model of a tunnel face of "TSZV" access tunnel and using SMX model of a tunnel face from "DEK" Chamber. Our studies were carried out by field engineering geologists on further

Association of actinides with microorganisms and clay: Implications for radionuclide migration from waste-repository sites

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

Ohnuki, T.; Francis, A.; Kozai, N.

2010-04-01

We conducted a series of basic studies on the microbial accumulation of actinides to elucidate their migration behavior around backfill materials used in the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. We explored the interactions of U(VI) and Pu(VI) with Bacillus subtilis, kaolinite clay, and within a mixture of the two, directly analyzing their association with the bacterium in the mixture by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The accumulation of U by the mixture rose as the numbers of B. subtilis cells increased. Treating the kaolinite with potassium acetate (CH{sub 3}COOK) removed approximately 80% of the associated uraniummore » while only 65% was removed in the presence of B. subtilis. TEM-EDS analysis confirmed that most of the U taken from solution was associated with B. subtilis. XANES analyses revealed that the oxidation state of uranium associated with B. subtilis, kaolinite, and with the mixture containing both was U(VI). The amount of Pu sorbed by B. subtilis increased with time, but did not reach equilibrium in 48 h; in kaolinite alone, equilibrium was attained within 8 h. After 48 h, the oxidation state of Pu in the solutions exposed to B. subtilis and to the mixture had changed to Pu(V), whereas the oxidation state of the Pu associated with both was Pu(IV). In contrast, there was no change in the oxidation state of Pu in the solution nor on kaolinite after exposure to Pu(VI). SEM-EDS analysis indicated that most of the Pu in the mixture was associated with the bacteria. These results suggest that U(VI) and Pu(VI) preferentially are sorbed to bacterial cells in the presence of kaolinite clay, and that the mechanism of accumulation of U and Pu differs. U(VI) is sorbed directly to the bacterial cells, whereas Pu(VI) first is reduced to Pu(V) and then to Pu(IV), and the latter is associated with the cells. These results have important implications on the migrations of radionuclides around the repository sites

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

Corrosion Management of the Hanford High-Level Nuclear Waste Tanks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beavers, John A.; Sridhar, Narasi; Boomer, Kayle D.

2014-03-01

The Hanford site is located in southeastern Washington State and stores more than 200,000 m3 (55 million gallons) of high-level radioactive waste resulting from the production and processing of plutonium. The waste is stored in large carbon steel tanks that were constructed between 1943 and 1986. The leak and structurally integrity of the more recently constructed double-shell tanks must be maintained until the waste can be removed from the tanks and encapsulated in glass logs for final disposal in a repository. There are a number of corrosion-related threats to the waste tanks, including stress-corrosion cracking, pitting corrosion, and corrosion at the liquid-air interface and in the vapor space. This article summarizes the corrosion management program at Hanford to mitigate these threats.

SECONDARY WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR HANFORD EARLY LOW ACTIVITY WASTE VITRIFICATION

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

UNTERREINER BJ

2008-07-18

More than 200 million liters (53 million gallons) of highly radioactive and hazardous waste is stored at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The DOE's Hanford Site River Protection Project (RPP) mission includes tank waste retrieval, waste treatment, waste disposal, and tank farms closure activities. This mission will largely be accomplished by the construction and operation of three large treatment facilities at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP): (1) a Pretreatment (PT) facility intended to separate the tank waste into High Level Waste (HLW) and Low Activity Waste (LAW); (2) a HLW vitrification facilitymore » intended to immobilize the HLW for disposal at a geologic repository in Yucca Mountain; and (3) a LAW vitrification facility intended to immobilize the LAW for shallow land burial at Hanford's Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). The LAW facility is on target to be completed in 2014, five years prior to the completion of the rest of the WTP. In order to gain experience in the operation of the LAW vitrification facility, accelerate retrieval from single-shell tank (SST) farms, and hasten the completion of the LAW immobilization, it has been proposed to begin treatment of the low-activity waste five years before the conclusion of the WTP's construction. A challenge with this strategy is that the stream containing the LAW vitrification facility off-gas treatment condensates will not have the option of recycling back to pretreatment, and will instead be treated by the Hanford Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Here the off-gas condensates will be immobilized into a secondary waste form; ETF solid waste.« less

Use of a Knowledge Management System in Waste Management Projects

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

Gruendler, D.; Boetsch, W.U.; Holzhauer, U.

2006-07-01

In Germany the knowledge management system 'WasteInfo' about waste management and disposal issues has been developed and implemented. Beneficiaries of 'WasteInfo' are official decision makers having access to a large information pool. The information pool is fed by experts, so called authors This means compiling of information, evaluation and assigning of appropriate properties (metadata) to this information. The knowledge management system 'WasteInfo' has been introduced at the WM04, the operation of 'WasteInfo' at the WM05. The recent contribution describes the additional advantage of the KMS being used as a tool for the dealing with waste management projects. This specific aspectmore » will be demonstrated using a project concerning a comparative analysis of the implementation of repositories in six countries using nuclear power as examples: The information of 'WasteInfo' is assigned to categories and structured according to its origin and type of publication. To use 'WasteInfo' as a tool for the processing the projects, a suitable set of categories has to be developed for each project. Apart from technical and scientific aspects, the selected project deals with repository strategies and policies in various countries, with the roles of applicants and authorities in licensing procedures, with safety philosophy and with socio-economic concerns. This new point of view has to be modelled in the categories. Similar to this, new sources of information such as local and regional dailies or particular web-sites have to be taken into consideration. In this way 'WasteInfo' represents an open document which reflects the current status of the respective repository policy in several countries. Information with particular meaning for the German repository planning is marked and by this may influence the German strategy. (authors)« less

Geologic, geochemical rock mechanics and hydrologic characteristics of candidate repository horizons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, P. E.; Apted, M. J.; Spane, F. A., Jr.; Kim, K.

1982-09-01

The feasibility of constructing a nuclear waste repository in basalt (NWRB) on the Hanford Site is determined. Studies conducted indicate feasibility and performance requirements are within a significant safety margin. The two most promising candidate repository horizons for an NWRB are the middle Sentinel Bluffs and the Umtanum flows. Both of these flows are laterally continuous and have thicknesses of competent rock adequate to accommodate a repository. Significant geologic differences between the two flows are their depth, total thickness, and variability of flow top thickness. These differences are considered in selection of one of the two flows for breakout from an exploratory shaft. The geochemical characteristics of both the middle Sentinel Bluffs flow and the Umtanum flow favor long term isolation of radionuclides by providing an environment in which canister corrosion rates and solubility of many radionuclide bearing solids is relatively low.

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

2016-09-01

The goal of the Fifth Worldwide Review is to document evolution in the state-of-the-art of approaches for nuclear waste disposal in geological formations since the Fourth Worldwide Review that was released in 2006. The last ten years since the previous Worldwide Review has seen major developments in a number of nations throughout the world pursuing geological disposal programs, both in preparing and reviewing safety cases for the operational and long-term safety of proposed and operating repositories. The countries that are approaching implementation of geological disposal will increasingly focus on the feasibility of safely constructing and operating their repositories in short-more » and long terms on the basis existing regulations. The WWR-5 will also address a number of specific technical issues in safety case development along with the interplay among stakeholder concerns, technical feasibility, engineering design issues, and operational and post-closure safety. Preparation and publication of the Fifth Worldwide Review on nuclear waste disposal facilitates assessing the lessons learned and developing future cooperation between the countries. The Report provides scientific and technical experiences on preparing for and developing scientific and technical bases for nuclear waste disposal in deep geologic repositories in terms of requirements, societal expectations and the adequacy of cases for long-term repository safety. The Chapters include potential issues that may arise as repository programs mature, and identify techniques that demonstrate the safety cases and aid in promoting and gaining societal confidence. The report will also be used to exchange experience with other fields of industry and technology, in which concepts similar to the design and safety cases are applied, as well to facilitate the public perception and understanding of the safety of the disposal approaches relative to risks that may increase over long times frames in the absence of a

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.

Proteomics data repositories

PubMed Central

Riffle, Michael; Eng, Jimmy K.

2010-01-01

The field of proteomics, particularly the application of mass spectrometry analysis to protein samples, is well-established and growing rapidly. Proteomics studies generate large volumes of raw experimental data and inferred biological results. To facilitate the dissemination of these data, centralized data repositories have been developed that make the data and results accessible to proteomics researchers and biologists alike. This review of proteomics data repositories focuses exclusively on freely-available, centralized data resources that disseminate or store experimental mass spectrometry data and results. The resources chosen reflect a current “snapshot” of the state of resources available with an emphasis placed on resources that may be of particular interest to yeast researchers. Resources are described in terms of their intended purpose and the features and functionality provided to users. PMID:19795424

What comes to mind when you hear the words nuclear waste repository '': A study of 10,000 images

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

Slovic, P.; Layman, M.; Flynn, J.H.

1990-09-01

Attempts by the federal government and the nuclear industry to develop sites for disposal of high-level and low-level radioactive wastes have been stymied by public and political opposition. The record of strenuous protest against nuclear waste repositories, as well as the findings of numerous public opinion surveys, make it clear that public opposition is widespread and deeply felt. It is also clear that there is an immense gap between the perceptions of the pubic and the views of technical experts and nuclear-industry officials. Given the seriousness of nuclear waste as a public issue, it is surprising that there have beenmore » only a few attempts to understand the deeper meaning of nuclear fears and opposition to nuclear waste disposal sites, and to provide some insight into the nature and pervasiveness of people's concerns. One step toward a deeper understanding would be to define the origins of these concerns, the emotions and images that underlie them, and their tractability or stability over time. In the present study, the authors recorded 10,000 word-association images from more than 3,300 respondents to four surveys during the period between April, 1988 and January 1, 1990. Each of the 10,000 images was assigned to one of thirteen general or superordinate categories, which expressed the dominant theme of the response. All but one superordinate categories contained subordinate categories. All in all there were 92 distinct categories. The two dominant superordinate categories, (1) negative consequences and (2) negative concepts accounted for more than 56% of the total number of images. Many of the smaller categories and subcategories were also quite negative in tone. The five leading subordinate categories, dangerous toxic, death sickness, environmental damage, bad, and scary, accounted for more than 42% of the total number of images. 27 refs., 6 tabs.« less

Preliminary risk benefit assessment for nuclear waste disposal in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. E.; Denning, R. S.; Friedlander, A. L.; Priest, C. C.

1982-01-01

This paper describes the recent work of the authors on the evaluation of health risk benefits of space disposal of nuclear waste. The paper describes a risk model approach that has been developed to estimate the non-recoverable, cumulative, expected radionuclide release to the earth's biosphere for different options of nuclear waste disposal in space. Risk estimates for the disposal of nuclear waste in a mined geologic repository and the short- and long-term risk estimates for space disposal were developed. The results showed that the preliminary estimates of space disposal risks are low, even with the estimated uncertainty bounds. If calculated release risks for mined geologic repositories remain as low as given by the U.S. DOE, and U.S. EPA requirements continue to be met, then no additional space disposal study effort in the U.S. is warranted at this time. If risks perceived by the public are significant in the acceptance of mined geologic repositories, then consideration of space disposal as a complement to the mined geologic repository is warranted.

Granite disposal of U.S. high-level radioactive waste.

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

Freeze, Geoffrey A.; Mariner, Paul E.; Lee, Joon H.

This report evaluates the feasibility of disposing U.S. high-level radioactive waste in granite several hundred meters below the surface of the earth. The U.S. has many granite formations with positive attributes for permanent disposal. Similar crystalline formations have been extensively studied by international programs, two of which, in Sweden and Finland, are the host rocks of submitted or imminent repository license applications. This report is enabled by the advanced work of the international community to establish functional and operational requirements for disposal of a range of waste forms in granite media. In this report we develop scoping performance analyses, basedmore » on the applicable features, events, and processes (FEPs) identified by international investigators, to support generic conclusions regarding post-closure safety. Unlike the safety analyses for disposal in salt, shale/clay, or deep boreholes, the safety analysis for a mined granite repository depends largely on waste package preservation. In crystalline rock, waste packages are preserved by the high mechanical stability of the excavations, the diffusive barrier of the buffer, and favorable chemical conditions. The buffer is preserved by low groundwater fluxes, favorable chemical conditions, backfill, and the rigid confines of the host rock. An added advantage of a mined granite repository is that waste packages would be fairly easy to retrieve, should retrievability be an important objective. The results of the safety analyses performed in this study are consistent with the results of comprehensive safety assessments performed for sites in Sweden, Finland, and Canada. They indicate that a granite repository would satisfy established safety criteria and suggest that a small number of FEPs would largely control the release and transport of radionuclides. In the event the U.S. decides to pursue a potential repository in granite, a detailed evaluation of these FEPs would be needed to

Waste Reduction Model (WARM) Resources for State and Local Government/Solid Waste Planners

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page provides a brief overview of how EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) can be used by state and local government/solid waste planners. The page includes a brief summary of uses of WARM for the audience and links to other resources.

Thermodynamic Properties of Magnesium Chloride Hydroxide Hydrate (Mg3Cl(OH)5:4H2O, Phase 5), and Its importance to Nuclear Waste Isolation in Geological Repositories in Salt Formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Y.; Deng, H.; Nemer, M. B.; Johnsen, S.

2009-12-01

-1, respectively. Phase 5, and its similar phase, phase 3 (Mg2Cl(OH)3:4H2O), could have a significant role in influencing the geochemical conditions in geological repositories for nuclear waste in salt formations where MgO or brucite is employed as engineered barriers, when Na-Mg-Cl dominated brines react with MgO or brucite. Based on our solubility constant for phase 5 in combination with the literature value for phase 3, we predict that the composition for the invariant point of phase 5 and phase 3 would be mMg = 1.70 and pmH = 8.93 in the Mg-Cl binary system. The recent WIPP Compliance Recertification Application PA Baseline Calculations indicate that phase 5 instead of phase 3 is indeed a stable phase when GWB equilibrates with actinide-source-term phases, brucite, magnesium carbonates, halite and anhydrite. 1. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. 2. 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.

Multiscale Model Simulations of Temperature and Relative Humidity for the License Application of the Proposed Yucca Mountain Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buscheck, T.; Glascoe, L.; Sun, Y.; Gansemer, J.; Lee, K.

2003-12-01

For the proposed Yucca Mountain geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste, the planned method of disposal involves the emplacement of cylindrical packages containing the waste inside horizontal tunnels, called emplacement drifts, bored several hundred meters below the ground surface. The emplacement drifts reside in highly fractured, partially saturated volcanic tuff. An important phenomenological consideration for the licensing of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain is the generation of decay heat by the emplaced waste and the consequences of this decay heat. Changes in temperature will affect the hydrologic and chemical environment at Yucca Mountain. A thermohydrologic-modeling tool is necessary to support the performance assessment of the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) of the proposed repository. This modeling tool must simultaneously account for processes occurring at a scale of a few tens of centimeters around individual waste packages, for processes occurring around the emplacement drifts themselves, and for processes occurring at the multi-kilometer scale of the mountain. Additionally, many other features must be considered including non-isothermal, multiphase-flow in fractured porous rock of variable liquid-phase saturation and thermal radiation and convection in open cavities. The Multiscale Thermohydrologic Model (MSTHM) calculates the following thermohydrologic (TH) variables: temperature, relative humidity, liquid-phase saturation, evaporation rate, air-mass fraction, gas-phase pressure, capillary pressure, and liquid- and gas-phase fluxes. The TH variables are determined as a function of position along each of the emplacement drifts in the repository and as a function of waste-package (WP) type. These variables are determined at various generic locations within the emplacement drifts, including the waste package and drip-shield surfaces and in the invert; they are also determined at various generic locations in the adjoining host rock

Availability and Accessibility in an Open Access Institutional Repository: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jongwook; Burnett, Gary; Vandegrift, Micah; Baeg, Jung Hoon; Morris, Richard

2015-01-01

Introduction: This study explores the extent to which an institutional repository makes papers available and accessible on the open Web by using 170 journal articles housed in DigiNole Commons, the institutional repository at Florida State University. Method: To analyse the repository's impact on availability and accessibility, we conducted…

Secondary Waste Form Down-Selection Data Package—Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form

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

Qafoku, Nikolla; Westsik, Joseph H.; Strachan, Denis M.

2011-09-12

The Hanford Site in southeast Washington State has 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes stored in 177 underground tanks (ORP 2010). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of River Protection (ORP), through its contractors, is constructing the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to convert the radioactive and hazardous wastes into stable glass waste forms for disposal. Within the WTP, the pretreatment facility will receive the retrieved waste from the tank farms and separate it into two treated process streams. These waste streams will be vitrified, and the resulting waste canisters will be sentmore » to offsite (high-level waste [HLW]) and onsite (immobilized low-activity waste [ILAW]) repositories. As part of the pretreatment and ILAW processing, liquid secondary wastes will be generated that will be transferred to the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) on the Hanford Site for further treatment. These liquid secondary wastes will be converted to stable solid waste forms that will be disposed of in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). To support the selection of a waste form for the liquid secondary wastes from WTP, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has initiated secondary waste form testing work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). In anticipation of a down-selection process for a waste form for the Solidification Treatment Unit to be added to the ETF, PNNL is developing data packages to support that down-selection. The objective of the data packages is to identify, evaluate, and summarize the existing information on the four waste forms being considered for stabilizing and solidifying the liquid secondary wastes. At the Hanford Site, the FBSR process is being evaluated as a supplemental technology for treating and immobilizing Hanford LAW radioactive tank waste and for treating secondary wastes from the WTP pretreatment and LAW vitrification processes.« less

77 FR 46994 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-07

... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The...

77 FR 29275 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-17

... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The...

75 FR 36609 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...

United States Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions are businesses and organizations that have made a public commitment to reduce food loss and waste in their own operations in the United States by 50 percent by the year 2030.

Direct cementitious waste option study report

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

Dafoe, R.E.; Losinski, S.J.

A settlement agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Idaho mandates that all high-level radioactive waste (HLW) now stored at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) will be treated so that it is ready to be moved out of Idaho for disposal by a target data of 2035. This study investigates the direct grouting of all ICPP calcine (including the HLW dry calcine and those resulting from calcining sodium-bearing liquid waste currently residing in the ICPP storage tanks) as the treatment method to comply with the settlement agreement. This method involves grouting the calcined waste andmore » casting the resulting hydroceramic grout into stainless steel canisters. These canisters will be stored at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) until they are sent to a national geologic repository. The operating period for grouting treatment will be from 2013 through 2032, and all the HLW will be treated and in interim storage by the end of 2032.« less

Formulating a low-alkalinity, high-resistance and low-heat concrete for radioactive waste repositories

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

Cau Dit Coumes, Celine; Courtois, Simone; Nectoux, Didier

2006-12-15

Investigations were carried out in order to formulate and characterize low-alkalinity and low-heat cements which would be compatible with an underground waste repository environment. Several systems comprising Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), a fast-reacting pozzolan (silica fume (SF) or metakaolin (MK)) and, in some cases, a slow-reacting product (fly ash (FA) or blastfurnace slag (BFS)) were compared. Promising results were obtained with some binary mixtures of OPC and SF, and with some ternary blends of OPC, SF and FA or BFS: pH of water in equilibrium with the fully hydrated cements dropped below 11. Dependence of the properties of standard mortarsmore » on the high contents of FA and SF in the low-pH blends was examined. Combining SF and FA seemed attractive since SF compensated for the low reactivity of FA, while FA allowed to reduce the water demand, and dimensional variations of the mortars. Finally, low-heat ({delta}T < 20 deg. C under semi-adiabatic conditions) and high strength ({approx} 70-80 MPa) concretes were prepared from two low-pH cements: a binary blend made from 60% of OPC and 40% of SF, and a ternary blend including 37.5% OPC, 32.5% SF and 30% FA.« less

National Date Palm Germplasm Repository

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus & Dates (NCGRCD), located in Riverside, California USA, is a project of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The NCGRCD maintains a collection of germplasm of date palm (Phoneix dactylifera ...

Implementation of SAP Waste Management System

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

Frost, M.L.; LaBorde, C.M.; Nichols, C.D.

2008-07-01

The Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) assumed responsibility for newly generated waste on October 1, 2005. To ensure effective management and accountability of newly generated waste, Y-12 has opted to utilize SAP, Y-12's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tool, to track low-level radioactive waste (LLW), mixed waste (MW), hazardous waste, and non-regulated waste from generation through acceptance and disposal. SAP Waste will include the functionality of the current waste tracking system and integrate with the applicable modules of SAP already in use. The functionality of two legacy systems, the Generator Entry System (GES) and the Waste Information Tracking System (WITS), andmore » peripheral spreadsheets, databases, and e-mail/fax communications will be replaced by SAP Waste. Fundamentally, SAP Waste will promote waste acceptance for certification and disposal, not storage. SAP Waste will provide a one-time data entry location where waste generators can enter waste container information, track the status of their waste, and maintain documentation. A benefit of the new system is that it will provide a single data repository where Y-12's Waste Management organization can establish waste profiles, verify and validate data, maintain inventory control utilizing hand-held data transfer devices, schedule and ship waste, manage project accounting, and report on waste handling activities. This single data repository will facilitate the production of detailed waste generation reports for use in forecasting and budgeting, provide the data for required regulatory reports, and generate metrics to evaluate the performance of the Waste Management organization and its subcontractors. SAP Waste will replace the outdated and expensive legacy system, establish tools the site needs to manage newly generated waste, and optimize the use of the site's ERP tool for integration with related business processes while promoting disposition of waste. (authors)« less

Mississippi State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

None

The Mississippi State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state an federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Mississippi. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Mississippi. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Mississippi.« less

Wyoming State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The Wyoming State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Wyoming. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Wyoming. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Wyoming.« less

Massachusetts State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-03-12

The Massachusetts State Briefing Book is one of a series of State briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist State and Federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Massachusetts. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Massachusetts. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Massachusetts.« less

Texas State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-08-01

The Texas State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactivee waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Texas. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Texas. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Texas.« less

Ohio State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The Ohio State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Ohio. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Ohio. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Ohio.« less

Learning Object Repositories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehman, Rosemary

2007-01-01

This chapter looks at the development and nature of learning objects, meta-tagging standards and taxonomies, learning object repositories, learning object repository characteristics, and types of learning object repositories, with type examples. (Contains 1 table.)

WastePlan model implementation for New York State. Final report

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

Visalli, J.R.; Blackman, D.A.

1995-07-01

WastePlan is a computer software tool that models solid waste quantities, costs, and other parameters on a regional basis. The software was developed by the Tellus Institute, a nonprofit research and consulting firm. The project`s objective was to provide local solid waste management planners in New York State responsible to develop and implement comprehensive solid waste management plans authorized by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1988, with a WastePlan model specifically tailored to fit the demographic and other characteristics of New York State and to provide training and technical support to the users. Two-day workshops were held in 1992more » to introduce planners to the existing versions; subsequently, extensive changes were made to the model and a second set of two-day workshops were held in 1993 to introduce planners to the enhanced version of WastePlan. Following user evaluations, WastePlan was further modified to allow users to model systems using a simplified version, and to incorporate report forms required by New York State. A post-project survey of trainees revealed limited regular use of software. Possible reasons include lack of synchronicity with NYSDEC planning process; lack of computer literacy and aptitude among trainees; hardware limitations; software user-friendliness; and the work environment of the trainees. A number of recommendations are made to encourage use of WastePlan by local solid waste management planners.« less

Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management in the United States: What Have We Wrought? The Richard S. Hodes, M.D. Honor Lecture Award - 12222

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

Jacobi, Lawrence R.

2012-07-01

In 1979, radioactive waste disposal was an important national issue. State governors were closing the gates on the existing low-level radioactive waste disposal sites and the ultimate disposition of spent fuel was undecided. A few years later, the United States Congress thought they had solved both problems by passing the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1981, which established a network of regional compacts for low-level radioactive waste disposal, and by passing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to set out how a final resting place for high-level waste would be determined. Upon passage of the acts, State, Regionalmore » and Federal officials went to work. Here we are some 30 years later with little to show for our combined effort. The envisioned national repository for high-level radioactive waste has not materialized. Efforts to develop the Yucca Mountain high-level radioactive waste disposal facility were abandoned after spending $13 billion on the failed project. Recently, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future issued its draft report that correctly concludes the existing policy toward high-level nuclear waste is 'all but completely broken down'. A couple of new low-level waste disposal facilities have opened since 1981, but neither were the result of efforts under the act. What the Act has done is interject a system of interstate compacts with a byzantine interstate import and export system to complicate the handling of low-level radioactive waste, with attendant costs. As this paper is being written in the fourth-quarter of 2011, after 30 years of political and bureaucratic turmoil, a new comprehensive low-level waste disposal facility at Andrews Texas is approaching its initial operating date. The Yucca Mountain project might be completed or it might not. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is commencing a review of their 1981 volume reduction policy statement. The Department of Energy after 26 years has yet to figure out how

Socioeconomic studies of high-level nuclear waste disposal.

PubMed Central

White, G F; Bronzini, M S; Colglazier, E W; Dohrenwend, B; Erikson, K; Hansen, R; Kneese, A V; Moore, R; Page, E B; Rappaport, R A

1994-01-01

The socioeconomic investigations of possible impacts of the proposed repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, have been unprecedented in several respects. They bear on the public decision that sooner or later will be made as to where and how to dispose permanently of the waste presently at military weapons installations and that continues to accumulate at nuclear power stations. No final decision has yet been made. There is no clear precedent from other countries. The organization of state and federal studies is unique. The state studies involve more disciplines than any previous efforts. They have been carried out in parallel to federal studies and have pioneered in defining some problems and appropriate research methods. A recent annotated bibliography provides interested scientists with a compact guide to the 178 published reports, as well as to relevant journal articles and related documents. PMID:7971963

Assessment of the long-term durability of concrete in radioactive waste repositories

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

Atkinson, A.; Goult, D.J.; Hearne, J.A.

1986-01-01

A preliminary assessment of the long-term durability of concrete in a repository sited in clay is presented. The assessment is based on recorded experience of concrete structures and both field and laboratory studies. It is also supported by results of the examination of a concrete sample which had been buried in clay for 43 years. The engineering lifetime of a 1 m thick reinforced concrete slab, with one face in contact with clay, and the way in which pH in the repository as a whole is likely to vary with time have both been estimated from available data. The estimatesmore » indicate that engineering lifetimes of about 10/sup 3/ years are expected (providing that sulfate resisting cement is used) and that pH is likely to remain above 10.5 for about 10/sup 6/ years.« less

Kansas State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-07-01

The Kansas State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Kansas. The profile is the result of a survey of radioactive material licensees in Kansas. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developedmore » through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may affect waste management practices in Kansas.« less

Vermont State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-07-01

The Vermont State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Vermont. The profile is the result of a survey of Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensees in Vermont. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment wasmore » developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may affect waste management practices in Vermont.« less

77 FR 59879 - Idaho: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-01

...: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs,'' Idaho's authorized hazardous waste program. The EPA... Federal Register, the EPA is codifying and incorporating by reference the State's hazardous waste program...

77 FR 3224 - New Mexico: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-23

... Mexico: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental... entitled ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs,'' New Mexico's authorized hazardous waste... of the State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste...

Waste Form and Indrift Colloids-Associated Radionuclide Concentrations: Abstraction and Summary

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

R. Aguilar

This Model Report describes the analysis and abstractions of the colloids process model for the waste form and engineered barrier system components of the total system performance assessment calculations to be performed with the Total System Performance Assessment-License Application model. Included in this report is a description of (1) the types and concentrations of colloids that could be generated in the waste package from degradation of waste forms and the corrosion of the waste package materials, (2) types and concentrations of colloids produced from the steel components of the repository and their potential role in radionuclide transport, and (3) typesmore » and concentrations of colloids present in natural waters in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain. Additionally, attachment/detachment characteristics and mechanisms of colloids anticipated in the repository are addressed and discussed. The abstraction of the process model is intended to capture the most important characteristics of radionuclide-colloid behavior for use in predicting the potential impact of colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport on repository performance.« less

A Fruit of Yucca Mountain: The Remote Waste Package Closure System

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

Kevin Skinner; Greg Housley; Colleen Shelton-Davis

2011-11-01

Was the death of the Yucca Mountain repository the fate of a technical lemon or a political lemon? Without caution, this debate could lure us away from capitalizing on the fruits of the project. In March 2009, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) successfully demonstrated the Waste Package Closure System, a full-scale prototype system for closing waste packages that were to be entombed in the now abandoned Yucca Mountain repository. This article describes the system, which INL designed and built, to weld the closure lids on the waste packages, nondestructively examine the welds using four different techniques, repair the welds if necessary,more » mitigate crack initiating stresses in the surfaces of the welds, evacuate and backfill the packages with an inert gas, and perform all of these tasks remotely. As a nation, we now have a proven method for securely sealing nuclear waste packages for long term storage—regardless of whether or not the future destination for these packages will be an underground repository. Additionally, many of the system’s features and concepts may benefit other remote nuclear applications.« less

Probablistic Analyses of Waste Package Quantities Impacted by Potential Igneous Disruption at Yucca Mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, M. G.; Iuzzolina, H.

2005-12-01

A probabilistic analysis was conducted to estimate ranges for the numbers of waste packages that could be damaged in a potential future igneous event through a repository at Yucca Mountain. The analysis includes disruption from an intrusive igneous event and from an extrusive volcanic event. This analysis supports the evaluation of the potential consequences of future igneous activity as part of the total system performance assessment for the license application for the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). The first scenario, igneous intrusion, investigated the case where one or more igneous dikes intersect the repository. A swarm of dikes was characterized by distributions of length, width, azimuth, and number of dikes and the spacings between them. Through the use in part of a latin hypercube simulator and a modified video game engine, mathematical relationships were built between those parameters and the number of waste packages hit. Corresponding cumulative distribution function curves (CDFs) for the number of waste packages hit under several different scenarios were calculated. Variations in dike thickness ranges, as well as in repository magma bulkhead positions were examined through sensitivity studies. It was assumed that all waste packages in an emplacement drift would be impacted if that drift was intersected by a dike. Over 10,000 individual simulations were performed. Based on these calculations, out of a total of over 11,000 planned waste packages distributed over an area of approximately 5.5 km2 , the median number of waste packages impacted was roughly 1/10 of the total. Individual cases ranged from 0 waste packages to the entire inventory being impacted. The igneous intrusion analysis involved an explicit characterization of dike-drift intersections, built upon various distributions that reflect the uncertainties associated with the inputs. The second igneous scenario, volcanic eruption (eruptive conduits), considered the effects of conduits formed in

Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste: The Waste Management System, Unit 4. Teacher Guide. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Energy, Washington, DC. Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Washington, DC.

This guide is Unit 4 of the four-part series, Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The goal of this unit is to explain how transportation, a geologic repository, and the multi-purpose canister will work together to provide short-term and long-term…

Management of immunization solid wastes in Kano State, Nigeria

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

Oke, I.A.

Inadequate management of waste generated from injection activities can have a negative impact on the community and environment. In this paper, a report on immunization wastes management in Kano State (Nigeria) is presented. Eight local governments were selected randomly and surveyed by the author. Solid wastes generated during the Expanded Programme on Immunization were characterised using two different methods: one by weighing the waste and the other by estimating the volume. Empirical data was obtained on immunization waste generation, segregation, storage, collection, transportation, and disposal; and waste management practices were assessed. The study revealed that immunization offices were accommodated inmore » either in local government buildings, primary health centres or community health care centres. All of the stations demonstrated a high priority for segregation of the infectious wastes. It can be deduced from the data obtained that infectious waste ranged from 67.6% to 76.7% with an average of 70.1% by weight, and 36.0% to 46.1% with an average of 40.1% by volume. Non-infectious waste generated ranged from 23.3% to 32.5% with an average of 29.9% by weight and 53.9% to 64.0% with an average of 59.9% by volume. Out of non-infectious waste (NIFW) and infectious waste (IFW), 66.3% and 62.4% by weight were combustible and 33.7% and 37.6% were non-combustible respectively. An assessment of the treatment revealed that open pit burning and burial and small scale incineration were the common methods of disposal for immunization waste, and some immunization centres employed the services of the state or local government owned solid waste disposal board for final collection and disposal of their immunization waste at government approved sites.« less

Structural geology of the proposed site area for a high-level radioactive waste repository, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Potter, C.J.; Day, W.C.; Sweetkind, D.S.; Dickerson, R.P.

2004-01-01

Geologic mapping and fracture studies have documented the fundamental patterns of joints and faults in the thick sequence of rhyolite tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the proposed site of an underground repository for high-level radioactive waste. The largest structures are north-striking, block-bounding normal faults (with a subordinate left-lateral component) that divide the mountain into numerous 1-4-km-wide panels of gently east-dipping strata. Block-bounding faults, which underwent Quaternary movement as well as earlier Neogene movement, are linked by dominantly northwest-striking relay faults, especially in the more extended southern part of Yucca Mountain. Intrablock faults are commonly short and discontinuous, except those on the more intensely deformed margins of the blocks. Lithologic properties of the local tuff stratigraphy strongly control the mesoscale fracture network, and locally the fracture network has a strong influence on the nature of intrablock faulting. The least faulted part of Yucca Mountain is the north-central part, the site of the proposed repository. Although bounded by complex normal-fault systems, the 4-km-wide central block contains only sparse intrablock faults. Locally intense jointing appears to be strata-bound. The complexity of deformation and the magnitude of extension increase in all directions away from the proposed repository volume, especially in the southern part of the mountain where the intensity of deformation and the amount of vertical-axis rotation increase markedly. Block-bounding faults were active at Yucca Mountain during and after eruption of the 12.8-12.7 Ma Paintbrush Group, and significant motion on these faults postdated the 11.6 Ma Rainier Mesa Tuff. Diminished fault activity continued into Quaternary time. Roughly half of the stratal tilting in the site area occurred after 11.6 Ma, probably synchronous with the main pulse of vertical-axis rotation, which occurred between 11.6 and 11.45 Ma. Studies of

Walk the Line: The Development of Route Selection Standards for Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-level Radioactive Waste in the United States - 13519

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

Dilger, Fred; Halstead, Robert J.; Ballard, James D.

2013-07-01

Although storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLRW) are widely dispersed throughout the United States, these materials are also relatively concentrated in terms of geographic area. That is, the impacts of storage occur in a very small geographic space. Once shipments begin to a national repository or centralized interim storage facility, the impacts of SNF and HLRW will become more geographically distributed, more publicly visible, and almost certainly more contentious. The selection of shipping routes will likely be a major source of controversy. This paper describes the development of procedures, regulations, and standards for themore » selection of routes used to ship spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in the United States. The paper begins by reviewing the circumstances around the development of HM-164 routing guidelines. The paper discusses the significance of New York City versus the Department of Transportation and application of HM-164. The paper describes the methods used to implement those regulations. The paper will also describe the current HM-164 designated routes and will provide a summary data analysis of their characteristics. This analysis will reveal the relatively small spatial scale of the effects of HM 164. The paper will then describe subsequent developments that have affected route selection for these materials. These developments include the use of 'representative routes' found in the Department of Energy (DOE) 2008 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the formerly proposed Yucca Mountain geologic repository. The paper will describe recommendations related to route selection found in the National Academy of Sciences 2006 report Going the Distance, as well as recommendations found in the 2012 Final Report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. The paper will examine recently promulgated federal regulations (HM-232) for selection of rail routes for

Disposal of high-level nuclear waste above the water table in arid regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roseboom, Eugene H.

1983-01-01

Locating a repository in the unsaturated zone of arid regions eliminates or simplifies many of the technological problems involved in designing a repository for operation below the water table and predicting its performance. It also offers possible accessibility and ease of monitoring throughout the operational period and possible retrieval of waste long after. The risks inherent in such a repository appear to be no greater than in one located in the saturated zone; in fact, many aspects of such a repository's performance will be much easier to predict and the uncertainties will be reduced correspondingly. A major new concern would be whether future climatic changes could produce significant consequences due to possible rise of the water table or increased flux of water through the repository. If spent fuel were used as a waste form, a second new concern would be the rates of escape of gaseous iodine-129 and carbon-14 to the atmosphere.

The role of natural analogs in the repository licensing process

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

Murphy, W.M.

1995-09-01

The concept of a permanent geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste (NLW) is implicitly based on analogy to natural systems that have been stable for millions or billions of years. The time of radioactive and chemical toxicity of HLW exceeds the duration of human civilization, and it is impossible to demonstrate the accuracy of predictions of the behavior of engineered or social systems over such long periods.

Maine State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-08-01

The Maine State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and Federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Maine. The profile is the result of a survey of radioactive material licensees in Maine. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested partices including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developedmore » through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant goverment agencies and activities, all of which may impact management practices in Maine.« less

Enthalpies of formation of polyhalite: A mineral relevant to salt repository

DOE PAGES

Guo, Xiaofeng; Xu, Hongwu

2017-06-02

Polyhalite is an important coexisting mineral with halite in salt repositories for nuclear waste disposal, such as Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The thermal stability of this mineral is a key knowledge in evaluating the integrity of a salt repository in the long term, as water may release due to thermal decomposition of polyhalite. Previous studies on structural evolution of polyhalite at elevated temperatures laid the basis for detailed calorimetric measurements. Using high-temperature oxide-melt drop-solution calorimetry at 975 K with sodium molybdate as the solvent, we have determined the standard enthalpies of formation from constituent sulfatesmore » (ΔH° f,sul), oxides (ΔH° f,ox) and elements (ΔH° f,ele) of a polyhalite sample with the composition of K 2Ca 2Mg(SO 4) 4·1.95H 2O from the Salado formation at the WIPP site. The obtained results are: ΔH° f,sul = -152.5 ± 5.3 kJ/mol, ΔH° f,ox = -1926.1 ± 10.5 kJ/mol, and ΔH° f,ele = -6301.2 ± 9.9 kJ/mol. Furthermore, based on the estimated formation entropies of polyhalite, its standard Gibbs free energy of formation has been derived to be in the range of -5715.3 ± 9.9 kJ/mol to -5739.3 ± 9.9 kJ/mol. In conclusion, these determined thermodynamic properties provide fundamental parameters for modeling the stability behavior of polyhalite in salt repositories.« less

A model for evaluating radiological impacts on organisms other than man for use in post-closure assessments of geological repositories for radioactive wastes.

PubMed

Thorn, M C; Kelly, M; Rees, J H; Sánchez-Friera, P; Calvez, M

2002-09-01

Bioaccumulation and dosimetric models have been developed that allow the computation of dose rates to a wide variety of plants and animals in the context of the deep geological disposal of solid radioactive wastes. These dose rates can be compared with the threshold dose rates at which significant deleterious effects have been observed in field and laboratory observations. This provides a general indication of whether effects on ecosystems could be observable, but does not quantify the level of those effects. To address this latter issue, two indicator organisms were identified and exposure-response relationships were developed for endpoints of potential interest (mortality in conifers and the induction of skeletal malformations in rodents irradiated in utero). The bioaccumulation, dosimetry and exposure-response models were implemented and used to evaluate the potential significance of radionuclide releases from a proposed deep geological repository for radioactive wastes in France. This evaluation was undertaken in the context of a programme of assessment studies being performed by the Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs (ANDRA).

Geologic uncertainty in a regulatory environment: An example from the potential Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rautman, C. A.; Treadway, A. H.

1991-11-01

Regulatory geologists are concerned with predicting the performance of sites proposed for waste disposal or for remediation of existing pollution problems. Geologic modeling of these sites requires large-scale expansion of knowledge obtained from very limited sampling. This expansion induces considerable uncertainty into the geologic models of rock properties that are required for modeling the predicted performance of the site. One method for assessing this uncertainty is through nonparametric geostatistical simulation. Simulation can produce a series of equiprobable models of a rock property of interest. Each model honors measured values at sampled locations, and each can be constructed to emulate both the univariate histogram and the spatial covariance structure of the measured data. Computing a performance model for a number of geologic simulations allows evaluation of the effects of geologic uncertainty. A site may be judged acceptable if the number of failures to meet a particular performance criterion produced by these computations is sufficiently low. A site that produces too many failures may be either unacceptable or simply inadequately described. The simulation approach to addressing geologic uncertainty is being applied to the potential high-level nuclear waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, U.S.A. Preliminary geologic models of unsaturated permeability have been created that reproduce observed statistical properties reasonably well. A spread of unsaturated groundwater travel times has been computed that reflects the variability of those geologic models. Regions within the simulated models exhibiting the greatest variability among multiple runs are candidates for obtaining the greatest reduction in uncertainty through additional site characterization.

Shales and geological waste repositories: from microstructure description to macro-scale properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tournassat, C.; Steefel, C. I.; Gaboreau, S.

2017-12-01

The mineralogical and chemical properties of clays have been the subject of longstanding study for the long-term disposal of nuclear wastes in geological repositories. The low permeability of clay materials, including shales, provides at least part of the safety functions for radionuclide contaminants confinement. From a geochemical and mineralogical point of view, the high adsorption capacity of clay minerals adds to the effect of low hydraulic conductivities by greatly increasing the retardation of radionuclides and other contaminants, making clays ideal where isolation from the biosphere is desired. While their low permeability and high adsorption capacity are widely acknowledged, it is clear nonetheless that there is a need for an improved understanding of how the chemical and mineralogical properties of shales impact their macroscopic properties. It is at the pore-scale that the chemical properties of clay minerals become important since their electrostatic properties can play a large role. The negative electrostatic potential field at the clay mineral surfaces results in the presence of porosity domains where electroneutrality is not achieved: cations are attracted by the surfaces while anions are repulsed from them, resulting in the presence of a diffuse ion swarm - or diffuse layer. Numerical methods for modeling macroscopic properties of clay media with the consideration of the presence of a diffuse ion swarm have met a growing interest in diverse communities in the past years. In this presentation we will highlight the complex interplays of mineralogical, chemical and microstructural characteristics of clay materials that are ultimately responsible for a remarkable array of macro-scale properties such as specific adsorption, high swelling pressure, semi-permeable membrane properties, and non-Fickian diffusional behavior.

Vertical Flume Testing of WIPP Surrogate Waste Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrick, C. G.; Schuhen, M.; Kicker, D.

2012-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy geological repository for the permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. The waste is emplaced in rooms excavated in the bedded Salado salt formation at a depth of 655 m below ground surface. After emplacement of the waste, the repository will be sealed and decommissioned. The DOE demonstrates compliance with 40 CFR 194 by means of performance assessment (PA) calculations conducted by Sandia National Laboratories. WIPP PA calculations estimate the probability and consequences of radionuclide releases for a 10,000 year regulatory period. Human intrusion scenarios include cases in which a future borehole is drilled through the repository. Drilling mud flowing up the borehole will apply a hydrodynamic shear stress to the borehole wall which could result in erosion of the waste and radionuclides being carried up the borehole. WIPP PA uses the parameter TAUFAIL to represent the shear strength of the degraded waste. The hydrodynamic shear strength can only be measured experimentally by flume testing. Flume testing is typically performed horizontally, mimicking stream or ocean currents. However, in a WIPP intrusion event, the drill bit would penetrate the degraded waste and drilling mud would flow up the borehole in a predominantly vertical direction. In order to simulate this, a flume was designed and built so that the eroding fluid enters an enclosed vertical channel from the bottom and flows up past a specimen of surrogate waste material. The sample is pushed into the current by a piston attached to a step motor. A qualified data acquisition system controls and monitors the fluid's flow rate, temperature, pressure, and conductivity and the step motor's operation. The surrogate materials used correspond to a conservative estimate of degraded TRU waste at the end of the regulatory period. The recipes were previously developed by SNL based on anticipated future states of the waste

Vertical Flume Testing of WIPP Surrogate Waste Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrick, C. G.; Schuhen, M.; Kicker, D.

2013-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy geological repository for the permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. The waste is emplaced in rooms excavated in the bedded Salado salt formation at a depth of 655 m below ground surface. After emplacement of the waste, the repository will be sealed and decommissioned. The DOE demonstrates compliance with 40 CFR 194 by means of performance assessment (PA) calculations conducted by Sandia National Laboratories. WIPP PA calculations estimate the probability and consequences of radionuclide releases for a 10,000 year regulatory period. Human intrusion scenarios include cases in which a future borehole is drilled through the repository. Drilling mud flowing up the borehole will apply a hydrodynamic shear stress to the borehole wall which could result in erosion of the waste and radionuclides being carried up the borehole. WIPP PA uses the parameter TAUFAIL to represent the shear strength of the degraded waste. The hydrodynamic shear strength can only be measured experimentally by flume testing. Flume testing is typically performed horizontally, mimicking stream or ocean currents. However, in a WIPP intrusion event, the drill bit would penetrate the degraded waste and drilling mud would flow up the borehole in a predominantly vertical direction. In order to simulate this, a flume was designed and built so that the eroding fluid enters an enclosed vertical channel from the bottom and flows up past a specimen of surrogate waste material. The sample is pushed into the current by a piston attached to a step motor. A qualified data acquisition system controls and monitors the fluid's flow rate, temperature, pressure, and conductivity and the step motor's operation. The surrogate materials used correspond to a conservative estimate of degraded TRU waste at the end of the regulatory period. The recipes were previously developed by SNL based on anticipated future states of the waste

Developing a concept for a national used fuel interim storage facility in the United States

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

Lewis, Donald Wayne

2013-07-01

In the United States (U.S.) the nuclear waste issue has plagued the nuclear industry for decades. Originally, spent fuel was to be reprocessed but with the threat of nuclear proliferation, spent fuel reprocessing has been eliminated, at least for now. In 1983, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 [1] was established, authorizing development of one or more spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste geological repositories and a consolidated national storage facility, called a 'Monitored Retrievable Storage' facility, that could store the spent nuclear fuel until it could be placed into the geological repository. Plans were under way to buildmore » a geological repository, Yucca Mountain, but with the decision by President Obama to terminate the development of Yucca Mountain, a consolidated national storage facility that can store spent fuel for an interim period until a new repository is established has become very important. Since reactor sites have not been able to wait for the government to come up with a storage or disposal location, spent fuel remains in wet or dry storage at each nuclear plant. The purpose of this paper is to present a concept developed to address the DOE's goals stated above. This concept was developed over the past few months by collaboration between the DOE and industry experts that have experience in designing spent nuclear fuel facilities. The paper examines the current spent fuel storage conditions at shutdown reactor sites, operating reactor sites, and the type of storage systems (transportable versus non-transportable, welded or bolted). The concept lays out the basis for a pilot storage facility to house spent fuel from shutdown reactor sites and then how the pilot facility can be enlarged to a larger full scale consolidated interim storage facility. (authors)« less

New Mexicans debate nuclear waste disposal

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

Lepkowski, W.

1979-01-01

A brief survey of the background of the Waste Isolation Plant (WIPP) at Carlsbad, New Mexico and the forces at play around WIPP is presented. DOE has plans to establish by 1988 an underground repository for nuclear wastes in the salt formations near Carlsbad. Views of New Mexicans, both pro and con, are reviewed. It is concluded that DOE will have to practice public persuasion to receive approval for the burial of wastes in New Mexico.

10 CFR 60.135 - Criteria for the waste package and its components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Design Criteria for the Waste Package § 60.135 Criteria for the waste package and its components. (a) High-level-waste package design in general. (1) Packages for HLW shall be designed so that the in situ chemical, physical, and nuclear properties of the waste...

10 CFR 60.135 - Criteria for the waste package and its components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Design Criteria for the Waste Package § 60.135 Criteria for the waste package and its components. (a) High-level-waste package design in general. (1) Packages for HLW shall be designed so that the in situ chemical, physical, and nuclear properties of the waste...

10 CFR 60.135 - Criteria for the waste package and its components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Design Criteria for the Waste Package § 60.135 Criteria for the waste package and its components. (a) High-level-waste package design in general. (1) Packages for HLW shall be designed so that the in situ chemical, physical, and nuclear properties of the waste...

10 CFR 60.135 - Criteria for the waste package and its components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Technical Criteria Design Criteria for the Waste Package § 60.135 Criteria for the waste package and its components. (a) High-level-waste package design in general. (1) Packages for HLW shall be designed so that the in situ chemical, physical, and nuclear properties of the waste...

SITE GENERATED RADIOLOGICAL WASTE HANDLING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

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

S. C. Khamankar

2000-06-20

The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System handles radioactive waste products that are generated at the geologic repository operations area. The waste is collected, treated if required, packaged for shipment, and shipped to a disposal site. Waste streams include low-level waste (LLW) in solid and liquid forms, as-well-as mixed waste that contains hazardous and radioactive constituents. Liquid LLW is segregated into two streams, non-recyclable and recyclable. The non-recyclable stream may contain detergents or other non-hazardous cleaning agents and is packaged for shipment. The recyclable stream is treated to recycle a large portion of the water while the remaining concentrated wastemore » is packaged for shipment; this greatly reduces the volume of waste requiring disposal. There will be no liquid LLW discharge. Solid LLW consists of wet solids such as ion exchange resins and filter cartridges, as-well-as dry active waste such as tools, protective clothing, and poly bags. Solids will be sorted, volume reduced, and packaged for shipment. The generation of mixed waste at the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) is not planned; however, if it does come into existence, it will be collected and packaged for disposal at its point of occurrence, temporarily staged, then shipped to government-approved off-site facilities for disposal. The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System has equipment located in both the Waste Treatment Building (WTB) and in the Waste Handling Building (WHB). All types of liquid and solid LLW are processed in the WTB, while wet solid waste from the Pool Water Treatment and Cooling System is packaged where received in the WHB. There is no installed hardware for mixed waste. The Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System receives waste from locations where water is used for decontamination functions. In most cases the water is piped back to the WTB for processing. The WTB and WHB provide staging areas for storing and

Illustration of sampling-based approaches to the calculation of expected dose in performance assessments for the proposed high level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

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

Helton, Jon Craig; Sallaberry, Cedric J. PhD.; .)

2007-04-01

A deep geologic repository for high level radioactive waste is under development by the U.S. Department of Energy at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada. As mandated in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated public health and safety standards (i.e., 40 CFR Part 197) for the YM repository, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has promulgated licensing standards (i.e., 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc.) consistent with 40 CFR Part 197 that the DOE must establish are met in order for the YM repository to be licensed for operation. Important requirements in 40more » CFR Part 197 and 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc. relate to the determination of expected (i.e., mean) dose to a reasonably maximally exposed individual (RMEI) and the incorporation of uncertainty into this determination. This presentation describes and illustrates how general and typically nonquantitive statements in 40 CFR Part 197 and 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc. can be given a formal mathematical structure that facilitates both the calculation of expected dose to the RMEI and the appropriate separation in this calculation of aleatory uncertainty (i.e., randomness in the properties of future occurrences such as igneous and seismic events) and epistemic uncertainty (i.e., lack of knowledge about quantities that are poorly known but assumed to have constant values in the calculation of expected dose to the RMEI).« less

Can Shale Safely Host U.S. Nuclear Waste?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuzil, C. E.

2013-07-01

Even as cleanup efforts after Japan's Fukushima disaster offer a stark reminder of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) stored at nuclear plants worldwide, the decision in 2009 to scrap Yucca Mountain as a permanent disposal site has dimmed hope for a repository for SNF and other high-level nuclear waste (HLW) in the United States anytime soon. About 70,000 metric tons of SNF are now in pool or dry cask storage at 75 sites across the United States [Government Accountability Office, 2012], and uncertainty about its fate is hobbling future development of nuclear power, increasing costs for utilities, and creating a liability for American taxpayers [Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, 2012].

Characterization of Heat-treated Clay Minerals in the Context of Nuclear Waste Disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matteo, E. N.; Wang, Y.; Kruichak, J. N.; Mills, M. M.

2015-12-01

Clay minerals are likely candidates to aid in nuclear waste isolation due to their low permeability, favorable swelling properties, and high cation sorption capacities. Establishing the thermal limit for clay minerals in a nuclear waste repository is a potentially important component of repository design, as flexibility of the heat load within the repository can have a major impact on the selection of repository design. For example, the thermal limit plays a critical role in the time that waste packages would need to cool before being transferred to the repository. Understanding the chemical and physical changes, if any, that occur in clay minerals at various temperatures above the current thermal limit (of 100 °C) can enable decision-makers with information critical to evaluating the potential trade-offs of increasing the thermal limit within the repository. Most critical is gaining understanding of how varying thermal conditions in the repository will impact radionuclide sorption and transport in clay materials either as engineered barriers or as disposal media. A variety of repository-relevant clay minerals (illite, mixed layer illite/smectite, and montmorillonite), were heated for a range of temperatures between 100-1000 °C. These samples were characterized to determine surface area, mineralogical alteration, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Our results show that for conditions up to 500 °C, no significant change occurs, so long as the clay mineral remains mineralogically intact. At temperatures above 500 °C, transformation of the layered silicates into silica phases leads to alteration that impacts important clay characteristics. 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 Nation Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND Number: SAND2015-6524 A

New Jersey State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The New Jersey state Briefing Book is one of a series of State briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in New Jersey. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in New Jersey. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in New Jersey.« less

North Carolina State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The North Carolina State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in North Carolina. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in North Carolina. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in North Carolina.« less

Puerto Rico State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The Puerto Rico State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Puerto Rico. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Puerto Rico. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Puerto Rico.« less

A record of uranium-series transport at Nopal I, Sierra Pena Blanca, Mexico: Implications for natural uranium deposits and radioactive waste repositories

DOE PAGES

Denton, J. S.; Goldstein, S. J.; Paviet, P.; ...

2016-04-10

Studies of uranium-series (U-series) disequilibria within and around ore deposits provide valuable information on the extent and timing of actinide mobility, via mineral-fluid interaction, over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Such information is useful in studies of analogs of high-level nuclear-waste repositories, as well as for mining and mineral extraction sites, locations of previous nuclear weapons testing, and legacy nuclear waste contamination. In this study we present isotope dilution mass spectrometry U-series measurements for fracture-fill materials (hematite, goethite, kaolinite, calcite, dolomite and quartz) from one such analog; the Nopal I uranium ore deposit situated at Peña Blanca inmore » the Chihuahua region of northern Mexico. The ore deposit is located in fractured, unsaturated volcanic tuff and fracture-fill materials from surface fractures as well as fractures in a vertical drill core have been analyzed. High uranium concentrations in the fracture-fill materials (between 12 and 7700 ppm) indicate uranium mobility and transport from the deposit. Furthermore, uranium concentrations generally decrease with horizontal distance away from the deposit but in this deposit there is no trend with depth below the surface.« less

Geochemical Results of Lysimeter Sampling at the Manning Canyon Repository in the Mercur Mining District, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Earle, John; Choate, LaDonna

2010-01-01

This report presents chemical characteristics of transient unsaturated-zone water collected by lysimeter from the Manning Canyon repository site in Utah. Data collected by U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management scientists under an intragovernmental order comprise the existing body of hydrochemical information on unsaturated-zone conditions at the site and represent the first effort to characterize the chemistry of the soil pore water surrounding the repository. Analyzed samples showed elevated levels of arsenic, barium, chromium, and strontium, which are typical of acidic mine drainage. The range of major-ion concentrations generally showed expected soil values. Although subsequent sampling is necessary to determine long-term effects of the repository, current results provide initial data concerning reactive processes of precipitation on the mine tailings and waste rock stored at the site and provide information on the effectiveness of reclamation operations at the Manning Canyon repository.

Phase Stability Determinations of DWPF Waste Glasses

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

Marra, S.L.

1999-10-22

Liquid high-level nuclear waste will be immobilized at the Savannah River Site (SRS) by vitrification in borosilicate glass. To fulfill this requirement, glass samples were heat treated at various times and temperatures. These results will provide guidance to the repository program about conditions to be avoided during shipping, handling and storage of DWPF canistered waste forms.

The magnitude and relevance of the February 2014 radiation release from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant repository in New Mexico, USA.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Lemons, B G; White, C R

2016-09-15

After almost fifteen years of successful waste disposal operations, the first unambiguous airborne radiation release from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was detected beyond the site boundary on February 14, 2014. It was the first accident of its kind in the 15-year operating history of the WIPP. The accident released moderate levels of radioactivity into the underground air. A small but measurable amount of radioactivity also escaped to the surface through the ventilation system and was detected above ground. The dominant radionuclides released were americium and plutonium, in a ratio consistent with the known content of a breached drum. The radiation release was caused by a runaway chemical reaction inside a transuranic (TRU) waste drum which experienced a seal and lid failure, spewing radioactive materials into the repository. According to source-term estimation, approximately 2 to 10Ci of radioactivity was released from the breached drum into the underground, and an undetermined fraction of that source term became airborne, setting off an alarm and triggering the closure of seals designed to force exhausting air through a system of filters including high-efficiency-particulate-air (HEPA) filters. Air monitoring across the WIPP site intensified following the first reports of radiation detection underground to determine the extent of impact to WIPP personnel, the public, and the environment, if any. This article attempts to compile and interpret analytical data collected by an independent monitoring program conducted by the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center (CEMRC) and by a compliance-monitoring program conducted by the WIPP's management and operating contractor, the Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), LLC., in response to the accident. Both the independent and the WIPP monitoring efforts concluded that the levels detected were very low and localized, and no radiation-related health effects among local workers or the public would be expected

Chemistry of transuranium elements in salt-base repository

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

Borkowski, Marian; Reed, Donald T; Lucchini, Jean - Francois

2010-12-02

The mobility and potential release of actinides into the accessible environment continues to be the key performance assessment concern of nuclear repositories. Actinide, in particular plutonium speciation under the wide range of conditions that can exist in the subsurface is complex and depends strongly on the coupled effects of redox conditions, inorganic/organic complexation, and the extent/nature of aggregation. Understanding the key factors that define the potential for actinide migration is, in this context, an essential and critical part of making and sustaining a licensing case for a nuclear repository. Herein we report on recent progress in a concurrent modeling andmore » experimental study to determine the speciation of plutonium, uranium and americium in high ionic strength Na-CI-Mg brines. This is being done as part of the ongomg recertification effort m the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The oxidation-state specific solubility of actinides were established in brine as function of pC{sub H+}, brine composition and the presence and absence of organic chelating agents and carbonate. An oxidation-state invariant analog approach using Nd{sup 3+} and Th{sup 4+} was used for An{sup 3+} and An{sup 4+} respectively. These results show that organic ligands and hydrolysis are key factors for An(III) solubility, hydrolysis at pC{sub H+} above 8 is predominate for An(IV) and carbonates are the key factor for U(VI) solubility. The effect of high ionic strength and brine components measured in absence of carbonates leads to measurable increased in overall solubility over analogous low ionic strength groundwater. Less is known about the bioreduction of actinides by halo-tolerant microorganisms, but there is now evidence that bioreduction does occur and is analogous, in many ways, to what occurs with soil bacteria. Results of solubility studies that focus on Pitzer parameter corrections, new species (e.g. borate complexation), and the thermodynamic parameters for

The Situation of Open Access Institutional Repositories in Spain: 2009 Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melero, Remedios; Abadal, Ernest; Abad, Francisca; Rodriguez-Gairin, Josep Manel

2009-01-01

Introduction: The DRIVER I project drew up a detailed report of European repositories based on data gathered in a survey in which Spain's participation was very low. This created a highly distorted image of the implementation of repositories in Spain. This study aims to analyse the current state of Spanish open-access institutional repositories…

76 FR 6564 - Florida: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-07

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental... implement the RCRA hazardous waste management program. We granted authorization for changes to their program..., 06/ 62-730.185(1) F.A.C. Universal Waste Management. 29/07. State Initiated Changes to the 62-730.210...

Review of buried crystalline rocks of eastern United States in selected hydrogeologic environments potentially suitable for isolating high-level radioactive wastes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, R.W.

1984-01-01

Among the concepts suggested for the deep disposal of high-level radioactive wastes from nuclear power reactors is the excavation of a repository in suitable crystalline rocks overlain by a thick sequence of sedimentary strata in a hydrogeologic environment that would effectively impede waste transport. To determine the occurrence of such environments in the Eastern United States, a review was made of available sources of published or unpublished information, using the following hydrogeologic criteria:The top of the crystalline basement rock is 1,000 to 4,000 feet below land surface.The crystalline rock is overlain by sedimentary rock whose lowermost part, at least, contains ground water with a dissolved-solids concentration of 10,000 milligrams per liter or more.Shale or clay confining beds overlie the saline-water aquifer.The flow system in the saline-water aquifer is known or determinable from presently available data.All of these hydrogeologic conditions occur in two general areas: (1) parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, underlain by part of the geologic structure known as the Cincinnati arch, and (2) parts of the Atlantic Coastal Plain from Georgia to New Jersey.

State of Practice for Emerging Waste Conversion Technologies

EPA Science Inventory

RTI International (RTI) was contracted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development to conduct research to prepare a “State of Practice” report to support State and local decision-makers on the subject of emerging waste conversion technolo...

A Preliminary Performance Assessment for Salt Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste - 12173

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

Lee, Joon H.; Clayton, Daniel; Jove-Colon, Carlos

2012-07-01

A salt repository is one of the four geologic media currently under study by the U.S. DOE Office of Nuclear Energy to support the development of a long-term strategy for geologic disposal of commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The immediate goal of the generic salt repository study is to develop the necessary modeling tools to evaluate and improve the understanding of the repository system response and processes relevant to long-term disposal of UNF and HLW in a salt formation. The current phase of this study considers representative geologic settings and features adopted from previous studiesmore » for salt repository sites. For the reference scenario, the brine flow rates in the repository and underlying interbeds are very low, and transport of radionuclides in the transport pathways is dominated by diffusion and greatly retarded by sorption on the interbed filling materials. I-129 is the dominant annual dose contributor at the hypothetical accessible environment, but the calculated mean annual dose is negligibly small. For the human intrusion (or disturbed) scenario, the mean mass release rate and mean annual dose histories are very different from those for the reference scenario. Actinides including Pu-239, Pu-242 and Np-237 are major annual dose contributors, and the calculated peak mean annual dose is acceptably low. A performance assessment model for a generic salt repository has been developed incorporating, where applicable, representative geologic settings and features adopted from literature data for salt repository sites. The conceptual model and scenario for radionuclide release and transport from a salt repository were developed utilizing literature data. The salt GDS model was developed in a probabilistic analysis framework. The preliminary performance analysis for demonstration of model capability is for an isothermal condition at the ambient temperature for the near field. The capability demonstration

The On-line Waste Library (OWL): Usage and Inventory Status Report

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

Sassani, David; Jang, Je-Hun; Mariner, Paul

The Waste Form Disposal Options Evaluation Report (SNL 2014) evaluated disposal of both Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel (CSNF) and DOE-managed HLW and Spent Nuclear Fuel (DHLW and DSNF) in the variety of disposal concepts being evaluated within the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign. That work covered a comprehensive inventory and a wide range of disposal concepts. The primary goal of this work is to evaluate the information needs for analyzing disposal solely of a subset of those wastes in a Defense Repository (DRep; i.e., those wastes that are either defense related, or managed by DOE but are not commercial in origin).more » A potential DRep also appears to be safe in the range of geologic mined repository concepts, but may have different concepts and features because of the very different inventory of waste that would be included. The focus of this status report is to cover the progress made in FY16 toward: (1) developing a preliminary DRep included inventory for engineering/design analyses; (2) assessing the major differences of this included inventory relative to that in other analyzed repository systems and the potential impacts to disposal concepts; (3) designing and developing an on-line waste library (OWL) to manage the information of all those wastes and their waste forms (including CSNF if needed); and (4) constraining post-closure waste form degradation performance for safety assessments of a DRep. In addition, some continuing work is reported on identifying potential candidate waste types/forms to be added to the full list from SNL (2014 – see Table C-1) which also may be added to the OWL in the future. The status for each of these aspects is reported herein.« less

Robotics Scoping Study to Evaluate Advances in Robotics Technologies that Support Enhanced Efficiencies for Yucca Mountain Repository Operations

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

T. Burgess; M. Noakes; P. Spampinato

This paper presents an evaluation of robotics and remote handling technologies that have the potential to increase the efficiency of handling waste packages at the proposed Yucca Mountain High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository. It is expected that increased efficiency will reduce the cost of operations. The goal of this work was to identify technologies for consideration as potential projects that the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Office of Science and Technology International Programs, could support in the near future, and to assess their ''payback'' value. The evaluation took into account the robotics and remote handling capabilitiesmore » planned for incorporation into the current baseline design for the repository, for both surface and subsurface operations. The evaluation, completed at the end of fiscal year 2004, identified where significant advantages in operating efficiencies could accrue by implementing any given robotics technology or approach, and included a road map for a multiyear R&D program for improvements to remote handling technology that support operating enhancements.« less

Managing and Evaluating Digital Repositories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuccala, Alesia; Oppenheim, Charles; Dhiensa, Rajveen

2008-01-01

Introduction: We examine the role of the digital repository manager, discuss the future of repository management and evaluation and suggest that library and information science schools develop new repository management curricula. Method: Face-to-face interviews were carried out with managers of five different types of repositories and a Web-based…

75 FR 76691 - Oregon; Correction of Federal Authorization of the State's Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-09

...; Correction of Federal Authorization of the State's Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental... to the State of Oregon's federally authorized RCRA hazardous waste management program. On January 7... changes the State of Oregon made to its federally authorized RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Program...

Milestones for Selection, Characterization, and Analysis of the Performance of a Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain.

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

Rechard, Robert P.

This report presents a concise history in tabular form of events leading up to site identification in 1978, site selection in 1987, subsequent characterization, and ongoing analysis through 2008 of the performance of a repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada. The tabulated events generally occurred in five periods: (1) commitment to mined geologic disposal and identification of sites; (2) site selection and analysis, based on regional geologic characterization through literature and analogous data; (3) feasibility analysis demonstrating calculation procedures and importance of system components, based on rough measures of performance usingmore » surface exploration, waste process knowledge, and general laboratory experiments; (4) suitability analysis demonstrating viability of disposal system, based on environment-specific laboratory experiments, in-situ experiments, and underground disposal system characterization; and (5) compliance analysis, based on completed site-specific characterization. Because the relationship is important to understanding the evolution of the Yucca Mountain Project, the tabulation also shows the interaction between four broad categories of political bodies and government agencies/institutions: (a) technical milestones of the implementing institutions, (b) development of the regulatory requirements and related federal policy in laws and court decisions, (c) Presidential and agency directives and decisions, and (d) critiques of the Yucca Mountain Project and pertinent national and world events related to nuclear energy and radioactive waste.« less

75 FR 81187 - South Dakota: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed Rule. SUMMARY: The Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, commonly... Agency (EPA) to authorize states to operate their hazardous waste management programs in lieu of the...

Geological problems in radioactive waste isolation - A world wide review

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

Witherspoon, P.A.

1991-06-01

The problem of isolating radioactive wastes from the biosphere presents specialists in the 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. The most widely accepted method of doing this is to seal the radioactive materials in metal canisters that are enclosed by a protective sheath and placed underground in a repository that has been carefully constructed in an appropriate rock formation. Much new technology is being developed to solve the problemsmore » that have been raised, and there is a continuing need to publish the results of new developments for the benefit of all concerned. Table 1 presents a summary of the various formations under investigation according to the reports submitted for this world wide review. It can be seen that in those countries that are searching for repository sites, granitic and metamorphic rocks are the prevalent rock type under investigation. Six countries have developed underground research facilities that are currently in use. All of these investigations are in saturated systems below the water table, except the United States project, which is in the unsaturated zone of a fractured tuff.« less

Corticotropin, Repository Injection

MedlinePlus

Corticotropin repository injection is used to treat the following conditions:infantile spasms (seizures that usually begin during the first ... of the arms, hands, feet, and legs). Corticotropin repository injection is in a class of medications called ...

SOURCE ASSESSMENT: RECLAIMING OF WASTE SOLVENTS, STATE OF THE ART

EPA Science Inventory

This document reviews the state of the art of air emissions from the reclaiming of waste solvents. The composition, quantity, and rate of emissions are described. Waste solvents are organic dissolving agents which are contaminated with suspended and dissolved solids, organics, wa...

United States 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

On September 16, 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first ever domestic goal to reduce food loss and waste by half by the year 2030.

Grid Application Meta-Repository System: Repository Interconnectivity and Cross-domain Application Usage in Distributed Computing Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tudose, Alexandru; Terstyansky, Gabor; Kacsuk, Peter; Winter, Stephen

Grid Application Repositories vary greatly in terms of access interface, security system, implementation technology, communication protocols and repository model. This diversity has become a significant limitation in terms of interoperability and inter-repository access. This paper presents the Grid Application Meta-Repository System (GAMRS) as a solution that offers better options for the management of Grid applications. GAMRS proposes a generic repository architecture, which allows any Grid Application Repository (GAR) to be connected to the system independent of their underlying technology. It also presents applications in a uniform manner and makes applications from all connected repositories visible to web search engines, OGSI/WSRF Grid Services and other OAI (Open Archive Initiative)-compliant repositories. GAMRS can also function as a repository in its own right and can store applications under a new repository model. With the help of this model, applications can be presented as embedded in virtual machines (VM) and therefore they can be run in their native environments and can easily be deployed on virtualized infrastructures allowing interoperability with new generation technologies such as cloud computing, application-on-demand, automatic service/application deployments and automatic VM generation.

Basic repository source term and data sheet report: Lavender Canyon

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

Not Available

1988-01-01

This report is one of a series describing studies undertaken in support of the US Department of Energy Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) Program. This study contains the derivation of values for environmental source terms and resources consumed for a CRWM repository. Estimates include heavy construction equipment; support equipment; shaft-sinking equipment; transportation equipment; and consumption of fuel, water, electricity, and natural gas. Data are presented for construction and operation at an assumed site in Lavender Canyon, Utah. 3 refs; 6 tabs.

10 CFR Appendix D to Part 2 - Schedule for the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Schedule for the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic Repository. D Appendix D to Part 2 Energy NUCLEAR... for a High-Level Waste Geologic Repository. Day Regulation (10 CFR) Action 0 2.101(f)(8), 2.105(a)(5...

10 CFR Appendix D to Part 2 - Schedule for the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic Repository. D Appendix D to Part 2 Energy NUCLEAR.... D Appendix D to Part 2—Schedule for the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic Repository. Day Regulation (10 CFR) Action 0 2.101(f)(8), 2.105(a)(5...

10 CFR Appendix D to Part 2 - Schedule for the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic Repository. D Appendix D to Part 2 Energy NUCLEAR.... D Appendix D to Part 2—Schedule for the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic Repository. Day Regulation (10 CFR) Action 0 2.101(f)(8), 2.105(a)(5...

Rock mechanics evaluation of potential repository sites in the Paradox, Permian, and Gulf Coast Basins: Volume 1

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

Not Available

1987-09-01

Thermal and thermomechanical analyses of a conceptual radioactive waste repository containing commercial and defense high-level wastes and spent fuel have been performing using finite element models. The thermal and thermomechanical responses of the waste package, disposal room, and repository regions were evaluated. four bedded salt formations, in Davis and Lavender Canyons in the Paradox Basin of southeastern Utah and in Deaf Smith and Swisher counties in the Permian Basin of northwestern Texas, and three salt domes, Vacherie Dome in northwestern Louisiana and Richton and Cypress Creek Domes in southeastern Mississippi, located in the Gulf Coast Basin, were examined. In themore » Paradox Basin, the pressure exerted on the waste package overpack was much greater than the initial in situ stress. The disposal room closure was less than 10 percent after 5 years. Surface uplift was nominal, and no significant thermomechanical perturbation of the aquitards was observed. In the Permian Basin, the pressure exerted on the waste package overpack was greater than the initial in situ stress. The disposal room closures were greater than 10 percent in less than 5 years. Surface uplift was nominal, and no significant thermomechanical perturbation of the aquitards was observed. In the Gulf Coast Basin, the pressure exerted on the waste package overpack was greater than the initial in situ stress. The disposal room closures were greater than 10 percent in less than 5 years. No significant thermomechanical perturbation of the overlying geology was observed. 40 refs., 153 figs., 32 tabs.« less

Description of Defense Waste Processing Facility reference waste form and canister. Revision 1

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

Baxter, R.G.

1983-08-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) will be located at the Savannah River Plant in Aiken, SC, and is scheduled for construction authorization during FY-1984. The reference waste form is borosilicate glass containing approx. 28 wt % sludge oxides, with the balance glass frit. Borosilicate glass was chosen because of its high resistance to leaching by water, its relatively high solubility for nuclides found in the sludge, and its reasonably low melting temperature. The glass frit contains about 58% SiO/sub 2/ and 15% B/sub 2/O/sub 3/. Leachabilities of SRP waste glasses are expected to approach 10/sup -8/ g/m/sup 2/-day basedmore » upon 1000-day tests using glasses containing SRP radioactive waste. Tests were performed under a wide variety of conditions simulating repository environments. The canister is filled with 3260 lb of glass which occupies about 85% of the free canister volume. The filled canister will generate approx. 470 watts when filled with oxides from 5-year-old sludge and 15-year-old supernate from the sludge and supernate processes. The radionuclide content of the canister is about 177,000 ci, with a radiation level of 5500 rem/h at canister surface contact. The reference canister is fabricated of standard 24-in.-OD, Schedule 20, 304L stainless steel pipe with a dished bottom, domed head, and a combined lifting and welding flange on the head neck. The overall canister length is 9 ft 10 in. with a 3/8-in. wall thickness. The 3-m canister length was selected to reduce equipment cell height in the DWPF to a practical size. The canister diameter was selected as an optimum size from glass quality considerations, a logical size for repository handling and to ensure that a filled canister with its double containment shipping cask could be accommodated on a legal-weight truck. The overall dimensions and weight appear to be compatible with preliminary assessments of repository requirements. 10 references.« less

77 FR 65351 - Missouri: Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-26

...: Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... Jackson-Johnson, Environmental Protection Agency, Waste Enforcement & Materials Management Branch, 11201... its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA proposes to...

75 FR 45583 - New York: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-03

... authorized and that EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended and commonly referred to...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... authorized hazardous waste program which is set forth in the regulations entitled ``Approved State Hazardous...

Modeling of Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes for Bentonite in a Clay-rock Repository for Heat-generating Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, H.; Rutqvist, J.; Zheng, L.; Birkholzer, J. T.

2016-12-01

Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) that include a bentonite-based buffer are designed to isolate the high-level radioactive waste emplaced in tunnels in deep geological formations. The heat emanated from the waste can drive the moisture flow transport and induce strongly coupled Thermal (T), Hydrological (H), Mechanical (M) and Chemical (C) processes within the bentonite buffer and may also impact the evolution of the excavation disturbed zone and the sealing between the buffer and walls of an emplacement tunnel The flow and contaminant transport potential along the disturbed zone can be minimized by backfilling the tunnels with bentonite, if it provides enough swelling stress when hydrated by the host rock. The swelling capability of clay minerals within the bentonite is important for sealing gaps between bentonite block, and between the EBS and the surrounding host rock. However, a high temperature could result in chemical alteration of bentonite-based buffer and backfill materials through illitization, which may compromise the function of these EBS components by reducing their plasticity and capability to swell under wetting. Therefore, an adequate THMC coupling scheme is required to understand and to predict the changes of bentonite for identifying whether EBS bentonite can sustain higher temperatures. More comprehensive links between chemistry and mechanics, taking advantage of the framework provided by a dual-structure model, named Barcelona Expansive Model (BExM), was implemented in TOUGHREACT-FLAC3D and is used to simulate the response of EBS bentonite in in clay formation for a generic case. The current work is to evaluate the chemical changes in EBS bentonite and the effects on the bentonite swelling stress under high temperature. This work sheds light on the interaction between THMC processes, evaluates the potential deterioration of EBS bentonite and supports the decision making in the design of a nuclear waste repository in light of the maximum allowance

40 CFR 256.02 - Scope of the State solid waste management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., General Requirements, Definitions § 256.02 Scope of the State solid waste management plan. (a)(1) The... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Scope of the State solid waste management plan. 256.02 Section 256.02 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 256.02 - Scope of the State solid waste management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., General Requirements, Definitions § 256.02 Scope of the State solid waste management plan. (a)(1) The... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Scope of the State solid waste management plan. 256.02 Section 256.02 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 256.02 - Scope of the State solid waste management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., General Requirements, Definitions § 256.02 Scope of the State solid waste management plan. (a)(1) The... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Scope of the State solid waste management plan. 256.02 Section 256.02 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 256.02 - Scope of the State solid waste management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., General Requirements, Definitions § 256.02 Scope of the State solid waste management plan. (a)(1) The... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Scope of the State solid waste management plan. 256.02 Section 256.02 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 256.02 - Scope of the State solid waste management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., General Requirements, Definitions § 256.02 Scope of the State solid waste management plan. (a)(1) The... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Scope of the State solid waste management plan. 256.02 Section 256.02 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

Monitored Geologic Repository Project Description Document

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

P. M. Curry

2001-01-30

The primary objective of the Monitored Geologic Repository Project Description Document (PDD) is to allocate the functions, requirements, and assumptions to the systems at Level 5 of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System (CRWMS) architecture identified in Section 4. It provides traceability of the requirements to those contained in Section 3 of the ''Monitored Geologic Repository Requirements Document'' (MGR RD) (YMP 2000a) and other higher-level requirements documents. In addition, the PDD allocates design related assumptions to work products of non-design organizations. The document provides Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) technical requirements in support of design and performance assessment in preparing formore » the Site Recommendation (SR) and License Application (LA) milestones. The technical requirements documented in the PDD are to be captured in the System Description Documents (SDDs) which address each of the systems at Level 5 of the CRWMS architecture. The design engineers obtain the technical requirements from the SDDs and by reference from the SDDs to the PDD. The design organizations and other organizations will obtain design related assumptions directly from the PDD. These organizations may establish additional assumptions for their individual activities, but such assumptions are not to conflict with the assumptions in the PDD. The PDD will serve as the primary link between the technical requirements captured in the SDDs and the design requirements captured in US Department of Energy (DOE) documents. The approved PDD is placed under Level 3 baseline control by the CRWMS Management and Operating Contractor (M and O) and the following portions of the PDD constitute the Technical Design Baseline for the MGR: the design characteristics listed in Table 1-1, the MGR Architecture (Section 4.1), the Technical Requirements (Section 5), and the Controlled Project Assumptions (Section 6).« less

Hanford solid-waste handling facility strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albaugh, J. F.

1982-05-01

Prior to 1970, transuranic (TRU) solid waste was disposed of at Hanford by shallow land burial. Since 1970, TRU solid waste has been stored in near surface trenches designed to facilitate retrieval after twenty year storage period. Current strategy calls for final disposal in a geologic repository. Funding permitting, in 1983, certification of newly generated TRU waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) criteria for geologic disposal will be initiated. Certified and uncertified waste will continue to be stored at Hanford in retrievable storage until a firm schedule for shipment to WIPP is developed. Previously stored wastes retrieved for geologic disposal and newly generated uncertified waste requires processing to assure compliance with disposal criteria. A facility to perform this function is being developed. A study to determine the requirements of this Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) Facility is currently being conducted.

The Emperor's New Repository

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chudnov, Daniel

2008-01-01

The author does not know the first thing about building digital repositories. Maybe that is a strange thing to say, given that he works in a repository development group now, worked on the original DSpace project years ago, and worked on a few repository research projects in between. Given how long he has been around people and projects aiming to…

Commercial high-level-waste management: Options and economics. A comparative analysis of the ceramic and glass waste forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKisson, R. L.; Grantham, L. F.; Guon, J.; Recht, H. L.

1983-02-01

Results of an estimate of the waste management costs of the commercial high level waste from a 3000 metric ton per year reprocessing plant show that the judicious use of the ceramic waste form can save about $2 billion during a 20 year operating campaign relative to the use of the glass waste form. This assumes PWR fuel is processed and the waste is encapsulated in 0.305-m-diam canisters with ultimate emplacement in a BWIP-type horizontal-borehole repository. Waste loading and waste form density are the driving factors in that the low waste loading (25%) and relatively low density (3.1 g cu cm) characteristic of the glass form require several times as many canisters to handle a given waste throughput than is needed for the ceramic waste form whose waste loading capability exceeds 60% and whose waste density is nominally 5.2 cu cm.

Transportation plan repository and archive.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-04-01

This project created a repository and archive for transportation planning documents in Texas within the : established Texas A&M Repository (http://digital.library.tamu.edu). This transportation planning archive : and repository provides ready access ...

Disposing of High-Level Radioactive Waste in Germany - A Note from the Licensing Authority - 12530

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

Pick, Thomas Stefan; Bluth, Joachim; Lauenstein, Christof

Following the national German consensus on the termination of utilisation of nuclear energy in the summer of 2011, the Federal and Laender Governments have declared their intention to work together on a national consensus on the disposal of radioactive waste as well. Projected in the early 1970's the Federal Government had started exploring the possibility to establish a repository for HLW at the Gorleben site in 1977. However, there is still no repository available in Germany today. The delay results mainly from the national conflict over the suitability of the designated Gorleben site, considerably disrupting German society along the crevicemore » that runs between supporters and opponents of nuclear energy. The Gorleben salt dome is situated in Lower Saxony, the German state that also hosts the infamous Asse mine repository for LLW and ILW and the Konrad repository project designated to receive LLW and ILW as well. With the fourth German project, the Morsleben L/ILW repository only 20 km away across the state border, the state of Lower Saxony carries the main load for the disposal of radioactive waste in Germany. After more than 25 years of exploration and a 10 year moratorium the Gorleben project has now reached a cross-road. Current plans for setting up a new site selection procedure in Germany call for the selection and exploration of up to four alternative sites, depending only on suitable geology. In the meantime the discussion is still open on whether the Gorleben project should be terminated in order to pacify the societal conflict or being kept in the selection process on account of its promising geology. The Lower Saxony Ministry for Environment and Climate Protection proposes to follow a twelve-step-program for finding the appropriate site, including the Gorleben site in the process. With its long history of exploration the site is the benchmark that alternative sites will have to compare with. Following the national consensus of 2011 on the

Design and Implementation of an International Training Program on Repository Development and Management

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

Vugrin, K.W.; Twitchell, Ch.A.

2008-07-01

Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) is an electric company in the Republic of Korea with twenty operational nuclear power plants and eight additional units that are either planned or currently under construction. Regulations require that KHNP manage the radioactive waste generated by their nuclear power plants. In the course of planning low, intermediate, and high level waste storage facilities, KHNP sought interaction with an acknowledged expert in the field of radioactive waste management and, consequently, contacted Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). KHNP has contracted with SNL to provide a year long training program on repository science. This papermore » discusses the design of the curriculum, specific plans for execution of the training program, and recommendations for smooth implementation of international training programs. (authors)« less

Comparison of the results of several heat transfer computer codes when applied to a hypothetical nuclear waste repository

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

Claiborne, H.C.; Wagner, R.S.; Just, R.A.

1979-12-01

A direct comparison of transient thermal calculations was made with the heat transfer codes HEATING5, THAC-SIP-3D, ADINAT, SINDA, TRUMP, and TRANCO for a hypothetical nuclear waste repository. With the exception of TRUMP and SINDA (actually closer to the earlier CINDA3G version), the other codes agreed to within +-5% for the temperature rises as a function of time. The TRUMP results agreed within +-5% up to about 50 years, where the maximum temperature occurs, and then began an oscillary behavior with up to 25% deviations at longer times. This could have resulted from time steps that were too large or frommore » some unknown system problems. The available version of the SINDA code was not compatible with the IBM compiler without using an alternative method for handling a variable thermal conductivity. The results were about 40% low, but a reasonable agreement was obtained by assuming a uniform thermal conductivity; however, a programming error was later discovered in the alternative method. Some work is required on the IBM version to make it compatible with the system and still use the recommended method of handling variable thermal conductivity. TRANCO can only be run as a 2-D model, and TRUMP and CINDA apparently required longer running times and did not agree in the 2-D case; therefore, only HEATING5, THAC-SIP-3D, and ADINAT were used for the 3-D model calculations. The codes agreed within +-5%; at distances of about 1 ft from the waste canister edge, temperature rises were also close to that predicted by the 3-D model.« less

Demonstrating compliance with protection objectives for non-human biota within post-closure safety cases for radioactive waste repositories.

PubMed

Jackson, D; Smith, K; Wood, M D

2014-07-01

Over recent years, a number of approaches have been developed that enable the calculation of dose rates to animals and plants following the release of radioactivity to the environment. These approaches can be used to assess the potential impacts of activities that may release radioactivity to the environment, such as the operation of waste repositories. A number of national and international studies have identified screening criteria to indicate those assessment results below which further consideration is not generally required. However no internationally agreed criteria are currently available and consistency in criteria between countries has not been achieved. Furthermore, since screening criteria are not intended to be applied as limits, it is clear that they cannot always form a sufficient basis for assessing the adequacy of protection afforded. Typically, exceeding a screening value leads to a regulatory requirement to undertake a further, more detailed assessment. It does not, per se, imply that there is inadequate protection of the organism types at the specific site under assessment. Therefore, there is a need to develop a more structured approach to dealing with situations in which current screening criteria are exceeded. As a contribution to the developing international discussions, and as an interim measure for application where assessments are required currently, a two-tier, three zone framework is proposed here, relevant to the long term assessment of potential impacts from the deep disposal of radioactive wastes. The purpose of the proposed framework is to promote a proportionate and risk-based approach to the level of effort required in undertaking and interpreting an assessment. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

78 FR 56775 - Waste Confidence-Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-13

... radiological impacts of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste disposal. DATES: Submit comments on the... determination. The ``Offsite radiological impacts of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste disposal'' issue.... Geologic Repository--Technical Feasibility and Availability C3. Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel C3.a...

NCI Mouse Repository | FNLCR Staging

Cancer.gov

The NCI Mouse Repository is an NCI-funded resource for mouse cancer models and associated strains. The repository makes strains available to all members of the scientific community (academic, non-profit, and commercial). NCI Mouse Repository strains

Site characterization report for the basalt waste isolation project. Volume II

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

None

1982-11-01

The reference location for a repository in basalt for the terminal storage of nuclear wastes on the Hanford Site and the candidate horizons within this reference repository location have been identified and the preliminary characterization work in support of the site screening process has been completed. Fifteen technical questions regarding the qualification of the site were identified to be addressed during the detailed site characterization phase of the US Department of Energy-National Waste Terminal Storage Program site selection process. Resolution of these questions will be provided in the final site characterization progress report, currently planned to be issued in 1987,more » and in the safety analysis report to be submitted with the License Application. The additional information needed to resolve these questions and the plans for obtaining the information have been identified. This Site Characterization Report documents the results of the site screening process, the preliminary site characterization data, the technical issues that need to be addressed, and the plans for resolving these issues. Volume 2 contains chapters 6 through 12: geochemistry; surface hydrology; climatology, meteorology, and air quality; environmental, land-use, and socioeconomic characteristics; repository design; waste package; and performance assessment.« less

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

Assessment of the state of food waste treatment in the United States and Canada.

PubMed

Levis, J W; Barlaz, M A; Themelis, N J; Ulloa, P

2010-01-01

Currently in the US, over 97% of food waste is estimated to be buried in landfills. There is nonetheless interest in strategies to divert this waste from landfills as evidenced by a number of programs and policies at the local and state levels, including collection programs for source separated organic wastes (SSO). The objective of this study was to characterize the state-of-the-practice of food waste treatment alternatives in the US and Canada. Site visits were conducted to aerobic composting and two anaerobic digestion facilities, in addition to meetings with officials that are responsible for program implementation and financing. The technology to produce useful products from either aerobic or anaerobic treatment of SSO is in place. However, there are a number of implementation issues that must be addressed, principally project economics and feedstock purity. Project economics varied by region based on landfill disposal fees. Feedstock purity can be obtained by enforcement of contaminant standards and/or manual or mechanical sorting of the feedstock prior to and after treatment. Future SSO diversion will be governed by economics and policy incentives, including landfill organics bans and climate change mitigation policies. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation on radiation protection aspect and radiological risk at Mukim Belanja repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azmi, Siti Nur Aisyah; Kenoh, Hamiza; Majid, Amran Ab.

2016-01-01

Asian Rare Earth (ARE) is a locally incorporated company that operated a mineral processing operation to extract rare earth element. ARE has received much attention from the public since the beginning of their operation until the work of decommissioning and decontamination of the plant. Due to the existence of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in the residue, the decommissioning and disposal was done by the company in collaboration with the Perak State Government and the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB). The main objective of this study is to review the level of compliance of the existing Radiation Protection Regulations enforced by AELB particularly in the achievement of allowed exposure dose limit. The next objective was to study the impact of the construction of the Mukim Belanja Repository to workers and public. This study was conducted by analyzing documents that were issued and conducting the area monitoring using a Geiger Muller detector (GM) and Sodium Iodide (NaI(Tl)) survey meters. The measurements were made at 5 cm and 1 m from the ground surface at 27 measurement stations. The external doses measured were within the background levels of the surrounding area. The annual effective dose using the highest reading at 5 cm and 1 m from ground surface by GM detector was calculated to be 1.36 mSv/year and 1.21 mSv/year respectively. Whereas the annual effective dose using the highest reading at 5 cm and 1 m from ground surface by using NaI(Tl) detector was calculated to be 3.31 mSv/year and 2.83 mSv/year respectively. The calculated cancer risks from the study showed that the risk is small compared with the risks derived from natural radiation based on global annual radiation dose to humans. This study therefore indicated that the repository is able to constrain the dose exposure from the disposed NORM waste. The study also revealed that the construction of the repository has complied with all the rules and regulations subjected to it. The

76 FR 6594 - Florida: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-07

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental... of the changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA... and State Programs Section, RCRA Programs and Materials Management Branch, RCRA Division, U.S...

78 FR 25678 - Georgia: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-02

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental... of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA... Gwendolyn Gleaton, Permits and State Programs Section, RCRA Programs and Materials Management Branch, RCRA...

77 FR 60963 - Tennessee: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental... of the changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA... Johnson, Permits and State Programs Section, RCRA Programs and Materials Management Branch, RCRA Division...

An Optimal Centralized Carbon Dioxide Repository for Florida, USA

PubMed Central

Poiencot, Brandon; Brown, Christopher

2011-01-01

For over a decade, the United States Department of Energy, and engineers, geologists, and scientists from all over the world have investigated the potential for reducing atmospheric carbon emissions through carbon sequestration. Numerous reports exist analyzing the potential for sequestering carbon dioxide at various sites around the globe, but none have identified the potential for a statewide system in Florida, USA. In 2005, 83% of Florida’s electrical energy was produced by natural gas, coal, or oil (e.g., fossil fuels), from power plants spread across the state. In addition, only limited research has been completed on evaluating optimal pipeline transportation networks to centralized carbon dioxide repositories. This paper describes the feasibility and preliminary locations for an optimal centralized Florida-wide carbon sequestration repository. Linear programming optimization modeling is used to plan and route an idealized pipeline network to existing Florida power plants. Further analysis of the subsurface geology in these general locations will provide insight into the suitability of the subsurface conditions and the available capacity for carbon sequestration at selected possible repository sites. The identification of the most favorable site(s) is also presented. PMID:21695024

An optimal centralized carbon dioxide repository for Florida, USA.

PubMed

Poiencot, Brandon; Brown, Christopher

2011-04-01

For over a decade, the United States Department of Energy, and engineers, geologists, and scientists from all over the world have investigated the potential for reducing atmospheric carbon emissions through carbon sequestration. Numerous reports exist analyzing the potential for sequestering carbon dioxide at various sites around the globe, but none have identified the potential for a statewide system in Florida, USA. In 2005, 83% of Florida's electrical energy was produced by natural gas, coal, or oil (e.g., fossil fuels), from power plants spread across the state. In addition, only limited research has been completed on evaluating optimal pipeline transportation networks to centralized carbon dioxide repositories. This paper describes the feasibility and preliminary locations for an optimal centralized Florida-wide carbon sequestration repository. Linear programming optimization modeling is used to plan and route an idealized pipeline network to existing Florida power plants. Further analysis of the subsurface geology in these general locations will provide insight into the suitability of the subsurface conditions and the available capacity for carbon sequestration at selected possible repository sites. The identification of the most favorable site(s) is also presented.

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.

40 CFR 124.33 - Information repository.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Information repository. 124.33 Section... FOR DECISIONMAKING Specific Procedures Applicable to RCRA Permits § 124.33 Information repository. (a... basis, for an information repository. When assessing the need for an information repository, the...

Safety-relevant hydrogeological properties of the claystone barrier of a Swiss radioactive waste repository: An evaluation using multiple lines of evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gautschi, Andreas

2017-09-01

In Switzerland, the Opalinus Clay - a Jurassic (Aalenian) claystone formation - has been proposed as the first-priority host rock for a deep geological repository for both low- and intermediate-level and high-level radioactive wastes. An extensive site and host rock investigation programme has been carried out during the past 30 years in Northern Switzerland, comprising extensive 2D and 3D seismic surveys, a series of deep boreholes within and around potential geological siting regions, experiments in the international Mont Terri Rock Laboratory, compilations of data from Opalinus Clay in railway and motorway tunnels and comparisons with similar rocks. The hydrogeological properties of the Opalinus Clay that are relevant from the viewpoint of long-term safety are described and illustrated. The main conclusions are supported by multiple lines of evidence, demonstrating consistency of conclusions based on hydraulic properties, porewater chemistry, distribution of natural tracers across the Opalinus Clay as well as small- and large-scale diffusion models and the derived conceptual understanding of solute transport.

Frictional Properties of Opalinus Clay: Implications for Nuclear Waste Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orellana, L. F.; Scuderi, M. M.; Collettini, C.; Violay, M.

2018-01-01

The kaolinite-bearing Opalinus Clay (OPA) is the host rock proposed in Switzerland for disposal of radioactive waste. However, the presence of tectonic faults intersecting the OPA formation put the long-term safety performance of the underground repository into question due to the possibility of earthquakes triggered by fault instability. In this paper, we study the frictional properties of the OPA shale. To do that, we have carried out biaxial direct shear experiments under conditions typical of nuclear waste storage. We have performed velocity steps (1-300 μm/s) and slide-hold-slide tests (1-3,000 s) on simulated fault gouge at different normal stresses (4-30 MPa). To establish the deformation mechanisms, we have analyzed the microstructures of the sheared samples through scanning electron microscopy. Our results show that peak (μpeak) and steady state friction (μss) range from 0.21 to 0.52 and 0.14 to 0.39, respectively, thus suggesting that OPA fault gouges are weak. The velocity dependence of friction indicates a velocity strengthening regime, with the friction rate parameter (a - b) that decreases with normal stress. Finally, the zero healing values imply a lack of restrengthening during interseismic periods. Taken together, if OPA fault reactivates, our experimental evidence favors an aseismic slip behavior, making the nucleation of earthquakes difficult, and long-term weakness, resulting in stable fault creeping over geological times. Based on the results, our study confirms the seismic safety of the OPA formation for a nuclear waste repository.

Final base case community analysis: Indian Springs, Nevada for the Clark County socioeconomic impact assessment of the proposed high- level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

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

NONE

1992-06-18

This document provides a base case description of the rural Clark County community of Indian Springs in anticipation of change associated with the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. As the community closest to the proposed site, Indian Springs may be seen by site characterization workers, as well as workers associated with later repository phases, as a logical place to live. This report develops and updates information relating to a broad spectrum of socioeconomic variables, thereby providing a `snapshot` or `base case` look at Indian Springs in early 1992. With this as a background, future repository-related developments maymore » be analytically separated from changes brought about by other factors, thus allowing for the assessment of the magnitude of local changes associated with the proposed repository. Given the size of the community, changes that may be considered small in an absolute sense may have relatively large impacts at the local level. Indian Springs is, in many respects, a unique community and a community of contrasts. An unincorporated town, it is a small yet important enclave of workers on large federal projects and home to employees of small- scale businesses and services. It is a rural community, but it is also close to the urbanized Las Vega Valley. It is a desert community, but has good water resources. It is on flat terrain, but it is located within 20 miles of the tallest mountains in Nevada. It is a town in which various interest groups diverge on issues of local importance, but in a sense of community remains an important feature of life. Finally, it has a sociodemographic history of both surface transience and underlying stability. If local land becomes available, Indian Springs has some room for growth but must first consider the historical effects of growth on the town and its desired direction for the future.« less

Centralized mouse repositories.

PubMed

Donahue, Leah Rae; Hrabe de Angelis, Martin; Hagn, Michael; Franklin, Craig; Lloyd, K C Kent; Magnuson, Terry; McKerlie, Colin; Nakagata, Naomi; Obata, Yuichi; Read, Stuart; Wurst, Wolfgang; Hörlein, Andreas; Davisson, Muriel T

2012-10-01

Because the mouse is used so widely for biomedical research and the number of mouse models being generated is increasing rapidly, centralized repositories are essential if the valuable mouse strains and models that have been developed are to be securely preserved and fully exploited. Ensuring the ongoing availability of these mouse strains preserves the investment made in creating and characterizing them and creates a global resource of enormous value. The establishment of centralized mouse repositories around the world for distributing and archiving these resources has provided critical access to and preservation of these strains. This article describes the common and specialized activities provided by major mouse repositories around the world.

77 FR 8926 - Board Meeting: March 7, 2012-Albuquerque, NM; The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Will...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-15

... Repository Geologies Pursuant to its authority under section 5051 of Public Law 100-203, the Nuclear Waste... repository. A representative of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will provide a USGS perspective on this...

Reference commercial high-level waste glass and canister definition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slate, S. C.; Ross, W. A.; Partain, W. L.

1981-09-01

Technical data and performance characteristics of a high level waste glass and canister intended for use in the design of a complete waste encapsulation package suitable for disposal in a geologic repository are presented. The borosilicate glass contained in the stainless steel canister represents the probable type of high level waste product that is produced in a commercial nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant. Development history is summarized for high level liquid waste compositions, waste glass composition and characteristics, and canister design. The decay histories of the fission products and actinides (plus daughters) calculated by the ORIGEN-II code are presented.

New developments in measurements technology relevant to the studies of deep geological repositories in bedded salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, N. H.; Ramirez, A. L.

1980-10-01

Developments in measurement technology are presented which are relevant to the studies of deep geological repositories for nuclear waste disposal during all phases of development, i.e., site selection, site characterization, construction, operation, and decommission. Emphasis was placed on geophysics and geotechnics with special attention to those techniques applicable to bedded salt. The techniques are grouped into sections as follows: tectonic environment, state of stress, subsurface structures, fractures, stress changes, deformation, thermal properties, fluid transport properties, and other approaches. Several areas that merit further research and developments are identified. These areas are: in situ thermal measurement techniques, fracture detection and characterization, in situ stress measurements, and creep behavior. The available instrumentations should generally be improved to have better resolution and accuracy, enhanced instrument survivability, and reliability for extended time periods in a hostile environment.

A science and technology initiative within the office of civilian radioactive waste management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Budnitz, R.J.; Kiess, T.E.; Peters, M.; Duncan, D.

2003-01-01

In 2002, by following a national decision-making process that had been specified in the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act, Yucca Mountain (YM) was designated as the site for the nation's geologic repository for commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) must now obtain regulatory approval to construct and operate a repository there, and to develop transportation and infrastructure needed to support operations. The OCRWM has also recently begun a separate Science and Technology (S&T) initiative, whose purposes, beginnings, current projects, and future plans are described here.

Analysis of space systems for the space disposal of nuclear waste follow-on study. Volume 2: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The space option for disposal of certain high-level nuclear wastes in space as a complement to mined geological repositories is studied. A brief overview of the study background, scope, objective, guidelines and assumptions, and contents is presented. The determination of the effects of variations in the waste mix on the space systems concept to allow determination of the space systems effect on total system risk benefits when used as a complement to the DOE reference mined geological repository is studied. The waste payload system, launch site, launch system, and orbit transfer system are all addressed. Rescue mission requirements are studied. The characteristics of waste forms suitable for space disposal are identified. Trajectories and performance requirements are discussed.

Virtual patient repositories--a comparative analysis.

PubMed

Küfner, Julia; Kononowicz, Andrzej A; Hege, Inga

2014-01-01

Virtual Patients (VPs) are an important component of medical education. One way to reduce the costs for creating VPs is sharing through repositories. We conducted a literature review to identify existing repositories and analyzed the 17 included repositories in regards to the search functions and metadata they provide. Most repositories provided some metadata such as title or description, whereas other data, such as educational objectives, were less frequent. Future research could, in cooperation with the repository provider, investigate user expectations and usage patterns.

Current status of solid waste management in small island developing states: A review

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

Mohee, Romeela; Mauthoor, Sumayya, E-mail: sumayya.mauthoor@umail.uom.ac.mu; Bundhoo, Zumar M.A.

Highlights: • Waste management is a matter of great concern for small island developing states. • On average, waste generation rate in these islands amounts to 1.29 kg/capita/day. • Illegal dumping and landfilling prevail in most small island developing states. • Sustainable waste management practices, previously absent, are now emerging. • However, many challenges still hinder the implementation of these practices. - Abstract: This article reviews the current status of waste management in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the challenges that are faced in solid waste management. The waste generation rates of SIDS were compared within the three geographicmore » regions namely Caribbean SIDS, Pacific SIDS and Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China (AIMS) SIDS and with countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Only Pacific SIDS had a waste generation rate less than 1 kg/capita/day. The waste generation rates for the three SIDS regions averaged 1.29 kg/capita/day while that for OECD countries was at a mean value of 1.35 kg/capita/day. The waste compositions in the different SIDS regions were almost similar owing to comparable consumption patterns while these differed to a large extent with wastes generated in OECD countries. In SIDS, the major fraction of MSW comprised of organics (44%) followed by recyclables namely paper, plastics, glass and metals (total: 43%). In contrast, MSW in OECD countries consisted mainly of recyclables (43%) followed by organics (37%). This article also reviewed the other functional elements of the waste management systems in SIDS. Several shortcomings were noted in the process of waste collection, transfer and transport namely the fact of having outdated collection vehicles and narrow roads which are inaccessible. Among the waste management practices in SIDS, waste disposal via landfilling, illegal dumping and backyard burning were favoured most of the time at the

Long-term safety assessment of trench-type surface repository at Chernobyl, Ukraine - computer model and comparison with results from simplified models

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

Haverkamp, B.; Krone, J.; Shybetskyi, I.

2013-07-01

The Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility (RWDF) Buryakovka was constructed in 1986 as part of the intervention measures after the accident at Chernobyl NPP (ChNPP). Today, the surface repository for solid low and intermediate level waste (LILW) is still being operated but its maximum capacity is nearly reached. Long-existing plans for increasing the capacity of the facility shall be implemented in the framework of the European Commission INSC Programme (Instrument for Nuclear Safety Co-operation). Within the first phase of this project, DBE Technology GmbH prepared a safety analysis report of the facility in its current state (SAR) and a preliminary safetymore » analysis report (PSAR) for a future extended facility based on the planned enlargement. In addition to a detailed mathematical model, also simplified models have been developed to verify results of the former one and enhance confidence in the results. Comparison of the results show that - depending on the boundary conditions - simplifications like modeling the multi trench repository as one generic trench might have very limited influence on the overall results compared to the general uncertainties associated with respective long-term calculations. In addition to their value in regard to verification of more complex models which is important to increase confidence in the overall results, such simplified models can also offer the possibility to carry out time consuming calculations like probabilistic calculations or detailed sensitivity analysis in an economic manner. (authors)« less

Centralized Mouse Repositories

PubMed Central

Donahue, Leah Rae; de Angelis, Martin Hrabe; Hagn, Michael; Franklin, Craig; Lloyd, K. C. Kent; Magnuson, Terry; McKerlie, Colin; Nakagata, Naomi; Obata, Yuichi; Read, Stuart; Wurst, Wolfgang; Hörlein, Andreas; Davisson, Muriel T.

2013-01-01

Because the mouse is used so widely for biomedical research and the number of mouse models being generated is increasing rapidly, centralized repositories are essential if the valuable mouse strains and models that have been developed are to be securely preserved and fully exploited. Ensuring the ongoing availability of these mouse strains preserves the investment made in creating and characterizing them and creates a global resource of enormous value. The establishment of centralized mouse repositories around the world for distributing and archiving these resources has provided critical access to and preservation of these strains. This article describes the common and specialized activities provided by major mouse repositories around the world. PMID:22945696

Transboundary movements of hazardous wastes: the case of toxic waste dumping in Africa.

PubMed

Anyinam, C A

1991-01-01

Developed and developing countries are in the throes of environmental crisis. The planet earth is increasingly being literally choked by the waste by-products of development. Of major concern, especially to industrialized countries, is the problem of what to do with the millions of tons of waste materials produced each year. Owing to mounting pressure from environmental groups, the "not-in-mu-backyard" movement, the close monitoring of the activities of waste management agents, an increasing paucity of repositories for waste, and the high cost of waste treatment, the search for dumping sites for waste disposal has, in recent years, extended beyond regional and national boundaries. The 1980s have seen several attempts to export hazardous wastes to third world countries. Africa, for example, is gradually becoming the prime hunting ground for waste disposal companies. This article seeks to examine, in the context of the African continent, the sources and destinations of this form of relocation-diffusion of pollution, factors that have contributed to international trade in hazardous wastes between developed and developing countries, the potential problems such exports would bring to African countries, and measures being taken to abolish this form of international trade.

Glasses for immobilization of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laverov, N. P.; Omel'yanenko, B. I.; Yudintsev, S. V.; Stefanovsky, S. V.; Nikonov, B. S.

2013-03-01

Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) for recovery of fissionable elements is a precondition of long-term development of nuclear energetics. Solution of this problem is hindered by the production of a great amount of liquid waste; 99% of its volume is low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW). The volume of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), which is characterized by high heat release, does not exceed a fraction of a percent. Solubility of glasses at an elevated temperature makes them unfit for immobilization of HLW, the insulation of which is ensured only by mineral-like matrices. At the same time, glasses are a perfect matrix for LILW, which are distinguished by low heat release. The solubility of borosilicate glass at a low temperature is so low that even a glass with relatively low resistance enables them to retain safety of under-ground LILW depositories without additional engineering barriers. The optimal technology of liquid confinement is their concentration and immobilization in borosilicate glasses, which are disposed in shallow-seated geological repositories. The vitrification of 1 m3 liquid LILW with a salt concentration of ˜300 kg/m3 leaves behind only 0.2 m3 waste, that is, 4-6 times less than by bitumen impregnation and 10 times less than by cementation. Environmental and economic advantages of LILW vitrification result from (1) low solubility of the vitrified LILW in natural water; (2) significant reduction of LILW volume; (3) possibility to dispose the vitrified waste without additional engineering barriers under shallow conditions and in diverse geological media; (4) the strength of glass makes its transportation and storage possible; and finally (5) reliable longterm safety of repositories. When the composition of the glass matrix for LILW is being chosen, attention should be paid to the factors that ensure high technological and economic efficiency of vitrification. The study of vitrified LILW from the Kursk nuclear power plant

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.

Fundamental properties of monolithic bentonite buffer material formed by cold isostatic pressing for high-level radioactive waste repository

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

Kawakami, S.; Yamanaka, Y.; Kato, K.

1999-07-01

The methods of fabrication, handling, and emplacement of engineered barriers used in a deep geological repository for high level radioactive waste should be planned as simply as possible from the engineering and economic viewpoints. Therefore, a new concept of a monolithic buffer material around a waste package have been proposed instead of the conventional concept with the use of small blocks, which would decrease the cost for buffer material. The monolithic buffer material is composed of two parts of highly compacted bentonite, a cup type body and a cover. As the forming method of the monolithic buffer material, compaction bymore » the cold isostatic pressing process (CIP) has been employed. In this study, monolithic bentonite bodies with the diameter of about 333 mm and the height of about 455 mm (corresponding to the approx. 1/5 scale for the Japanese reference concept) were made by the CIP of bentonite powder. The dry densities: {rho}d of the bodies as a whole were measured and the small samples were cut from several locations to investigate the density distribution. The swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity as function of the monolithic body density for CIP-formed specimens were also measured. High density ({rho}d: 1.4--2.0 Mg/m{sup 3}) and homogeneous monolithic bodies were formed by the CIP. The measured results of the swelling pressure (3--15 MPa) and hydraulic conductivity (0.5--1.4 x 10{sup {minus}13} m/s) of the specimens were almost the same as those for the uniaxial compacted bentonite in the literature. It is shown that the vacuum hoist system is an applicable handling method for emplacement of the monolithic bentonite.« less

78 FR 15299 - New York: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-11

... authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, commonly... Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA). New Federal requirements and prohibitions imposed by Federal...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision AGENCY: Environmental...

77 FR 69788 - Colorado: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental... authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The EPA proposes to grant final authorization to the hazardous waste program changes submitted by the...

77 FR 60919 - Tennessee: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental..., Division of Solid Waste Management, 5th Floor, L & C Tower, 401 Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37243... RCRA hazardous waste management program. We granted authorization for changes to Tennessee's program on...

78 FR 25579 - Georgia: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-02

... prohibitions imposed by Federal regulations that EPA promulgates pursuant to the Hazardous and Solid Waste...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental... authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA...

Wet Waste-to-Energy Resources in the United States

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

Milbrandt, Anelia R; Heimiller, Donna M; Seiple, Timothy

Waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies present an opportunity to recycle organic waste material into renewable energy while offsetting disposal and environmental costs. A key challenge to ensuring economic and environmental viability of WTE is understanding the variability of individual WTE resource characteristics, including their location, amount, and quality. The main objective of this study is to estimate the wet WTE resource potential in the United States and illustrate its geographic distribution. The wet resources considered in this study are wastewater sludge, animal manure, food waste, and FOG (fats, oils, and greases). This study is the first to achieve results below national level,more » at the finest geographic resolution. Our analysis indicates that about 566 teragrams (Tg) of wet WTE resources are generated annually in the United States. This amount corresponds to about 1 exajoule (EJ), which is sufficient to displace about 18% of the 2015 U.S. on-highway diesel consumption on an energy basis. About half of this potential is generated by animal manure.« less

Modeling Coupled Processes in Clay Formations for Radioactive Waste Disposal

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

Liu, Hui-Hai; Rutqvist, Jonny; Zheng, Liange

As a result of the termination of the Yucca Mountain Project, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has started to explore various alternative avenues for the disposition of used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The overall scope of the investigation includes temporary storage, transportation issues, permanent disposal, various nuclear fuel types, processing alternatives, and resulting waste streams. Although geologic disposal is not the only alternative, it is still the leading candidate for permanent disposal. The realm of geologic disposal also offers a range of geologic environments that may be considered, among those clay shale formations. Figure 1-1 presents themore » distribution of clay/shale formations within the USA. Clay rock/shale has been considered as potential host rock for geological disposal of high-level nuclear waste throughout the world, because of its low permeability, low diffusion coefficient, high retention capacity for radionuclides, and capability to self-seal fractures induced by tunnel excavation. For example, Callovo-Oxfordian argillites at the Bure site, France (Fouche et al., 2004), Toarcian argillites at the Tournemire site, France (Patriarche et al., 2004), Opalinus clay at the Mont Terri site, Switzerland (Meier et al., 2000), and Boom clay at Mol site, Belgium (Barnichon et al., 2005) have all been under intensive scientific investigations (at both field and laboratory scales) for understanding a variety of rock properties and their relations with flow and transport processes associated with geological disposal of nuclear waste. Clay/shale formations may be generally classified as indurated and plastic clays (Tsang et al., 2005). The latter (including Boom clay) is a softer material without high cohesion; its deformation is dominantly plastic. For both clay rocks, coupled thermal, hydrological, mechanical and chemical (THMC) processes are expected to have a significant impact on the long-term safety of a clay repository

75 FR 918 - Oregon: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-07

... Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... hazardous waste management program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended (RCRA). On... has decided that the revisions to the Oregon hazardous waste management program satisfy all of the...

High-Level Waste System Process Interface Description

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

d'Entremont, P.D.

1999-01-14

The High-Level Waste System is a set of six different processes interconnected by pipelines. These processes function as one large treatment plant that receives, stores, and treats high-level wastes from various generators at SRS and converts them into forms suitable for final disposal. The three major forms are borosilicate glass, which will be eventually disposed of in a Federal Repository, Saltstone to be buried on site, and treated water effluent that is released to the environment.

The causes of the municipal solid waste and the greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector in the United States.

PubMed

Lee, Seungtaek; Kim, Jonghoon; Chong, Wai K O

2016-10-01

The United States generated approximately 730kg of waste per capita in 2013, which is the highest amount of waste among OECD countries. The waste has adverse effects to human health and the environment. One of the most serious adverse effects is greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane (CH4), which causes global warming. However, the United States' amount of waste generation is not decreasing, and the recycling rate is only 26%, which is lower than other OECD countries. In order to decrease waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions, identifying the causality of the waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions from waste sector should be made a priority. The research objective is to verify whether the Environmental Kuznets Curve relationship is supported for waste generation and GDP across the U.S. Moreover, it also confirmed that total waste generation and recycling of waste influences carbon dioxide emissions from the waste sector. Based on the results, critical insight and suggestions were offered to policymakers, which is the potential way to lower the solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector. This research used annually based U.S. data from 1990 to 2012, and these data were collected from various data sources. To verify the causal relationship, the Granger causality test was applied. The results showed that there is no causality between GDP and waste generation, but total waste and recycling generate significantly increasing and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector, respectively. This implies that waste generation will not decrease even if GDP increases. And, if waste generation decreases or the recycling rate increases, greenhouse gas emission will decrease. Based on these results, increasing the recycling rate is first suggested. The second suggestion is to break the causal relationship between MSW and greenhouse gas emission from the waste sector. The third is that the U.S. government should benchmark a

Desiderata for healthcare integrated data repositories based on architectural comparison of three public repositories.

PubMed

Huser, Vojtech; Cimino, James J

2013-01-01

Integrated data repositories (IDRs) are indispensable tools for numerous biomedical research studies. We compare three large IDRs (Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2), HMO Research Network's Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) and Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) repository) in order to identify common architectural features that enable efficient storage and organization of large amounts of clinical data. We define three high-level classes of underlying data storage models and we analyze each repository using this classification. We look at how a set of sample facts is represented in each repository and conclude with a list of desiderata for IDRs that deal with the information storage model, terminology model, data integration and value-sets management.

United States National Sewage Sludge Repository at Arizona State University--a new resource and research tool for environmental scientists, engineers, and epidemiologists.

PubMed

Venkatesan, Arjun K; Done, Hansa Y; Halden, Rolf U

2015-02-01

Processed municipal sewage sludges (MSS) are an abundant, unwanted by-product of wastewater treatment, increasingly applied to agriculture and forestry for inexpensive disposal and soil conditioning. Due to their high organic carbon and lipid contents, MSS not only is rich in carbon and nutrients but also represents a "sink" for recalcitrant, hydrophobic, and potentially bioaccumulative compounds. Indeed, many organics sequestered and concentrated in MSS meet the US Environmental Protection Agency's definition of being persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). In a strategic effort, our research team at the Biodesign Institute has created the National Sewage Sludge Repository (NSSR), a large repository of digested MSSs from 164 wastewater treatment plants from across the USA, as part of the Human Health Observatory (H2O) at Arizona State University (ASU). The NSSR likely represents the largest archive of digested MSS specimens in the USA. The present study summarizes key findings gleaned thus far from analysis of NSSR samples. For example, we evaluated the content of toxicants in MSS and computed estimates of nationwide inventories of mass produced chemicals that become sequestrated in sludge and later are released into the environment during sludge disposal on land. Ongoing efforts document co-occurrence of a variety of PBT compounds in both MSS and human samples, while also identifying a large number of potentially harmful MSS constituents for which human exposure data are still lacking. Finally, we summarize future opportunities and invite collaborative use of the NSSR by the research community. The H2O at ASU represents a new resource and research tool for environmental scientists and the larger research community. As illustrated in this work, this repository can serve to (i) identify and prioritize emerging contaminants, (ii) provide spatial and temporal trends of contaminants, (iii) inform and evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policy-making and

Nuclear waste`s human dimension

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

Erikson, K.; Colglazier, E.W.; White, G.F.

1994-12-31

The United States has pinned its hopes for a permanent underground repository for its high-level nuclear wastes on Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Nevertheless, the Department of Energy`s (DOE) site research efforts have failed {open_quotes}to adequately consider human behavior and emotions,{close_quotes} write Kai Erikson of Yale University, E. William Colglazier of the National Academy of Sciences, and Gilbert F. White of the University of Colorado. The authors maintain that it is impossible to predict changes in geology, seismology, and hydrology that may affect the Yucca Mountain area over the next 1,000 years. Predicting human behavior in that time frame remains even moremore » daunting, they insist. They admit that {open_quotes}DOE...has been given the impossible assignment to take tens of thousands of metric tons of the most hazardous materials ever created and, in the face of growing opposition, entomb them so that they will do little harm for thousands of years.{close_quotes} The researchers suggest that the government seek a secure, retrievable storage arrangement while it continues its search for safer long-term options.« less

Uncertainty quantification applied to the radiological characterization of radioactive waste.

PubMed

Zaffora, B; Magistris, M; Saporta, G; Chevalier, J-P

2017-09-01

This paper describes the process adopted at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) to quantify uncertainties affecting the characterization of very-low-level radioactive waste. Radioactive waste is a by-product of the operation of high-energy particle accelerators. Radioactive waste must be characterized to ensure its safe disposal in final repositories. Characterizing radioactive waste means establishing the list of radionuclides together with their activities. The estimated activity levels are compared to the limits given by the national authority of the waste disposal. The quantification of the uncertainty affecting the concentration of the radionuclides is therefore essential to estimate the acceptability of the waste in the final repository but also to control the sorting, volume reduction and packaging phases of the characterization process. The characterization method consists of estimating the activity of produced radionuclides either by experimental methods or statistical approaches. The uncertainties are estimated using classical statistical methods and uncertainty propagation. A mixed multivariate random vector is built to generate random input parameters for the activity calculations. The random vector is a robust tool to account for the unknown radiological history of legacy waste. This analytical technique is also particularly useful to generate random chemical compositions of materials when the trace element concentrations are not available or cannot be measured. The methodology was validated using a waste population of legacy copper activated at CERN. The methodology introduced here represents a first approach for the uncertainty quantification (UQ) of the characterization process of waste produced at particle accelerators. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

State Decision-Makers Guide for Hazardous Waste Management: Defining Hazardous Wastes, Problem Recognition, Land Use, Facility Operations, Conceptual Framework, Policy Issues, Transportation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corson, Alan; And Others

Presented are key issues to be addressed by state, regional, and local governments and agencies in creating effective hazardous waste management programs. Eight chapters broadly frame the topics which state-level decision makers should consider. These chapters include: (1) definition of hazardous waste; (2) problem definition and recognition; (3)…

48 CFR 227.7207 - Contractor data repositories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Computer Software and Computer Software Documentation 227.7207 Contractor data repositories. Follow 227.7108 when it is in the Government's interests to have a data repository include computer software or to have a separate computer software repository. Contractual instruments establishing the repository...

48 CFR 227.7207 - Contractor data repositories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Computer Software and Computer Software Documentation 227.7207 Contractor data repositories. Follow 227.7108 when it is in the Government's interests to have a data repository include computer software or to have a separate computer software repository. Contractual instruments establishing the repository...

48 CFR 227.7207 - Contractor data repositories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Computer Software and Computer Software Documentation 227.7207 Contractor data repositories. Follow 227.7108 when it is in the Government's interests to have a data repository include computer software or to have a separate computer software repository. Contractual instruments establishing the repository...

48 CFR 227.7207 - Contractor data repositories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Computer Software and Computer Software Documentation 227.7207 Contractor data repositories. Follow 227.7108 when it is in the Government's interests to have a data repository include computer software or to have a separate computer software repository. Contractual instruments establishing the repository...

Repository Drift Backfilling Demonstrator

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

Londe, I.; Dubois, J.Ph.; Bauer, C.

2008-07-01

The 'Backfilling Demonstrator' is one of the technological demonstrators developed by ANDRA in the framework of the feasibility studies for a geological repository for high-level long-lived (HL-LL waste) within a clay formation. The demonstrator concerns the standard and supporting backfills as defined in Andra's 2005 design. The standard backfill is intended to fill up almost all drifts of the underground repository in order to limit any deformation of the rock after the degradation of the drift lining. The supporting backfill only concerns a small portion of the volume to be backfilled in order to counter the swelling pressure of themore » swelling clay contained in the sealing structures. The first objective of the demonstrator was to show the possibility of manufacturing a satisfactory backfill, in spite of the exiguity of the underground structures, and of reusing as much as possible the argillite muck. For the purpose of this experiment, the argillite muck was collected on Andra's work-site for the implementation of an underground research laboratory. Still ongoing, the second objective is to follow up the long-term evolution of the backfill. Approximately 200 m{sup 3} of compacted backfill material have been gathered in a large concrete tube simulating a repository drift. The standard backfill was manufactured exclusively with argillite. The supporting backfill was made by forming a mixture of argillite and sand. Operations were carried out mostly at Richwiller, close to Mulhouse, France. The objectives of the demonstrator were met: an application method was tested and proven satisfactory. The resulting dry densities are relatively high, although the moduli of deformation do not always reach the set goal. The selected objective for the demonstrator was a dry density corresponding to a relatively high compaction level (95% of the standard Proctor optimum [SPO]), for both pure argillite and the argillite-sand mixture. The plate-percussion compaction

Using Linked Open Data and Semantic Integration to Search Across Geoscience Repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickle, A.; Raymond, L. M.; Shepherd, A.; Arko, R. A.; Carbotte, S. M.; Chandler, C. L.; Cheatham, M.; Fils, D.; Hitzler, P.; Janowicz, K.; Jones, M.; Krisnadhi, A.; Lehnert, K. A.; Narock, T.; Schildhauer, M.; Wiebe, P. H.

2014-12-01

The MBLWHOI Library is a partner in the OceanLink project, an NSF EarthCube Building Block, applying semantic technologies to enable knowledge discovery, sharing and integration. OceanLink is testing ontology design patterns that link together: two data repositories, Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R), Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO); the MBLWHOI Library Institutional Repository (IR) Woods Hole Open Access Server (WHOAS); National Science Foundation (NSF) funded awards; and American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference presentations. The Library is collaborating with scientific users, data managers, DSpace engineers, experts in ontology design patterns, and user interface developers to make WHOAS, a DSpace repository, linked open data enabled. The goal is to allow searching across repositories without any of the information providers having to change how they manage their collections. The tools developed for DSpace will be made available to the community of users. There are 257 registered DSpace repositories in the United Stated and over 1700 worldwide. Outcomes include: Integration of DSpace with OpenRDF Sesame triple store to provide SPARQL endpoint for the storage and query of RDF representation of DSpace resources, Mapping of DSpace resources to OceanLink ontology, and DSpace "data" add on to provide resolvable linked open data representation of DSpace resources.

Impact assessment of ionizing radiation on human and non-human biota from the vicinity of a near-surface radioactive waste repository.

PubMed

Nedveckaite, T; Gudelis, A; Vives i Batlle, J

2013-05-01

This work describes the radiological assessment of the near-surface Maisiagala radioactive waste repository (Lithuania) over the period 2005-2012, with focus on water pathways and special emphasis on tritium. The study includes an assessment of the effect of post-closure upgrading, the durability of which is greater than 30 years. Both human and terrestrial non-human biota are considered, with local low-intensity forestry and small farms being the area of concern. The radiological exposure was evaluated using the RESRAD-OFFSITE, RESRAD-BIOTA and ERICA codes in combination with long-term data from a dedicated environmental monitoring programme. All measurements were performed at the Lithuanian Institute of Physics as part of this project. It is determined that, after repository upgrading, radiological exposure to humans are significantly lower than the human dose constraint of 0.2 mSv/year valid in the Republic of Lithuania. Likewise, for non-human biota, dose rates are below the ERICA/PROTECT screening levels. The potential annual effective inhalation dose that could be incurred by the highest-exposed human individual (which is due to tritiated water vapour airborne release over the most exposed area) does not exceed 0.1 μSv. Tritium-labelled drinking water appears to be the main pathway for human impact, representing about 83 % of the exposure. Annual committed effective dose (CED) values for members of the public consuming birch sap as medical practice are calculated to be several orders of magnitude below the CEDs for the same location associated with drinking of well water. The data presented here indicate that upper soil-layer samples may not provide a good indication of potential exposure to terrestrial deep-rooted trees, as demonstrated by an investigation of stratified (3)H in soil moisture, expressed on a wet soil mass basis, in an area with subsurface contamination.

Limitations on scientific prediction and how they could affect repository licensing

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

Van Konynenburg, R.A.

The best possibility for gaining an understanding of the likely future behavior of a high level nuclear waste disposal system is to use the scientific method. However, the scientific approach has inherent limitations when it comes to making long-term predictions with confidence. This paper examines some of these limiting factors as well as the criteria for admissibility of scientific evidence in the legal arena, and concludes that the prospects are doubtful for successful licensing of a potential repository under the regulations that are now being reconsidered. Suggestions am made for remedying this situation.

48 CFR 227.7108 - Contractor data repositories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Technical Data 227.7108 Contractor data repositories. (a) Contractor data repositories may be established... procedures for protecting technical data delivered to or stored at the repository from unauthorized release... disclosure of technical data from the repository to third parties consistent with the Government's rights in...

Desiderata for Healthcare Integrated Data Repositories Based on Architectural Comparison of Three Public Repositories

PubMed Central

Huser, Vojtech; Cimino, James J.

2013-01-01

Integrated data repositories (IDRs) are indispensable tools for numerous biomedical research studies. We compare three large IDRs (Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2), HMO Research Network’s Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) and Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) repository) in order to identify common architectural features that enable efficient storage and organization of large amounts of clinical data. We define three high-level classes of underlying data storage models and we analyze each repository using this classification. We look at how a set of sample facts is represented in each repository and conclude with a list of desiderata for IDRs that deal with the information storage model, terminology model, data integration and value-sets management. PMID:24551366

State waste discharge permit application: 200 Area Treated Effluent Disposal Facility (Project W-049H)

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

Not Available

1994-08-01

As part of the original Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Concent Order negotiations, US DOE, US EPA and the Washington State Department of Ecology agreed that liquid effluent discharges to the ground to the Hanford Site are subject to permitting in the State Waste Discharge Permit Program (SWDP). This document constitutes the SWDP Application for the 200 Area TEDF stream which includes the following streams discharged into the area: Plutonium Finishing Plant waste water; 222-S laboratory Complex waste water; T Plant waste water; 284-W Power Plant waste water; PUREX chemical Sewer; B Plant chemical sewer, process condensate, steam condensate; 242-A-81more » Water Services waste water.« less

Simulation of fluid flow and energy transport processes associated with high-level radioactive waste disposal in unsaturated alluvium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollock, David W.

1986-01-01

Many parts of the Great Basin have thick zones of unsaturated alluvium which might be suitable for disposing of high-level radioactive wastes. A mathematical model accounting for the coupled transport of energy, water (vapor and liquid), and dry air was used to analyze one-dimensional, vertical transport above and below an areally extensive repository. Numerical simulations were conducted for a hypothetical repository containing spent nuclear fuel and located 100 m below land surface. Initial steady state downward water fluxes of zero (hydrostatic) and 0.0003 m yr−1were considered in an attempt to bracket the likely range in natural water flux. Predicted temperatures within the repository peaked after approximately 50 years and declined slowly thereafter in response to the decreasing intensity of the radioactive heat source. The alluvium near the repository experienced a cycle of drying and rewetting in both cases. The extent of the dry zone was strongly controlled by the mobility of liquid water near the repository under natural conditions. In the case of initial hydrostatic conditions, the dry zone extended approximately 10 m above and 15 m below the repository. For the case of a natural flux of 0.0003 m yr−1 the relative permeability of water near the repository was initially more than 30 times the value under hydrostatic conditions, consequently the dry zone extended only about 2 m above and 5 m below the repository. In both cases a significant perturbation in liquid saturation levels persisted for several hundred years. This analysis illustrates the extreme sensitivity of model predictions to initial conditions and parameters, such as relative permeability and moisture characteristic curves, that are often poorly known.

Trustworthy Digital Repositories: Building Trust the Old Fashion Way, EARNING IT.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinkade, D.; Chandler, C. L.; Shepherd, A.; Rauch, S.; Groman, R. C.; Wiebe, P. H.; Glover, D. M.; Allison, M. D.; Copley, N. J.; Ake, H.; York, A.

2016-12-01

There are several drivers increasing the importance of high quality data management and curation in today's research process (e.g., OSTP PARR memo, journal publishers, funders, academic and private institutions), and proper management is necessary throughout the data lifecycle to enable reuse and reproducibility of results. Many digital data repositories are capable of satisfying the basic management needs of an investigator looking to share their data (i.e., publish data in the public domain), but repository services vary greatly and not all provide mature services that facilitate discovery, access, and reuse of research data. Domain-specific repositories play a vital role in the data curation process by working closely with investigators to create robust metadata, perform first order QC, and assemble and publish research data. In addition, they may employ technologies and services that enable increased discovery, access, and long-term archive. However, smaller domain facilities operate in varying states of capacity and curation ability. Within this repository environment, individual investigators (driven by publishers, funders, or institutions) need to find trustworthy repositories for their data; and funders need to direct investigators to quality repositories to ensure return on their investment. So, how can one determine the best home for valuable research data? Metrics can be applied to varying aspects of data curation, and many credentialing organizations offer services that assess and certify the trustworthiness of a given data management facility. Unfortunately, many of these certifications can be inaccessible to a small repository in cost, time, or scope. Are there alternatives? This presentation will discuss methods and approaches used by the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO; a domain-specific, intermediate digital data repository) to demonstrate trustworthiness in the face of a daunting accreditation landscape.

The safety improvement of Romanian radioactive waste facilities as an example for human and environmental protection

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

Barariu, Gheorghe

2013-07-01

According to IAEA classification, Romania with two nuclear research centres, with 2 Nuclear Power Units in operation at Cernavoda Town and with 2 new Units envisaged to be in operation soon, can be considered as a country with an average nuclear activity. In Romania there was an extensive interest in management of radioactive wastes generated by the use of nuclear technology in industry and research. Using the most advanced technologies in the mentioned time periods, Romania successfully accomplished to solve all management issues related to radioactive wastes being addressed all safety concerns. Every step of nuclear activity development was accompaniedmore » by the suitable waste management facilities. So that, in order to improve the existing treatment and disposal capacities for institutional waste, the existing Radioactive Waste Treatment Facility (STDR) and the National Repository Radioactive Wastes (DNDR) at Baita, Bihor, will be improved to actual requirements on the occasion of VVR-S Research Reactor decommissioning. This activity is in development into the frame of a National funded project related to disposal galleries filling improvement and repository closure for DNDR Baita, Bihor. All improvements will be approved by Environmental Protection Authority and Regulatory Body, being a guaranty of human and environmental protection. Also, in accordance with national specific and international policies and taking into account decommissioning activities related to the present operating NPPs, all necessary measures were considered in order to avoid unnecessary generation of radioactive wastes, to minimize, as much as possible, waste production and accumulation and the necessity to develop optimum solutions for a new repository with the assurance of improved nuclear safety. (authors)« less

Influence analysis of Github repositories.

PubMed

Hu, Yan; Zhang, Jun; Bai, Xiaomei; Yu, Shuo; Yang, Zhuo

2016-01-01

With the support of cloud computing techniques, social coding platforms have changed the style of software development. Github is now the most popular social coding platform and project hosting service. Software developers of various levels keep entering Github, and use Github to save their public and private software projects. The large amounts of software developers and software repositories on Github are posing new challenges to the world of software engineering. This paper tries to tackle one of the important problems: analyzing the importance and influence of Github repositories. We proposed a HITS based influence analysis on graphs that represent the star relationship between Github users and repositories. A weighted version of HITS is applied to the overall star graph, and generates a different set of top influential repositories other than the results from standard version of HITS algorithm. We also conduct the influential analysis on per-month star graph, and study the monthly influence ranking of top repositories.

Biological Web Service Repositories Review

PubMed Central

Urdidiales‐Nieto, David; Navas‐Delgado, Ismael

2016-01-01

Abstract Web services play a key role in bioinformatics enabling the integration of database access and analysis of algorithms. However, Web service repositories do not usually publish information on the changes made to their registered Web services. Dynamism is directly related to the changes in the repositories (services registered or unregistered) and at service level (annotation changes). Thus, users, software clients or workflow based approaches lack enough relevant information to decide when they should review or re‐execute a Web service or workflow to get updated or improved results. The dynamism of the repository could be a measure for workflow developers to re‐check service availability and annotation changes in the services of interest to them. This paper presents a review on the most well‐known Web service repositories in the life sciences including an analysis of their dynamism. Freshness is introduced in this paper, and has been used as the measure for the dynamism of these repositories. PMID:27783459

Evaluation on radiation protection aspect and radiological risk at Mukim Belanja repository

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

Azmi, Siti Nur Aisyah, E-mail: nuclear.aisyahazmi@gmail.com; Kenoh, Hamiza; Majid, Amran Ab.

2016-01-22

Asian Rare Earth (ARE) is a locally incorporated company that operated a mineral processing operation to extract rare earth element. ARE has received much attention from the public since the beginning of their operation until the work of decommissioning and decontamination of the plant. Due to the existence of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in the residue, the decommissioning and disposal was done by the company in collaboration with the Perak State Government and the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB). The main objective of this study is to review the level of compliance of the existing Radiation Protection Regulations enforcedmore » by AELB particularly in the achievement of allowed exposure dose limit. The next objective was to study the impact of the construction of the Mukim Belanja Repository to workers and public. This study was conducted by analyzing documents that were issued and conducting the area monitoring using a Geiger Muller detector (GM) and Sodium Iodide (NaI(Tl)) survey meters. The measurements were made at 5 cm and 1 m from the ground surface at 27 measurement stations. The external doses measured were within the background levels of the surrounding area. The annual effective dose using the highest reading at 5 cm and 1 m from ground surface by GM detector was calculated to be 1.36 mSv/year and 1.21 mSv/year respectively. Whereas the annual effective dose using the highest reading at 5 cm and 1 m from ground surface by using NaI(Tl) detector was calculated to be 3.31 mSv/year and 2.83 mSv/year respectively. The calculated cancer risks from the study showed that the risk is small compared with the risks derived from natural radiation based on global annual radiation dose to humans. This study therefore indicated that the repository is able to constrain the dose exposure from the disposed NORM waste. The study also revealed that the construction of the repository has complied with all the rules and regulations

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

Can clays ensure nuclear waste repositories?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaoui, A.; Sekkal, W.

2015-03-01

Research on argillite as a possible host rock for nuclear waste disposal is still an open subject since many issues need to be clarified. In the Underground Research Laboratories constructed for this purpose, a damaged zone around the excavation has been systematically observed and characterized by the appearance of micro-fissures. We analyse here -at nanoscale level- the calcite/clay assembly, the main constituents of argillite, under storage conditions and show the fragility of the montmorillonite with respect to calcite. Under anisotropic stress, we have observed a shear deformation of the assembly with the presence of broken bonds in the clay mineral, localised in the octahedral rather than the tetrahedral layers. The stress/strain curve leads to a failure strength point at 18.5 MPa. The obtained in-plane response of the assembly to perpendicular deformation is characterized by smaller perpendicular moduli Ez = 48.28 GPa compared to larger in-plane moduli Ex = 141.39 GPa and Ey = 134.02 GPa. Our calculations indicate the instability of the assembly without water molecules at the interface in addition to an important shear deformation.

78 FR 70225 - West Virginia: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-25

... Department of Environmental Protection, (WVDEP), Division of Water and Waste Management, 601 57th Street SE...] West Virginia: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY... for final authorization of revisions to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation...

Proceedings of the 8th US/German Workshop on Salt Repository Research Design and Operation.

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

Hansen, Francis D.; Steininger, Walter; Bollingerfehr, Wilhelm

This document records the Proceedings of the 2017 gathering of salt repository nations. In a spirit of mutual support, technical issues are dissected, led capably by subject matter experts. As before, it is not possible to explore all contemporary issues regarding nuclear waste disposal in salt formations. Instead, the group focused on a few selected issues to be pursued in depth, while at the same time acknowledging and recording ancillary issues.

United States National Sewage Sludge Repository at Arizona State University – A New Resource and Research Tool for Environmental Scientists, Engineers, and Epidemiologists

PubMed Central

Venkatesan, Arjun K.; Done, Hansa Y.; Halden, Rolf U.

2014-01-01

Processed municipal sewage sludges (MSS) are an abundant, unwanted by-product of wastewater treatment, increasingly applied to agriculture and forestry for inexpensive disposal and soil conditioning. Due to their high organic-carbon and lipid contents, MSS not only is rich in carbon and nutrients but also represents a ‘sink’ for recalcitrant, hydrophobic and potentially bioaccumulative compounds. Indeed, many organics sequestered and concentrated in MSS meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's definition of being persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). In a strategic effort, our research team at the Biodesign Institute has created the National Sewage Sludge Repository (NSSR), a large repository of digested MSSs from 164 wastewater treatment plants from across the USA, as part of the Human Health Observatory (H2O) at Arizona State University (ASU). The NSSR likely represents the largest archive of digested MSS specimens in the USA. The present study summarizes key findings gleaned thus far from analysis of NSSR samples. For example, we evaluated the content of toxicants in MSS and computed estimates of nationwide inventories of mass produced chemicals that become sequestrated in sludge and later are released into the environment during sludge disposal on land. Ongoing efforts document co-occurrence of a variety of PBT compounds in both MSS and human samples, while also identifying a large number of potentially harmful MSS constituents for which human exposure data are still lacking. Finally, we summarize new future opportunities and invite collaborative use the NSSR by the research community. The H2O at ASU represents a resource and research tool for environmental scientists and the larger research community. As illustrated in this work, this repository can serve to (i) identify and prioritize emerging contaminants; (ii) provide spatial and temporal trends of contaminants; (iii) inform and evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policy

Review of waste package verification tests. Semiannual report, October 1982-March 1983

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

Soo, P.

1983-08-01

The current study is part of an ongoing task to specify tests that may be used to verify that engineered waste package/repository systems comply with NRC radionuclide containment and controlled release performance objectives. Work covered in this report analyzes verification tests for borosilicate glass waste forms and bentonite- and zeolite-based packing mateials (discrete backfills). 76 references.

Plate waste of adults in the United States measured in free-living conditions

PubMed Central

Allen, H. Raymond

2018-01-01

We analyze food-item level data collected from 50 adults from the United States using the Remote Food Photography Method® to provide the first estimates of plate waste gathered from adults across multiple consecutive meals and days in free-living conditions, and during laboratory-based meals with fixed food items and quantities. We find average plate waste in free-living conditions is 5.6 grams (7.7 kcals) per item and that 3.3% of all food selected is returned as plate waste, where the percent waste figure is substantially lower than previously published plate waste estimates gathered primarily from dine-out settings in the United States such as buffets and institutional settings with limited-choice meals (e.g., school cafeterias). Plate waste from the same participants during the laboratory-based meals is significantly higher with an average of 203.2 grams of solid plate waste per meal (531.3 kcals) or 39.1% of the food provided, which is similar to the plate waste percentages found reported in some school cafeteria settings. The amount of plate waste generated in free-living conditions is significantly positively associated with portion size selected for an item. In a multivariate analysis that controls for macronutrient profile, items selected from the vegetables, fats/oils/dressings, and grains categories are associated with significantly greater amounts of plate waste per item. We find no significant associations between free-living plate waste and gender, age, race or body mass index but find that women leave more plate waste in the lab meal where portion sizes are pre-determined by the researcher and similar for all respondents. We discuss possible implications of these findings for programs focused on reducing plate waste and food waste among consumers. PMID:29444094

Backfill composition for secondary barriers in nuclear waste repositories

DOEpatents

Beall, Gary W.; Allard, Bert M.

1982-01-01

A backfill composition for sorbing and retaining hazardous elements of nuclear wastes comprises 50-70% by weight of quartz, 10-30% by weight of montmorillonite, 1-10% by weight of phosphate mineral, 1-10% by weight of ferrous mineral, 1-10% by weight of sulfate mineral and 1-10% by weight of attapulgite.

Biological Web Service Repositories Review.

PubMed

Urdidiales-Nieto, David; Navas-Delgado, Ismael; Aldana-Montes, José F

2017-05-01

Web services play a key role in bioinformatics enabling the integration of database access and analysis of algorithms. However, Web service repositories do not usually publish information on the changes made to their registered Web services. Dynamism is directly related to the changes in the repositories (services registered or unregistered) and at service level (annotation changes). Thus, users, software clients or workflow based approaches lack enough relevant information to decide when they should review or re-execute a Web service or workflow to get updated or improved results. The dynamism of the repository could be a measure for workflow developers to re-check service availability and annotation changes in the services of interest to them. This paper presents a review on the most well-known Web service repositories in the life sciences including an analysis of their dynamism. Freshness is introduced in this paper, and has been used as the measure for the dynamism of these repositories. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Diffusion Dominant Solute Transport Modelling In Deep Repository Under The Effect of Emplacement Media Degradation - 13285

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

Kwong, S.; Jivkov, A.P.

2013-07-01

Deep geologic disposal of high activity and long-lived radioactive waste is being actively considered and pursued in many countries, where low permeability geological formations are used to provide long term waste contaminant with minimum impact to the environment and risk to the biosphere. A multi-barrier approach that makes use of both engineered and natural barriers (i.e. geological formations) is often used to further enhance the containment performance of the repository. As the deep repository system subjects to a variety of thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical (THCM) effects over its long 'operational' lifespan (e.g. 0.1 to 1.0 million years, the integrity of the barrier systemmore » will decrease over time (e.g. fracturing in rock or clay)). This is broadly referred as media degradation in the present study. This modelling study examines the effects of media degradation on diffusion dominant solute transport in fractured media that are typical of deep geological environment. In particular, reactive solute transport through fractured media is studied using a 2-D model, that considers advection and diffusion, to explore the coupled effects of kinetic and equilibrium chemical processes, while the effects of degradation is studied using a pore network model that considers the media diffusivity and network changes. Model results are presented to demonstrate the use of a 3D pore-network model, using a novel architecture, to calculate macroscopic properties of the medium such as diffusivity, subject to pore space changes as the media degrade. Results from a reactive transport model of a representative geological waste disposal package are also presented to demonstrate the effect of media property change on the solute migration behaviour, illustrating the complex interplay between kinetic biogeochemical processes and diffusion dominant transport. The initial modelling results demonstrate the feasibility of a coupled modelling approach (using pore-network model and

78 FR 15338 - New York: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-11

... authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, commonly... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 271 [EPA-R02-RCRA-2013-0144; FRL-9693-3] New York: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental...

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

Leigh, Christi D.; Hansen, Francis D.

This report summarizes the state of salt repository science, reviews many of the technical issues pertaining to disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste in salt, and proposes several avenues for future science-based activities to further the technical basis for disposal in salt. There are extensive salt formations in the forty-eight contiguous states, and many of them may be worthy of consideration for nuclear waste disposal. The United States has extensive experience in salt repository sciences, including an operating facility for disposal of transuranic wastes. The scientific background for salt disposal including laboratory and field tests at ambient and elevated temperature, principlesmore » of salt behavior, potential for fracture damage and its mitigation, seal systems, chemical conditions, advanced modeling capabilities and near-future developments, performance assessment processes, and international collaboration are all discussed. The discussion of salt disposal issues is brought current, including a summary of recent international workshops dedicated to high-level waste disposal in salt. Lessons learned from Sandia National Laboratories' experience on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and the Yucca Mountain Project as well as related salt experience with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are applied in this assessment. Disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste in a suitable salt formation is attractive because the material is essentially impermeable, self-sealing, and thermally conductive. Conditions are chemically beneficial, and a significant experience base exists in understanding this environment. Within the period of institutional control, overburden pressure will seal fractures and provide a repository setting that limits radionuclide movement. A salt repository could potentially achieve total containment, with no releases to the environment in undisturbed scenarios for as long as the region is geologically stable. Much of the experience gained from

Geologic and hydrologic characterization and evaluation of the Basin and Range Province relative to the disposal of high-level radioactive waste: Part I, Introduction and guidelines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, M.S.; Sargent, Kenneth A.; Reed, J.E.

1984-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's program for geologic and hydrologic evaluation of physiographic provinces to identify areas potentially suitable for locating repository sites for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes was announced to the Governors of the eight States in the Basin and Range Province on May 5, 1981. Representatives of Arizona, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, were invited to cooperate with the Federal Government in the evaluation process. Each Governor was requested to nominate an Earth scientist to represent the State in a province working group composed of State and U.S. Geological Survey representatives. This report, Part I of a three-part report, provides the background, introduction and scope of the study. This part also includes a discussion of geologic and hydrologic guidelines that will be used in the evaluation process and illustrates geohydrologic environments and the effect of individual factors in providing multiple natural barriers to radionuclide migration.Part II is a reconnaissance characterization of the geologic and hydrologic factors to be used in the initial screening of the Basin and Range Province. Part III will be the initial evaluation of the Province and will identify regions that appear suitable for further study.The plan for study of the Province includes a stepwise screening process by which successively smaller land units are considered in increasing detail. Each step involves characterization of the geology and hydrology and selection of subunits for more intensive characterization. Selection of subunits for further study is by evaluation of geologic and hydrologic conditions following a set of guidelines. By representation on the Province Working Group, the States participate in a consultation and review role in: (1) Establishing geologic and hydrologic guidelines, and (2) characterizing and evaluating the Province. The States also participate in compilation of geologic and hydrologic data

Backfill composition for secondary barriers in nuclear waste repositories

DOEpatents

Beall, G.W.; Allard, B.M.

1980-05-30

A backfill composition for sorbing and retaining hazardous elements of nuclear wastes comprises 50 to 70% by weight of quartz, 10 to 30% by weight of montmorillonite, 1 to 10% by weight of phosphate mineral, 1 to 10% by weight of ferrous mineral, 1 to 10% by weight of sulfate mineral and 1 to 10% by weight of attapulgite.

76 FR 26681 - Wisconsin: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-09

... that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, commonly referred...: This action is issued under the authority of sections 2002(a), 3006 and 7004(b) of the Solid Waste and... of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA...

75 FR 17332 - Idaho: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-06

... regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, commonly...(b) of the Solid Waste and Disposal Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6912(a), 6926, 6974(b). Dated: March...: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection...

The Use of Underground Research Laboratories to Support Repository Development Programs. A Roadmap for the Underground Research Facilities Network.

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

MacKinnon, Robert J.

2015-10-26

Under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nationally developed underground research laboratories (URLs) and associated research institutions are being offered for use by other nations. These facilities form an Underground Research Facilities (URF) Network for training in and demonstration of waste disposal technologies and the sharing of knowledge and experience related to geologic repository development, research, and engineering. In order to achieve its objectives, the URF Network regularly sponsors workshops and training events related to the knowledge base that is transferable between existing URL programs and to nations with an interest in developing a new URL. Thismore » report describes the role of URLs in the context of a general timeline for repository development. This description includes identification of key phases and activities that contribute to repository development as a repository program evolves from an early research and development phase to later phases such as construction, operations, and closure. This information is cast in the form of a matrix with the entries in this matrix forming the basis of the URF Network roadmap that will be used to identify and plan future workshops and training events.« less

Principles of Product Quality Control of German Radioactive Waste Forms from the Reprocessing of Spent Fuel: Vitrification, Compaction and Numerical Simulation - 12529

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

Tietze-Jaensch, Holger; Schneider, Stephan; Aksyutina, Yuliya

2012-07-01

The German product quality control is inter alia responsible for control of two radioactive waste forms of heat generating waste: a) homogeneous vitrified HLW and b) heterogeneous compacted hulls, end-pieces and technological metallic waste. In either case, significantly different metrology is employed at the site of the conditioning plant for the obligatory nuclide inventory declaration. To facilitate an independent evaluation and checking of the accompanying documentation numerical simulations are carried out. The physical and chemical properties of radioactive waste residues are used to assess the data consistency and uncertainty margins, as well as to predict the long-term behavior of themore » radioactive waste. This is relevant for repository acceptance and safety considerations. Our new numerical approach follows a bottom-up simulation starting from the burn-up behavior of the fuel elements in the reactor core. The output of these burn-up calculations is then coupled with a program that simulates the material separation in the subsequent dissolution and extraction processes normalized to the mass balance. Follow-up simulations of the separated reprocessing lines of a) the vitrification of highly-active liquid and b) the compaction of residual intermediate-active metallic hulls remaining after fuel pellets dissolution, end-pieces and technological waste, allows calculating expectation values for the various repository relevant properties of either waste stream. The principles of the German product quality control of radioactive waste residues from the spent fuel reprocessing have been introduced and explained. Namely, heat generating homogeneous vitrified HLW and heterogeneous compacted metallic MLW have been discussed. The advantages of a complementary numerical property simulation have been made clear and examples of benefits are presented. We have compiled a new program suite to calculate the physical and radio-chemical properties of common nuclear waste

Bio-repository of post-clinical test samples at the national cancer center hospital (NCCH) in Tokyo.

PubMed

Furuta, Koh; Yokozawa, Karin; Takada, Takako; Kato, Hoichi

2009-08-01

We established the Bio-repository at the National Cancer Center Hospital in October 2002. The main purpose of this article is to show the importance and usefulness of a bio-repository of post-clinical test samples not only for translational cancer research but also for routine clinical oncology by introducing the experience of setting up such a facility. Our basic concept of a post-clinical test sample is not as left-over waste, but rather as frozen evidence of a patient's pathological condition at a particular point. We can decode, if not all, most of the laboratory data from a post-clinical test sample. As a result, the bio-repository is able to provide not only the samples, but potentially all related laboratory data upon request. The areas of sample coverage are the following: sera after routine blood tests; sera after cross-match tests for transfusion; serum or plasma submitted at a patient's clinically important time period by the physician; and samples collected by the individual investigator. The formats of stored samples are plasma or serum, dried blood spot (DBS) and buffy coat. So far, 150 218 plasmas or sera, 35 253 DBS and 536 buffy coats have been registered for our bio-repository system. We arranged to provide samples to various concerned parties under strict legal and ethical agreements. Although the number of the utilized samples was initially limited, the inquiries for sample utilization are now increasing steadily from both research and clinical sources. Further efforts to increase the benefits of the repository are intended.

Supplemental Immobilization of Hanford Low-Activity Waste: Cast Stone Screening Tests

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

Westsik, Joseph H.; Piepel, Gregory F.; Lindberg, Michael J.

2013-09-30

More than 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste are stored in 177 underground storage tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) is being constructed to treat the wastes and immobilize them in a glass waste form. The WTP includes a pretreatment facility to separate the wastes into a small volume of high-level waste (HLW) containing most of the radioactivity and a larger volume of low-activity waste (LAW) containing most of the nonradioactive chemicals. The HLW will be converted to glass in themore » HLW vitrification facility for ultimate disposal at an offsite federal repository. At least a portion (~35%) of the LAW will be converted to glass in the LAW vitrification facility and will be disposed of onsite at the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). The pretreatment and HLW vitrification facilities will have the capacity to treat and immobilize the wastes destined for each facility. However, a second LAW immobilization facility will be needed for the expected volume of LAW requiring immobilization. A cementitious waste form known as Cast Stone is being considered to provide the required additional LAW immobilization capacity. The Cast Stone waste form must be acceptable for disposal in the IDF. The Cast Stone waste form and immobilization process must be tested to demonstrate that the final Cast Stone waste form can comply with the waste acceptance criteria for the disposal facility and that the immobilization processes can be controlled to consistently provide an acceptable waste form product. Further, the waste form must be tested to provide the technical basis for understanding the long-term performance of the waste form in the disposal environment. These waste form performance data are needed to support risk assessment and performance assessment (PA) analyses of the long-term environmental impact of the waste disposal in the

Review of potential host rocks for radioactive waste disposal in the southeast United States-Southern Piedmont subregion

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

Not Available

1980-10-01

A literature study was conducted on the geology of the Southern Piedmont province in the states of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The purpose was to identify geologic areas potentially suitable for containment of a repository for the long-term isolation of solidified radioactive waste. The crystalline rocks of the Southern Piedmont province range in age from Precambrian to Paleozoic, and are predominantly slates, phyllites, argillites, schists, metavolcanics, gneisses, gabbros, and granites. These rock units were classified as either favorable, potentially favorable, or unfavorable as potential study areas based on an evaluation of the geologic, hydrologic, and geotechnicalmore » characteristics. No socio-economic factors were considered. Rocks subjected to multiple periods of deformation and metamorphism, or described as highly fractured, or of limited areal extent were generally ranked as unfavorable. Potentially favorable rocks are primarily the high-grade metamorphic gneisses and granites. Sixteen areas were classified as being favorable for additional study. These areas are primarily large igneous granite plutons as follows: the Petersburg granite in Virginia; the Rolesville-Castallia, Churchland, and Landis plutons in North Carolina; the Liberty Hill, Winnsboro, and Ogden plutons in South Carolina; and the Siloam, Elberton, and six unnamed granite plutons in Georgia.« less

Basic diagnosis of solid waste generated at Agua Blanca State Park to propose waste management strategies.

PubMed

Laines Canepa, José Ramón; Zequeira Larios, Carolina; Valadez Treviño, Maria Elena Macías; Garduza Sánchez, Diana Ivett

2012-03-01

State parks are highly sensitive areas of great natural importance and tourism value. Herein a case study involving a basic survey of solid waste which was carried out in 2006 in Agua Blanca State Park, Macuspana, Tabasco, Mexico with two sampling periods representing the high and low tourist season is presented. The survey had five objectives: to find out the number of visitors in the different seasons, to consider the daily generation of solid waste from tourist activities, to determine bulk density, to select and quantify sub-products; and to suggest a possible treatment. A daily average of 368 people visited the park: 18,862 people in 14 days during the high season holiday (in just one day, Easter Sunday, up to 4425 visitors) and 2092 visitors in 43 days during the low season. The average weight of the generated solid waste was 61.267 kg day(-1) and the generated solid waste average per person was 0.155 kg person(-1 ) day(-1). During the high season, the average increased to 0.188 kg person(-1 ) day(-1) and during the low season, the average decreased to 0.144 kg person(-1 ) day(-1). The bulk density average was 75.014 kg m(-3), the maximum value was 92.472 kg m(-3) and the minimum was 68.274 kg m(-3). The sub-products comprised 54.52% inorganic matter; 32.03% organic matter, 10.60% non-recyclable and 2.85% others. Based on these results, waste management strategies such as reuse/recycling, aerobic and anaerobic digestion, the construction of a manual landfill and the employment of a specialist firm were suggested.

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.

75 FR 45489 - New York: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-03

... (EPA). ACTION: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: The Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, commonly referred... Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA) for which the State has not yet been authorized and... 7004(b) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6912(a), 6926, 6974(b). Dated: April 27...

WastePD, an innovative center on materials degradation

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

Frankel, Gerald S.; Vienna, John; Lian, Jie

The US Department of Energy recently awarded funds to create the Center for Performance and Design of Nuclear Waste Forms and Containers (WastePD) as part of the Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) program. EFRCs are multi-investigator collaborations of universities, national labs and companies that “conduct fundamental research focusing on one or more “grand challenges” and use-inspired “basic research needs” identified in major strategic planning efforts by the scientific community.” The major performance parameter of nuclear waste forms is their ability to isolate the radionuclides by withstanding degradation in a repository environment over very long periods of time. So WastePD ismore » at heart a center focused on materials degradation.« less

Production of proteases from organic wastes by solid-state fermentation: downstream and zero waste strategies.

PubMed

Marín, Maria; Artola, Adriana; Sánchez, Antoni

2018-04-01

Production of enzymes through solid-state fermentation (SSF) of agro-industrial wastes reports high productivity with low investment. The extraction of the final product from the solid waste and solid disposal represent the main cost of the process. In this work, the complete downstream processes of SSF of two industrial residues for the production of proteases, soy fibre (SF) and a mixture of hair and sludge (HS), were studied in terms of activity recovery, using different extraction parameters (extracting solvent, ratio solid: solvent and extraction mode). Activity after lyophilisation was tested. Solid waste valorisation after extraction was studied using respiration techniques and biogas production tests, as part of a zero waste strategy. Results showed a maximum extraction yield of 91% for SF and 121% for HS, both in agitated mode and distilled water as extraction agent. An average activity recovery of 95 ± 6 and 94 ± 6% for SF and HS, respectively, was obtained after lyophilisation and redissolution. To reduce the cost of extraction, a ratio 1:3 w : v solid-solvent in static mode is advised for SF, and 1:2 w : v extraction ratio in agitated mode for HS, both with distilled water as extracting agent. Both composting and anaerobic digestion are suitable techniques for valorisation of the waste material.

48 CFR 227.7207 - Contractor data repositories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... repositories. 227.7207 Section 227.7207 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS... Computer Software and Computer Software Documentation 227.7207 Contractor data repositories. Follow 227.7108 when it is in the Government's interests to have a data repository include computer software or to...

77 FR 34229 - Idaho: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program; Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... capability for the disposal of remote-handled low-level radioactive waste ((LLW) generated at the Idaho... (FONSI), for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Radioactive Waste Onsite Disposal (RHLLWOD) on an Environmental... regulating phosphate (mineral processing) plants within the state. In response to this commenter's concerns...

Waste Handeling Building Conceptual Study

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

G.W. Rowe

2000-11-06

The objective of the ''Waste Handling Building Conceptual Study'' is to develop proposed design requirements for the repository Waste Handling System in sufficient detail to allow the surface facility design to proceed to the License Application effort if the proposed requirements are approved by DOE. Proposed requirements were developed to further refine waste handling facility performance characteristics and design constraints with an emphasis on supporting modular construction, minimizing fuel inventory, and optimizing facility maintainability and dry handling operations. To meet this objective, this study attempts to provide an alternative design to the Site Recommendation design that is flexible, simple, reliable,more » and can be constructed in phases. The design concept will be input to the ''Modular Design/Construction and Operation Options Report'', which will address the overall program objectives and direction, including options and issues associated with transportation, the subsurface facility, and Total System Life Cycle Cost. This study (herein) is limited to the Waste Handling System and associated fuel staging system.« less

Managing waste from confined animal feeding operations in the United States: the need for sanitary reform.

PubMed

Graham, Jay P; Nachman, Keeve E

2010-12-01

Confined food-animal operations in the United States produce more than 40 times the amount of waste than human biosolids generated from US wastewater treatment plants. Unlike biosolids, which must meet regulatory standards for pathogen levels, vector attraction reduction and metal content, no treatment is required of waste from animal agriculture. This omission is of concern based on dramatic changes in livestock production over the past 50 years, which have resulted in large increases in animal waste and a high degree of geographic concentration of waste associated with the regional growth of industrial food-animal production. Regulatory measures have not kept pace with these changes. The purpose of this paper is to: 1) review trends that affect food-animal waste production in the United States, 2) assess risks associated with food-animal wastes, 3) contrast food-animal waste management practices to management practices for biosolids and 4) make recommendations based on existing and potential policy options to improve management of food-animal waste.

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

The Tropical and Subtropical Germplasm Repositories of The National Germplasm System

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Germplasm collections are viewed as a source of genetic diversity to support crop improvement and agricultural research, and germplasm conservation efforts. The United States Department of Agriculture's National Plant Germplasm Repository System (NPGS) is responsible for administering plant genetic ...

21 CFR 522.480 - Repository corticotropin injection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Repository corticotropin injection. 522.480 Section 522.480 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... § 522.480 Repository corticotropin injection. (a)(1) Specifications. The drug conforms to repository...

Evaluation of Groundwater Pathways and Travel Times From the Nevada Test Site to the Potential Yucca Mountain Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohlmann, K. F.; Zhu, J.; Ye, M.; Carroll, R. W.; Chapman, J. B.; Russell, C. E.; Shafer, D. S.

2006-12-01

Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada has been recommended as a deep geological repository for the disposal of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste. If YM is licensed as a repository by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, it will be important to identify the potential for radionuclides to migrate from underground nuclear testing areas located on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) to the hydraulically downgradient repository area to ensure that monitoring does not incorrectly attribute repository failure to radionuclides originating from other sources. In this study, we use the Death Valley Regional Flow System (DVRFS) model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey to investigate potential groundwater migration pathways and associated travel times from the NTS to the proposed YM repository area. Using results from the calibrated DVRFS model and the particle tracking post-processing package MODPATH we modeled three-dimensional groundwater advective pathways in the NTS and YM region. Our study focuses on evaluating the potential for groundwater pathways between the NTS and YM withdrawal area and whether travel times for advective flow along these pathways coincide with the prospective monitoring time frame at the proposed repository. We include uncertainty in effective porosity as this is a critical variable in the determination of time for radionuclides to travel from the NTS region to the YM withdrawal area. Uncertainty in porosity is quantified through evaluation of existing site data and expert judgment and is incorporated in the model through Monte Carlo simulation. Since porosity information is limited for this region, the uncertainty is quite large and this is reflected in the results as a large range in simulated groundwater travel times.

Projected Salt Waste Production from a Commercial Pyroprocessing Facility

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

Simpson, Michael F.

Pyroprocessing of used nuclear fuel inevitably produces salt waste from electrorefining and/or oxide reduction unit operations. Various process design characteristics can affect the actual mass of such waste produced. This paper examines both oxide and metal fuel treatment, estimates the amount of salt waste generated, and assesses potential benefit of process options to mitigate the generation of salt waste. For reference purposes, a facility is considered in which 100 MT/year of fuel is processed. Salt waste estimates range from 8 to 20 MT/year from considering numerous scenarios. It appears that some benefit may be derived from advanced processes for separatingmore » fission products from molten salt waste, but the degree of improvement is limited. Waste form production is also considered but appears to be economically unfavorable. Direct disposal of salt into a salt basin type repository is found to be the most promising with respect to minimizing the impact of waste generation on the economic feasibility and sustainability of pyroprocessing.« less

Supporting multiple domains in a single reuse repository

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eichmann, David A.

1992-01-01

Domain analysis typically results in the construction of a domain-specific repository. Such a repository imposes artificial boundaries on the sharing of similar assets between related domains. A lattice-based approach to repository modeling can preserve a reuser's domain specific view of the repository, while avoiding replication of commonly used assets and supporting a more general perspective on domain interrelationships.

A Repository of Codes of Ethics and Technical Standards in Health Informatics

PubMed Central

Zaïane, Osmar R.

2014-01-01

We present a searchable repository of codes of ethics and standards in health informatics. It is built using state-of-the-art search algorithms and technologies. The repository will be potentially beneficial for public health practitioners, researchers, and software developers in finding and comparing ethics topics of interest. Public health clinics, clinicians, and researchers can use the repository platform as a one-stop reference for various ethics codes and standards. In addition, the repository interface is built for easy navigation, fast search, and side-by-side comparative reading of documents. Our selection criteria for codes and standards are two-fold; firstly, to maintain intellectual property rights, we index only codes and standards freely available on the internet. Secondly, major international, regional, and national health informatics bodies across the globe are surveyed with the aim of understanding the landscape in this domain. We also look at prevalent technical standards in health informatics from major bodies such as the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Our repository contains codes of ethics from the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), the iHealth Coalition (iHC), the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI), the British Computer Society (BCS), and the UK Council for Health Informatics Professions (UKCHIP), with room for adding more in the future. Our major contribution is enhancing the findability of codes and standards related to health informatics ethics by compilation and unified access through the health informatics ethics repository. PMID:25422725

Final environmental impact statement. Management of commercially generated radioactive waste. Volume 3. Public comments hearing board report

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

Not Available

1980-10-01

This EIS analyzes the significant environmental impacts that could occur if various technologies for management and disposal of high-level and transuranic wastes from commercial nuclear power reactors were to be developed and implemented. This EIS will serve as the environmental input for the decision on which technology, or technologies, will be emphasized in further research and development activities in the commercial waste management program. The action proposed in this EIS is to (1) adopt a national strategy to develop mined geologic repositories for disposal of commercially generated high-level and transuranic radioactive waste (while continuing to examine subseabed and very deepmore » hole disposal as potential backup technologies) and (2) conduct a R and D program to develop such facilities and the necessary technology to ensure the safe long-term containment and isolation of these wastes. The Department has considered in this statement: development of conventionally mined deep geologic repositories for disposal of spent fuel from nuclear power reactors and/or radioactive fuel reprocessing wastes; balanced development of several alternative disposal methods; and no waste disposal action. This volume contains written public comments and hearing board responses and reports offered on the draft statement.« less

Environmental impacts and benefits of state-of-the-art technologies for E-waste management.

PubMed

Ikhlayel, Mahdi

2017-10-01

This study aims to evaluate the environmental impacts and benefits of state-of-the-art technologies for proper e-waste handling using Jordan as a case study. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was employed to evaluate five advanced management systems represent state-of-the-art treatment technologies, including sanitary landfilling; proper recycling of metals, materials, and precious metals (PMs); and incineration of plastic and the hazardous portion of printed circuit boards (PCBs). Six e-waste products that contribute the most to the e-waste in Jordan were included in the assessment of each scenario, which resulted in 30 total cases of e-waste management. The findings indicated that landfills for the entire components of the e-waste stream are the worst option and should be avoided. The most promising e-waste management scenario features integrated e-waste processes based on the concept of Integrated Waste Management (IWM), including recycling materials such as non-PMs and PMs, incinerating plastic and the hazardous content of PCBs using the energy recovered from incineration, and using sanitary landfills of residues. For this scenario, the best environmental performance was obtained for the treatment of mobile phones. Incineration of the portion of hazardous waste using energy recovery is an option that deserves attention. Because scenario implementation depends on more than just the environmental benefits (e.g., economic cost and technical aspects), the study proposes a systematic approach founded on the IWM concept for e-waste management scenario selection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

15 CFR 1180.10 - NTIS permanent repository.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false NTIS permanent repository. 1180.10... ENGINEERING INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE § 1180.10 NTIS permanent repository. A... repository as a service to agencies unless the Director advises the Liaison Officer that it has not been so...

Environmental Assessment for the Above Ground Storage Capability at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Draft

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

None, None

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is the nation’s only approved repository for the disposal of defense related/defense generated transuranic (TRU) and mixed hazardous TRU waste (henceforth called TRU waste). The mission of the WIPP Project is to realize the safe disposal of TRU waste from TRU waste generator sites in the Department of Energy waste complex. The WIPP Project was authorized by Title II, Section 213(a) of Public Law 96-164 (U. S. Congress 1979). Congress designated the WIPP facility “for the express purpose of providing a research and development facility to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive wastes resultingmore » from the defense activities and programs of the United States exempted from regulation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).” The WIPP facility is operated by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE). Transuranic waste that is disposed in the WIPP facility is defined by Section 2(18) the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act of 1992 (LWA) (U. S. Congress, 1992) as: “waste containing more than 100 nanocuries of alpha-emitting transuranic isotopes per gram of waste, with half-lives greater than 20 years, except for: (A) high-level radioactive waste; (B) waste that the Secretary has determined, with the concurrence of the Administrator, does not need the degree of isolation required by the disposal regulations; or (C) waste that the NRC has approved for disposal on a case-by-case basis in accordance with part 61 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).« less

jPOSTrepo: an international standard data repository for proteomes

PubMed Central

Okuda, Shujiro; Watanabe, Yu; Moriya, Yuki; Kawano, Shin; Yamamoto, Tadashi; Matsumoto, Masaki; Takami, Tomoyo; Kobayashi, Daiki; Araki, Norie; Yoshizawa, Akiyasu C.; Tabata, Tsuyoshi; Sugiyama, Naoyuki; Goto, Susumu; Ishihama, Yasushi

2017-01-01

Major advancements have recently been made in mass spectrometry-based proteomics, yielding an increasing number of datasets from various proteomics projects worldwide. In order to facilitate the sharing and reuse of promising datasets, it is important to construct appropriate, high-quality public data repositories. jPOSTrepo (https://repository.jpostdb.org/) has successfully implemented several unique features, including high-speed file uploading, flexible file management and easy-to-use interfaces. This repository has been launched as a public repository containing various proteomic datasets and is available for researchers worldwide. In addition, our repository has joined the ProteomeXchange consortium, which includes the most popular public repositories such as PRIDE in Europe for MS/MS datasets and PASSEL for SRM datasets in the USA. Later MassIVE was introduced in the USA and accepted into the ProteomeXchange, as was our repository in July 2016, providing important datasets from Asia/Oceania. Accordingly, this repository thus contributes to a global alliance to share and store all datasets from a wide variety of proteomics experiments. Thus, the repository is expected to become a major repository, particularly for data collected in the Asia/Oceania region. PMID:27899654

A Challenge for Radioactive Waste Management: Memory Preservation

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

Charton, P.; Ouzounian, G.

2008-07-01

their conservation over compatible timescales with those of deep geological repositories. It will also be necessary, in the light of the experiments and efforts made in order to decrypt the messages written on rupestral paintings or in pyramids, find suitable expression means that will help, not the next few generations, but much more future generations, to grasp the meaning of what we aim at transmitting them. This paper presents the state of the French reflection on memory preservation and transmission over the very long term, for timescales consistent with the long-lived radioactive geological waste disposal projects. (author)« less

Hydrologic and geologic characteristics of the Yucca Mountain site relevant to the performance of a potential repository

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levich, R.A.; Linden, R.M.; Patterson, R.L.; Stuckless, J.S.

2000-01-01

Yucca Mountain, located ~100 mi northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been designated by Congress as a site to be characterized for a potential mined geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. This field trip will examine the regional geologic and hydrologic setting for Yucca Mountain, as well as specific results of the site characterization program. The first day focuses on the regional setting with emphasis on current and paleo hydrology, which are both of critical concern for predicting future performance of a potential repository. Morning stops will be southern Nevada and afternoon stops will be in Death Valley. The second day will be spent at Yucca Mountain. The field trip will visit the underground testing sites in the "Exploratory Studies Facility" and the "Busted Butte Unsaturated Zone Transport Field Test" plus several surface-based testing sites. Much of the work at the site has concentrated on studies of the unsaturated zone, an element of the hydrologic system that historically has received little attention. Discussions during the second day will compromise selected topics of Yucca Mountain geology, hydrology and geochemistry and will include the probabilistic volcanic hazard analysis and the seismicity and seismic hazard in the Yucca Mountain area. Evening discussions will address modeling of regional groundwater flow, the results of recent hydrologic studies by the Nye County Nuclear Waste Program Office, and the relationship of the geology and hydrology of Yucca Mountain to the performance of a potential repository. Day 3 will examine the geologic framework and hydrology of the Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley Groundwater Basin and then will continue to Reno via Hawthorne, Nevada and the Walker Lake area.