1 / 18

Low-Activity Radioactive Materials

Update on Low Level Radioactive Waste Alternate Disposal O ptions Joseph J. Weismann, CHP Radiation Program Manager US Ecology, Inc . Low-Activity Radioactive Materials. Regulated under the Atomic Energy Act Low concentrations of source, byproduct and special nuclear material

bendek
Download Presentation

Low-Activity Radioactive Materials

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Update on Low Level Radioactive Waste Alternate Disposal Options Joseph J. Weismann, CHPRadiation Program Manager US Ecology, Inc.

  2. Low-Activity Radioactive Materials • Regulated under the Atomic Energy Act • Low concentrations of source, byproduct and special nuclear material • Accelerator produced material • Generally exempted materials, products & devices (e.g. smoke detectors, luminous dials, etc.) • NotRegulated under the Atomic Energy Act • Naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) except radium & certain other discrete sources • Technologically-enhanced NORM (TENORM) • Pre-UMTRCA uranium and thorium ore processing waste (FUSRAP)

  3. Types of Regulatory Authorizations Waste Specific: • NRC Decommissioning Plan approval • NRC General Exemption • NRC/Agreement State license condition/amendment • NRC/Agreement State approval letter • NRC/Agreement State specific exemption* Disposal Facility-Specific: • State law or regulation • RCRA permit condition/amendment *Policy Note: A 10 CFR 20.2002 alternate disposal authorization is not an exemption. However, NRC policy is to issue an exemption concurrently.

  4. Appropriate RCRA Sites • Select RCRA Subtitle-C Sites are viable options for LARW • Characteristics similar to Part 61 LLRW sites (‘hybrid’ sites) • Remote location with limited population • Meet performance assessment criteria • Desert environment with low annual rainfall • Deep depth to groundwater Not all RCRA sites meet these criteria

  5. RCRA Hazardous Waste Cell Design

  6. ‘Hybrid’ RCRA Site RP Program Elements • Site-specific radiological performance assessment (RESRAD) • Operating Procedures • Emergency Response Plan • Rad Training, Occupational Monitoring, and Personnel Dosimetry • Environmental Monitoring • Closure/Post-closure Financial Assurance

  7. “Hybrid” RCRA Site: Grand View, ID (US Ecology) • Avg 700,000 tons disposed over last 5 years • ~50% radioactive material • Majority FUSRAP & EPA CERCLA waste • NRC/AS exempt waste volumes increasing

  8. Licensed Material Disposal Review Process for Idaho Generator Requests Alternate Disposal Authorization & Exemption NRC/AS Conducts Technical Review Rejects NRC/AS Approves USE Submits Safety Assessment to ID Requests More Info IDEQ Reviews Rejects Concurs

  9. USEI Radioactive Material Waste Acceptance Criteria General: • NORM up to 1,500 pCi/g • Source material <0.05% by weight • Accelerator produced material <10 mrem/hr • Generally exempt items & devices With Specific Exemption: • Source, Byproduct & SNM <3,000 pCi/g, and • NRC/Agreement State exemption based on “less than a few millirem” projected dose per Safety Analysis

  10. “Hybrid” Texas RCRA Sites: Andrews (WCS) and Robstown (US Ecology) Andrews, TX Site Robstown, TX Site

  11. Texas RCRA Subtitle C Disposal Radioactive Waste Criteria* • All NORM isotopes except radium <150 pCi/gm or less • Radium <30 pCi/g • Uranium & thorium <0.05% by weight • Exempt byproduct material with state approval • Specific Licensed Material: “300-day rule” • Mixed hazardous & radioactive material acceptable * Applies to both Andrews (WCS) & Robstown (US Ecology) sites

  12. Texas Exempt RAM Disposal Review Process Permittee evaluates waste per TAC Rejects • Submits concurrence request to TCEQ: • Reference applicable exemption rule • Physical description- composition, weight, etc. • Isotope concentrations • Generator & waste location • Must be exempt in state of origin Requests information TCEQ Reviews Rejects TCEQ Issues Written Concurrence For Disposal

  13. Case Study: Agreement State Specific Exemption • Safety Light Corporation, Bloomsburg PA • NRC/PADEP licensed, EPA Superfund Site • Cleanup conducted by USACE • ~1,600 cy of soil & debris • 50 pCi/g 137Cs, 180 pCi/g 90Sr, 50 pCi/g 226Ra • PADEP exemption granted in Nov 2008 • Shipments made via IMC to ID RCRA Site

  14. Case Study:Agreement State SNM Approval Letter • BASF (Former Englehard Chemical Co.), Plainville, MA • Formerly licensed by AEA (term. in 1963) • 123 tons of Natural, Depleted, and Low Enriched Uranium (~4%) • Approval letter granted by MDPH (Feb 2010) • Idaho concurrence • Disposed at Idaho RCRA site

  15. Case Study: 10CFR30.11 Specific Exemption • PG&E, Humboldt Bay NPP • Undergoing decommissioning • ~200,000 ft3 of soil & debris from Units 1&2 • 5 pCi/g 137Cs, 5 pCi/g 60Co, 1 pCi/g 14C, more • NRC issued EA with FONSI and exemption in Nov 2010 • Shipments ongoing to ID RCRA Site

  16. Case Study: 10 CFR 40.13 General Exemption • Former Molycorp source material processing operation in Washington, PA: NRC licensed • ~100,000 cy of soil and slag from production of ferro-alloys (Nbamd Mo) • 232Th ~50 pCi/g, 238U ~15 pCi/g, 226Ra ~5 pCi/g • Classified as unimportant quantity of source material (<.05% by weight) • Disposed at Idaho RCRA site

  17. Recent NRC Commission Policy Supports Use of Select RCRA Sites “The Committee should work with the staff to consider and provide advice on what NRC can do to assist in providing greater disposal options for low-level radioactive waste, e.g. use of appropriate Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C hazardous waste facilities.” U.S. NRC Staff Requirements Memo - 1/16/07

  18. Questions ??

More Related