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Discover the accomplishments of the Waste Management Working Group (WMWG) for FY2015 and the upcoming focus areas for FY2016. Explore key achievements in waste management, regulatory compliance, and radioactive waste strategies. Get insights on leadership, DOE liaisons, waste disposal technologies, and performance standards development.
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Waste Management Working Group FY2016 EFCOG Winter Workshop Renee Echols Perma-Fix Environmental Services Working Group Vice Chair Jan 26, 2016
Waste Management Working Group • Leadership • Chair: W. T. (Sonny) Goldston – EnergySolutions • Vice Chair: Renee Echols – Perma-Fix • Secretary: Tammy Monday – Perma-Fix • DOE Liaison – Christine Gelles
WMWG FY15 Key Achievements • Gained approval of the 2016 Work Plan to reflect • Input from DOE Liaisons • Approval of EFCOG Board of Directors • Task accomplishments and ongoing work
WMWG FY15 Key Achievements DOE Standard 1120 Review • In coordination with the Safety Working Group performed review of Standard 1120 to ensure revision is protective of workers and the public, but at the same time is implementable in a manner that allows efficient, effective decommissioning and environmental restoration. Work is ongoing; • DOE Liaison: Chris Chaves • D&D Subgroup:Rob Vellinger, Chair
WMWG FY15 Key Achievements Assessment of NNSS Waste Generator Certification Programs • Technical support to NNSA/NFO for NNSS waste generator certification program assessments (Facility Evaluations – audits and surveillances) conducted by the NNSS Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program (RWAP); • Objective was to provide regulators/stakeholders with increased confidence that generator programs meet WAC compliance; • Report issued with results of review in May 2015; • DOELiaison: Rob Boehlecke, NFO WMWG P& T Subgroup: Syd Gordon, Vice Chair
WMWG FY15 Key Achievements Support to DOE on Hanford Tank Waste • Continued support to the Office of River Protection for WIR Evaluations and Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) Performance Assessment; • Provided review of WIR Evaluation for Waste Treatment System and recommended correct classification and RWMB strategy for the LAW Vitrification Facility; • Estimated savings $5-10 million across the complex. • DOE Liaisons: Chris Kemp, ORP; Linda Suttora, HQ • WMWG HLW Subgroup: Scott Saunders, Chair
WMWG FY15 Key Achievements Alternatives for the Transuranic Waste Inventory • Facilitated discussion on TRU waste disposition strategies due to temporary unavailability of WIPP; • DOE Order 435.1 presents opportunities for consolidation and classification to facilitate managing wastes as LLW/MLLW vs TRU resulting in disposal availability, risk reduction and cost savings. • DOE Liaison: Christine Gelles, HQ • Progress: Provided Idaho appropriate classification and consolidation guidance and RWMB strategy for specific wastes stored as TRU that allowed for approval to dispose as LLW.
WMWG FY15 Key Achievements 10 CFR 61 Revision • Provided technical input to DOE HQ on NRC’s performance-based revision to 10 CFR 61 - LLW disposal performance requirements; • NRC mirrored some aspects of Order 435.1 in their proposed revisions - more consistent with DOE LLW disposal requirements (site specific WAC based on PA results); • DOE Liaison: Christine Gelles, HQ
WMWG FY15 Key Achievement & FY16 Focus Area Performance Standards – Rad Release Surveys • Began developing performance standards for radioactive acceptance and release surveys for commercial transportation equipment and vehicles; • Objective is to develop consistent requirements to reduce contamination incidents, avoid cost of delaying or deconning commercial equipment; • Collaboration with EFCOG Rad Protection Subgroup. • DOE Liaisons: Christine Gelles, Joanne Lorence, Ashok Kapoor; • Progress: Draft Report under DOE/EFCOG Review. Work continuing in FY16 and Breakout Session tomorrow.
WMWG FY15 Key Achievements & FY16 Focus Area DOE Order 435.1A Radioactive Waste Management • Technical support for response to comments, implementation and training associated with order revision; • Consultation on setting requirements for radioactive waste generation, treatment, storage and disposal; • Guidance on Consolidation, Waste Classification, Spent Fuel definition, and WIR Citation/Evaluation; • DOE Liaisons: David Levenstein, Betsy Forinash, Steve Gomberg; • Breakout Session tomorrow
WMWG FY16 Focus Area and Planned Achievements “Return to Service” Radiological Contamination Limits • Complete the evaluation of realistic “return to service” radiological contamination limits for commercial equipment that has transported DOE wastes to a DOE disposal facility; • Anticipated Benefits: Consistent application of DOE Release Criteria vs DOT Return to Service Limits result in cost savings and reduces contamination incidents - $160K per incident and a history of over 10 incidents per year resulting in cost avoidance of estimated $1.6 Million per year; DOE Liaison: Ashok Kapoor, Joanne Lorence • Breakout Session Tomorrow: EFCOG P&T Subgroup to provide various scenarios and recommend limits that can be applied.
WMWG FY16 Upcoming Focus Area and Planned Achievements Management of National Lab Waste Streams • Provide technical inputs to facilitate early collaboration among National Laboratories for effective management of challenging new waste streams. Avoid creation of no path to disposal wastes; • Anticipated Benefits: develop a set of guidelines and a tool kit for waste managers at National Labs to have a "catalog of diverse solutions” before generation of problematic waste streams. Further benefit is to assist small waste generator laboratory sites that have lack of waste management resources; • WMWG National Lab Subgroup: Jeannette Hyatt, Chair
WMWG FY16 Upcoming Focus Area and Planned Achievements • Develop Complex Wide Methodologies for the Characterization of Surface Contaminated LLW • Anticipated Benefits: Introduce consistency among National Lab characterization processes for LLW. Implementing consistent guidance on methodologies, techniques, procedures, and documentation can save cost and improve accuracy/validate waste characterization activities. • WMWG National Lab Subgroup: Dan Dilday, Vice Chair
WMWG FY16 Upcoming Focus Area and Planned Achievements Tank Integrity Program • Develop update to the Tank Integrity Program requirements and guidance to update 435.1A in concert with the Tank Waste Corporate Board. • Anticipated Benefits: Tank Integrity Program requirements in the current Order 435.1 are out of date and inconsistent with the current state of technology. WMWG assisting DOE in update to the order revision requirements and guidance to make them consistent with current technology, which improves safety and regulatory compliance. • WMWG HLW Subgroup: Scott Saunders, Chair
WMWG FY16 Upcoming Focus Area and Planned Achievements Portsmouth Onsite Disposal Cell Performance Assessment/Composite Analysis LFRG Review • Provide technical support and consultation to the Portsmouth Onsite Disposal Cell Performance Assessment/Composite Analysis LLW Federal Review Group (LFRG). • Anticipated Benefits: DOE can access resources from EFCOG with years of PA, CA, and operational experience to carry out their authority to approve operation of LLW disposal facilities. • Progress to Date: As a result of the LFRG review (assistance provided by the WMWG), DOE issued a preliminary Disposal Authorization Statement (DAS) for the Portsmouth Onsite Disposal Cell.
WMWG FY16 Upcoming Focus Area and Planned Achievements Technical Assistant to West Valley Waste Classification • Provide technical assistance to West Valley’s waste classification of spent fuel cuttings and vitrification cell/off-gas materials to enable disposition as TRU or LLW. • Anticipated Benefits: The cost savings will be considerable since the alternative approach will be to classify these waste streams as spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. • WMWG: Sonny Goldston, Chair
WMWG FY16 Upcoming Focus Areas and Planned Achievements Technical Support to DOE EM Boards • WMWG Chair or his/her representative will provide technical support to and attend scheduled meetings of DOE Corporate Boards (LLW, Tank Waste, TRU) and the Low-Level Waste Federal Review Group (LFRG). • Anticipated Benefits: Providing technical and regulatory consultation to Corporate Boards and LFRG allows WMWG to keep current of issues facing DOE and provide immediate advice and longer term assistance.
Best Practices Development Status and Plans for FY16 • Three Best Practices have been developed: • Use of a Remote Tapping Tool at Idaho National Laboratory to minimize worker exposure and avoid future contamination accidents; • Use of earthen benches and other technologies to support remediation and removal of contaminated river structures; • Effective use of site-specific assessments by waste generators in preparation for facility evaluations by the NNSS Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program • Next Best Practice: • Develop overall performance standards for use by DOE sites when conducting radiological release surveys on commercial transporter equipment and vehicles
WMWG Upcoming Meetings • WM16 - Phoenix, AZ - March 10, 2016 • RadWaste Summit – Summerlin, NV - September 5 – 8, 2016 • Perma-Fix Waste Conference – Nashville, TN - December 1, 2016 • Monthly conference calls - first Wednesday of each month at 3:00PM EST