Radioactive Waste sites

• Past and Present

Waste Sites

• Used to be that only government was carrying out activities that used radioactive material

• They could take care of their own wastes• As applications of rad mat increased they

became a need to others to dispose• At one time there was places for most

material to go but that has changed

LLW Disposal Sites (2008)

• Beatty, NV closed• Barnwell, SC (compact only) open• Richland, WA (compact only) open• Maxey Flats, KY closed• West Valley, NY closed• Sheffield, IL closed• Clive, Utah (class A only) open

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Closed Disposal Sites

• Beatty, NV – 1962-1993– First to be licensed– 137,000 cum

• Sheffield, IL – 1967-1978– 3M cuft

• Maxey Flats, KY – 1963-1977– 4.7 M cuft

• West Valley, NY – 1963-1975 – Reprocessing and liquid waste– 2.3 M cuft

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Active Disposal Sites

• Barnwell, SC (1971)– compact only, except North Carolina

• Hanford, WA (1965)– restricted to Northwest and Rocky Mountain compacts

• Clive, UT (1991)– open to all states, restricted to class A material

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Other Disposal Sites

• Ward Valley, CA – licensed but not operating• Boyd County, NE – license request denied• Hudspeth County, TX – license request denied

by TNRCC• Wake County, NC – under license review• WCS- Andrews County, Tx- Licensed by the

State of Texas/TCEQ 2009

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Envirocare

• http://www.envirocareutah.com/

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Locations of Operating LLRW Facilities in the U.S.

Locations of Operating LLRW Facilities in the U.S.

U.S. Ecology FacilityRichland, WA

Chem Nuclear FacilityBarnwell, S.C.

Envirocare FacilityClive, UT

The Barnwell Facility in South CarolinaThe Barnwell Facility in South Carolina

By law, disposal priorities are as follows:

– Atlantic Compact generators – SC, CT and NJ– Site now closed to non-Atlantic Compact generators – No current discussions to open site acceptance

Last site cap for non-compact waste:

FY 2008 – 35,000 ft3

Barnwell (Chem Nuclear Systems)

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video

Shallow Land Burial

Shallow Land Burial

Closed Trench

The Clive Facility in UtahThe Clive Facility in Utah

New site owner focused on upgrading facility

In 2005, received 22M ft3 of waste for disposal – record year

Expansion of facility possible – need further approvals

Current lifespan for disposal capacity is 20 years taking Class A low-level radioactive waste from across U.S.

Drum Inspection Scans• No Liquids• No Batteries (Cd)• No . . . . . . . .

• They will find it and send it back to you at your cost!

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Texas Focuses on Radioactive Waste Disposal

Texas Focuses on Radioactive Waste Disposal

Texas’ Historical Moves to Address Disposal Issue

- 1981 – Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority created

- 1984 – Authority completes state-wide screening- 1985 – Site in McMullen County proposed,

later that year focus shifts to state-owned land

- 1989 – Site in Hudspeth County proposed near Fort Hancock, TX

- 1993 – Another site in Hudspeth County proposed near Sierra Blanca, TX

- 1998 – Sierra Blanca site license denied

Texas Enters into Interstate Compact

Texas establishes the tenth low-level

radioactive waste disposal compact

- 1993 – Texas passes Texas Compact legislation- Initial Texas Compact members –

Texas, Maine and Vermont - Texas designated as Host State- 1998 – Texas Compact ratified by U.S. Congress - 2004 – State of Maine officially withdrawn from Texas

Compact

The passage of House Bill 1567, 78th Texas Legislature, marks a policy change in Texas statutory provisions regarding low-level radioactive waste disposal

Changes Resulting from 2003 Texas Legislation

Key changes for the new disposal concept:

– Privatizing disposal facility (formerly limited to public entity)

– Allowing the disposal of federal facility waste, in addition to Texas Compact waste under a single licensing action

– Fee on waste received at a Texas facility deposited in state’s general revenue

The Texas Senate Natural Resources Committee is charged with studying the necessity for storage and disposal options of LLRW, Texas Compact issues. The Texas House Environmental Regulation Committee is charged with determining the ramifications surrounding the handling, processing, and disposal of LLRW in the Texas and Vermont. The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality Is conducting a contracted study to investigate the technical aspects of the LLRW issue in Texas and the Texas Compact.

The Texas Radiation Advisory Board will be addressing allowable LLRW storage and waste processing. Texas LLRW Compact Commission is to work with the TCEQ and others of setting prices for waste disposal and coordinate with the other compact member

Current Agencies in TexasWorking on the LLRW 2009Current Agencies in TexasWorking on the LLRW 2009

Site Characteristics

Performance Assessment

Facility Design

Facility Construction

Facility Operations

Waste Characterization

Highlights of Technical Review Process

Site Closure

Institutional Control

Financial Assurance

QA / QC

Qualifications & Personnel

Environmental Report

Proposed Texas Facility Under Current Licensing Action

Compact Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility – Accept Texas Compact LLRW - Texas and Vermont– Proposed waste acceptance for pending licensing action• Texas Compact waste that can be accepted - 2.3

million cubic feet in volume and 3.9 million curies in radioactivity• Calculates to approximately: – 90% of Class A LLRW– 9% of Class B LLRW– 1% of Class C LLRW

• Proposes all waste to be over-packed in steel reinforced concrete canisters with the void spaces filled with grout

Proposed Texas Facility Under Current Licensing Action Continued

Federal Facility Waste Disposal Facility – Accept federal government facility LLRW– Proposed waste acceptance for pending licensing action

Dispose of mixed federal low-level radioactive waste• Proposed construction of two federal disposal units

– One unit to utilize steel reinforced concrete over-packs

– Other unit to emplace uncontainerized contaminated soil waste in engineered, compacted lifts

• Initial volume limitation of 300,000 cubic yards or 8.1 million cubic feet of containerized waste

• Total proposed volume of 26 million cubic feet and total radioactivity of 5.6 million curies

Texas LLRW Compact Commission

• Group of people appointed by the governs of the compact states (Tx, Vt) to carry out the provisions of the compact– 6 from Tx– 2 from Vt

• Review issues related to compact disposal• Hold public meetings regarding waste

Questions?