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

Closed Disposal Sites Beatty, NV – 1962-1993 Sheffield, IL – 1967-1978 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

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

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

Envirocare http://www.envirocareutah.com/

Locations of Operating LLRW Facilities in the U.S. U.S. Ecology Facility Richland, WA Envirocare Facility Clive, UT Radiation is energy traveling in the form of particles or waves in bundles of energy called photons. Some everyday examples are microwaves used to cook food, radio waves for radio and television, light, and x-rays used in medicine. Demonstration with Chart of Electromagnetic Spectrum Radioactivity is a natural and spontaneous process by which the unstable atoms of an element emit or radiate excess energy in the form of particles or waves. These emissions are collectively called ionizing radiations. Depending on how the nucleus loses this excess energy either a lower energy atom of the same form will result, or a completely different nucleus and atom can be formed. Demonstration of Chart of Nuclides with Next Slide Ionization is a particular characteristic of the radiation produced when radioactive elements decay. These radiations are of such high energy that when they interact with materials, they can remove electrons from the atoms in the material. This effect is the reason why ionizing radiation is hazardous to health, and provides the means by which radiation can be detected. Chem Nuclear Facility Barnwell, S.C.

The 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) video

Shallow Land Burial

Shallow Land Burial

Closed Trench

The 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!

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

Changes Resulting from 2003 Texas Legislation The passage of House Bill 1567, 78th Texas Legislature, marks a policy change in Texas statutory provisions regarding low-level radioactive waste disposal 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

Current Agencies in Texas Working on the LLRW 2009 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

Highlights of Technical Review Process Site Closure Institutional Control Financial Assurance QA / QC Qualifications & Personnel Environmental Report Site Characteristics Performance Assessment Facility Design Facility Construction Facility Operations Waste Characterization

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

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