Results from the second performance assessment iteration for the Greater Confinement Disposal facility
- GRAM, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Science Applications International Corp., Melbourne, FL (United States)
The Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD) facility was established by the Nevada office of the Department of Energy (DOE) in Area 5 at the Nevada Test Site for containment of waste inappropriate for shallow land burial. Some transuranic (TRU) waste has been disposed of at the GCD facility, and compliance of this disposal system with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations 40 CFR 191 must be evaluated by performance assessment calculations. We have adopted an iterative approach where performance assessment results guide site data collection which in turn influences the parameters and models used in performance assessment. The first iteration was based upon readily available data. The first iteration indicated that the GCD facility would likely comply with 40 CFR 191 and that the downward recharge rate had a major influence on the results. As a result, a site characterization project was initiated to study recharge in Area 5 by use of three environmental tracers. This study resulted in the conclusion that recharge was extremely small, if not negligible. Thus, downward advection to the water table is no longer considered a viable release pathway, leaving upward liquid diffusion as the sole release pathway. This second performance assessment iteration refined the upward pathway models and parameters. The results of the performance assessment using these models still indicate that the GCD site is likely to comply with all sections of 40 CFR 191.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6596467
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-93-0088C; CONF-930408-47; ON: DE93009803
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International high-level radioactive waste management conference, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 25-29 Apr 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Second performance assessment iteration of the Greater Confinement Disposal facility at the Nevada Test Site
Iterative performance assessment for the greater confinement disposal facilities: Preliminary results of round two
Related Subjects
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
AQUIFERS
BOREHOLES
EROSION
GASES
GROUND WATER
ITERATIVE METHODS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NEVADA TEST SITE
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION DOSES
RADON
URANIUM
ACTINIDES
CALCULATION METHODS
CAVITIES
DOSES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RARE GASES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage