Alternatives for long-term management of defense high-level radioactive waste, Hanford Reservations, Richland, Washington

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5422651· OSTI ID:5422651

The objective of this document is to provide information or alternatives that are being considered for the long-term management of defense high-level radioactive waste stored at Hanford in underground tanks and in stainless steel-lined concrete basins. For purposes of basic programmatic decision making, four major alternatives based on disposal location are considered. The steps leading to placement of the waste in the following locations are illustrated: existing waste tanks; onsite engineered surface facilities; onsite geologic repository; and offsite geologic repository. The four major disposal alternatives are expanded into 27 alternative plans by considering: (1) variations in the final form of the high-level fraction (with radionuclide removal) to include glass, concrete, and powder; (2) variations in the final form of the dehydrated waste product to include glass, calcined clay, and powder; and (3) variations in the treatment and handling of encapsulated waste to include packaging of capsules in canisters and conversion of the strontium fluoride and cesium chloride to glass; canisters stored in sealed casks on the surface are disposed of in a surface vault after the radionuclides have decayed sufficiently to avoid a heat-transfer problem. A description of the technology, a preliminary risk assessment, and preliminary cost estimates for each of these 27 plans are presented. The technology required to implement any of the 27 alternative plans has not been developed to the point where any plan can be considered completely technically sound and feasible.

• Research Organization: Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, D.C. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5422651
• Report Number(s): ERDA-77-44; TRN: 78-001404
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
HANFORD RESERVATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
CONCRETES
COST
GLASS
POWDERS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RISK ASSESSMENT
SOLID WASTES
TANKS
BUILDING MATERIALS
CONTAINERS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
STORAGE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
290600 - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy