Disposal of defense spent fuel and HLW at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

Conference · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:10163188

Ermold, L F; Loo, H H; Klingler, R D; Herzog, J D; Knecht, D A

Irradiated nuclear fuel has been reprocessed at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) since 1953 to recover uranium-235 and krypton-85 for the US Department of Energy (DOE). The resulting acidic high-level radioactive waste (HLW) has been solidified to a calcine since 1963 and stored in stainless steel underground bins enclosed by concrete vaults. Several different types of unprocessed irradiated DOE-owned fuels are also in storage at the ICPP. In April, 1992, DOE announced that spent fuel would no longer be reprocessed to recover enriched uranium and called for a shutdown of the reprocessing facilities at the ICPP. A new Spent Fuel and HLW Technology Development program was subsequently initiated to develop technologies for immobilizing ICPP spent fuels and HLW for disposal, in accordance with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. The Program elements include Systems Analysis, Graphite Fuel Disposal, Other Spent Fuel Disposal, Sodium-Bearing Liquid Waste Processing, Calcine Immobilization, and Metal Recycle/Waste Minimization. This paper presents an overview of the ICPP radioactive wastes and current spent fuels, with an emphasis on the description of HLW and spent fuels requiring repository disposal.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co., Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-84ID12435
• OSTI ID: 10163188
• Report Number(s): WINCO--11912; CONF-930408--75; ON: DE93015573
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001
054000
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CALCINATION
CALCINED WASTES
HEALTH AND SAFETY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
IDAHO CHEMICAL PROCESSING PLANT
KRYPTON 85
LIQUID WASTES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
REMEDIAL ACTION
REPROCESSING
SHUTDOWN
SODIUM
SPENT FUELS
TANKS
URANIUM 235
WASTE PROCESSING