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EVALUATION OF ULTIMATE DISPOSAL METHODS FOR LIQUID AND SOLID RADIOACTIVE WASTES. PART III. INTERIM STORAGE OF SOLIDIFIED WASTES

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4684443· OSTI ID:4684443
The costs of interim storage of solidified Purex and Thorex wastes in water-filled canals were estimated as the third part of a study to evaluate, from the standpoint of econoNonemics and hazards, the various steps leading to and including the permanent disposal of highly radioactive liquid and solid wastes. The wastes were assumed to have been solidified following their production in a plant proccessed 1500 metric tons per year of uranium converter fuel it a burnup of 10,000 Mwd/ton and 270 tons/yr of thorium converter fuel at 20,000 Mwd/ton. Separate facilities where designed for the storage of the calcined wastes in the acid and reacified forms, and for the Thorex waste made into a glass. Consideration was given also to storage (in the same facilities) of the combinations acid Purex-acid Thorex and reacified Purex-reacidified Thorex wastes. Costs for interim storage times from 1 to 30 yr were computed for wastes decayed 120 days and 1, 3, and 10 yr at time of initial storage. Costs ranged from 1.5 x 10/sup -3/ mill/kwh, for 1-yr storage of calcined 10-yr-old acid Purex waste to 18 x 10/sup -3/ mill/kwh/sub e/ for 30-yr storage of calcined, reacified 120-day- old Thorex wastes. Costs of storage of the Purex and Thorex wastes together in the same facility ranged from 1.5 x 10/sup -3/ mill/kwh/sub e/ for 1-yr storage to 4.8 x 10/sup -3/ mill/kwh/sub e/ for 10-yr storage for the calcined acid wastes and from 1.8 x 10/sup -3/ to 6.3 x 10/sup -3/ wastes at time of storage was not a very significant factor, the costs for storage of 10-yr-decayed wastes being only 10 to 15% less than those for storage of the same wastes aged 120 days. Storage of acid wastes as solids was cheaper by factors of 2 to 2.7 than storage of the same wastes as liquids; however, storage of neutialized liquid wastes was slightly cheaper than storage of reacidified Purex and Thorex solids. (auth)
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
NSA Number:
NSA-17-042416
OSTI ID:
4684443
Report Number(s):
ORNL-3355
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English