No-migration variance petition for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Conference · Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5899250

Carnes, R G; Hart, J S ^[1]; Knudtsen, K ^[2]

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1. Benchmark Environmental Corp., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
2. International Technology Corp., Albuquerque, NM (USA)

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a US Department of Energy (DOE) project to provide a research and development facility to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive waste resulting from US defense activities and programs. The DOE is developing the WIPP facility as a deep geologic repository in bedded salt for transuranic (TRU) waste currently stored at or generated by DOE defense installations. Approximately 60 percent of the wastes proposed to be emplaced in the WIPP are radioactive mixed wastes. Because such mixed wastes contain a hazardous chemical component, the WIPP is subject to requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). In 1984 Congress amended the RCRA with passage of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA), which established a stringent regulatory program to prohibit the land disposal of hazardous waste unless (1) the waste is treated to meet treatment standards or other requirements established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under {section}3004(n), or (2) the EPA determines that compliance with the land disposal restrictions is not required in order to protect human health and the environment. The DOE WIPP Project Office has prepared and submitted to the EPA a no-migration variance petition for the WIPP facility. The purpose of the petition is to demonstrate, according to the requirements of RCRA {section}3004(d) and 40 CFR {section}268.6, that to a reasonable degree of certainty, there will be no migration of hazardous constituents from the WIPP facility for as long as the wastes remain hazardous. This paper provides an overview of the petition and describes the EPA review process, including key issues that have emerged during the review. 5 refs.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM (USA). Waste Isolation Div.
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-86AL31950
• OSTI ID: 5899250
• Report Number(s): CONF-9005159-3; ON: DE91011478
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
054000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
DIOXIN
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EXCEPTIONS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMIT APPLICATIONS
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REGULATIONS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESOURCE RECOVERY ACTS
SOLVENTS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US DOE
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WIPP