Selection and cultivation of final vegetative cover for closed waste sites at the Savannah River Site, SC

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6745152

Cook, J R ^[1]; Salvo, S K ^[2]

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
2. Soil Conservation Service, Raleigh, NC (United States)

Low-level, hazardous, and mixed waste disposal sites normally require some form of plant material to prevent erosion of the final closure cap. Waste disposal sites are closed and capped in a complex scientific manner to minimize water infiltration and percolation into and through the waste material. Turf type grasses are currently being used as a vegetative cover for most sites. Consequently, the sites require periodic mowing and other expensive annual maintenance practices. The purpose of this five year study was to evaluate alternative plant material for use on wastes sites that is quickly and easily established and economically maintained, retards water infiltration, provides maximum year-round evapotranspiration, is ecologically acceptable and does not harm the closure cap. The results of the study are described in this report and suggest that two species of bamboo (Phyllostachys bissetii and P. rubromarainata) can be utilized to provide long lived, low maintenance, climax vegetation for the waste sites. These large species of bamboo will also reduce the probability of intrusion by humans, animals and deeply rooted plant species.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 6745152
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS-92-513; CONF-930205-3; ON: DE93006884
• Resource Relation: Conference: Waste management '93, Tucson, AZ (United States), 28 Feb - 4 Mar 1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BAMBOO
FIELD TESTS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
GROUND DISPOSAL
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE FORMS
CONTAINMENT
HUMAN INTRUSION
PLANTS
SOILS
US DOA
GRAMINEAE
LILIOPSIDA
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
TESTING
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
540210 - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (1990-)