Test phase plan for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Technical Report · Sun Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6811571

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared this Test Phase Plan for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant to satisfy the requirements of Public Law 102-579, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Land Withdrawal Act (LWA). The Act provides seven months after its enactment for the DOE to submit this Plan to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for review. A potential geologic repository for transuranic wastes, including transuranic mixed wastes, generated in national-defense activities, the WIPP is being constructed in southeastern New Mexico. Because these wastes remain radioactive and chemically hazardous for a very long time, the WIPP must provide safe disposal for thousands of years. The DOE is developing the facility in phases. Surface facilities for receiving waste have been built and considerable underground excavations (2150 feet below the surface) that are appropriate for in-situ testing, have been completed. Additional excavations will be completed when they are required for waste disposal. The next step is to conduct a test phase. The purpose of the test phase is to develop pertinent information and assess whether the disposal of transuranic waste and transuranic mixed waste in the planned WIPP repository can be conducted in compliance with the environmental standards for disposal and with the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA) (as amended by RCRA, 42 USC. 6901 et. seq.). The test phase includes laboratory experiments and underground tests using contact-handled transuranic waste. Waste-related tests at WIPP will be limited to contact-handled transuranic and simulated wastes since the LWA prohibits the transport to or emplacement of remote-handled transuranic waste at WIPP during the test phase.

• Research Organization: USDOE Albuquerque Field Office, NM (United States). Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Project Integration Office; Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6811571
• Report Number(s): DOE/WIPP-89-011-Rev.1; ON: DE93012198
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
056000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Legislation & Regulations-- (1987-)
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
COMPLIANCE
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PILOT PLANTS
PLANNING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REGULATIONS
SAFETY
TESTING
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US DOE
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WIPP