1974 conceptual design description of a bedded salt pilot plant in southeast New Mexico

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7214136· OSTI ID:7214136

The policy of the United States Atomic Energy Commission is to take custody of all commercial high-level radioactive wastes and maintain control of them in perpetuity. This policy (Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, Appendix F) requires that the high-level wastes from nuclear fuels reprocessing plants be solidified within five years after reprocessing and then shipped to a federal repository within ten years after reprocessing. Ultimate disposal sites and/or methods have not yet been selected and are not expected to be ready when waste deliveries begin about 1983. Therefore, the AEC plans to build an interim storage facility, called Retrievable Surface Storage Facility (RSSF), to store and isolate the waste from man and his environment until the suitability of the permanent repository is demonstrated and public acceptance has been established. Meantime, the AEC is proceeding with the study and development of an ultimate disposal method. Bedded salt is being considered for ultimate waste disposal, and work is in progress to develop a Bedded Salt Pilot Plant to demonstrate its acceptability. The pilot plant will permit in situ verification of laboratory work on the interaction of heat and radioactivity of the waste with the salt and surroundings. One concept of such a pilot facility is described.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 7214136
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-5911; TRN: 77-012908
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SALT DEPOSITS
DESIGN
MAINTENANCE
NEW MEXICO
PILOT PLANTS
QUALITY ASSURANCE
SAFETY
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
SOUTHWEST REGION
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage