ASHTABULA SUCCESSES--MACRO NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PIECES!
As facility demolition and remediation continued at the DOE Ashtabula Environmental Management Project (AEMP), a DOE closure site located in Ashtabula, OH, the quantity of mixed waste increased by approximately twenty-fold from the original Site Treatment Plan estimates to over 567 m3 (20,000 cubic feet). Also, a greater variety of low-level mixed waste (MW) was identified that was suitable for alternate debris treatment like macroencapsulation (MACRO) instead of traditional shredding, stabilization, and solidification to improve the overall safety and cost-effectiveness. Macroencapsulation is required for lead and authorized for hazardous debris under the alternate debris treatment standards per 40 CFR 268.45. Several polymer encapsulation processes were being explored, developed, and deployed in the mid-1990's by various groups including the DOE Mixed Waste Focus Area, DOE EM-50 Office of Science and Technology, Brookhaven National Laboratory, DOE Macro Working Group, DOE-Albuquerque Mixed Waste/Mobile Treatment Unit, and Envirocare of Utah, Inc. As a result, technically-proven macroencapsulation and microencapsulation processes using extruded polyethylene beads were verified as being technically acceptable for waste treatment to RCRA standards. The AEMP had a variety of waste forms where technically-proven systems were needed to perform on-site treatment of challenging mixed wastes (MW) from production operations (i.e. HEPA filters, barium salt contaminated steel) containing high concentrations of enriched uranium, graphite, salts, and RCRA metals. The AEMP continued with a technology development and deployment process to license, permit, install, and safely operate two proven polymer encapsulation systems for both RCRA microencapsulation and RCRA macroencapsulation using surplus DOE equipment from Rocky Flats to establish cost-effective mobile treatment capability. The AEMP treated approximately 16 m3 (= 579 cf) of challenging mixed wastes onsite at approximately 50 wt% waste loading using polymer microencapsulation and macroencapsulation systems to isolate the hazards from the general public. These wastes were then profiled and buried in fifty-seven (57) containers containing approximately 33 m3 (1,194 cf) of LDR-compliant wastes at NTS and Envirocare of Utah, Inc. However, this paper summarizes only the MACRO technology approval, waste inspection/treatment/certification process, and technology transfer as deployed at AEMP and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). It describes only the sequences associated with optimizing the process for the polymer MACRO system to meet overall DOE waste management needs. AEMP performed MACRO on 4 m3 (139 cf) of RCRA debris before the system was shut down. The shut down occurred due to new project direction, funding availability, and alternate offsite treatment capabilities at TSCAI and/or commercial facilities for the balance of the mixed wastes.
- Research Organization:
- RMI Environmental Services, 1800 E. 21st St. Ashtabula, OH 44004; Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- WM Symposia, Inc. (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 825775
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2003 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/23/2003--02/27/2003; Other Information: PBD: 27 Feb 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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