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Title: A review of geoscience characteristics and disposal experience at the commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility near West Valley, New York

Abstract

The West Valley Commercial Low-Level Radioactive Waste disposal site is located about 48 km south of Buffalo, New York. Operation of the site began in 1961 by Nuclear Fuels Service and was terminated in 1975. The disposal trenches at the site are excavated about 5 m into glacial till that has a thickness of about 28 m. About 65,000 m{sup 3} of the waste containing approximately 710,000 Ci were disposed at the site during the operational period. Ground-water movement through the till is predominantly downward as indicated by measurements and numerical simulation of hydraulic head. Radionuclides do not appear to have migrated more than 3 m either laterally or vertically from the waste disposal trenches. Numerical simulations of {sup 3}H, {sup 90}Sr, and {sup 14}C migration are able to reproduce the observed concentration in the till beneath selected trenches. Uncertainty remains with respect to the continuity and heterogeneity of the hydrostratigraphic units and the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity and effective porosity. More work is needed to better define the waste inventory and any long-term changes that might be expected. Erosion poses a potential threat to the long-term integrity of the disposal area. 56 refs., 19 figs., 9 tabs.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (USA). Div. of Low-Level Waste Management and Decommissioning; Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
Sponsoring Org.:
USNRC
OSTI Identifier:
5534549
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR-5431; PNL-6970
ON: TI89017596; TRN: 89-025896
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; FLOW RATE; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; GROUND DISPOSAL; WEST VALLEY PROCESSING PLANT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; CARBON 14; DECOMMISSIONING; EROSION; EVALUATION; GROUND WATER; NEW YORK; POROSITY; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; STRONTIUM 90; TRITIUM; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CARBON ISOTOPES; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; FEDERAL REGION II; FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOISOTOPES; SIMULATION; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; USA; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects

Citation Formats

Smoot, J L. A review of geoscience characteristics and disposal experience at the commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility near West Valley, New York. United States: N. p., 1989. Web.
Smoot, J L. A review of geoscience characteristics and disposal experience at the commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility near West Valley, New York. United States.
Smoot, J L. 1989. "A review of geoscience characteristics and disposal experience at the commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility near West Valley, New York". United States.
@article{osti_5534549,
title = {A review of geoscience characteristics and disposal experience at the commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility near West Valley, New York},
author = {Smoot, J L},
abstractNote = {The West Valley Commercial Low-Level Radioactive Waste disposal site is located about 48 km south of Buffalo, New York. Operation of the site began in 1961 by Nuclear Fuels Service and was terminated in 1975. The disposal trenches at the site are excavated about 5 m into glacial till that has a thickness of about 28 m. About 65,000 m{sup 3} of the waste containing approximately 710,000 Ci were disposed at the site during the operational period. Ground-water movement through the till is predominantly downward as indicated by measurements and numerical simulation of hydraulic head. Radionuclides do not appear to have migrated more than 3 m either laterally or vertically from the waste disposal trenches. Numerical simulations of {sup 3}H, {sup 90}Sr, and {sup 14}C migration are able to reproduce the observed concentration in the till beneath selected trenches. Uncertainty remains with respect to the continuity and heterogeneity of the hydrostratigraphic units and the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity and effective porosity. More work is needed to better define the waste inventory and any long-term changes that might be expected. Erosion poses a potential threat to the long-term integrity of the disposal area. 56 refs., 19 figs., 9 tabs.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5534549}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989},
month = {Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989}
}

Technical Report:
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