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Title: A Strategy for Maintenance of the Long-Term Performance Assessment of Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Glass

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1365452· OSTI ID:1365452
 [1];  [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Approximately 50 million gallons of high-level radioactive mixed waste has accumulated in 177 buried single- and double-shell tanks at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State as a result of the past production of nuclear materials, primarily for defense uses. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is proceeding with plans to permanently dispose of this waste. Plans call for separating the tank waste into high-level waste (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, which will be vitrified at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Principal radionuclides of concern in LAW are 99Tc, 129I, and U, while non-radioactive contaminants of concern are Cr and nitrate/nitrite. HLW glass will be sent off-site to an undetermined federal site for deep geological disposal while the much larger volume of immobilized low-activity waste will be placed in the on-site, near-surface Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF).

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1365452
Report Number(s):
PNNL-23503 Rev. 1; RPT-IGTP-001 Rev. 1; 830403000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English