Improving Operations And Long Term Safety Of The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Author : National Research Council,Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 56 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2000-04-20
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309183765

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Improving Operations and Long-Term Safety of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by National Research Council,Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Pdf

The National Research Council convened a committee of experts to advise the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on the operation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a geologic repository for disposal of defense transuranic (TRU) waste near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The committee was asked to provide recommendations on the following two issues: (1) a research agenda to enhance confidence in the long-term performance of WIPP; and (2) increasing the throughput, efficiency, and cost-benefit without compromising safety of the National TRU Program for characterizing, certifying, packaging, and shipping waste to WIPP. The committee has written this interim report to provide DOE with recommendations on several issues that the committee believes merit immediate consideration and action. In developing this report, the committee has been guided by the principle of "reasonableness" with respect to risks, costs, and the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle. In the committee's judgment, implementing the recommendations contained in this report will contribute to the continued safe operation of WIPP.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 156 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2001-07-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309073448

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Improving Operations and Long-Term Safety of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Pdf

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a deep underground mined facility for the disposal of transuranic waste resulting from the nation's defense program. Transuranic waste is defined as waste contaminated with transuranic radionuclides with half-life greater than 20 years and activity greater than 100 nanocuries per gram. The waste mainly consists of contaminated protective clothing, rags, old tools and equipment, pieces of dismantled buildings, chemical residues, and scrap materials. The total activity of the waste expected to be disposed at the WIPP is estimated to be approximately 7 million curies, including 12,900 kilograms of plutonium distributed throughout the waste in very dilute form. The WIPP is located near the community of Carlsbad, in southeastern New Mexico. The geological setting is a 600-meter thick, 250 million-year-old saltbed, the Salado Formation, lying 660 meters below the surface. The National Research Council (NRC) has been providing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) scientific and technical evaluations of the WIPP since 1978. The committee's task is twofold: (1) to identify technical issues that can be addressed to enhance confidence in the safe and long-term performance of the repository and (2) to identify opportunities for improving the National Transuranic (TRU) Program for waste management, especially with regard to the safety of workers and the public. This is the first full NRC report issued following the certification of the facility by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on May 18, 1998. An interim report was issued by the committee in April 2000 and is reproduced in this report. The main findings and recommendations from the interim report have been incorporated into the body of this report. The overarching finding and recommendation of this report is that the activity that would best enhance confidence in the safe and long-term performance of the repository is to monitor critical performance parameters during the long pre-closure phase of repository operations (35 to possibly 100 years). Indeed, in the first 50 to 100 years the rates of important processes such as salt creep, brine inflow (if any), and microbial activity are predicted to be the highest and will be less significant later. The committee recommends that the results of the on-site monitoring program be used to improve the performance assessment for recertification purposes. These results will determine whether the need for a new performance assessment is warranted. For the National TRU Program, the committee finds that the DOE is implementing many of the recommendations of its interim report. It is important that the DOE continue its efforts to improve the packaging, characterization, and transportation of the transuranic waste.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 156 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2001-06-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309183130

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Improving Operations and Long-Term Safety of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Pdf

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a deep underground mined facility for the disposal of transuranic waste resulting from the nation's defense program. Transuranic waste is defined as waste contaminated with transuranic radionuclides with half-life greater than 20 years and activity greater than 100 nanocuries per gram. The waste mainly consists of contaminated protective clothing, rags, old tools and equipment, pieces of dismantled buildings, chemical residues, and scrap materials. The total activity of the waste expected to be disposed at the WIPP is estimated to be approximately 7 million curies, including 12,900 kilograms of plutonium distributed throughout the waste in very dilute form. The WIPP is located near the community of Carlsbad, in southeastern New Mexico. The geological setting is a 600-meter thick, 250 million-year-old saltbed, the Salado Formation, lying 660 meters below the surface. The National Research Council (NRC) has been providing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) scientific and technical evaluations of the WIPP since 1978. The committee's task is twofold: (1) to identify technical issues that can be addressed to enhance confidence in the safe and long-term performance of the repository and (2) to identify opportunities for improving the National Transuranic (TRU) Program for waste management, especially with regard to the safety of workers and the public. This is the first full NRC report issued following the certification of the facility by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on May 18, 1998. An interim report was issued by the committee in April 2000 and is reproduced in this report. The main findings and recommendations from the interim report have been incorporated into the body of this report. The overarching finding and recommendation of this report is that the activity that would best enhance confidence in the safe and long-term performance of the repository is to monitor critical performance parameters during the long pre-closure phase of repository operations (35 to possibly 100 years). Indeed, in the first 50 to 100 years the rates of important processes such as salt creep, brine inflow (if any), and microbial activity are predicted to be the highest and will be less significant later. The committee recommends that the results of the on-site monitoring program be used to improve the performance assessment for recertification purposes. These results will determine whether the need for a new performance assessment is warranted. For the National TRU Program, the committee finds that the DOE is implementing many of the recommendations of its interim report. It is important that the DOE continue its efforts to improve the packaging, characterization, and transportation of the transuranic waste.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 524 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 1980
Category : Electronic
ISBN : NWU:35556031007891

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Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Construction by Anonim Pdf

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on Optimizing the Characterization and Transportation of Transuranic Waste Destined for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2004-02-15
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309090902

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Improving the Characterization Program for Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Bound for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on Optimizing the Characterization and Transportation of Transuranic Waste Destined for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Pdf

As operational experience is gained in the disposal of transuranic waste from nuclear weapons facilities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, the Department of Energy (DOE) has opportunities to change how it "characterizes" waste to confirm that it is appropriate for shipment to and disposal at the underground repository. The waste shipped to the facility includes gloves, rags, tools, and other debris or dried sludge that has been contaminated by radioactive elements, including plutonium, during production or cleanup activities in the DOE weapons complex. However, before the DOE seeks regulatory approval for changes to its characterization program, the agency should conduct and publish a systematic and quantitative assessment to show that the proposed changes would not affect the protection of workers, the public, or the environment, according to the committee. The assessment should take into account technical factors, societal and regulatory impacts, and the time and effort required to make the changes.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on the Characterization of Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 132 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2002-09-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309084604

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Characterization of Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on the Characterization of Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Pdf

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) disposes of plutonium-contaminated debris from its 27 nuclear weapons facilities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), an underground repository in Carlsbad, New Mexico. After four years of operational experience, DOE has opportunities to make changes to the costly and time-consuming process of "characterizing" the waste to confirm that it is appropriate for shipment to and disposal at WIPP.  The report says that in order to make such changes, DOE should conduct and publish a systematic and quantitative assessment to show that the proposed changes would not affect the protection of workers, the public, or the environment.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 186 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 1996-11-13
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309175548

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The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Pdf

This volume discusses the readiness of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility near Carlsbad, New Mexico, to serve as a geological repository for transuranic radioactive waste. WIPP is located in a Permian-age bedded salt deposit 658 meters below the surface. The committee has long reviewed DOE's readiness efforts, now aimed at demonstrating compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Site characterization studies and performance assessment modeling are among the topics considered in this volume.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on Opportunities for Accelerating Characterization and Treatment of Waste at DOE Nuclear Weapons Sites
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 84 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2005-01-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309181945

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Improving the Characterization and Treatment of Radioactive Wastes for the Department of Energy's Accelerated Site Cleanup Program by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on Opportunities for Accelerating Characterization and Treatment of Waste at DOE Nuclear Weapons Sites Pdf

The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (EM) directs the massive cleanup of more than 100 sites that were involved in the production of nuclear weapons materials during the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. This report offers suggestions for more effectively characterizing and treating the orphan and special-case wastes that are part of EM's accelerated cleanup program. It identifies technical opportunities for EM to improve the program that will save time and money without compromising health and safety. The opportunities identified include: making more effective use of existing facilities and capabilities for waste characterization, treatment, or disposal; eliminating self-imposed requirements that have no clear technical or safety basis; and investing in new technologies to improve existing treatment and characterization capabilities. For example, the report suggests that EM work with DOE classification officers to declassify, to the extent possible, classified materials declared as wastes. The report also suggests a new approach for treating the wastes that EM will leave in place after cleanup.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on Building a Long-Term Environmental Quality Research and Development Program in the Department of Energy
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 182 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2001-10-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309183123

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A Strategic Vision for Department of Energy Environmental Quality Research and Development by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on Building a Long-Term Environmental Quality Research and Development Program in the Department of Energy Pdf

The National Academies' National Research Council undertook this study in response to a request from the Under Secretary of Energy to provide strategic advice on how the Department of Energy could improve its Environmental Quality R&D portfolio. The committee recommends that DOE develop strategic goals and objectives for its EQ business line that explicitly incorporate a more comprehensive, long-term view of its EQ responsibilities. For example, these goals and objectives should emphasize long-term stewardship and the importance of limiting contamination and materials management problems, including the generation of wastes and contaminated media, in ongoing and future DOE operations.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on Disposition of High-Level Radioactive Waste Through Geological Isolation
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 215 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2001-07-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309073172

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Disposition of High-Level Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Committee on Disposition of High-Level Radioactive Waste Through Geological Isolation Pdf

Focused attention by world leaders is needed to address the substantial challenges posed by disposal of spent nuclear fuel from reactors and high-level radioactive waste from processing such fuel. The biggest challenges in achieving safe and secure storage and permanent waste disposal are societal, although technical challenges remain. Disposition of radioactive wastes in a deep geological repository is a sound approach as long as it progresses through a stepwise decision-making process that takes advantage of technical advances, public participation, and international cooperation. Written for concerned citizens as well as policymakers, this book was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and waste management organizations in eight other countries.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board,Committee on Waste Forms Technology and Performance
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2011-08-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309224970

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Waste Forms Technology and Performance by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board,Committee on Waste Forms Technology and Performance Pdf

The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) is responsible for cleaning up radioactive waste and environmental contamination resulting from five decades of nuclear weapons production and testing. A major focus of this program involves the retrieval, processing, and immobilization of waste into stable, solid waste forms for disposal. Waste Forms Technology and Performance, a report requested by DOE-EM, examines requirements for waste form technology and performance in the cleanup program. The report provides information to DOE-EM to support improvements in methods for processing waste and selecting and fabricating waste forms. Waste Forms Technology and Performance places particular emphasis on processing technologies for high-level radioactive waste, DOE's most expensive and arguably most difficult cleanup challenge. The report's key messages are presented in ten findings and one recommendation.

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 86 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2010-03-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309108218

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Science and Technology for DOE Site Cleanup by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board Pdf

The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management is developing a technology roadmap to guide planning and possible future congressional appropriations for its technology development programs. It asked the National Research Council of the National Academies to provide technical and strategic advice to support the development and implementation of this roadmap, specifically by undertaking a study that identifies principal science and technology gaps and their priorities for the cleanup program based on previous National Academies reports, updated and extended to reflect current site conditions and EM priorities and input form key external groups, such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Environmental Protection Agency, and state regulatory agencies. In response, this book provides a high-level synthesis of principal science and technology gaps identified in previous NRC reports in part 1. Part 2 summarizes a workshop meant to bring together the key external groups to discuss current site conditions and science and technology needs.

Author : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board,Committee on Independent Assessment of Science and Technology for the Department of Energy's Defense Environmental Cleanup Program
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 123 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2019-03-27
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780309487788

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Independent Assessment of Science and Technology for the Department of Energy's Defense Environmental Cleanup Program by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board,Committee on Independent Assessment of Science and Technology for the Department of Energy's Defense Environmental Cleanup Program Pdf

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 contained a request for a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine review and assessment of science and technology development efforts within the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM). This technical report is the result of the review and presents findings and recommendations.

Author : Raymond Murray,Keith E. Holbert
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 569 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2014-01-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780124166363

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Nuclear Energy by Raymond Murray,Keith E. Holbert Pdf

Nuclear Energy is one of the most popular texts ever published on basic nuclear physics, systems, and applications of nuclear energy. This newest edition continues the tradition of offering a holistic treatment of everything the undergraduate engineering student needs to know in a clear and accessible way. The book presents a comprehensive overview of radioactivity, radiation protection, nuclear reactors, waste disposal, and nuclear medicine. The seventh edition is restructured into three parts: Basic Concepts, Nuclear Power (including new chapters on nuclear power plants and introduction to reactor theory), and Radiation and Its Uses. Part Two in particular has been updated with current developments, including a new section on Reactor Safety and Security (with a discussion of the Fukushima Diiachi accident); updated information on naval and space propulsion; and revised and updated information on radioactive waste storage, transportation, and disposal. Part Three features new content on biological effects of radiation, radiation standards, and radiation detection. Coverage of energy economics integrated into appropriate chapters More worked examples and end of chapter exercises Updated final chapter on nuclear explosions for current geopolitical developments

Author : National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 187 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 1996-12-13
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309054911

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The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources,Committee on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Pdf

This volume discusses the readiness of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility near Carlsbad, New Mexico, to serve as a geological repository for transuranic radioactive waste. WIPP is located in a Permian-age bedded salt deposit 658 meters below the surface. The committee has long reviewed DOE's readiness efforts, now aimed at demonstrating compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Site characterization studies and performance assessment modeling are among the topics considered in this volume.