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Commercial Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal
A license for the receipt and disposal of low-level radioactive waste is issued to US Ecology by the Waste Management Section. An on-site inspector checks each shipment of waste arriving at the disposal facility. Inspections include a comprehensive review of all shipping documents, thorough radiation survey of the transport vehicle, and a visual inspection of the individual containers for appropriate marking, labeling and container integrity. Weekly random inspections of container contents ensure that shippers are complying with the packaging requirements of the operator's disposal license. Certain aspects of the licensee's operations are reviewed daily and monthly to ensure that the facility operator is adhering to the regulations, license requirements, and procedures. In addition to the on-site inspector's daily and monthly routine inspections of operations, the Waste Management Section performs multiple inspections of the operator's radiation safety program. These inspections ensure that by the end of the year the entire radiation safety program at the facility has been reviewed
US Ecology operates the commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal site located in Eastern Washington. The site has received about 14 million cubic feet of radioactive waste that contains about 4 million curies. The remaining capacity of the facility is approximately 44 million cubic feet. Annual disposal volumes have varied greatly. Prior to the Northwest Compact Agreement, the commercial site had several years where it received over 1 million cubic feet per year of low-level radioactive waste for disposal. In 2006, volumes for low-level waste are expected to be less than 50,000 cubic feet. A Department of Health inspector examines each shipment of waste prior to disposal in the trench. Each shipment is checked for compliance with requirements and regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the state of Washington, as well as the site operators license. Packages are randomly selected and opened to ensure contents comply with all requirements. Waste is generally packaged in metal drums or metal boxes, and is usually put directly into the trenches. It is classified as A, B, or C. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) regulation 10 CFR 61 went into effect on December 27, 1983. Part 61 requires that all low-level radioactive waste be classified based upon mobility, half-life, and radiological hazard. Class A waste has the lowest concentration of radionuclides and must meet only the minimal waste form requirements. Approximately 95 percent of the waste received at the disposal facility is Class A. Class B and C contain higher concentrations and must meet both the minimum and stability waste form requirements. Class C waste must also be disposed by methods that provide additional protection against inadvertent intruders. Stability of Class B and C wastes can be provided by the waste form itself, processing the waste to a stable form or placing the waste in containers that provide stability. To the extent possible, Class B and C waste forms must retain their gross physical properties and identity for a minimum of 300 years under expected disposal conditions. In practice, stability is achieved by the use of high integrity containers (HIC), Engineered Concrete Barriers (ECB), or media that has proven to meet the requirements set forth by the USNRC. Both HIC’s and stabilization media must pass tests that have been prescribed by the USNRC.
Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health. Contact Information Kristen Schwab, Project Manager 360-236-3244 |
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