The 12th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events

Session 38-39 Abstracts
In response to this policy change, Waste Recycling Group (WRG) and EnergySolutions have engaged in developing one of
the first private HV VLLW landfills in the UK at the WRG Lillyhall facility in West Cumbria, UK. This paper describes the
approach that we have followed in developing proposals for the site, including: our review and understanding of revised Government
policy; site selection, including the evaluation of environmental factors, location, and capacity; our approach to applying for
an authorisation; dealing with stakeholder involvement and communications; regulatory dialogue; the development of waste acceptance
criteria; the development of operational procedures; and site commissioning.
7) ESTABLISHING A SITE FOR A SLOVENIAN L/ILW REPOSITORY - 16151
Sandi Viršek, Janja Ŝpiler, Miran Veselič, ARAO (Slovenia)
In this paper we will describe the practice and siting process for a LILW repository in Slovenia. Slovenia is a small country,
and, consequently, its nuclear programme is small. It does include almost everything that large programmes have, but we still do
not have a repository. In 2004, the Slovenian Radwaste management agency (ARAO) initiated a new procedure to find a proper
location for a LILW repository. ARAO asked all Slovenian communities to participate. All communities have the option to withdraw
from the process until they have approved the site. We received eight responses, and we prepared methodologies with different
parameters to evaluate all potential sites. All sites were assessed by Slovenian experts, and determinations were based on using
prepared methodologies. On the basis of their expert opinions, we prepared a prefeasibility study and chose the three most suitable
sites. With these three we continued the process. After that time, one of the communities withdrew from the procedure, and another
one reversed its proposed site and proposed a new one. For the third site we continued with the programme, and we prepared a
feasibility study with a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment and preliminary safety calculations for the comparison of different
concepts of disposal units. If everything goes according to the plan for this site and the concept, we expect site approval in
the first half of 2009. After that, we will start preparing everything necessary for building permission.
SESSION 39 - L/ILW WASTE HANDLING, TECHNOLOGIES, AND DATA ANALYSIS - PART 1 OF 3
1) IMPROVED PRACTICES FOR PACKAGING TRANSURANIC WASTE AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL
LABORATORY (LA-UR-09-03293) - 16280
Kapil Goyal, Peter Carson, Los Alamos National Laboratory (USA)
Transuranic (TRU) waste leaving the Plutonium Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is packaged using
LANLs waste acceptance criteria for onsite storage. Before shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New
Mexico, each payload container is subject to rigorous characterization to ensure compliance with WIPP waste acceptance criteria
and Department of Transportation regulations. Techniques used for waste characterization include nondestructive examination by
WIPP-certified real-time radiography (RTR) and nondestructive assay (NDA) of containers, as well as headspace gas sampling to
ensure that hydrogen and other flammable gases remain at safe levels during transport. <strong>The</strong>se techniques are performed under a rigorous
quality assurance program to confirm that results are accurate and reproducible. If containers are deemed problematic, corrective
action is implemented before they are shipped to WIPP.
A defensive approach was used for many years to minimize the number of problematic drums. However, based on review of
data associated with headspace gas sampling, NDA and RTR results, and enhanced coordination with the entities responsible for
waste certification, many changes have been implemented to facilitate packaging of TRU waste drums with higher isotopic loading
at the Plutonium Facility at an unprecedented rate while ensuring compliance with waste acceptance criteria.
This paper summarizes the details of technical changes and related administrative coordination activities, such as information
sharing among the certification entities, generators, waste packagers, and shippers. It discusses the results of all such cumulative
changes that have been implemented at the Plutonium Facility and gives readers a preview of what LANL has accomplished to
expeditiously certify and dispose of newly generated TRU waste.
2) RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF PETROLEUM PIPE SCALE WASTE STREAMS
FROM DRY-RATTLING OPERATIONS - 16323
Ian Hamilton, Foxfire Scientific, Inc. (USA); Robert Berry,Matthew Arno, Erich Fruchtnicht, Foxfire Scientific (UK)
Petroleum pipe scale consists of inorganic solids, such as barium sulfate. <strong>The</strong>se solids can precipitate out of brine solutions that
are pumped out of oil wells as part of normal oilfield operations. <strong>The</strong> precipitates can nucleate on down hole pipe walls, causing
the buildup of hard scales in some tubulars in a pipe string, while leaving others virtually untouched. Once the scale buildup is sufficient
to restrict flow in the string significantly, the tubulars are removed from service. Once removed, tubulars are transported to
storage yards for storage, subsequent inspection, and possible recycling.
Many of the tubulars are never returned to service, either because threads are too damaged, or pipe walls are too thin, or the
scale buildup is too thick. <strong>The</strong> tubular refurbishment industry uses primarily one of two processes, either a high-pressure water
lance or a dry, abrasive “rattling” process to ream pipes free of scale buildup. Historically, the dry rattling process has been used
primarily for touching up new pipes that have rusted slightly during storage; however, pipes with varying levels of scale have been
reamed, leaving only a thin coating of scale on the inner diameter, and then returned to service.
3) THE DIAMOND UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CONSORTIUM: NUCLEAR
WASTE CHARACTERISATION, IMMOBILISATION AND STORAGE - 16374
Simon Biggs, Michael Fairweather, James Young, University of Leeds (UK);
Neil Hyatt, University of Sheffield (UK); Francis Livens, <strong>The</strong> University of Machester (UK)
Legacy waste treatment, storage and disposal, as well as decommissioning and site remediation, from the UKs civil nuclear
programme are estimated at a cost of £70B. <strong>The</strong> Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) directs the strategy for all civil nuclear
decommissioning, with demanding timescales now set for all nuclear sites. Additionally, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management
(CoRWM) recently delivered a recommendation, accepted by Government, that geological disposal in a mined repository
presents the best available approach for long term management of the waste legacy.
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