High-Level Waste Treatment and Storage
| Project Code: | ID-HLW-103 |
| Problem Areas: | High Level Waste (Primary) Health / Ecology / Risk |
| Life-Cycle Cost in 2007+: | $2,191,000,000 |
| DOE Project Manager: | T.L.Wichmann, 208-526-0535, WICHMATL@inel.gov |
| Contractor Manager: | J. H. Valentine, 208-526-3267, JHV@inel.gov |
| For More Information: | http://www.em.doe.gov/closure/pbs/idp281.html |
Maximum Public, Worker, and Environmental Risks in the year 2007 and beyond:
| Public: Low | Worker: Medium | Environment: High |
Technical Approach Provided by Project Manager:
Four major types of material are stored, treated and disposed: liquid, calcine solids, debris, and used HEPA filters. The newly generated liquid will be stored in new RCRA compliant tankage. An aggressive program of waste minimization continues under this scope and is employed to eliminate or reduce the volume of liquid waste generated. Existing and newly generated wastes are concentrated by evaporation to minimize stored volume, and the waste is calcined to a granular solid for safer storage. The calcine remains stored in stainless steel bins which are contained in concrete vaults until 2020. A new HLW Immobilization Facility begins operation in FY 2020. It separates both liquid (accumulated from 2012 to 2020) and calcine into LAW and HAW fractions by dissolution, ion exchange, and solvent extraction. These waste fractions are both immobilized for final disposal: the HAW to a glass and the LAW to a grout. The glass is stored on an interim basis on site until an offsite repository is available. The LAW grout is disposed on site. Used filters are treated in the Filter Leach Facility, and mixed debris is treated in the Debris Treatment Facility, with the use of decontamination solutions. The products from each of these operations is a solid LLW which is disposed to the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) and a mixed liquid waste which is sent to new tankage to await treatment.Post 2006 Project Scope Provided by Project Manager:
Newly generated waste will be concentrated by the HLLW Evaporator to minimize stored volume after 2014 under this scope and collected in new RCRA compliant tanks designed and constructed under this scope. Stored calcine will be monitored. Process development and support for the Immobilization Facility design will be completed. The Immobilization Facility will begin operation in 2020 and will complete calcine treatment in FY 2035 to comply with the Settlement Agreement. After 2014 used filters and debris will continue to be treated until their inventories are reduced to zero. After 2035, the waste treatment facilities will be flushed and readied for closure activities to begin.Project End State Provided by Project Manager:
When this project is complete, all HLW related materials will be converted to LLW, grout, and glass forms. The LLW and grout will be disposed to their respective long term storage locations. The glass will be in interim storage on site. Most of the ICPP will be closed and the remaining waste treatment facilities will be ready for closure activities to begin.The full list of science research awards that have the potential to address projects such as this one, which deals with High Level Waste and Health / Ecology / Risk problems, are listed in the Index of Research Awards by Environmental Management Problem Area, in the back of this appendix, under the headings "High Level Waste and Health / Ecology / Risk".
Next PBS: ID-OIM-113 - Post-2006 Surveillance, Maintenance, and Monitoring