Comparison of LLW Disposal Facilities at Major Department of Energy Sites

Abstract

Near surface disposal facility design and management are examined and compared using a systems approach that defines facility performance as a function of three components (or subsystems): the disposal facility design (cover systems and bottom liners); the properties of the waste (waste composition, waste form and waste package); and the site-specific environmental features (climate, geology, and hydrology). We report an evaluation of five DOE near surface disposal facility case studies, selected to provide a "representative" sample that included disposal sites with a range of waste and environmental characteristics across the DOE. The facilities selected were the Savannah River E-Area Engineered Trenches, Hanford Integrated Disposal Facility, Idaho Radioactive Waste Management Complex, Oak Ridge Environmental Management Waste Management Facility, and Nevada National Security Site Area 5. c⃝ 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Application of a Proposed Generic LLW Waste Package Analysis With Changing Infiltration in a Humid Environment

“…We suggest that an NSDF is best conceptualized as a three‐component system. Waste form, waste composition, and waste package represent the disposal component ; facility bottom and cover layer(s) represent the engineered facility component ; and site‐specific features including precipitation and soil composition represent the environmental component (Rustick et al., ). The performances of these three components are linked, and this conceptual approach enables the assessment of an NSDF in an integrated manner.…”

“…Waste form, waste composition, and waste package represent the disposal component; facility bottom and cover layer(s) represent the engineered facility component; and site-specific features including precipitation and soil composition represent the environmental component Since long-term field data do not exist to demonstrate how a facility will behave for periods of 1,000 years, conceptual models are needed to provide the basis for estimation of long-term facility performance. (Rustick et al, 2015). The performances of these three components are linked, and this conceptual approach enables the assessment of an NSDF in an integrated manner.…”