Contaminated waste processor

The contaminated waste processor handles materials, such as surface-contaminated debris, that are lighter and less reactive than those processed in the deactivation furnace. Contaminated waste processors are thin-walled, stationary ovens that heat contaminated materials to about 600°C for 3 to 4 hours. The purpose of this process is not to destroy contaminated debris but to lower contaminant levels to meet Army safety standards. AEC currently is helping to develop standardized time and temperature processing requirements to meet these safety standards. 

A critical consideration is identifying an off-site waste processor who is able and willing to receive the carbon filter material from the VOC treatment step. A waste processor will certainly require that VOCs be stripped from the hydrolysate only after agent destruction has been confirmed by chemical analysis. Consequently, the spent activated carbon used to recover VOCs should be agent free and can be treated like any other commercially produced spent filter material. If the spent activated carbon cannot be certified as agent free, it will have to be managed in the same manner as spent activated carbon that is known or likely to be agent contaminated. 

NECDF metal waste consists primarily of empty TCs. As of December 2006, a total of 272 TCs out of 1,690 had been processed through the TC thermal decontamination unit. Empty TCs are heated to 1000°F in this unit, which produces decontamination equivalent to the Army designation 5X (agent free or decontaminated potentially agent-contaminated waste). TCs decontaminated to this level at NECDF are routinely recycled to metal processors as scrap metal for smelting and reprocessing. 

In many cases, OEC may also increase the revenue for waste processors. They may be able to treat waste that they were previously unable to process. This might include things like sewage sludge and other types of low-heating-value, high-moisture-content wastes. At Superfund cleanup sites, the waste processor can usually increase profits by cleaning up the contaminated waste faster than scheduled. Examples of this have already been discussed. 

When radioactively contaminated material that becomes the processor s "residual waste" is shipped to a "waste processor"... 

Contamination limits the ultimate marketability of the full range of PET plastic containers collected via local recycling programmes. Contamination reduces the value of recyclable PET as it hinders processing and causes unproductive downtime and clean-up expenses for PET processors, reclaimers and end users in addition, it results in unnecessary manufacturing waste from the rPET process. 

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