Liquid wastes, interim storage

Table I. Typical Chemical Compositions of the Liquid Wastes in Interim Storage at ICPP (Molarity, M)...

High-Level Liquid Waste (HLLW) Treatment. The high-level liquid waste is produced as a raffinate from the HA solvent extraction cycle in Purex. After generation, the HLLW is immediately transferred to the WTF via an underground pipeline without concentration or interim storage. This strategy minimizes the problems associated with solids precipitation. 

After a period of interim storage as liquid, step 12, to permit the rate of heat generation to decrease, high-level wastes are solidified in step 13. The duration of interim storage as liquid can be reduced if the spent fuel is stored as solid an equivalent time before reprocessing. 

In 2000, interim storage facilities for nuclear waste were numerous. Low-level waste can be solid or liquid. It is stored dry aboveground or relatively shallow underground. At present, there are a total of 250,000 m of buried low-level waste and 106,000 m stored aboveground in the US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. The cost of dry storage is reported to be 1.2 million per cask. 

Process waste operations include the initial solidification of the liquid process residuals, packaging the solidified waste and other solid process residuals in waste barrels, loading of waste barrels on storage carts, and emplacement of waste barrels in shielded interim storage in Room 109. A complete description of the types and expected quantities of waste that will be generated in the HCF is contained in Chapter 9, Radioactive and Hazardous Waste Management. 

Interim storage of solid and liquid radioactive waste (radwaste). 

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