Waste remaining

Nuclear Waste Reprocessing. Liquid waste remaining from processing of spent reactor fuel for military plutonium production is typically acidic and contains substantial transuranic residues. The cleanup of such waste in 1996 is a higher priority than military plutonium processing. Cleanup requires removal of long-Hved actinides from nitric or hydrochloric acid solutions. The transuranium extraction (Tmex) process has been developed for... 

After mixing, the solvent and waste are separated. The solvent with dissolved organics is called the extract. The waste remaining after extraction is called the raffinate. The extract may be sent to a distillation or steam stripping unit to separate the dissolved organics from the solvent and the solvent can be recycled back to the extraction process. The raffinate may require additional treatment or may be disposed or incinerated. 

Stationary-Container Systems fSCS) Collec tion systems in which the containers used for the storage of wastes remain at the point of waste generation, except for occasional short trips to the collec tion vehicle, are defined as stationary-container systems. Labor requirements for mechanicallv loaded stationaiy-coutaiuer systems are essentially the same as for hauled-container systems. There are two main types of stationaiy-coutaiuer systems (1) those in which self-loading compactors are used and (2) those in which manually loaded vehicles are used. 

No-migration variances No-migration variances differ from capacity variances in that they apply to the disposal unit instead of to the waste, and allow wastes to be disposed of in the unit without meeting the treatment standards. To obtain a no-migration variance for a disposal unit, a facility must petition U.S. EPA and demonstrate that there will be no migration of hazardous constituents from the unit (i.e., the waste will not leak or escape from the unit) for as long as the wastes remain hazardous. 

Alternative 3 eliminates the risk of exposure at the site to the same levels as Alternatives 4 and 5 in the short term however, it relies solely on a cap for controlling the waste remaining in Area 1. Although capping is an effective and accepted approach for reducing risk from direct contact with wastes, it is less reliable in the long term than treatment, because the inherent hazard of the lead would remain. 

Long-term groundwater monitoring and cap maintenance requirements are more critical for Alternative 2, because all of the waste remains at the site. 

Off-site disposal of regulated medical wastes remains a viable option for smaller hospitals (those with less than 150 beds). Some preliminary on-site processing, such as compaction or hydropulping, may... 

Segregation of the acid waste stream has resulted in significant reduction in total BOD load of the plant, but the BOD5 of the composite waste remains almost the same. Hence the acid waste stream can be segregated from the main stream without affecting the treatability of the waste. 

The cost-effectiveness of the Chemfix process depends partly on whether treated material may be disposed of as nonhazardous waste. If waste remains hazardous after treatment, it must be disposed of as a hazardous waste at a specified facility this causes a significant increase in the total cost of Chemfix treatment (D130847, p. 9). 

Note The actual disposition of waste into one of the Earth s waste sinks is the least attractive of pollution handling procedures. To date, however, dumping of waste remains the most widely used practice. Progress along Pathways 1 and 2 contribute to a progressive reduction in the tonnage of waste to be disposed and in the long term will alleviate the pollution problem in a major way. 

Listed" waste is any waste that contains a substance that is "listed" by the USEPA as hazardous. This type of waste has been listed based on the waste s "toxicity, persistence, and degradability in nature, potential for accumulation in tissue, and other related factors such as flammability, corrosiveness, and other hazard characteristic." Rules have been developed by the USEPA to ensure proper disposal of these types of hazardous waste. The mixture rule states that any substance mixed with a "listed" hazardous waste becomes a hazardous waste. If it is not a "listed" waste, but instead a characteristic waste, and the mixture does not exhibit any of the characteristics, the mixture is not considered hazardous. The "derived from" rule states that any waste derived from the treatment of a "listed" hazardous waste remains a hazardous waste. Similar to the mixture rule, if the by-product of a characteristic waste does not exhibit any of the hazardous characteristics, it is not considered hazardous. 

The similarities are of the following kinds. First, neither classification system includes a general class of exempt waste. Second, neither classification system is comprehensive, because the classification system for radioactive waste distinguishes between fuel-cycle and NARM waste and the classification system for hazardous chemical waste excludes many potentially important wastes that contain hazardous chemicals. Third, any waste must be managed and disposed of in a manner that is expected to protect public health and the environment. In addition, the approach to disposal of hazardous chemical waste under RCRA, which emphasizes monitoring of releases from disposal facilities and an intention to maintain institutional control over disposal sites for as long as the waste remains hazardous, is applied to disposal of uranium or thorium mill tailings under AEA. 

Recommendation 3-1. The Chemical Materials Agency should develop improved analytical techniques for heterogeneous, porous, and permeable materials. Better analytical techniques could enable more exact quantification of agent contamination to meet off-site shipping criteria and help reduce waste remaining on-site at the end of munitions destruction operations. 

The projected profile and quantities of secondary wastes remaining in inventory at the end of operations at each of the five currently operating chemical agent disposal facilities, based on current disposal practices, are shown in Table 3-1. A profile of secondary wastes currently shipped off-site for treatment and the disposal methods are given in Table 3-2. 

Solid wastes differ from air and water pollutants since these wastes remain at the point of origin until a decision is made to collect and dispose of them. There are several means of disposal available including recycling, chemical conversion, incineration, pyrolysis, and landfill. Federal regulations, local conditions, and overall economics generally determine which method is the most acceptable. 

The mechanisms for the observed AmB induced renal magnesium wasting remain unclear. Increased... 

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