16 Dec (NucNet): US nuclear regulators are asking for public comment on issues associated with the blending of low-level radioactive waste.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said the issue of blending low-level radioactive waste had received increased attention from the nuclear industry since the 2008 closing of the Barnwell low-level waste disposal facility in the state of South Carolina.
Barnwell’s closure “left waste generators in 36 states with no disposal options for Class B and Class C wastes, the two classes of low-level waste with higher radioactivity”, the NRC said on 11 December 2009.
“Blending in some cases can lower the classification of the wastes to the lower-radioactivity Class A, which has available disposal capacity, by reducing the concentration of radionuclides.”
Blending refers to mixing low-level wastes of different concentrations, primarily Class B or C with Class A. It does not involve mixing radioactive waste with non-radioactive waste (known as ‘dilution’) and it does not imply release of radioactive material to the general environment, either to municipal non-radioactive waste disposal sites or to consumer products, the NRC said.
“Blended wastes remain low-level waste and must be disposed of in a licensed low-level waste disposal facility.”
NRC regulations do not prohibit blending, although agency staff guidance discourages blending in some circumstances – “but also recognises that blending, including blending that lowers the classification of a waste, may be appropriate in others”, the NRC said.
The NRC will hold a public meeting next month in Maryland to receive comments on blending issues and the agency’s staff will separately meet three companies that have expressed interest in blending (Waste Control Specialists, Studsvik and EnergySolutions) to hear their views.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
US Radwaste Guidance Updated As US Facility Prepares To Limit Storage (World Nuclear Review No. 20, 30 May 2008)
Studsvik Signs US Waste Treatment Contract (World Nuclear Review No. 47, 5 December 2008)
‘Public Confidence Needed For Waste Management Solutions’ (World Nuclear Review No. 10, 6 March 2009)
