Alternatives for High-Level Waste Salt Processing at the Savannah River Site (2000) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Direct Grout Option
Direct Grout Option
Pages 72-80
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 72... ...
This option was not selected as either the primary or backup option, however, owing to perceived regulatory, political, and public acceptance difficulties. Although this option was considered as "off the table" by SRS as the committee began its review, the committee nevertheless considered the option in its information-gathering and deliberation activities, primarily because the technical maturity of this option makes it a potential approach should all of the other cesium separation options prove technically intractable or economically undesirable.
|
From page 73... ...
A comparison of concentrations of some materials in the reference salt supernate waste stream used as a basis for sattstone facility operations using the planned ITP process performance parameters (Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., et al., 1992; Stevens, 1999) and anticipated concentrations in a direct grout option supernate stream (Stevens, 1999; Beck et al., 1998)
|
From page 74... ...
1 slu~ strontium- and actinide-loaded MST · strontium · cesium O actinides I DWPF I | Glass I - ~ | Saltstone | FIGURE 7.1 Schematic flow sheet for processing high-level tank waste at Savannah River using the direct grout option. chemical constituents (primarily nitrates and nitrites)
|
From page 75... ...
OBSTACLES TO SUCCESSFUL ~MPLEMENTATtON The SRS views the primary obstacles to success of the clirect grout option to be potentially major regulatory and political ones as opposed to technical problems (Westinghouse Savannah River Company, 1999a)
|
From page 76... ...
Radionuclide concentrations for the direct grout option calculated by SRS might in some cases exceed the current state permitted limits for the saltstone facilities (see value for cesium-137 in Table 7.~. To implement this option, a change in permit would also be necessary (Stevens, ~ 999~.
|
From page 77... ...
The SRS has already demonstrated that it can process salt supernate from the ITP process to make grout (see Chapter 4~. Because cesium is in the supernate, the saltstone production facility would need to be upgraded for possible maintenance and failures of the processing and transfer systems in a highly radioactive environment, but the committee believes that the necessary shielding and remote handling technologies are available for this application.
|
From page 78... ...
As such, if the cesium removal process selected can be shown to be, in the words of DOE Order 435.1, "economically practical," the waste cannot be declared as incidental waste, and therefore, the direct grout option cannot be implemented under current conditions. If, in the future, SRS is not able to implement the current primary and backup cesium processing options for technical or economic reasons, then it might be possible to make a case that the salt supernate waste should be declared as incidental and to implement the direct grout option.
|
From page 79... ...
First, the committee believes that it is unlikely that the direct grout waste stream could be categorized as "incidental" given that current SRS documents provide evidence that the waste is practically and economically treatable. Second, it is not clear whether regulators and the public would be willing to permit onsite disposal of this waste even if it met incidental waste criteria.
|
From page 80... ...
80 mats fir -Lead USA Sag less af He Savannah air Sag need 10 move expedk~us~ to lmMement the deem grout oMion should the other options ~iL Them~re, these preHm~a~ discussions should begin immediate~. Bow consldedng implementation of the dime grout option, a thorough performance assessment would have ~ be conduced to determine ~ ail.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.