Sampling and Monitoring - STD-1128-98master0237

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

has an incinerator, a quantity of the feed material can be incinerated to determine if the

waste will have hazardous characteristics before the material is contaminated. In some

cases, it is desirable to size-reduce or repackage in combustible packaging before

incineration.

Decontamination is most successful when the material can be recycled for use in a nuclear

facility since the need to prove releasability (cleanliness) is eliminated. Nevertheless,

cleaning material for unrestricted release is also possible in some cases. It may also be

possible to decontaminate an item enough to change its classification from TRU waste to

LLW, thereby allowing immediate disposal of the item, while a relatively small quantity of

decontamination waste is stored as TRU waste.

Electropolishing to remove the thinnest metal surface has been very effective and produces a

relatively small waste volume, especially when one of the wetted sponge units is used rather

than an emersion tank. Surface scabbling has been used in decontamination of concrete, and

various abrasive blasting methods have also been effective. Strippable and self-stripping

coatings may be used to decontaminate surfaces, even though the primary application of

strippable coatings has been in preventing contamination of surfaces.

There are occasionally mixed strategies that work well. Used HEPA filters may be removed

from their frame for compaction. Metal frames may be decontaminated and wood frames

may be incinerated.

8.3.4 Sampling and Monitoring

Solid waste is monitored for several reasons: to determine if it can be released as sanitary

(or hazardous) waste; to distinguish its classification as either LLW or TRU waste,

depending on the concentration of transuranic isotopes; and to obtain defensible values for

documenting shipping and disposal quantities. See section 4.2.4.2 for guidance on release

surveys.

8.3.5 Storage and Disposal

Solid sanitary waste, hazardous waste, and LLW can normally be disposed of using existing

procedures. Transuranic waste, HLW, and most mixed waste may have to be stored for a

period of time awaiting approval of disposal facilities; they will have to be stored in a

manner that prevents routine and accidental impact on the environment. They must be

protected from unauthorized access, fire, flood, or water damage. Containers must be

protected from corrosion or other deterioration and an accurate inventory of the material

must be kept. Most facilities prefer to store such material in a form that they believe will be

shippable.

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