Waste Management - doe-std-1128-98

DOE-STD-1128-98

8.0

WASTE MANAGEMENT

A material is a waste once there is no identified use or recycle value for it. Normally,

wastes are considered by their physical form as either solids, liquids, or gasses, except that

containerized liquids are considered solid waste under some of the current regulations.

Although these forms are each processed differently, there are interrelationships. For

example, it may be possible to reduce solid waste by replacing disposable protective

clothing with reusable clothing that must be laundered. The laundry will produce liquid

waste. In treating liquid waste, solids may be generated, for example, filters or ion

exchange resins. By careful engineering, waste generation, and treatment alternatives, a site

can minimize the total waste volume and elect to generate types of waste that can be

disposed of. The following sections address potentially contaminated waste and waste

terminology and handling of airborne waste, solid waste, and liquid waste. The treatment of

excess materials to reclaim plutonium is not a waste treatment process and is not discussed

here.

8.1

POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED WASTES

This section discusses the generation, processing, storage, and disposal of wastes in

plutonium facilities. It is divided by waste types, treatability groups, and waste disposal.

8.1.1

Waste Types

In addition to the classification of waste by physical form, regulatory definitions

determine how waste can be disposed. The Secretary of Energy Notice 37-92,

"Waste Minimization Crosscut Plan Implementation" (SEN, 1992), requires annual

reports of waste generation by type, waste stream, site, and program. The waste

classifications used in the DOE Annual Reports are defined in Table 8.1.

A plutonium facility may generate any of these types of waste, except that high-

level waste (HLW) will be generated only from irradiated reactor fuel. Any waste

containing at least 100 nCi/g of transuranics (TRU), including plutonium, will be

classified as TRU or TRU mixed waste. Waste containing detectable quantities of

radioactive materials but less than 100 nCi/g of transuranics will be low-level

waste (LLW).

The distinction between sanitary waste and very low-level radioactive waste can be

technically a difficult one. Sometimes, material is designated LLW waste because

the conditions of use could have resulted in contamination that would be difficult to

detect. Techniques and limitations for doing this are discussed below with

reference to solid waste.

8-1