An end state methodology for identifying technology needs for environmental management, with an example from the Hanford Site tanks / Committee on Technologies for Cleanup of High-Level Waste in Tanks in the DOE Weapons Complex ; Board on Radioactive Waste Management, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Technologies for Cleanup of High-Level Waste in Tanks in the DOE Weapons Complex.

National Research Council (U.S.). Board on Radioactive Waste Management.

Series:

Compass series (Washington, D.C.)

Compass series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Radioactive waste disposal--Technological innovations--Washington (State)--Hanford Site.

Radioactive waste disposal.

Environmental management--Washington (State)--Hanford Site.

Environmental management.

Storage tanks--Washington (State)--Hanford Site.

Storage tanks.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (105 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1999.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

A major issue in the cleanup of this country's nuclear weapons complex is how to dispose of the radioactive waste resulting primarily from the chemical processing operations for the recovery of plutonium and other defense strategic nuclear materials. The wastes are stored in hundreds of large underground tanks at four U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites throughout the United States. The tanks contain hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of radioactive and hazardous waste. Most of it is high-level waste (HLW), some of it is transuranic (TRU) or low- level waste (LLW), and essentially all containing significant amounts of chemicals deemed hazardous. Of the 278 tanks involved, about 70 are known or assumed to have leaked some of their contents to the environment. The remediation of the tanks and their contents requires the development of new technologies to enable cleanup and minimize costs while meeting various health, safety, and environmental objectives. While DOE has a process based on stakeholder participation for screening and formulating technology needs, it lacks transparency (in terms of being apparent to all concerned decision makers and other interested parties) and a systematic basis (in terms of identifying end states for the contaminants and developing pathways to these states from the present conditions). An End State Methodology for Identifying Technology Needs for Environmental Management, with an Example from the Hanford Site Tanks describes an approach for identifying technology development needs that is both systematic and transparent to enhance the cleanup and remediation of the tank contents and their sites. The authoring committee believes that the recommended end state based approach can be applied to DOE waste management in general, not just to waste in tanks. The approach is illustrated through an example based on the tanks at the DOE Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state, the location of some 60 percent by volume of the tank waste residues.

Contents:

An End State Methodology for Identifying Technology Needs for Environmental Management, with an Example from the Hanford ...

Copyright

Acknowledgement of Reviewers

Contents

Summary

THE APPROACH

AN EXAMPLE

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

Recommendations

1 Introduction

HIGH-LEVEL WASTE TANKS

TANK WASTE REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

LAYOUT OF THE REPORT

2 Conceptual Approach to Defining Technology Development Requirements Based on End State Criteria

DEFINITION, PURPOSE, AND MEANING OF AN END STATE BASED APPROACH

BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE APPROACH

CHARACTERIZING THE INITIAL STATE

REFERENCE AND ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS

END STATE SPECIFICATIONS

DEFINING FUNCTIONAL FLOWSHEETS AND REQUIREMENTS

FUNCTIONAL FLOWSHEETS CONSOLIDATION

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENT ALLOCATION

TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

PERFORMING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

SUMMARY

End State Specifications

Benefits of the End State Based Approach

3 Example of an End State Based Analysis of Technology Development Needs for the Hanford Tanks

SCOPE

CONDITIONS AFFECTING SCENARIO SPECIFICATION

Initial Conditions

Management Strategies

END STATE ANALYSIS

High-Level Waste

Low-Activity Waste

Tank Farm Closure

Cross-Cutting Factors

DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL FLOWSHEETS

Committee's Reference Scenario

In Situ Disposal Scenario

Extensive Separations Scenario

Extreme Scenarios

FUNCTIONAL FLOWSHEET CONSOLIDATION

4 Results of an End State Based Analysis of Technology Development Needs for the Hanford Tanks

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR HANFORD TANK WASTES

TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT FOR SELECTED FUNCTIONS OF THE SCENARIOS

Enhanced Sludge Washing

Vitrifier Offgas Processing

Stabilize Tanks Containing Unretrieved Waste.

Enhanced Barriers for Unretrieved Tanks and Waste

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

5 Conclusions and Recommendations

THE END STATE METHODOLOGY

THE HANFORD EXAMPLE

Recommendation

DOE TANK WASTE REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

GENERAL FACTORS

Glossary

References

Appendix A Summary of Scenario-Based Studies of the Remediation of High-Level Waste in Tanks

EVALUATING ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES FOR TANK WASTE TREATMENT

SCENARIO-BASED APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZATION OF HANFORD TANKS WASTE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

SUPPORTING ANALYSES OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK

REFERENCES

Appendix B Management Strategies for Remediation of High-Level Waste at the Hanford Site

Appendix C Statement of Task

Appendix D Biographical Sketches of Committee Members.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 74-78).

ISBN:

0-309-18431-2

1-280-21052-4

9786610210527

0-309-59225-9

0-585-05813-X

OCLC:

42855259