Management of
radioactive waste
Jeroen Welbergen
EAN-NORM
Dresden
2009
contents
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Dutch
Dutch
Dutch
Dutch
situation
regulation
solution
conclusion
Radioactive waste
• 2 nuclear power
plants
1 operating
1 shut down
(1997)
• 2 research reactors
• industry
• medicine
• research
• U-enrichment plant
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Waste classification
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• HLW:
- research reactors
- power plants
• L/ILW:
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• NORM:
- P production
- depleted U
nuclear research
nuclear industry
nuclear medicine
power plants
PRINCIPLE
• Isolate, Control, Monitor
• radioactivity will decay
hazard disappears
keep the waste in a safe place
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Regulations
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ICRP recs
EURATOM treaty
BSS
Nuclear Energy Act
RP Decree
Ordinance NABIS (NORM) in 2004
NABIS
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Identify work activities (Registration)
Exemption (EL) = clearance (CL)
Summation of radionuclides
Notification (EL<Notify>10 x EL)
Licensing (>10 x EL)
Standard form
Monitoring
Waste
Waste or radioactive waste
• < EL
 incineration/dump
• > EL
 special landfill
• < 10 x EL  special treatment
 E&P sludges to Begemann or GMR
 metals to Siempelkamp or Studsvik
 slagwool to Thermphos

• > 10 x EL  COVRA
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Revisons of NABIS
• EL = CL (2004)
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U238sec / Th232sec =
U238+ / Th232
=
Ra-226 / Ra-228
=
Pb-210 / Po-210
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1 Bq/g
10 1 100 -
• Most favourable summation
• 2008:
– Less than 1 tonnes/yr no notification
– Mixing of waste is allowed
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Solutions for the Netherlands
• small amount of
waste
• high ground water
table
• high population
density
• high environmental
awareness
• advanced spatial
planning
no shallow disposal,
only deep disposal
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Radioactive waste policy in the
Netherlands
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Isolate, Control & Monitor
Storage at 1 central location
All radioactive waste managed by COVRA
Storage in building for 100 years
Disposal after 100 year
Clay- and salt formations in the
Netherlands
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COVRA Principles
• Polluter pays
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Costs covered by fees
Cost effective
No retrospective adjustment of fees paid
COVRA takes over full title
Future costs to be paid from funds
Capital growth fund
Execution of the policy
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Facilities for all types of wastes
Capacity for at least 100 years
Disposal in salt or clay possible
Step-wise approach to decision-making
Time regional/international options or
completely new technologies
• No burden for future generations
warmteproducerend afval
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COVRA site
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Office
AVG
LOG
HABOG
Scrap
COG
VOG
COVRA site
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Radioactive waste
Source low
and
intermediate
level
radioactive
waste (LILW)
• NPPs
• Hospitals &
laboratoria
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Volume reduction - Supercompaction
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Volume reduction - Incineration
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Storage containers LILW
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4.
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Supercompacted puck
Concrete
Gegalvanised drum
Concrete overpack
Storage containers LILW
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Radioactive waste
Source very
low level
radioactive
waste (VLLW)
• Ore processing
& process
industry
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COVRA site
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PHOSPHOR INDUSTRY WASTE
• calcinate
Po-210, Bi-210, Pb-210
• 500 ton/yr
• 500-4000 Bq/g
• decays within 150 y
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PHOSPHOR INDUSTRY WASTE
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calcinate is dried at production plant
calcinate is loaded in 20-ft container
polyethylene bag inside container
container is filled at the top
container can be sealed
30 ton calcinate per container
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Container Storage (COG)
• Storage solid
waste of ore
processing
industries
• Direct storage in
industrial 20ft
containers
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COVRA site
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DEPLETED URANIUM
• UF6
U-nat, U-repro
U-238 and daughters
• 5000 ton U/yr
• 10,000 Bq/g
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DEPLETED URANIUM
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modular building
concrete structure
good insulation
3.5 m3 containers
overhead crane
containers 3 high
humidity control
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Container Opslag Gebouw (COG)
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Depleted Uranium Storage (VOG)
• UF6 not suitable
for long-term
storage
• Conversion into
U3O8 (stable
oxide, suitable
for long-term
storage)
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RADIOACTIVE SCRAP
• metal casings with insulation wool (Th)
• pipes from the oil & gas industry (Ra)
• lost or orphan sources
• activated metals
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MANAGING RADIOACTIVE SCRAP
Obligation to:
• measure all incoming scrap
• register measurements
• appoint a responsible person
• secure financial assurance
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MANAGING RADIOACTIVE SCRAP
Positive measurement:
- inform inspectorate
- organise work to separate within
15 days radioactive from nonradioactive material
- ship radioactive parts to COVRA,
NRG or Siempelkamp
>> resulting radioactivity shipped to COVRA
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SHORT-TERM STORAGE AT COVRA
Storage awaiting:
- separation radioactive from nonradioactive material
- shipment of radioactive parts to
decontamination, melting or
treatment facility
- solution to ownership and financial
disputes
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Conclusion
• Dutch regulations for NORM are transparent
– registration < EL-notification-10EL > licensing
• Treatment of radioactive NORM-waste by
industry is not a problem
– Treatment re-use + waste  COVRA
• A graded approach is welcome
– EU BSS 2010
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Danke Schön!
SAFE = BEAUTIFUL