Transuranic Wastes from the Commercial 

 Light-Water-Reactor Cycle 



M. R. KREITER, J. E. MENDEL, and R. W. McKEE 



Airborne and transuranic-contaminated wastes generated in postfission activities are 

 identified by quantity and radioactivity for the case in which spent fuel is declared waste 

 (once-through cycle) and that in which spent fuel is reprocessed and the recovered 

 uranium and plutonium are recycled. Because no standard defining transuranic wastes is 

 available at this time, in this chapter the waste source is used as the basis for such a 

 definition. 



Radioactive wastes are generally treated to reduce their volume andjor mobility. For 

 convenience the radioactive wastes discussed are categorized according to the treatment 

 they require. A selected treatment process as well as the final treated volume is presented 

 for each of the seven categories of waste. 



In addition to wastes generated during the operation of fuel reprocessing and 

 mixed-oxide-fuel fabrication plants, transuranic wastes resulting from activities associated 

 with decommissioning postfission fuel-cycle facilities are identified. Dismantlement is the 

 mode assumed for decommissioning the facilities. 



A listing of projected nuclear power growth is presented both for the Organization for 

 Economic Cooperation and Development nations and for the United States to provide 

 perspective regarding the quantities of waste generated. 



Radioactive wastes result from the fissioning of nuclear fuels used in producing energy at 

 nuclear power plants. In this chapter radioactive wastes are defined as all materials 

 actually or potentially contaminated with radioactivity and subsequently disposed of 

 when worn out, defective, or of no further use. 



Radioactive wastes can be categorized as transuranic contaminated or nontransuranic 

 contaminated. Currently, there is no standard or criterion defining a commercially 

 generated transuranium waste. A proposed rule making would consign to licensed burial 

 grounds wastes that have been contaminated with no more than 10 nCi of transuranic 

 elements per gram of waste [Fed. Regist. (Washington, D.C.j, 39: 32922 (Sept. 12, 

 1974)] . Ten nanocuries per gram was chosen as representing the upper range of 

 concentration of radium in the earth's crust. This proposal would imply that wastes 

 exceeding 10 nCi/g can be classed as transuranic. Studies are in progress to assess the 

 numerical validity of the transuranic limit in this proposed rule making (Adam and 

 Rogers, 1978). For this chapter we will assume that reactor operations and spent-fuel 

 storage-basin operations do not normally produce transuranic wastes [Fed. Regist. 

 (Washington, D.C.), 39: 32922 (Sept. 12, 1974)]. Transuranic wastes would include 

 spent fuel if it is declared waste, high-level waste, cladding hulls, and others that will be 

 identified later in this chapter. 



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