82 



currently being used to retrieve waste containers from a water-filled quarry 

 at Oak Ridge. 



Retrieved containers would then need to be stabilized until they could be 

 characterized for treatment. There are several commercially available 

 methods-including standard overpacks, storage in air-supported buildings, and 

 encapsulation in polymer tubes-that would provide short-term containment. 



The Department has recently completed tests in which intact drums of hazardous 

 and simulated radioactive waste were completely melted in a plasma-arc 

 furnace. The resulting waste forms were a vitrified, non-leaching glass 

 containing the fission products and a slagged metal. This technology could be 

 rapidly developed for application to retrieved containers. 



The second step would probably be to contain waste that has spilled from 

 damaged containers but has not yet migrated far from the original waste area. 

 Containment technologies available for contaminated soils include freezing in 

 place, hydrologic barriers, grout barriers, in-situ vitrification and capping. 

 These techniques have not been applied to shallow bays. The Russians have 

 used caisson to back fill lakes used for disposal and have advanced grouting 

 systems. 



