RADIOACTIVE WASTES AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT 
Joseph R. Clark - Technical Division 
E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company 
Origin of Radioactive Wastes 
All of the important wastes at the Savannah River Plant, 
except a portion of those from the laboratories, originate in 
the reactors. Nearly all of this radioactivity which remains 
after radioactive decay is finally present in the wastes from 
the separation processes. In addition, there are wastes from 
metal processing, laundries and laboratory research operations. 
Handling High Level Wastes 
Multi-megacuries aptly describes the amount of radio- 
activity associated with the high level wastes. These amounts 
and levels constitute a difficult ultimate waste disposal problem. 
The irradiated fuel elements are given a cooling period 
after they are taken from the reactors to allow handling with 
the shielding provided in the plant. As the irradiated fuel 
proceeds through the separation processes the levels of activity 
decrease rapidly. At the end of the separations process the 
waste is too voluminous to be economically contained. It must 
be evaporated. 
Neutralization and Evaporation 
Before or after evaporation, depending on the particular 
waste stream, the waste is neutralized with caustic before being 
sent to the waste storage tanks. Large amounts of inert salts 
are formed in the neutralization. The fission products amount 
to a very small fraction of the final total solids content of 
the waste. 
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