Plans for Establishment of Near Surface Repository for Low- and Intermediate-Level Short Lived Radioactive Waste in Lithuania

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Algirdas Vaidotas ◽  
Dainius Jan•nas
Keyword(s):  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Surface Barrier ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Area Survey ◽  
Reference Design ◽  
Firm Basis ◽  
Type Construction ◽  
Site Characterisation ◽  
Interim Storage

The decision to close Ignalina NPP has significantly increased the urgency for a repository for low- and intermediate-level waste in Lithuania. It is generally considered necessary to have a licensed repository in operation before dismantling activities are initiated in order to avoid large and unnecessary costs for interim storage of waste. In the frame of bilateral cooperation with Sweden, consortium of three Swedish companies SKB-SWECO International-Westinghouse Atom developed and in the year 2002 presented to RATA reference design of a near surface repository in Lithuania. This reference design is applicable to the needs of Lithuania, considering its hydro-geological, climatic and other environmental conditions and is able to cover the expected needs in Lithuania for at least twenty years ahead. The basic principles for the proposed reference design are location above the ground water, foundation on firm basis, rock, densified sand or equivalent, a hill-type construction with vaults and engineered low-permeable clay based barrier consisting of smectitic clay of sedimentary origin covered by a surface barrier. The engineered barriers consist of the waste matrix, the waste packagings, the disposal container outer concrete, backfill between disposal containers, concrete cells surrounded by low-permeable clay-based material, all covered by long-lasting surface barrier with an erosion-resisting top. Water will be drained off by the surface barrier and collected in run-off ditches. The proposed reference design was accepted by authorities as a basis for further development of the repository in Lithuania. In the overall plan for the implementation of the repository prepared by RATA it is foreseen that repository should be in licensed operation in the year of 2011 depending on financing provided. The total cost of the repository project is estimated to be in the order of 140–240 MEUR. This year RATA is starting site selection phase which consists of area survey, regional mapping, screening, site characterisation and site confirmation.

Management of Institutional Radioactive Waste in Lithuania

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Poskas ◽  
J. E. Adomaitis ◽  
R. Kilda
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Surface Barrier ◽  
Radioactive Waste Management ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Interim Storage ◽  
Storage Facilities

The growing number of radionuclide applications in Lithuania is mirrored by increasing demands for efficient management of the associated radioactive waste. For the effective control of radioactive sources a national authorization system based on the international requirements and recommendations was introduced, which also includes keeping and maintaining the State Register of Sources of lonising Radiation and Occupational Exposure. The principal aim of the Lithuania’s Radioactive Waste Management Agency is to manage and dispose all radioactive waste transferred to it. Radioactive waste generated during the use of sources in non-power applications are managed according to the basic radioactive waste management principles and requirements set out in the Lithuanian legislation and regulations. The spent sealed sources and other institutional waste are transported to the storage facilities at Ignalina NPP. About 35,000 spent sealed sources in about 500 packages are expected until year 2010 at Ignalina NPP storage facilities. The existing disposal facility for radioactive waste from research, medicine and industry at Maisiagala was built in the early 1960’s according to a concept typical of those applied in the former Soviet Union at that time. SKB (Sweden) with participation of Lithuanian Energy Institute has performed assessment of the long-term safety of the existing facility. It was shown that the existing facility does not provide safe long-term storage of the waste already disposed in the facility. Two alternatives were defined to remedy the situation. A first alternative is the construction of a surface barrier and a second one is a retrieval solution, whereby the already stored waste will be retrieved for conditioning, characterisation and interim storage at Ignalina NPP. Facilities for the processing of the institutional radioactive waste are required before submittal to Ignalina NPP for storage, since the present facilities are inadequate. Feasibility study to establish a new central facility has been performed by SKB International Consultants (Sweden) with participation of Lithuanian Energy Institute. This study has identified the process applied and equipment needed for a new facility. Reference design and Preliminary Safety Assessment have also been performed. Plans for the interim storage and disposal of the institutional waste are described in the paper. The aspects of finging safe disposal solutions for spent sealed sources in a near surface repositories are also discussed.

A hydrochemical and isotopic case study around a near surface radioactive waste disposal

2007 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zs. Szántó ◽  
É. Svingor ◽  
I. Futó ◽  
L. Palcsu ◽  
M. Molnár ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
Ion Chemistry ◽  
Continuous Transition ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Disposal Facility ◽  
Treatment And Disposal ◽  
Site Characterisation

As part of the site characterisation program for the near surface radioactive waste treatment and disposal facility (RWTDF) at Püspökszilágy, Hungary, water quality and environmental isotope investigations have been carried out. Water samples for major ion chemistry, tritium,The chemical composition of groundwaters presented a continuous transition from waters situated on one side to waters on the top and on the other slope of the disposal suggesting the mixing of the three hydrochemical “endmembers”.Most of δ

An Integrated Safety Assessment System for Near-Surface Disposal of Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste in Korea

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
JooWan Park ◽  
Chang-Lak Kim ◽  
Jin Beak Park ◽  
Eun Yong Lee ◽  
Youn Myoung Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
System Level ◽  
Assessment Methodology ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste

An integrated safety assessment system to be used for evaluation of near-surface disposal concept has been developed within the framework of safety assessment methodology taken for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal in Korea. It is to provide an evaluation of the safety of the disposal system in a clear, comprehensive and well-documented manner, and to integrate the results into a defensible package showing reasonable assurance of compliance with regulatory requirements for licensing application. This system is made up of two key components, a system-level safety assessment code and an input database/quality assurance module for safety assessment, which both are interfaced with each other.

Design and Siting for Large Diameter Well Type Repositories

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Dmitriev ◽  
Lev Prozorov ◽  
Aleksey Tkachenko ◽  
Andrey Guskov ◽  
Svetlana Korneva
Keyword(s):  
Large Diameter ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Construction Technology ◽  
Actual Problem ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Safe Level ◽  
Central Russia ◽  
Geological Conditions

RADON enterprises are historically responsible in Russia for institutional waste of low and intermediate activity level. MosNPO RADON is a leading organization for 16 enterprises of RADON system, established in the early 60-s, only 14 from which are now in operation and have about 10% of their repositories available for upcoming waste. Construction of new repositories and selection of new perspective sites is very actual problem for RAW management in Russia now. Traditionally near surface repositories are considered to be acceptable for storage or even disposal of low and intermediate level waste (LILW), which decay to safe level in some hundreds of years. Forty years experience in LILW isolation using near surface repositories at Russian RADON facilities has shown that a lot of operational and natural factors impact on the engineered barriers and may cause failure of the isolation (freezing-thawing cycles, construction works). In addition construction of new old-type repositories requires more area. Since 1997 development and testing of Large Diameter Wells (LDW) as a new type of repositories for low and intermediate level waste is carried out at Zagorsk site. MosNPO RADON specialists developed the LDW construction technology with the aim to use such wells for LILW isolation in moraine clays. The diameter of LDW-type repository may range from 1 to 5 m depending on drilling rig capabilities and performance parameters of host rock. The depth of well (repository) depends on geological parameters and hydro-geological conditions at the site. These features affect on the siting process by additional geological and hydro-geological requirements. In result of preliminary studying of Central Russia two regions were found to be perspective for construction of LDW-type repositories.

The Benefits of Cementitious Encapsulation Matrices for the Conditioning of Intermediate Level Waste

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Guppy ◽  
S. P. Vines ◽  
S. J. Wisbey
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk ◽  
High Level ◽  
Interim Storage

The UK has significant quantities of radioactive waste, which have arisen over the past fifty years or so, largely as a result of nuclear power, reprocessing and defence programmes. The intermediate level wastes arising as a result of these activities, exhibit a high level of physical and chemical diversity, and must be managed safely in a way that protects existing and future generations and the environment. Development work has been conducted since the early 1980s to identify suitable conditioning materials and techniques that are compatible with the needs of safe long-term management, including interim storage, transport and future deep geological disposal. From these studies cementation emerged as the one medium which could satisfy all the key waste management criteria. Other materials were not ruled out and may offer benefits in specific applications. The advantages of conditioning ILW with cement include: • the extensive experience of its use in a wide variety of contexts; • the raw materials are relatively cheap and have a long shelf life; • cement is processed in relatively simple plant at room temperature, with safety and cost benefits for plant operators; • the product is fire resistant and of relatively low toxicity; • cement is capable of immobilising a wide range of wastes ranging from solids to aqueous slurries; • cement provides desirable product properties. Desirable properties include: • suitable strength, • chemical control of radionuclide leading to enhanced retention, • good corrosion protection for steels, • low permeability, • tolerance to radiation, • durability over extended timescales, and • good radiation self-shielding properties. Several waste packaging plants are now operational in the UK using cement-based encapsulants. These are currently conditioning ILW for interim storage, in a manner suitable for future transport and compatible with the Nirex phased deep disposal concept. This paper will describe the development of cement-based encapsulants to meet the needs of UK radioactive wastes, and will provide examples of the supporting product quality data.

scholarly journals RADIONUCLIDE DISTRIBUTION IN THE SOIL ON THE STABATISHKES SITE IN THE VICINITY OF THE IGNALINA NPP

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jevgenij Aliončik ◽  
Ingrida P. Bataitienė ◽  
Donatas Butkus
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Vertical Migration ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Organic Substances ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Radionuclide Distribution ◽  
External Power ◽  
Natural And Artificial Radionuclides

A near surface repository for low and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste will be built on the Stabatiškės site in the vicinity of Ignalina NPP during decommissioning works. The reservoir can also be used for the waste stored in the temporary repositories of the Ignalina NPP. Engineering and nature protective barriers are used in the repository for radioactive waste, however, radionuclides can spread into the environment, extend in the biosphere and cause (define) the external power light exposure of the environment due to the natural and premature (prescheduled) degradation of the engineering barriers of the repository. The properties of the soil (acidity, quantity of organic substances, humidity) are being investigated for estimating the possible migration and dispersion of radionuclides. The activity of radionuclides in the soil is also estimated before building the repository. Natural and artificial radionuclides make the pollution of the soil, and therefore the accumulation and vertical migration of artificial (137Cs, 60Co) and natural (226Ra, 232Th, 40K) radionuclides are being researched in the soil on the Stabatiškės site.

scholarly journals Diverging future surface mass balance between the Antarctic ice shelves and grounded ice sheet

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1215-1236
Author(s):  
Christoph Kittel ◽  
Charles Amory ◽  
Cécile Agosta ◽  
Nicolas C. Jourdain ◽  
Stefan Hofer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Mass Balance ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Ice Shelves ◽  
Run Off ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract. The future surface mass balance (SMB) will influence the ice dynamics and the contribution of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) to the sea level rise. Most of recent Antarctic SMB projections were based on the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). However, new CMIP6 results have revealed a +1.3 ∘C higher mean Antarctic near-surface temperature than in CMIP5 at the end of the 21st century, enabling estimations of future SMB in warmer climates. Here, we investigate the AIS sensitivity to different warmings with an ensemble of four simulations performed with the polar regional climate model Modèle Atmosphérique Régional (MAR) forced by two CMIP5 and two CMIP6 models over 1981–2100. Statistical extrapolation enables us to expand our results to the whole CMIP5 and CMIP6 ensembles. Our results highlight a contrasting effect on the future grounded ice sheet and the ice shelves. The SMB over grounded ice is projected to increase as a response to stronger snowfall, only partly offset by enhanced meltwater run-off. This leads to a cumulated sea-level-rise mitigation (i.e. an increase in surface mass) of the grounded Antarctic surface by 5.1 ± 1.9 cm sea level equivalent (SLE) in CMIP5-RCP8.5 (Relative Concentration Pathway 8.5) and 6.3 ± 2.0 cm SLE in CMIP6-ssp585 (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 585). Additionally, the CMIP6 low-emission ssp126 and intermediate-emission ssp245 scenarios project a stabilized surface mass gain, resulting in a lower mitigation to sea level rise than in ssp585. Over the ice shelves, the strong run-off increase associated with higher temperature is projected to decrease the SMB (more strongly in CMIP6-ssp585 compared to CMIP5-RCP8.5). Ice shelves are however predicted to have a close-to-present-equilibrium stable SMB under CMIP6 ssp126 and ssp245 scenarios. Future uncertainties are mainly due to the sensitivity to anthropogenic forcing and the timing of the projected warming. While ice shelves should remain at a close-to-equilibrium stable SMB under the Paris Agreement, MAR projects strong SMB decrease for an Antarctic near-surface warming above +2.5 ∘C compared to 1981–2010 mean temperature, limiting the warming range before potential irreversible damages on the ice shelves. Finally, our results reveal the existence of a potential threshold (+7.5 ∘C) that leads to a lower grounded-SMB increase. This however has to be confirmed in following studies using more extreme or longer future scenarios.

Development of Joint Regulatory Guidance on the Management of Higher Activity Radioactive Wastes on Nuclear Licensed Sites

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mick Bacon ◽  
Doug Ilett ◽  
Andy Whittall
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Radioactive Wastes ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Radioactive Waste Management ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Better Regulation ◽  
Interim Storage

In 2006 the UK Governments response to recommendations by its Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) established, in England and Wales, that geological disposal, supported by safe and secure interim storage, is the preferred route for the long-term management of higher-activity radioactive waste (i.e. that which is not suitable for near-surface disposal). It also gave the responsibility for delivering the programme for a deep geological repository to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The Scottish Government has a policy of long term, near site, near surface safe and secure interim storage. To support the open and transparent approach promised by Government, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are developing joint guidance on the management of higher-activity radioactive waste to explain regulatory objectives in securing safe and secure interim storage and the associated management of radioactive wastes. The guidance comes in two parts: • Guidance on the regulatory process; • Technical guidance modules. The guidance promotes a cradle to grave approach to radioactive waste management and by aligning the regulatory interests of environmental and safety regulators it delivers one of the Government’s “Better Regulation” objectives. This paper describes the process by which the joint guidance was produced with particular emphasis on stakeholder engagement. It describes the key features of the guidance, including the concept of the radioactive waste management case (RWMC). Finally the problems encountered with dissemination and implementation are discussed together with measures taken by the regulators to improve these aspects.

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