Recovery, Minimization and Repackaging of 25-year old Low- and Intermediate-Level Solid Radioactive Waste

Abstract

Low and intermediate level solid radioactive waste generated between 1964 and 1976 at the Douglas Point and Pickering A Generating stations was stored in Radioactive Waste Operations Site 1 (RWOS-1) at the Bruce Power Site (formerly the Bruce Nuclear Power Development site). During and after emplacement, groundwater monitoring was performed in the underlying carbonate bedrock, which has a very high normal flux. A shallow groundwater monitoring system was installed in the overlying gravels and sands in 1991. The new monitoring indicated that the aquifer downgradient of RWOS-1 was being contaminated with tritium and beta-gamma emitting radionuclides. In the early 1990s, a project was initiated to remove the source of the groundwater contamination. For the summers of 1997 and 1998, this involved developing new methods for retrieving solid low and intermediate level radioactive waste from concrete trenches while minimizing worker and environmental hazards. The wastes were segregated and processed to achieve volume reduction prior to being repackaged and stored in above-grade Low-Level Storage Buildings (LLSBs) at the Western Waste Management Facility (WWMF, formerly RWOS-2). This paper will describe the methodology and equipment used for retrieving, segregating, processing and repackaging 25 year old solid radioactive waste while controlling worker dose and environmental impact.