Low-level radioactive waste management at the Nevada Test Site -- Year 2000 current status Page: 3 of 4
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of this total acreage. Here, engineered disposal cells are used for disposition of waste. These cells are
planned, designed and constructed to fit within the existing fenced area. At Area 5, LLW, DOE/NV in-
state generated mixed waste (MW), radioactively contaminated regulated asbestos, and classified LLW are
disposed. High specific activity LLW was disposed in Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD) boreholes,
however this disposal option is not currently being used. Additionally, there are facilities for the storage,
characterization, and certification of Transuranic Waste.
The disposal cells at Area 5 are excavated, and consequently are more expensive to develop than the
subsidence craters used at Area 3. The Area 5 disposal space has historically been reserved for
conventionally packaged waste in containers such as steel drums and 1.2x1.2x2.1 meter (4'x4'x7') or
0.6x0.6x2.1 meter (2'x4'x7') wooden and steel boxes. On occasion, other container sizes are accepted on a
case-by-case basis, such as the regulated asbestos cell which accepts 2.4x2.4x6.1 meter (8'x8'x20') cargo
containers.
All packages accepted for disposal at Area 5 are required to meet the rigid U. S. Department of
Transportation performance based packaging requirements. With the exception of cargo containers and
drums, the NTSWAC requires all boxes to meet a 16,113 kilograms/square meter (3,300 pound/square
foot) compressive strength test. This provides a factor of safety for the workers. The waste packages are
stacked one upon the other in a stair step configuration, until the stack is four feet below the top of the cell
walls. Because these packages can weigh as much as 19,800 kilograms (9,000 pounds) each, there is the
potential for the bottom box in the stack having to support in excess of 132,000 kilograms
(60,000 pounds) of loading. Thus, strength criteria in conjunction with the stacking configuration ensures
a secure work platform for the waste handling crew. Process safety is taken seriously, as the disposal
operations has been accident free for more than five years.
The Area 3 RWMS covers 296 hectares (120 acres). Area 3 disposes waste in subsidence craters formed
from underground testing of nuclear weapons instead of conventional engineered cells. The criteria used
for choosing these craters was that the emplacement of the nuclear device had to have been above the water
table. This criteria was chosen to ensure that no preferential pathway would be available to the underlying
aquifers. These disposal cells are considerably less expensive to develop than the Area 5 cells because the
waste is disposed in existing subsidence craters. The disposal process also differs significantly here. Small
packages such as boxes and drums are replaced with larger bulk sized packages such as the previously
mentioned cargo containers, large pieces of equipment, super sacks or soils in lined dump trailers, referred
to as "burrito wraps."
Instead of stacking the waste in a single monolith configuration, waste is disposed in a layer-cake geometry
with each layer of waste covered by a layer of compacted soil ranging from 0.3-0.9 meters (1-3 feet) in
depth.
Disposal Access
The NTS RWMS currently receives LLW from 15 generators including: Aberdeen Proving Grounds;
AlliedSignal; Bechtel Nevada; Boeing North American-Rocketdyne; Fernald Environmental Management
Project; General Atomics; International Technology Corporation, Las Vegas; Lovelace Respiratory
Research Institute; Mound Plant; Pantex Plant; RMI Environmental Services; Rocky Flats Plant; Sandia
National Laboratories/California; and Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico. Only DOE/NV in-state
generated MW is currently accepted.3
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Becker, B. D.; Clayton, W. A.; Gertz, C. P. & Crowe, B. M. Low-level radioactive waste management at the Nevada Test Site -- Year 2000 current status, article, February 1, 2000; Las Vegas, Nevada. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc706272/m1/3/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.