Development of a high integrity container for storage, transportation, and disposal of radioactive wastes from Three Mile Island unit II

The EPICOR II ion exchange system used to decontaminate approximately 1900 m3 of contaminated water in the Auxiliary and Fuel Handling Building (AFHB) generated 50 highly loaded and 22 lesser loaded organic resin liners. The 22 lesser loaded resins were shipped to a commercial disposal site, but the highly loaded liners have been stored on the island since their generation. One highly loaded liner, or prefilter, was shipped to Battelle Columbus Laboratories (BCL) in May, 1981 as part of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Three Mile Island Information and Examination Program. The prefilter is being characterized to determine the behavior of the waste form with respect to time and the internal environment and to provide an information base for use in management and regulatory decisions relative to the storage, processing, and disposal of these wastes. Due to the unique characteristics of these wastes, the US DOE is sponsoring programs, such as the BCL Sorbent Experiments Program, to evaluate their characteristics and to provide a High Integrity Container (HIC) Development Program which would improve waste suitability for disposal at a land burial facility. This paper addresses regulatory considerations, establishment of design criteria, proposed design concepts, system demonstration, and status of the HIC Development Program for storage, transportation, and disposal of high specific activity, low level radioactive wastes from Three Mile Island Unit II as typified by EPICOR II ion exchange media and liners