Returned high level vitrified waste management facility and its safeguards

The radioactive waste which will be managed in the Returned Waste Management Facility is high level vitrified residue returned from the French reprocessor (COGEMA) and the British reprocessor (BNFL). To maintain the radioactive waste in a stable condition for a long time it is mixed with glass and melted. The resulting mixture is poured into stainless steel containers which are then sealed by welding. IAEA finally gave out the termination criteria of safeguards on nuclear material in conditioned waste in June 1994. According to the criteria, maximum concentration of Pu in highly active liquid waste conditioned in glass (vitrified) is 2,500 g/m3. The maximum Pu concentrations in vitrified wastes from COGEMA and BNFL are 110g and 200g, respectively, which correspond 760 g/m3 and 1,375 g/m3 and these numbers satisfy the termination criteria of safeguards. Physical protection on nuclear material in vitrified waste was added in INFCIRC/225 Rev.3 in Sept. 1994. Japan Atomic Energy Commission considered above situation, and the government ordinance was revised to exempt vitrified waste from physical protection. (author)