The EMC: development of a new equipment for recovering old nuclear wastes from the Fontenay-aux-Roses CEA centre - 000020

The discharge of the nuclear wastes from the Fontenay-aux-Roses CEA centre, to adequate disposal facilities, is a key issue of the dismantling, cleaning and remedial program of this CEA centre. These nuclear wastes include old nuclear wastes produced during the operating period, and the current wastes from the dismantling activities. In order to address this double issue, a new equipment, specific to mid-radiant and highly-radiant (MI/HI) solid wastes, is being designed by the CEA. The Measurement and Conditioning Equipment, (EMC) aims at radiological characterization of wastes and their conditioning so that they respect the acceptance criteria of the disposal facilities. The EMC is fulfilling the following requirements: -)receiving 50 L-drums, -) carrying out a radiological characterization of the wastes, -) opening drums and packing the wastes into a CDD1 container in order to reduce the volume of HI wastes to be stored in the DIADEM interim storage facility at CEA Marcoule center. Each CDD1 could contain 5 50 L-drum, -) after monitoring contamination and measuring radiological activities, providing an interim storage for the conditioned wastes, ) loading wastes packages into casks for transportation to disposal facilities. The EMC is currently being studied and would be operated in 2020. An expected 4-year operating period will be necessary to deal with all the 50 L-drums stored so far.