Development and implementation of the waste diversion program at MDS Nordion's Cobalt Operations Facility

Historically, the MDS Nordion (MDSN) Cobalt Operations Facility sent solid waste for disposal to Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.'s Chalk River Laboratories (AECL-CRL). A large portion of this waste was not contaminated. Because this non-contaminated waste originated in the active area of the MDSN facility, it was routinely disposed of as low-level active waste. In 2002, MDSN undertook an initiative to develop and implement a more sophisticated and more economical waste management program. The Waste Diversion Program (WDP) ensures continued environmental and public protection, and reduces the demand on Canada's limited capacity for storage of radioactive material and the associated operating costs. The goal of the WDP is to reduce the volume of waste currently being shipped to AECL-CRL's Waste Management Operation as low-level active waste. The presentation discusses key elements of both the development and the implementation of WDP. It focuses on the following areas: the regulatory environment surrounding the waste disposal issues in Canada and abroad; methods used by MDSN for determination of radionuclides, which could be present in the facility; choice of equipment and calculation of individual alarm levels for each identified radionuclide; key elements of the practical implementation of the program; CNSC Regulatory approval process; and the bottom line - dollars and cents. The primary objective of the WDP is to ensure that only waste, which meets regulatory requirements, is diverted from the solid active waste stream. This has been successfully accomplished in MDSN's Cobalt Operations Facility. The objective of the presentation is to share the knowledge and experience obtained in the development process, and thus provide a guideline for other nuclear facilities interested in establishing similar proactive and cost effective programs. (author)