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AbstractAbstract
[en] The vast majority of wastes produced at nuclear licensed sites are no different from wastes produced from other traditional industrial activities. Radiation and contamination control practices ensure that the small amounts of waste materials that contain a radiation and or contamination hazard are segregated and managed appropriately according to the level of hazard. Part of the segregation process involves additional clearance checks of wastes generated in areas where the potential to become radioactively contaminated exists, but is very small and contamination control practices are such that the wastes are believed to be 'likely-clean'. This important clearance step helps to ensure that radioactive contamination is not inadvertently released during disposition of inactive waste materials. Clearance methods for bagged likely-clean wastes (i.e. small volumes of low density wastes) or discreet non-bagged items are well advanced. Clearance of bagged likely-clean wastes involves measuring small volumes of bagged material within purpose built highly sensitive bag monitors. For non-bagged items the outer surfaces are scanned to check for surface contamination using traditional hand-held contamination instrumentation. For certain very bulky and porous materials (such as waste concrete), these traditional clearance methods are impractical or not fully effective. As a somewhat porous (and dense) material, surface scanning cannot always be demonstrated to be conclusive. In order to effectively disposition likely-clean concrete, both the method of clearance (i.e. conversion from likely-clean to clean) and method of disposition have to be considered. Likely-clean concrete wastes have been produced at Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) from demolitions of buildings and structures, as well as small amounts from site maintenance activities. A final disposition method for this material that includes the secondary clearance check that changes the classification of this material from likely-clean to clean has to date not yet been developed. This has not historically represented a significant problem because the volumes of waste concrete being generated have been low, and capacity in sand-trench storage facilities was available. Now that decommissioning has started to ramp up, and sand-trench storage is no longer available, a solution for this high volume waste stream is more urgently required. Establishing that slab concrete is likely-clean is a significant accomplishment requiring a combination of review of records and measurements of 100% of all exposed surfaces. Establishing likely-clean concrete is clean requires more effort, and based on discussions and benchmarking to date, the most promising way forward involves crushing to check for absorbed contamination. This paper will present CRL's chosen method of Concrete Crushing as a means of both completing the clearance of this material as well as preparing it for reuse as the optimum disposition. It will also discuss the progress of implementation. (author)
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Canadian Nuclear Society, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); 158 Megabytes; ISBN 978-1-926773-06-3;
; 2011; [10 p.]; Waste management, decommissioning and environmental restoration for Canada's nuclear activities; Toronto, Ontario (Canada); 11-15 Sep 2011; Available from the Canadian Nuclear Society, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); 3 figs.

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Conference
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