Radioactive Waste Management and Contaminated Site Clean-Up

Professor William E. Lee FREng is Deputy Chair of the Government advisory Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), and Director of the Centre for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College London, UK. Michael I. Ojovan has been Nuclear Engineer of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visiting Professor of Imperial College London, Associate Reader in Materials Science and Waste Immobilisation of the University of Sheffield, UK, and Leading Scientist of Radiochemistry Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University. M. Ojovan is Editorial Board Member of scientific journals: “Materials Degradation” (Nature Partner Journal), “International Journal of Corrosion”, “Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations”, “Journal of Nuclear Materials”, and Associate Editor of journal “Innovations in Corrosion and Materials Science”. He has published 12 monographs including the “Handbook of Advanced Radioactive Waste Conditioning Technologies” by Woodhead and three editions of “An Introduction to Nuclear Waste Immobilisation” by Elsevier – 2005, 2013 and 2019. He has founded and led the IAEA International Predisposal Network (IPN) and the IAEA International Project on Irradiated Graphite Processing (GRAPA). M. Ojovan is known for the connectivity-percolation theory of glass transition, Sheffield model (two-exponential equation) of viscosity of glasses and melts, condensed Rydberg matter, metallic and glass-composite materials for nuclear waste immobilisation, and self-sinking capsules to investigate Earth’ deep interior. Dr Carol Jantzen is a Consulting Scientist at Savannah River National Laboratory, USA.

"As the need for energy grows worldwide, nuclear energy must be considered one of the options. However, the disposal of radioactive wastes and how to clean up the contaminated sites are major deterrents. This book presents an objective view of the background and principles of management. Perhaps more importantly, it presents the conditions in the most affected countries by experts from these countries. It is a must read for anyone interested in radioactive waste problems." --Frank L. Parker, Professor Emeritus, Vanderbilt University, USA

• Contributor contact detailsWoodhead Publishing Series in EnergyForewordPrefaceChapter 1: Fundamentals of radioactive waste (RAW): science, sources, classification and management strategiesAbstract:1.1 Introduction1.2 Controlled and uncontrolled wastes1.3 Radioactive waste (RAW) classification1.4 Sources of waste1.5 Managing controlled wastes1.6 Strategies for managing uncontrolled releases and contaminated site clean-up1.7 Sources of further informationChapter 2: Radioactive waste (RAW) categories, characterization and processing route selectionAbstract:2.1 Introduction2.2 Basic categories of radioactive waste (RAW)2.3 RAW characterization and control2.4 RAW processing route selection2.5 Sources of further informationChapter 3: International safety standards for radioactive waste (RAW) management and remediation of contaminated sitesAbstract:3.1 Introduction3.2 International, regional and national organisations involved3.3 International standards for radiological safety and environmental protection3.4 Radioactive waste (RAW) management policies, regulations and standards3.5 RAW packaging and transportation practice3.6 ConclusionChapter 4: Technical solutions for the management of radioactive waste (RAW): overview and methods of selectionAbstract:4.1 Introduction4.2 Waste routing, classification and categorization4.3 Waste management steps4.4 Technical options for waste management4.5 Methodologies for technology selection4.6 ConclusionChapter 5: Irradiated nuclear fuel management: resource versus wasteAbstract:5.1 Introduction5.2 Temporary storage5.3 Fuel cycle options5.4 Managing wastes from fuel recycling5.5 ConclusionChapter 6: Radioactive waste (RAW) conditioning, immobilization, and encapsulation processes and technologies: overview and advancesAbstract:6.1 Introduction6.2 Waste form definitions6.3 Types of immobilization processes and pre-processes6.4 Immobilization processes and technologies6.5 Waste forms, waste packages, and the geological environment6.6 Recent advances in waste form processing6.7 Radiation damage in glasses and ceramics6.8 Leach testing and its role in the waste acceptance processChapter 7: Assessing and modelling the performance of nuclear waste and associated packages for long-term managementAbstract:7.1 Introduction7.2 Background7.3 Corrosion of relevant metals and alloys in mild and near-neutral pH environments7.4 Stress corrosion and hydrogen-induced cracking of carbon steel and stainless steel7.5 Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) degradation7.6 Cladding performance7.7 SummaryChapter 8: Remediation of radioactively contaminated sites and management of the resulting wasteAbstract:8.1 Introduction: definition and extent of the problem8.2 Planning and management of environmental remediation (ER)8.3 Waste from contaminated areas: characteristics and volume8.4 Decontamination methodologies and techniques8.5 Waste transportation8.6 Waste disposal8.7 Future trends8.8 ConclusionChapter 9: Safety and risk assessment of radioactive waste (RAW) and contaminated sitesAbstract:9.1 Introduction9.2 Deterministic and probabilistic analysis methods9.3 Safety and risk assessment9.4 Application to the case of radionuclide escape from a near-surface disposal facility9.5 Correlation of emergency accident levels with probabilities of occurrence: implications for the safe operation of facilitiesChapter 10: Russia: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:10.1 Introduction10.2 Special features of radioactive waste (RAW) accumulation in the USSR10.3 Long-term RAW isolation strategy10.4 A new type of repository: the adoption of the controlled prolonged storage concept10.5 Survey of modern RAW management technologies10.6 The state system for the accounting and control of RAW and radioactive materials (RAM)10.7 ConclusionChapter 11: Ukraine: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:11.1 Introduction11.2 Sources, types and classification of wastes11.3 Radioactive waste (RAW) management practice11.4 Chernobyl accident11.5 Problems and lessons learned11.6 Future trends11.7 Conclusion11.8 Sources of further informationChapter 12: Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Poland: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:12.1 Introduction12.2 Sources, types and classification of wastes12.3 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies: history and developments12.4 Contaminated site clean-up experience12.5 Problematic cases and lessons learned12.7 Sources of further informationChapter 13: Nordic countries: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:13.1 Introduction13.2 Sources, types and classification of wastes13.3 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies: history and developments13.4 Contaminated site clean-up experience13.5 Problematic cases and lessons learned13.6 Future trends13.7 AcknowledgementChapter 14: Germany: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:14.1 Introduction14.2 Sources, types and classification of nuclear waste14.3 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies: history and developments14.4 German nuclear waste repository projects14.5 Problematic cases and lessons learned14.6 Future trendsChapter 15: France: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:15.1 Introduction15.2 Sources, types and classification of wastes15.3 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies: history and developments15.4 Contaminated site clean-up experience15.5 Problematic cases and lessons learned15.6 Future trendsChapter 16: England and Wales: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:16.1 Introduction16.2 Structure of the UK nuclear industry16.3 Sources, types and classification of wastes16.4 Development of radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies16.5 Current RAW management practices and strategies16.6 Contaminated site clean-up16.7 Sharing experience16.8 Future trendsChapter 17: Scotland: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:17.1 Introduction17.2 Legal framework for decommissioning and radioactive waste (RAW) arrangements in Scotland17.3 Scottish government solid low level radioactive waste (LLW) policy17.4 Scottish government higher activity waste (HAW) policy17.5 Nuclear power plants in Scotland17.6 Dounreay research station under decommissioning17.7 Nuclear submarines and naval test reactors in Scotland17.8 Industry and small users17.9 ConclusionChapter 18: United States: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site cleanupAbstract:18.1 Introduction18.2 Policies and practices18.3 Regulations and standards18.4 Regulatory oversight: federal and state agencies18.5 Waste classification, characteristics, and inventory18.6 Blue Ribbon Commission18.7 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies18.8 Site cleanup and closure experience18.9 Yucca Mountain: history and lessons learned18.10 Acknowledgement18.12 Appendix: acronymsChapter 19: Canada: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site cleanupAbstract:19.1 Policies and regulations19.2 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies19.3 Long-term management19.4 Contaminated site cleanup experience and planned projects19.5 Case studies and lessons learned19.6 AcknowledgmentsChapter 20: South Africa: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:20.1 Introduction20.2 Sources, classification and types of wastes20.3 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies20.4 Waste acceptance criteria (WAC)20.5 Necsa solid waste management system20.6 Necsa radioactive waste management plan development20.7 Development of the Necsa radioactive waste management plan (NRWMP)20.8 Decommissioning strategies and planning20.9 Future trendsChapter 21: Republic of Korea: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:21.1 Introduction21.2 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategy, practice and issues21.3 Spent fuel management strategy, practice and issues21.4 Decommissioning and decontamination (D&D) strategy, practice and issues21.5 ConclusionChapter 22: China: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) managementAbstract:22.1 Introduction22.2 Sources, types and classification of waste22.3 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategies: history and developments22.4 Geological disposal of high level waste (HLW)22.5 Future trendsChapter 23: Japan: experience of radioactive waste (RAW) management and contaminated site clean-upAbstract:23.1 Introduction23.2 Radioactive waste (RAW) management strategy23.3 Spent fuel management strategy, practice and issues1523.4 Decommissioning strategy, practice and issues16–20Chapter 24: Fukushima: The current situation and future plansAbstract:24.1 Introduction24.2 Extent and composition of radioactive material released24.3 Dispersion and transport of radioactive materials24.4 Effects of released radiation on food, environment and human health24.5 Clean-up programme24.6 Mid- and long-term roadmap24.7 Sources of further information24.8 AcknowledgementsChapter 25: Management of radioactive waste (RAW) from nuclear weapons programmesAbstract:25.1 Introduction25.2 Waste types, classification and composition25.3 Nuclear safety and security25.4 Treatment and immobilization25.5 Waste form properties25.6 Future trendsChapter 26: Modeling and strategy approaches for assessing radionuclide contamination from underground testing of nuclear weapons in Nevada, USAAbstract:26.1 Introduction26.2 Hydrogeological setting of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)26.3 Underground testing and groundwater flow and transport in corrective action units26.4 Regulatory strategy26.5 Future trends26.6 AcknowledgmentsChapter 27: Remote monitoring of former underground nuclear explosion sites predominantly in the former USSRAbstract:27.1 Introduction27.2 Effects of the underground nuclear explosions on the environment27.3 Problems as a consequence of underground nuclear tests27.4 Thermal anomalies as informative signs of underground nuclear explosions27.5 Space monitoring of thermal anomalies and prospects for its applicationIndex