Railroads are important to the U.S. economy. They transport freight efficiently, requiring less energy and emitting fewer pollutants than other modes of surface transportation. While the railroad industry has steadily improved its fuel efficiency--by 16% over the last decade--more can, and needs to, be done. The ability of locomotive manufacturers to conduct research into fuel efficiency and emissions reduction is limited by the small number of locomotives manufactured annually. Each year for the last five years, the two North American locomotive manufacturers--General Electric Transportation Systems and the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors--have together sold about 800 locomotives in the United States. With such a small number of units over which research costs can be spread, outside help is needed to investigate all possible ways to reduce fuel usage and emissions. Because fuel costs represent a significant portion of the total operating costs of a railroad, fuel efficiency has always been an important factor in the design of locomotives and in the operations of a railroad. However, fuel efficiency has recently become even more critical with the introduction of strict emission standards by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to be implemented in stages (Tiers 0, 1, and 2) between 2000 and …

Mechanical surface treatments are known to be effective at improving the fatigue resistance of metallic alloys at elevated temperatures ({approx}550-600 C), even though the near-surface compressive residual stress fields have been annealed out. We have investigated the thermal stability of near-surface microstructures induced by deep rolling and laser-shock peening in an austentic stainless steel (AISI 304) and a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) using in situ hot-stage transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the improvements in fatigue resistance at elevated temperature are related to the high-temperature stability of the work-hardened near-surface microstructure in each case.

Mixed low-level waste (MLLW) contains both low-level radioactive materials and low-level hazardous chemicals. The hazardous component of mixed waste has characteristics identified by any or all of the following statutes: the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), as amended; the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976; and Washington State dangerous waste regulations. The Fluor Hanford Waste Management Project (WMP) is responsible for storing, treating, and disposing of solid MLLW, which includes organic and inorganic solids, organics and inorganic lab packs, debris, lead, mercury, long-length equipment, spent melters, and remote-handled (RH) and oversized MLLW. Hanford has 7,000 cubic meters, or about 25%, of the MLLW in storage at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites. Hanford plans to receive 57,000 cubic meters from on-site generators, or about 50% of DOE's newly generated MLLW. In addition, the Hanford Environment Restoration Program and off-site generators having approved Federal Facility Consent Agreement site treatment plans will most likely send 200 cubic meters of waste to be treated and returned to the generators. Volumes of off-site waste receipts will be affected when the MLLW Record of Decision is issued as part of the process for the Hanford Site Solid Waste Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). …

DOE complex contains many tank sludges contaminated with mercury. The high pH of these tank sludges typically fails to stabilize the mercury, resulting in these radioactive wastes also being characteristically hazardous or mixed waste. The traditional treatment for soluble inorganic mercury species is precipitation as insoluble mercuric sulfide. Sulfide treatment and a commercial mercury-stabilizing product were tested on surrogate sludges at various alkaline pH values. Neither the sulfide nor the commercial product stabilized the mercury sufficiently at the high pH of the tank sludges to pass the Toxicity Characteristic Leach Procedure (TCLP) treatment standards of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The commercial product also failed to stabilize the mercury in samples of the actual tank sludges.

A systematic analysis of nuclear power plant (NPP) operation and radioactive wastes disposal (near-surface disposal and geologic disposal) in underground repositories has provided the basis for a comparison between the radiotoxicity and chemotoxicity as part of an EIA (environmental impact assessment) procedure. This contribution summarizes the hydrochemical mechanisms of transport and retardation processes, chemistry and migration behavior of radionuclides and chemical toxics in natural sorbents, especially bentonites. The effect of solubility and dissolution reactions, diffusion and sorption/desorption, complexation and variations in the aqueous phase composition, pH-value and oxidation-reduction properties and other phenomena affecting distribution coefficients (Kd values) is discussed.

This paper provides a brief background to the current position in the United Kingdom (UK) and provides an update on the various developments and initiatives within the field of radioactive waste management that have been taking place during 2002/03. These include: The UK Government's Department of Trade and Industry (DTi) review of UK energy policy; The UK Government's (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Devolved Administrations*) consultation program; The UK Government's DTi White Paper, 'Managing the Nuclear Legacy: A Strategy for Action'; Proposals for improved regulation of Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) conditioning and packaging. These various initiatives relate, in Nirex's opinion, to the three sectors of the industry and this paper will provide a comment on these initiatives in light of the lessons that Nirex has learnt from past events and suggest some conclusions for the future.

In a cooperative effort of the members of the South Texas Chapter of the Heath Physics Society (STC-HPS) and the Texas A&M University Nuclear Engineering Department, great efforts have been made to reach out and provide educational opportunities to members of the general public, school age children, and specifically teachers. These efforts have taken the form of Science Teacher Workshops (STW), visits to schools all over the state of Texas, public forums, and many other educational arenas. A major motivational factor for these most recent efforts can be directly tied to the attempt of the State of Texas to site a low-level radioactive waste facility near Sierra Blanca in West Texas. When the State of Texas first proposed to site a low level radioactive waste site after the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 was passed, many years of political struggle ensued. Finally, a site at Sierra Blanca in far West Texas was selected for study and characterization for a disposal site for waste generated in the Texas Compact states of Maine, Vermont and Texas. During this process, the outreach to and education of the local public became a paramount issue.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) works with other federal, and state agencies through several different programs on numerous Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste (HTRW) sites. Formerly Utilized Sites Remediation Program (FUSRAP), Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS), EPA Superfund, Installation Restoration, Army Deactivated Nuclear Reactor Program, and many other programs present hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste issues. While the USACE has a reputation of excellent dirt movers, little is discussed of our other waste management experiences. This paper discusses some of the challenges facing the Health Physics (HP) staff of the USACE. The HP staff is currently organized as one team, the Radiation Safety Support Team (RSST), comprised of 15 individuals at 6 locations across the country. With typical RSST missions including HP consultation to USACE activities world wide, many waste challenges arise. These challenges have involved radioactive wastes of all classifications and stability. Sealed and unsealed sources; instruments and dials; contaminated earth and debris; liquids; lab, reactor, and medical wastes are all successfully managed by the USACE. USACE also develops, evaluates, and utilizes waste treatment Types of radioactive waste at HTRW sites include: Low Level Radioactive Wastes (LLRW) (class A, B, C, and greater than C), 11e.(2), Transuranic (TRU), …

Results of numerical investigations of dynamic deformations of packages for air transportation of fresh nuclear fuel from Nuclear Power Plants are presented for the cases of axis and on-side impacts with hard surface at a speed of 90 meters/second (m/s). Modeling results on deformed structure shapes and kinematical parameters (displacements, decelerations, cramping) for axis impact are compared with experimental data. Use of this numerical-experimental technology gives new capabilities to analyze correctly the safety of such a package in accidents through modeling, which does not require implantation of expensive testing, thereby saving money.

The performance attributes of the U. S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office Low-level Radioactive Waste (LLW) disposal facilities located at the Nevada Test Site transcend those of any other LLW disposal site in the United States. Situated at the southern end of the Great Basin, 244 meters (800 feet) above the water table, the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) has utilized a combination of engineered shallow land disposal cells and deep augured shafts to dispose a variety of waste streams. These include high volume low-activity waste, classified material, and high-specific activity special case waste. Fifteen miles north of Area 5 is the Area 3 RWMS. Here bulk LLW disposal takes place in subsidence craters formed from underground testing of nuclear weapons. Earliest records indicate that documented LLW disposal activities have occurred at the Area 5 and Area 3 RWMSs since 1961 and 1968, respectively. However, these activities have only been managed under a formal program since 1978. This paper describes the technical attributes of the facilities, present and future capacities and capabilities, and provides a description of the process from waste approval to final disposition. The paper also summarizes the current status of …

This paper describes two industrial-scaled processes now being used to treat two problematic mercury waste categories: elemental mercury contaminated with radionuclides and radioactive solid wastes containing greater than 260-ppm mercury. The stabilization processes were developed by ADA Technologies, Inc., an environmental control and process development company in Littleton, Colorado. Perma-Fix Environmental Services has licensed the liquid elemental mercury stabilization process to treat radioactive mercury from Los Alamos National Laboratory and other DOE sites. ADA and Perma-Fix also cooperated to apply the >260-ppm mercury treatment technology to a storm sewer sediment waste collected from the Y-12 complex in Oak Ridge, TN.

Near surface disposal has been practiced for some decades, with a wide variation in sites, types and amounts of wastes, and facility designs employed. Experience has shown that the effective and safe isolation of waste depends on the performance of the overall disposal system, which is formed by three major components or barriers: the site, the disposal facility and the waste form. Near surface disposal also rely on active institutional controls, such as monitoring and maintenance. The objective of radioactive waste disposal is to isolate waste so that it does not result in undue radiation exposure to humans and the environment. The required degree of isolation can be obtained by implementing various disposal methods, of which near surface disposal represents an option commonly used and demonstrated in several countries. In near surface disposal, the disposal facility is located on or below the ground surface, where the protective covering is generally a few meters thick. The se facilities are intended to contain low and intermediate level waste without appreciable quantities of long-lived radionuclides.

For several years, fiber-optic sensing devices had been used for straightforward on/off monitoring functions such as presence and position detection. Recently, they gained interest as they offer a novel, exciting technology for a multitude of sensing applications. In the deep geological environment most physical properties, and thus most parameters important to safety, can be measured with fiber-optic technology. Typical examples are displacements, strains, radiation dose and dose rate, presence of some gases, temperature, pressure, etc. Their robustness, immunity to electromagnetic interference, as well as their large bandwidths and data rates ensure high reliability and superior performance. Moreover, the networking capabilities of meanwhile available fiber-optic sensors allow for efficient management of large sensor systems. Distributed sensing with multiple sensing locations on a single fiber reduces significantly the number of cables and connecting points. Reliable, cost effective, and maintenance-free solutions can thus be implemented.

In the context of the closure of the LILW-Repository Morsleben (ERAM) 26 drift seals must be erected. Being situated in the access drifts to the disposal areas these drift seals are of relevance to long-term repository safety. Their adequate hydraulic resistance has to be proved. The hydraulic resistance of drift seals depends on three main elements, the excavation disturbed zone (EDZ) of the drift, the sealing body and the contact zone between sealing body and the surrounding salt. To assess the hydraulic resistance of the EDZ and the sealing body a reliable data basis is already available. The data are given in this paper. An adequate data basis is not available yet to rate the contact zone, however. To overcome this problem in situ tests are planned investigating the contact zone of the ten-year-old Asse seal. Additionally, laboratory tests will be performed using core samples from the Asse seal. The test program is described in this paper.

This paper discusses research contributions made by Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) research in the area of geophysical characterization of the subsurface. The goal of these EMSP research projects is to develop combined high-resolution measurement and interpretation packages that provide accurate, timely information needed to characterize the vadose zone. Various types of geophysical imaging techniques can be used to characterize the shallow subsurface. Since individual geophysical characterization tools all have specific limitations, many different techniques are being explored to provide more widespread applicability over a range of hydrogeologic settings. A combination of laboratory, field, theoretical, and computational studies are necessary to develop our understanding of how contaminants move through the vadose zone. This entails field tests with field-hardened systems, packaging and calibration of instrumentation, data processing and analysis algorithms, forward and inverse modeling, and so forth. DOE sites are seeking to team with EMSP researchers to leverage the basic science research investment and apply these advances to address subsurface contamination issues that plague many U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites.

The University of Virginia Reactor Facility started accelerated decommissioning in 2002. The facility consists of two licensed reactors, the CAVALIER and the UVAR. This paper will describe the progress in 2002, remaining efforts and the unique organizational structure of the project team.

The European Union's Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development and the specific EURATOM Framework Programme for Research and Training in Nuclear Energy (2002-2006)-EURATOM FP6--are the major building blocks for the European Commission to strengthen the foundations of the European Research Area, an open market for knowledge and science in Europe. The absence of a broadly agreed approach for radioactive waste management and disposal in the European Union caused the European Commission to raise the issue to a priority key area of research and development within EURATOM FP6. The sub-programme is aimed at looking to a widely agreed approach to waste disposal and will explore also the technical and economic potential of concepts for nuclear energy generation able to make better use of fissile material and generate less waste. To achieve these goals, participating research institutions are invited to invest in durable and structured partnerships by implementing ''new instruments'' for projects--Integrated Projects and Network of Excellence. In 2002 the European Commission consulted the research community on its readiness to prepare actions that use these ''new instruments'' for research topics in the priority area ''management of radioactive waste'' to assist in preparation of the work programme 2002-2006 of the EURATOM …

In the late 1980s, Belgium developed a reference design for disposal of the vitrified high level waste forms. Disposal was to be carried out in galleries in a sedimentary clay formation, acting as the main barrier. Engineered barriers (overpack, gallery backfill) complemented the host rock by retarding the release of radionuclides. To demonstrate the feasibility of this design, the Belgian Waste Management Agency (NIRAS/ONDRAF) started a demonstration project to construct and operate a dummy disposal gallery similar to the real ones. Several technical aspects of this in-situ testing not being worked out yet in detail, NIRAS/ONDRAF decided to carry out first a large scale surface mock-up test called OPHELIE. This test would allow the review of the chosen options for the backfill material, the disposal tube and the monitoring devices. The mock-up was constructed and put into operation in 1997 for some five years. The five years of hydration and heating of the backfill material h ave generated a large measurement database, as the set-up was heavily instrumented to monitor the main thermal, hydraulic and mechanical phenomena. In addition, a lot of unexpected observations have given more insight in physico-chemical phenomena (e.g. corrosion) that might take place in such an …

The following results are a part of an independent thesis study conducted at Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory-Mississippi State University. A series of small-scale borosilicate glass melts from high-level waste simulant were produced with waste loadings ranging from 20% to 55% (by mass). Crushed glass was allowed to react in an aqueous environment under static conditions for 7 days. The data obtained from the chemical analysis of the leachate solutions were used to test the durability of the resulting glasses. Studies were performed to determine the qualitative effects of increasing the B2O3 content on the overall waste glass leaching behavior. Structural changes in a glass arising due to B2O3 were detected indirectly by its chemical durability, which is a strong function of composition and structure. Modeling was performed to predict glass durability quantitatively in an aqueous environment as a direct function of oxide composition.

Since 1996, the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) has operated a slurry-fed ceramic melter to vitrify high-level nuclear waste (HLW) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). More than 65 batches of HLW were mixed with glass-forming chemicals between June 1996 and August 2002 to make a ''qualified'' HLW form. The nuances of this procedure and the lessons learned from the application of the process will be provided in this paper to guide future producers of immobilized HLW.

In the last couple of years, emphasis on environmental mercury contamination and elimination of mercury use has increased. The U.S. Department of Energy has for many decades maintained a stockpile of elemental mercury for operations and, as a consequence of its routine use, spills have occurred. These historical spills have resulted in some contamination of water streams and soils. In this work we examine a newly developed technique for removal of mercury from contaminated groundwater. In this application the mercury concentration was approximately 2.3 parts per billion and the treatment criterion was 200 parts per trillion. Several forms of mercury species contributed to the contamination. The treatment technique developed for this water was to convert all forms of mercury, through a series of fast chemical reactions, to elemental mercury, which was air-stripped from the water. This paper presents preliminary laboratory work on the method.

The Remote Handled (RH) TRU Waste Handling Facility at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was recently upgraded and modified in preparation for handling and disposal of RH Transuranic (TRU) waste. This modification will allow processing of RH-TRU waste arriving at the WIPP site in two different types of shielded road casks, the RH-TRU 72B and the CNS 10-160B. Washington TRU Solutions (WTS), the WIPP Management and Operation Contractor (MOC), conducted a performance dry run (PDR), beginning August 19, 2002 and successfully completed it on August 24, 2002. The PDR demonstrated that the RHTRU waste handling system works as designed and demonstrated the handling process for each cask, including underground disposal. The purpose of the PDR was to develop and implement a plan that would define in general terms how the WIPP RH-TRU waste handling process would be conducted and evaluated. The PDR demonstrated WIPP operations and support activities required to dispose of RH-TRU waste in the WIPP underground.

This paper describes the operations that generate Radioisotope Production Waste at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and the improved techniques used to handle and dispose of this waste. Historically, these wastes have produced high worker exposure during processing, packaging and disposal. The waste is made up of accelerator-produced nuclides of short to mid-length half-lives with a few longer-lived nuclides. However, because radiopharmaceutical research and treatment requires a constant supply of radioisotopes, the waste must be processed and disposed of in a timely manner. Since the waste cannot be stored for long periods of time to allow for adequate decay, engineering processes were implemented to safely handle the waste routinely and with ALARA principles in mind.

Korea Research Reactor 1 (KRR-1), the first research reactor in Korea, has been operated since 1962, and the second one, Korea Research Reactor 2 (KRR-2) since 1972. The operation of both of them was phased out in 1995 due to their lifetime and operation of the new and more powerful research reactor, HANARO (High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor; 30MW). Both are TRIGA Pool type reactors in which the cores are small self-contained units sitting in tanks filled with cooling water. The KRR-1 is a TRIGA Mark II, which could operate at a level of up to 250 kW. The second one, the KRR-2 is a TRIGA Mark III, which could operate at a level of up 2,000 kW. The decontamination and decommissioning (D & D) project of these two research reactors, the first D & D project in Korea, was started in January 1997 and will be completed to stage 3 by 2008. The aim of this decommissioning program is to decommission the KRR-1 & 2 reactors and to decontaminate the residual building structure s and the site to release them as unrestricted areas. KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) submitted the decommissioning plan and the environmental impact assessment reports …