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Artist*©
Rendering
of Pennsylvania*©
Low-Level
Waste
Disposal
Facility
REDUCING THE VOLUME, STABILIZING THE FORM
Both state and federal laws require generators to reduce the volume and toxicity of low-level wastes. Each low-level waste generator
will be required to meet waste reduction goals to obtain a DER permit for disposal facility access. All low-level waste that is disposed
must be m a solid, stable form and compressed tightly to eliminate empty space inside the package. DER will conduct inspections at
generator facilities to verify that waste reduction, form, and packaging requirements are met before low-level waste is shipped for
disposal.
The level of risk associated with low-level waste depends on the concentration, toxicity, and half-lives of the radionuclides it contains,
These variables are the basis for the low-level waste classification system established in Pennsylvania regulations. This classification
system specifies the types and concentrations of radionuclides that can be disposed as low-level waste.
Low-level radioactive waste is classified as Class A, B, or C. Most low-level waste is Class A, the least dangerous. It must be isolated
from the environment for 100 years. Class B waste has more radioactivity and needs to be disposed of in packages that will maintain
their size and shape for at least 300 years Class C waste contains higher concentrations of radioactivity than Class B waste and takes
the longest to decay to safe levels, approximately 500 years. Class C waste must be specially packaged and stabilized, and disposed
separately from the other waste classes disposed at the Pennsylvania facility.
Between 1987 and 1992, an annual average of 169,952 cubic feet of low-level waste, containing 111,804 curies of radioactivity, was
generated in the Appalachian Compact. Class A waste accounted for 96% of the volume and 19% of the radioactivity. Class B
represented about 3% o! the volume and 6% of the radioactivity. Class C waste represented less than 1% of the total volume; however.
Class C waste comprised nearly 75% of the radioactivity of low-level waste generated in the Appalachian Compact during this period.
During facility operation, DER, the host municipality, and the host county will have on-site inspectors responsible for inspecting waste
packages received at the facility and inspecting the operations of the facility. The inspectors will have authority to refuse waste and shut
down the facility if there is a threat to health and safety.
LONG-TERM CARE FOR THE HAZARDOUS LIFE OF THE WASTE
After 30 years of operation, the facility will be closed, according to a plan approved by DER. Chem-Nuclear, as
the licensee, will decontaminate and dismantle the buildings, close and stabilize the disposal units, and continue to
monitor the area. The licensee will remain on-site for at least five years after the facility is closed to ensure its stability.
After this postclosure period, state law requires that control of the facility be turned over to a state custodial agency.
The state custodial agency will care for the site until the low-level waste decays to safe levels, which can be 500 years for
a small portion of the waste. There will be a program of monitoring and maintenance as required to ensure safe contain
ment of the radioactive waste. DER will continue to regulate activities at the disposal site.
To prove that long-term care is no longer needed, the custodial agency must demonstrate to DER that the waste
has decayed to levels that allow unrestricted use of the site. To do so, the agency must show that unrestricted use of
the site would not result in a radiation dose that is greater than the natural background radiation in the soil prior to site
development.
Source: Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc.
Benefit#
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Community
Pennsylvania’slaw and regulations pro
vide compensation for the host and
aflfectedmunicipaHties,host county,and
local residents.
Funds will be provided to police, fire,
and ambulance services near the
facility to handle possible emergencies,
in addition to die emergency response
services that are part of the facility
operation.
Support for county emergency manage
ment planning, training, and central dis
patch facilities also will be provided.
Funds also will be provided for:
• Payment of school and property
taxes to residents living within
two miles of die facility.
• Purchase of properties within
two miles of to facility at presite
values, on request.
• Direct payments to the host
municipality in proportion to
to amount and radioactivity of
wastes accepted at the facility,
with a guaranteed minimum
payment.
The host municipality also will be able
to negotiate additional benefits. These
additional benefits could include pref
erence for local hiring and purchasing,
compensating services or payments, or
other benefits to address specific needs
of the local citizens.
Between 1987and1992, an annual aver
age of 144,099 cubic feet of low-level
waste was generated in Pennsylvania.
This compares to 27,000,000 cubic feet
of municipal solid waste generated on
an annual basis in Pennsylvania during