FACILITY DESIGN AND MONITORING: HOW IT WORKS
THE GOAL: mm RELEASE Of RADIOACTIVITY
Pennsylvania law requires an engineered disposal-facility be constructed on the ground surface The regulatory goal is zero release of radioactivity,
The applicant, Chem-Nuclear, plans to design and build waste disposal units that rely on four levels of protection;
• Waste in solid form, securely packaged
• Sealed concrete containers containing several waste packages
• Sealed abovegrade concrete disposal units
• Layered earthen cover over sealed disposal units
What is DER'sjob? To evaluate Chem-Nuclear's proposed facility design and judge its ability to isolate the waste.
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Sonne: Chem-Nutletu Systems, hit
RECEIVING WASTE
The licensee will be required to schedule incoming
waste shipments in advance. As trucks enter the
facility, they will be inspected and monitored. In
spection by DER on-site inspectors, local inspectors,
and the licensee will confirm the waste volumes and
types listed on the manifest. Inspectors will monitor
all areas of the truck and shipment for radiation
levels, as shown here, using sensitive monitoring
instruments. Waste packaging will be inspected to
enforce the requirement that the waste be dry and
secure before it is loaded into the concrete overpacks.
Low-level wastes will arrive at the facility in
drums, boxes, or casks. Before disposal, DER will
require Chem-Nucleartoplace the incoming waste
packages into concrete “overpack” containers.
Each overpack will hold several waste packages
and will be sealed with concrete.
Source: Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc
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The disposal unit is a thick-walled concrete structure with concrete floor, walls,
and ceiling. This unit is built abovegrade. The concrete provides both structural
stability and radiation shielding. Concrete overpacks (described below) are
placed in the disposal units. After the disposal unit is filled, the spaces between
overpacks will be filled and the unit will be sealed with concrete and covered
with a multilayer earthen cover.
EARTHEN Cm ER
Keeping ram and snow otf the completed disposal unit is important to maintaining
the strength ot the concrete Chem-Nuclear must cover each completed disposal
unit. Alternating layers ot last-draining materials and low-permeability soil will
keep water from coming in contact with the concrete roofs of the disposal units. Grass
01 other vegetation will be planted on the top to help deflect rainfall and to prevent
erosion of the final soil cover.
MONITORING GAiIfRY
An important part of the overall facility monitoring program will be built right into the
disposal facility. A monitoring gallery will be installed beneath each disposal unit to
detect any release of radioactive material. Each waste disposal unit will have a port that
drams any outside water entering the unit into the monitoring gallery. Because of the
multiple barriers, it is expected that the monitoring gallery will be dry. It there is any
water passing through the disposal unit, it will be collected m the gallery and promptly
tested. Corrective action, if necessary, will be taken immediately. Chem-Nuclear will
be required to regularly inspect the gallery for any releases. DER and local inspectors
also will have access to the monitoring gallery for inspection.
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The level of traffic to and from the
low-level radioactive waste disposal
facility will be low compared to truck
traffic for a solid waste landfill. An
average of two to three truckloads of
low-level waste per day will arrive at
the disposal facility. This contrasts
with the dozens oftruckloads of solid
waste that arrive at a typical solid
waste landfill each day.