Alternative High-Level Waste Treatments at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory -- Copyright -- Executive Summary -- INCOMPLETE CHARACTERIZATION DATA -- ADDITIONAL TESTING NEEDS -- ESTABLISHMENT OF DEFINITIVE WASTE FORM SPECIFICATIONS -- DISPOSAL UNCERTAINTIES -- SELECTION OF A TREATMENT OPTION -- RECOMMENDATION ON HLW CALCINE -- RECOMMENDATION ON SBW -- CLOSURE SPECIFICATIONS -- RISK ANALYSIS PERSPECTIVE -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- 1 Introduction -- WASTE GENERATED FROM PAST REPROCESSING PRACTICES -- SOLID WASTE IN BINS -- LIQUID WASTE IN TANKS -- OTHER HLW: SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL INVENTORIES -- OTHER INVENTORIES OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE -- FUTURE PLANS AND CONTEXT FOR THIS STUDY -- PROCESS OPTIONS -- ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT -- 2 Calcine Characterization, Retrieval, and Dissolution -- CALCINE CHARACTERIZATION -- RETRIEVAL, HANDLING, AND BLENDING OF CALCINE FROM BINS -- Retrieval Operations -- Calcine Handling and Blending -- CALCINE DISSOLUTION -- Characteristics of UDS -- Derivation of Dissolution Specifications -- ADEQUACY OF EXISTING INFORMATION -- CRITICAL TESTING NEEDS -- 3 Physical and Chemical Separations -- THE SEPARATIONS APPROACH -- SOLID-LIQUID SEPARATIONS -- Current Status -- CESIUM ION EXCHANGE SEPARATION -- Experimental Basis -- Current Status -- STRONTIUM SEPARATION -- Adequacy of Existing Information -- Critical Testing Needs -- Alternatives -- TRUEX SEPARATIONS PROCESS -- Technical Problems -- Current Laboratory Experimentation -- Questionable Experimental Process Modifications -- Required Technical Demonstration of Proposed Process -- SEPARATIONS PROCESSING CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMBINATION OF INDIVIDUAL STEPS -- SUMMARY -- 4 Treatment of Sodium-Bearing Liquid Waste -- PRESENT STATUS AND PROGRAM PLANS -- PROCESSING METHODS -- REPOSITORY AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR NON-HLW.

Other Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Plans for Disposal of Low-Level TRU Waste in WIPP or NTS -- 5 Vitrification -- NONSEPARATION OPTION -- Waste Compositions and Characteristics -- Zirconia-Based Calcine -- Alumina-Based Calcine -- SBW to be Calcined or Directly Immobilized -- Mixtures of Alumina Calcine and SBW -- Vitrification Facility and Processing -- SEPARATION OPTION -- Waste Compositions and Characteristics -- Vitrification Facility and Processing -- POTENTIAL PROBLEMS -- Blending to Achieve Uniform Waste Composition -- Waste Loading in Borosilicate Glass -- High Phosphate Content -- Zirconia-Related Problems -- Tolerance of Glass to the Content of Calcium Fluoride -- Testing Needs -- 6 Cementation -- PROCESS DESCRIPTIONS -- Direct Cementation: Mixed HLW Hydroceramic with Feed of Clay, Slag, Soda, and Water -- Direct Cementation: Mixed HLW Hydroceramic with Feed of Sucrose, Clay, NaOH, and Water -- Separations-Based Cementation -- TRU Separations with Class C Grout -- Haw and TRU Separations with Class a Grout -- Separate TRU, Cs, and Sr Separations with Class a Grout -- Disposal of LLW Grout -- CEMENTITIOUS WASTE FORMS -- SUMMARY -- 7 Other Waste Forms -- SIMULATED SPENT FUEL -- Fabrication Issues -- SSF Waste Form -- PARTIAL VITRIFICATION -- Cold Pressing Followed By Sintering -- Hot Uniaxial Pressing -- Hot Isostatic Pressing -- Embedding Calcine in Glass -- Synthetic Rock Waste Forms -- SINGLE-USE MELTERS -- SUMMARY -- 8 Tank and Bin Closure -- TANK SYSTEMS: CHARACTERIZATION -- TANK SYSTEMS: DECONTAMINATION -- TANK SYSTEMS: STABILIZATION -- Water -- Halides -- Mercury -- Radioisotopes -- BIN SET SYSTEMS: CHARACTERIZATION -- BIN SET SYSTEMS: DECONTAMINATION -- BIN SET SYSTEMS: STABILIZATION -- USE OF A RISK ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP CLOSURE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO MODELRELEVANT RISKS.

9 Constraints Imposed by Disposal Options, Regulations, and Cost -- REGULATORY AND OTHER LEGAL REQUIREMENTS -- Radioactive Waste Classification and Consequences -- Hazardous Chemical Constituents and Consequences -- Nonregulatory Legal Constraints -- DISPOSAL OPTIONS FOR WASTE PRODUCTS -- HLW: First and Second Repository Programs -- HLW: Waste Acceptance Criteria -- Uncertainties Associated with Geologic Repositories and Co-Disposal -- Greater Confinement Disposal Facility -- Transuranic Waste: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant -- Challenges Associated with WIPP Disposal -- Non-TRU LLW: Off-Site Disposal -- LLW Disposal at the NTS -- LLW Disposal at the Hanford Reservation -- Non-TRU LLW: On-Site Disposal -- RCRA-Approved Disposal -- Law: Non-Geologic Disposal -- Summary and Conclusions on Disposal Options -- COST CONSIDERATIONS -- 10 Inconsistencies Associated with Current Plans -- PROVING THE NEED TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE CALCINE -- Basing Decisions on Risk Reduction -- TREATMENT AND DISPOSITION OF SODIUM-BEARING WASTE -- DEVELOPING SOUND PLANS FOR CALCINE TREATMENT -- Reducing Uncertainties, Unknowns, and Assumptions -- Establishing the Rationale for Separations -- Lack of a Performance Assessment on What Separations are Justified -- SELECTION OF SOLID WASTE FORMS -- The Need to Develop a Good Waste Form for Defense HLW Co-Disposed with Commercial Spent Fuel -- Number of HLW Canisters -- ENSURING A CLEAR DISPOSAL PATH (OUT-OF-STATE TRANSPORT AND ACCEPTANCE)OR ELSE PLANNING FOR CONTINGENCY -- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Constituents -- WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO RESOLVE INCONSISTENCIES -- 11 What Should be Done: INEEL HLW Calcine -- PERSPECTIVE ON OTHER HLW INVENTORIES -- 12 What Should Be Done: Sodium-Bearing Liquid Waste -- SBW CONCEPTUAL FLOWSHEETS -- SBW Option 1: Acid-Side Direct Solidification.

SBW Option 2: Acid Destruction, Neutralization, and Direct Evaporation -- SBW Option 3: Acid Destruction, Neutralization, Solid-Liquid Separation, and Solidification -- SBW Option 4: Acid Destruction, Alkaline Leaching, SLS, and Solidification -- SBW Option 5: TRU Separation By Lanthanum Fluoride Precipitation -- SBW Option 6: Conversion To Calcine and Storage Apart from HLW Calcine -- SUMMARY -- 13 Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations -- WHAT SHOULD BE DONE: SODIUM-BEARING LIQUID WASTE (CHAPTERS 4 AND 12) -- WHAT SHOULD BE DONE: HLW CALCINE (CHAPTER 11) -- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO INDIVIDUAL PROCESS STEPS -- Calcine Characterization (Chapter 2) -- Retrieval of Calcine from Bins (Chapter 2) -- Calcine Dissolution (Chapter 2) -- Solid-Liquid Separation (Chapter 3) -- Cesium Ion Exchange (Chapter 3) -- Strontium Separation (Chapter 3) -- TRUEX Separations (Chapter 3) -- General Conclusions On Chemical Separations (Chapter 3) -- Vitrification (Chapter 5) -- Alternatives To a Borosilicate Vitrification in a Continuous Melter (Chapters 5 and 7) -- Cementitious Options (Chapter 6) -- Other Alternative Waste Forms (Chapter 7) -- Summary of HLW Immobilization Options -- Tank and Bin Set Closure Issues (Chapter 8) -- Establishing a Disposal Path (Chapter 9) -- Waste Management Strategy (Chapter 10) -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- References -- Appendix A Documents Received During This Study -- Appendix B Trip Reports of Technical Experts -- DAVID CLARK -- Separation Options -- Nonseparation options -- EDWARD J. LAHODA -- General Observations -- Are the set of treatment options chosen reasonable and are there others that need to be considered? -- Are the assumptions, criteria, and methodology used reasonable? -- Are the environmental and technology risks reasonable?.

What is the feasibility of the treatment options within the regulatory framework and compliance agreements? -- K. K. SIVASANKARA PILLAY -- JOHN H. ROECKER -- Systems Engineering -- Management Issues -- ERNEST RUPPE -- Full Separations/Baseline Case -- Early Vitrification Option -- Direct Cementitious Option -- TRU Separations -- HIP -- BARRY SCHEETZ -- Introductory Comments -- Discussion -- Separations -- Nonseparation Approaches -- Direct Vitrification -- Hot Isostatic Pressing Into Glass-Ceramic -- Cementitious Waste Form -- Recommendations -- Operating Assumptions -- Support for Alternatives Studies -- Ranking of Alternative Processes -- Miscellaneous observations -- ANNE E. SMITH -- Focus on Issues Related to Costs and Trade-Offs -- Discounting -- Requirements for Completeness and Consistency -- Addressing Uncertainties -- Role of Privatization in Costs -- Assessing Trade-Offs in a Multiattribute Setting -- Appendix C Biographical Sketches of Committee Members -- Appendix D Biographical Sketches of Technical Experts -- Appendix E Glossary -- Appendix F Acronyms and Symbols -- Appendix G Portions of the 1995 Settlement Agreement.