Current Status of the Waste Identification Program at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories

Abstract

The management of routine operating waste by Waste Management and Decommissioning (WM and D) at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's (AECL) Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) is supported by the Waste Identification (WI) Program. The principal purpose of the WI Program is to minimize the cost and the effort associated with waste characterization and waste tracking, which are needed to optimize waste handling, storage and disposal.

The major steps in the WI Program are:

• (1) identify and characterize the processes that generate the routine radioactive wastes accepted by WM and D, radioisotope production, radioisotope use, reactor operation, fuel fabrication, et cetera


• (2) identify and characterize the routine blocks of waste generated by each process or activity, the initial characterization is based on inference (process knowledge)


• (3) prepare customized, template data sheets for each routine waste block, templates contain information such as package type. waste material, waste type, solidifying agent, the average non-radiological contaminant inventory, the average radiological contaminant inventory, and the waste class


• (4) ensure generators "use the right piece of paper with the right waste" when they transfer waste to WM and D - that is they use the correct template data sheets to transfer routine wastes. by: identifying and marking waste collection points in the generator's facility. ensuring that generators implement effective waste collection/segregation procedures, implementing standard procedures to transfer waste to WM&D. and auditing waste collection and segregation within a generator's facility.


• (5) determine any additional waste block characterization requirements (is anything needed beyond the original characterization by process knowledge?)

This paper describes the WI Program, it provides an example of its implementation, and it summarizes the current status of its implementation for both CRL and non-CRL waste generators.