Preliminary Dose Assessment of On-Site Burial of Decommissioning Waste

Abstract

This paper presents an evaluation of the potential radiation dose from one of the alternatives being considered for the management of decommissioning wastes, namely the on-site burial of four reactor units in underground pits beneath the reactors at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station A. The reactor and other contaminated components were assumed to leach activity into the groundwater which then discharged into Lake Huron and was subsequently used by a farmer who was self-sufficient in all his food requirements. The maximum individual dose rate was conservatively calculated to be about 3 mrem/yr. Consequently, the on- site burial of reactor components is a viable management option for decommissioning wastes.