Guidance for Decontamination, Reuse and Recycle of Contaminated Metal and Concrete

Abstract

Decontamination and dismantlement (D&D) are key steps in the decommissioning of nuclear power plants that generate a significant volume of waste, much of which is lightly or non-contaminated metal or concrete. A significant fraction of this material could potentially be recycled or beneficially reused. A review of industry experiences with decontamination of nuclear power plant concrete and metals for unrestricted release, recycle and/or reuse was conducted. The review provides details of historical experiences with reuse/recycle of various concrete and metal components ranging from buildings to heat exchangers, as well as a summary of decontamination and characterization technologies which have been used effectively. The findings of the review have been compiled and used to form the basis of guidance for the application of technologies to cost-effectively reuse and recycle concrete and metals from D&D activities. Options for disposition of the material, subject to case-specific factors such as clearance criteria, were explored, along with best practices for achieving reuse/recycle economically. In this paper, we will summarize the conclusions of EPRI report 3002020927, Best Practices for the Decontamination, Reuse, and Recycle of Contaminated Metal and Concrete that provides the guidance developed in this project.