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News Releases Technology improvements help accelerate waste shipments
The legacy waste in these large, fiberglass-reinforced boxes was reclassified as mixed low-level waste, helping LANL accelerate the removal of TRU waste from Area G.
December 14, 2011—LANL’s TRU Waste Program recently achieved a milestone when it shipped several boxes of mixed low-level legacy waste to a licensed disposal facility.
The large, fiberglass-reinforced boxes called FRPs contained old gloveboxes and other equipment dating back to the 1970s.
Stored at Technical Area 54, Area G, the material was originally characterized as transuranic (TRU) waste, which requires shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad. These boxes were among about 190 stored aboveground and 200 stored underground at Area G.
Because the waste in FRPs was packed decades ago, it does not comply with current WIPP standards and must be repackaged before it can be shipped to that facility. As part of a high-priority initiative to ship legacy TRU waste from Area G, the Laboratory opened a facility this summer to repackage FRPs into WIPP-compliant containers.
In the case of these boxes, however, workers at the new facility were able to ascertain that the materials packed inside could be reclassified as mixed low-level waste (MLLW).
"The standard for transuranic waste changed in 1982, after the waste was first characterized," said Mike Romero project manager. "Also, the technology we use to measure the level of radionuclides has improved greatly. The combination of newer TRU waste standards and improved technology allowed us to recharacterize the waste as MLLW, rather than TRU waste."
This is significant because due to the nature of the contents and safety precautions for workers, the facility can process about two FRPs per week. By reclassifying the waste to MLLW, up to 10 FRPs can be removed in one shipment.
"Recharacterizing the waste in these boxes allows us to ship it more quickly and eliminates the risk that repackaging poses for our workers," said Kathy Johns-Hughes, LANL's TRU waste program director. "It’s an effective and cost-efficient way to help us meet our goal of removing TRU waste from Area G as quickly and safely as possible."
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