Matt Lavy of Health Physics Operations (HSR-1) assigned to FWO-SWO lifts drums into a flatbed truck for transport offsite in this photograph taken at Area G at Technical Area 54. Photo by Patricia Leyba, Risk Reduction and Environmental Stewardship (RRES) Division

Lab continues legacy waste reduction efforts

The Laboratory recently shipped more than two cubic meters of legacy, mixed, low-level waste — hazardous wastes as defined in the resource Conservation and Recovery Act that also has a low-level radioactive component — to a Texas facility for treatment and disposal.

While the recent shipment was just one of 10 shipments that Solid Waste Operations (FWO-SWO) made this fiscal year, the shipment will ensure that FWO-SWO meets its Department of Energy performance measure of 10 cubic meters of waste disposed offsite.

By Sept. 30, the end of the 2003 fiscal year, the Laboratory will have approximately 11 cubic meters of legacy mixed waste left in storage from an original inventory of more than 600 cubic meters. The Laboratory's goal is to have all legacy waste treated and disposed of by 2010.

FWO-SWO's mixed low-level waste operations team systematically analyzes each waste stream and actively pursues existing commercial and other DOE site options for treatment and disposal. The Laboratory also meets regularly with New Mexico Environment Department regulators and has established a cooperative relationship with NMED and DOE on legacy issues, said Davis Christensen, acting group leader for FWO-SWO.

The mixed low-level operations team assists other Laboratory sites with mixed waste. The team provides Laboratory waste generators and waste management coordinators with treatment and disposal options, including no-path-forward — waste that has no commercial or DOE facilities available for treatment and disposal — waste options; cost options for budget planning for specific waste streams; transportation requirements; packaging requirements; sampling and analytical services; and best waste-management practices.

The Laboratory ships its waste to five treatment disposal facilities, which are able to process a variety of waste types.

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