Greater-Than-Class C Low-Level Radioactive Waste (GTCC LLRW) and DOE GTCC-like Waste

For purposes of the EIS, these wastes are given three categories: sealed sources, activated metals, and other wastes.

Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) LLRW is LLRW in which the concentrations of radionuclides exceed the limits for Class C LLRW established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 10 CFR 61.55. GTCC LLRW is generated in the commercial sector under NRC or Agreement State licensed activities.

The NRC has categorized LLRW into four classes (A, B, C, and GTCC) based on the concentration of specific short-lived and long-lived radionuclides given in two tables in 10 CFR 61.55. These waste categories are illustrated in the following table.

NRC Category	Description	Disposal Method
Class A	Least hazardous - short & long-lived waste that will not endanger inadvertent human intruder beyond 100 years	Near-Surface
Class B	More hazardous - short-lived wastes that will not endanger inadvertent intruder beyond 100 years	Near-Surface with 300 year waste stability
Class C	More hazardous short and long-lived wastes that will not endanger inadvertent intruder beyond 500 years	Near-Surface with 300 year waste stability, and greater depth or 500 year intruder barrier
Greater-Than-Class C	Most hazardous of LLRW - dangerous to inadvertent intruder beyond 500 years. Must be disposed in geologic repository unless alternate method proposed by DOE and approved by NRC	To be determined

In addition to the GTCC LLRW generated as a result of NRC or Agreement State licensed activities, DOE generates waste containing concentrations of radionuclides that are similar to GTCC LLRW. These wastes are referred to as GTCC-like waste, and are being addressed in this EIS along with GTCC LLRW.

Three Waste Types

For purposes of the EIS, GTCC LLRW and GTCC-like waste are being addressed as being in one of three waste types: sealed sources, activated metals, and other wastes.

Sealed Sources

	Shipping cases for abandoned sources.

Sealed sources consist of small quantities of highly radioactive materials enclosed in metal containers. These sources are commonly used to sterilize medical products, detect flaws and failures in pipelines and metal welds, determine moisture content in soil and other materials, and diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer. Radionuclides commonly used in sealed sources include cesium-137 and americium-241.

 

	Well Logging Sources

	Sealed Source

	Sealed Source

Activated Metal Wastes

	Activated metal

Activated metal wastes result from decommissioning nuclear reactors. Portions of the reactor assembly and other components near the nuclear fuel are activated by neutrons during reactor operations, producing high concentrations or radionuclides. The major radionuclides in these wastes are typically manganese-54, iron-55, cobalt-60, and nickel-63.

Other Waste

	Other Waste (Contaminated Gloveboxes)

The third waste type is other waste. This waste type includes contaminated equipment, debris, trash, scrap metal, and decontamination and decommissioning waste. These wastes can include a number of physical forms and a range of radionuclides may be present in these wastes. The radionuclides of most concern in these wastes are generally expected to be cobalt-60, cesium-137, and americium-241.

A majority of the GTCC-like waste in this waste type consists of transuranic (TRU) waste that may have originated from non-defense activities, and therefore is not authorized for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) under the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Land Withdrawal Act of 1992, Public Law 102-579, and has no other currently identified path to disposal. That is, these wastes may contain concentrations of alpha-emitting TRU radionuclides with half-lives greater than 20 years in concentrations exceeding 100 nanocuries per gram (nCi/g). These TRU wastes may not have a path to disposal if they are determined to have been generated from non-defense activities. The long-term hazard associated with these wastes is similar to that posed by other GTCC LLRW, and are being addressed in this EIS.

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