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Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste - U.S. ...

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5.49<br />

Dust from mining and rock transport within the mine is removed by filters in the mine<br />

ventilation system. However, dust generated from surface operations and rock transport to<br />

storage will result in above-ground dust. Potential dust emissions were determined using<br />

emission factors estimated by Cowherd et al. (1974). These factors were measured for rock<br />

aggregate storage piles (but not for salt) under dry and windy conditions when the dust gen-<br />

erating potential was near maximum. Table 5.4.5 presents dust emissions for the various<br />

host rock types for both the reference environment (moist regions) and arid regions.<br />

TABLE 5.4.5. Maximum Dust Emissions From Surface Handling <strong>of</strong> Mined Material, MT/d(a)<br />

Spent Fuel Repository<br />

Salt Granite Shale Basalt<br />

Climate (51,000 MTHM) (122,000 MTHM) (64,000 MTHM) (122,000 MTHM)<br />

Reference 3.1 7.9 3.7 9.3<br />

Arid 44 110 51 130<br />

Reprocessing <strong>Waste</strong> Repository<br />

(62,000 MTHM) (69,000 MTHM) (30,000 MTHM) (56,000 MTHM)<br />

Reference 3.6 5.6 3.1 6.1<br />

Arid 49 79 44 86<br />

(a) Assuming no control techniques are applied.<br />

The maximum and average concentrations <strong>of</strong> dust at the repository fenceline (1.6 km from<br />

repository center) were calculated using the average annual dispersion factors (X/Q') pre-<br />

sented for the reference environment. Table 5.4.6 presents these concentrations for the<br />

four geologic media.<br />

The existing primary Federal air quality standard for suspended particulate matter com-<br />

puted as an annual geometric mean is 75 g/m 3 . Thus, for both the reference site and any<br />

proposed arid site, appropriate control techniques will be necessary to assure this limit<br />

is not exceeded during surface handling <strong>of</strong> mined material.<br />

To give perspective to the salt concentrations at the repository fenceline, as given<br />

in Table 5.4.6, note that nearshore salt concentrations on the eastern seaboard average<br />

about 140 vg/m 3 at 0.5 km inland and about one-tenth <strong>of</strong> that 1 km inland. During persis-<br />

tently high onshore winds, the concentration may be on the order <strong>of</strong> 380 pg/m 3 at 0.5 km and<br />

60 pg/m 3 at 1 km (CONF 740302 1974, pp 353-369).<br />

Table 5.4.7 presents estimates <strong>of</strong> dust deposition rates from surface handling <strong>of</strong> mined<br />

material. Maximum deposition <strong>of</strong> dust would occur at a distance <strong>of</strong> 0.4 km from surface han-<br />

dling operations. At the repository fenceline (1.6 km from the handling operations) deposi-<br />

tion is approximately a factor <strong>of</strong> 10 less. These depositions are based on the "worst case,"<br />

which would consider the maximum removal rate for a year's period. Impacts <strong>of</strong> these deposi-<br />

tions were they to occur are discussed later in the section on evaluating ecological effects<br />

<strong>of</strong> repository construction.

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