Solid Radioactive Waste Strategy Report.pdf - UK EPR

EPR UK
N° NESH-G/2008/en/0123
REV. A PAGE 175 / 257
Typically, the WTB will be directly connected to the nuclear auxiliary building of the UK EPR.
All untreated solid wastes will be placed into temporary buffer stores prior to treatment. The
waste will be separated into the different fractions dependent on the eventual treatment method.
Waste will be stored in these areas until a sufficient quantity has accumulated for a treatment
campaign to commence or for shipment for off-site treatment. Once a sufficient volume has
been accumulated the waste is routed to the treatment system and the appropriate treatment is
initiated.
Records will be maintained describing the contents and composition of the waste at each
treatment stage. This information will be stored in a central database and used to complete the
appropriate storage, transfer and disposal documentation.
During all handling operations the radiological properties of the wastes will be carefully
considered and monitored and shielding and other measures provided to ensure that doses to
operators are reduced. Examples of the types of safety features that will be incorporated into
the design of the WTB are provided in this report.
The layout of the WTB will be designed to facilitate contamination control. Areas with a high
probability of the presence of loose contamination, for example inside the waste sorting box, will
be individually connected to the building Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
system via a pre-filter and other contamination control equipment. Other areas, for example the
decontamination booth, will be routed via a series of High Efficiency Particulate in Air (HEPA)
filters prior to the connection to the main WTB building HVAC. The airflow direction within the
building will be designed to direct potential contamination away from operators towards the
HVAC systems. Process layout will be optimised to ensure that handling operations are located
away from access routes.
The solid waste arisings will initially be collected in-situ in plastic bags. The bags will then be
sealed and shipped in either 200 litre drums or other appropriate containers to the buffer areas.
From the buffer areas the packages will be retrieved, transported and opened at the appropriate
treatment location. These locations will include areas for segregation, sorting, shredding,
decontamination, compaction and the controlled area workshop.
11.2.2.1 Segregation Of Solid Waste
Prior to treatment by super compaction, the dry solid radioactive waste will be pre-treated to
grade and size reduce large items of waste. The first step will be sorting smaller items of solid
waste. This will be carried out in the sorting box. Larger items of solid waste will be collected
and stored separately to facilitate easier handling of the waste. It is not anticipated that this
waste will be sorted using the sorting box.
Moist solid waste will be dried to prevent degradation of the waste container during storage.
Solid non-compactable waste will be collected in 200 litre drums, stored in the room used for
raw waste and treatment by size reduction, decontamination or dismantling in the active
workshop.