Solid Radioactive Waste Strategy Report.pdf - UK EPR

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EPR UK N° NESH-G/2008/en/0123 REV. A PAGE 34 / 257 High volume VLLW is defined as ‘radioactive waste with maximum concentrations of four megabecquerels per tonne (MBq/te) of total activity which can be disposed of to specified landfill sites. For waste containing tritium the concentration limit for tritium is 40 MBq/te. Controls on the disposal of this material after removal from the premises will be necessary in a manner specified by the environmental regulators, for example, disposal to an authorised waste disposal site. 4.3 Low Level Waste LLW is defined in reference 23 as radioactive waste having a radioactive content not exceeding 4GBq/te of alpha or 12 GBq/te of beta/gamma activity. Disposal of the majority of LLW in the UK is currently via the LLWR near the village of Drigg in Cumbria. Any LLW streams arising from the lifecycle of the EPR must therefore meet the acceptance criteria for the LLWR. This report describes the proposed techniques to pretreat, treat and condition the LLW to reduce the volume and activity of consignments to the LLWR. 4.4 Intermediate Level Waste ILW is defined as waste with radioactivity levels which exceed the upper boundary for LLW, but which does not generate significant amounts of heat. The majority of ILW requires conditioning into an acceptable (passively safe) form prior to interim storage. Options for the conditioning of ILW to arise from the EPR are described within this document. The intention is that the final disposal location of packaged ILW will be in a GDF. 4.5 High Level Waste HLW is defined as waste in which the temperature may rise significantly as a result of decay heat from the radioactive component of the waste. Heat generation therefore has to be taken into account when designing interim storage and disposal facilities. It is currently planned that HLW will be disposed of in the GDF. Regulatory guidance on the management of HLW can be found at reference 13. 4.6 Spent Fuel · In the UK spent fuel is not classified as waste. However, due to the long half-life of the nuclides contained within spent fuel and the associated high levels of radioactivity the management of spent fuel is a key issue for the design of any New Nuclear Power Station. The UK government’s consultation document on new nuclear power [Refs. 7 and 8] and the White Paper [Ref. 3] stated that; ‘The government has concluded that any nuclear power stations that might be built in the UK should proceed on the basis that spent fuel will not be ‘reprocessed’. A concept for the direct disposal of spent fuel has not yet been finalised, this is currently being examined by the RWMD. RWMD predict that the disposability of spent fuel will be assessed through a similar process to that currently in place for ILW. A strategy will therefore be required and provision made in the design of new reactors for interim storage of spent fuel for the lifetime of the plant. Possible options for this spent fuel interim store are discussed later in this report.
EPR UK N° NESH-G/2008/en/0123 REV. A PAGE 35 / 257 5 CURRENT POSITION OF THIS STRATEGY This strategy will be submitted to the Environment Agency and HSE as a Supporting Document to the Step 3 GDA Pre-Construction Environmental Report (PCER) submission in November 2008. This section describes the progress in dialogue that EdF and AREVA have made to date (November 2008) to agree the potential means of disposing of the UK EPR radioactive waste streams through establish routes and those future disposal routes being implemented by the UK Government (like the GDF). 5.1 Liaison With UK Regulators and Potential Waste Service Providers During the GDA EdF and AREVA have engaged with regulators and potential waste service providers to assess the disposability of the possible waste streams. We are committed to ensuring that the quantities of waste produced as a by-product of generating electricity are kept as low as possible and in a form which is readily disposable. The UK EPR design has evolved over a number of years by learning from Europe-wide operational practice and implementing lessons learnt to eliminate the creation of radioactive wastes where possible. Where waste creation cannot be avoided, we will endeavour to work with utilities, regulators and waste service providers to find viable solutions to minimise the creation of waste, maximise reuse and recycle and finally as a last resort dispose of the waste. This section describes the progress in dialogue that has made to date (November 2008) through applying innovative thinking, state-of-the-art designs and engaging close liaison with UK regulators and potential waste service providers. 5.1.1 Current Main Waste Service Providers As well as the waste management services provided by onsite facilitates, there are other off-site waste service providers which the EPR may utilise to ensure a safe disposal of the waste and optimisation of waste minimisation. 5.1.1.1 RWMD The RWMD currently assesses the disposability of ILW and some LLW (which are not acceptable for disposal at LLWR) through the LoC assessment process [Ref.24]. The transport of ILW to the GDF will be managed and operated by the operator of the disposal facility [Ref.25 and 26]. The ILW will be transported in robust shielded transport containers that have been approved for use in the UK and developed specifically for the safe transport of ILW. As part of the GDA process the RWMD has developed a conceptual LoC process. RWMD is conducting a ‘nature and quantities’ assessment of the conditioned ILW packages that will be produced during the operation and eventual decommissioning of the UK EPR. A similar conceptual process has also been adopted for spent fuel. These assessments are ongoing at present and the following paragraphs describe progress in this area.
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