RSRL Integrated Waste Strategy - Issue 5- Oct 2012.pdf

More documents

Recommendations

Info

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED6.2 Radioactive Discharges6.2.1 Radioactive Liquid Discharges246. The volumes of all types of liquid effluent have decreased significantly over the past 15years as Harwell has moved from a predominantly research and development site todecommissioning and waste management as its core business.247. The strategy for the management of effluent reduction at Harwell was reviewed andrevised in 2005. A survey of arisings from the Harwell site indicated that liquid effluentcurrently received by RSRL can be considered to fall into one of three categories:• Clean effluent which cannot contain any radioactivity (RSRL buildings and facilitiesproduce inactive trade waste and foul waste, both of which are discharged to thepublic sewer)• Non-treatable active effluent which could contain very low levels of radioactivity butat levels for which treatment gives no benefit in terms of decontamination• Treatable active effluent with levels of radioactivity sufficient for decontamination tobe a viable treatment.Surface water is discharged to the Lydebank Brook248. The main sources of active effluent requiring treatment are from operations in thepressurised suit and decontamination areas of the Solid Waste Complex. Non-treatableactive effluent arises from operations in the Solid Waste Complex, Radiochemical Buildingand Active Handling Facility. There is an ongoing programme of effluent segregation inorder to reduce the volumes of effluent in each category. This constrains consignors to usethe appropriate effluent discharge route so that inactive effluent is excluded from activeeffluent streams, for example non-active “trade” effluent is discharged to the foul drain andshower effluent volumes are minimised.249. Following recent approval by Thames Water, sampled non-treatable active effluent, suchas RSRL trade waste, can now be discharged direct to the public sewer as well as via thedischarge pipeline. This follows the granting of the revised EA Radioactive SubstancesPermit for Harwell in November 2011. Discharge to the public sewer will enable thedecommissioning of the LETP and the Sutton Courtenay Discharge Pipeline to take place asplanned.250. Following the decommissioning of the Main Active Drain during 2011, treatable activeeffluent is currently transferred to the LETP via tanker, warboys or Intermediate BulkContainers. Once at the LETP it undergoes a physical/chemical treatment (flocculation)which adjusts the chemical content and removes sufficient radioactivity to discharge theresulting effluent to the River Thames via the Sutton Courtenay discharge pipeline or, aswith non-treatable active effluent, direct to the public sewer. With the reduction in thevolume of this effluent RSRL are currently commissioning a new treatment plant, known asthe Replacement Effluent Treatment Plant (RETP), which will discharge effluent direct tothe public sewer and solidify LLW sludge for disposal to LLWR. The operation of the RETPwhich will enable the existing treatment plant and discharge pipeline to the River Thames tobe decommissioned.251. In addition to the planned BPEO study mentioned above, the strategy for radioactiveliquid discharges was covered in the BPEO review carried out in 2006 at the request of EA.Radioactive liquid discharges were also included in the site waste BPEO study.RSRL IWS (Issue 5 – October 2012)72
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED252. Key stakeholders involved with radioactive liquid effluent strategy include:• Consignors from RSRL facilities - they have been extensively consulted during thedevelopment of the radioactive liquid effluent strategy for the site• Thames Water - a key recipient of the effluent from the Harwell site who haverecently given approval for the discharge of effluent to the public sewer• Tenants and neighbours - they no longer discharge via RSRL facilities butdischarge directly to Thames Water via the cross-site sewer• EA - has been consulted during the development of strategy and have granted aPermit for discharge of effluent to the public sewer• Local stakeholders in the vicinity of the Sutton Courtenay pipeline - they will beconsulted with respect to the decommissioning of the discharge pipeline.Decommissioning plans have been developed and options studies are under way.253. Research and technology developments of the radioactive liquid effluent strategy includeoption studies and feasibility studies for the replacement active effluent plant and optionstudies for decommissioning the discharge pipeline. It is intended that an initial 700msection from the site to the break tank will be dug up and examined first in order to informstudies and consultation regarding the methodologies to be applied for the lower sections,where there is potentially greater impact on local services and communities.254. Plans to meet the requirements of the National Radioactive Discharge Strategy involvean ongoing programme of effluent minimisation through application of BAT. Effluentvolumes will reduce and eventually stop as facilities cease to operate and decommissioningacross the site progresses and appropriate changes to the treatment processes anddischarge routes will be effected to reflect the changing needs. Following the issue of thenew permit by the EA it is intended that non-treatable effluent will be discharged via thepublic sewer rather than the discharge pipeline once consent has been obtained fromThames Water.255. Figure 8 summarises the strategy for liquid wastes from Harwell:RSRL IWS (Issue 5 – October 2012)73
Page 1:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDRSRL Waste P
Page 4 and 5:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED8. There hav
Page 6 and 7:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDmethods for
Page 8 and 9:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDContents1 EX
Page 10 and 11:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDFiguresFigur
Page 12 and 13:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED2.1 Backgrou
Page 14 and 15:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDWinfrith sit
Page 16 and 17:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDtransfer to
Page 18 and 19:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED3 WASTE MANA
Page 20 and 21:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDFigure 1: Wa
Page 22 and 23: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED67. Effectiv
Page 24 and 25: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED3.1.6 Good P
Page 26 and 27: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDInteractions
Page 28 and 29: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDFigure 5: Th
Page 30 and 31: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED96. PRC 0199
Page 32 and 33: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED103. Technic
Page 34 and 35: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED113. The ter
Page 36 and 37: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDThe procedur
Page 38 and 39: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED4.3.4 Techni
Page 40 and 41: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED4.4.1.1 Harw
Page 42 and 43: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDNDA STRATEGI
Page 44 and 45: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDAssumptionMa
Page 46 and 47: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDThreatPossib
Page 48 and 49: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED4.5.3 Intera
Page 50 and 51: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED(WSSG). The
Page 52 and 53: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED5 OVERVIEW O
Page 54 and 55: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDFuture stora
Page 56 and 57: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED5.2 Winfrith
Page 58 and 59: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDWaste TypeSG
Page 60 and 61: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED• Final Lo
Page 62 and 63: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDILWArising /
Page 64 and 65: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED• RSRL has
Page 66 and 67: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED6.1.2.4 CoRW
Page 68 and 69: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED6.1.3 Low Le
Page 70 and 71: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED241. For cer
Page 74 and 75: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDSurface wate
Page 76 and 77: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDto atmospher
Page 78 and 79: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED6.3.3 Inert
Page 80 and 81: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED6.3.4 Non-Ra
Page 82 and 83: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED7 WINFRITH I
Page 84 and 85: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED304. The bas
Page 86 and 87: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED7.1.3 Low Le
Page 88 and 89: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED321. A forwa
Page 90 and 91: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED7.1.4 Other
Page 92 and 93: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDliquid efflu
Page 94 and 95: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDRadioactiveL
Page 96 and 97: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDwaste are to
Page 98 and 99: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED7.3.4 Non-Ra
Page 100 and 101: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED8 AREAS REQU
Page 102 and 103: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDOpportunityT
Page 104 and 105: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED9 CONCLUSION
Page 106 and 107: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDANNEX LISTAn
Page 108 and 109: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDANNEX 2: AUT
Page 110 and 111: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDANNEX 3: REG
Page 112 and 113: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDOSPAR Conven
Page 114 and 115: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDSite Waste M
Page 116 and 117: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDLegal interp
Page 118 and 119: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDanalysis. If
Page 120 and 121: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDHV-VLLW comp
Page 122 and 123:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDenvironmenta
Page 124:
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDNDANDSNHZNIA
show all

RSRL Integrated Waste Strategy - Issue 5- Oct 2012.pdf

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?