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

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED7.1.2 Intermediate Level Waste298. The Government has announced its agreement to the conclusions of CoRWM's workrecommending geological disposal for the longer term management of UK's higher activitywaste. NDA has been given responsibility for developing and ensuring delivery andimplementation of the programmes for interim storage and implementing geologicaldisposal. RSRL strategies for ILW assume interim storage until geological disposalbecomes available. NDA's work on interim storage could change the interim storageassumptions in future.7.1.2.1 Concrete Lined Drums299. There are 7 ILW legacy Concrete Lined Drums (CLDs) stored in two HHISO containersin SGHWR. They will be processed through the SGHWR ILW Processing Plant and groutedinto RCBs prior to transfer to Harwell for long-term storage in the Harwell ILW store pendingdisposal to the GDF. All LLW concrete lined drums have been consigned to LLWR.7.1.2.2 Decommissioning ILW300. ILW will be generated during the decommissioning of the Dragon and SGHWRReactors. Appropriate facilities will be constructed for the removal, process and packagingof the ILW. Where possible, ILW will be decontaminated to allow it to be treated as LLW,but where this is not possible the ILW will be grouted in Robust Concrete Boxes within ashielded facility constructed in the Dragon Complex for Dragon wastes and within a shieldedfacility constructed within the SGHWR secondary containment for SGHWR wastes. TheRCBs will subsequently be transferred to Harwell for long-term storage in the Harwell ILWstore pending transfer to the GDF.301. There are also various items of operational ILW held within the SGHWR primarycontainment which it is proposed to process at the same time as decommissioning. Theseinclude seven historic waste containers stored in the under-core area containing a variety ofitems of high end LLW that are expected to be managed as CHILW or be categorised andmanaged as LLW following a suitable decay period. 10 stainless steel cans containing fuelrod ancillary items and pond waste currently stored within the reactor calandria andmortuary holes will be packaged with the reactor decommissioning ILW.7.1.2.3 Other ILWNuclear Material302. The following nuclear materials currently reside on the Winfrith site:• 57 tonnes natural uranium• 8 tonnes depleted uranium• 8kg thoria• 11 tonnes thorium.303. The natural and depleted uranium is contained in HHISO containers and stored in theTRS where it will continue to be monitored whilst options for its use are explored includingreturning it to the civil nuclear fuel cycle. The baseline strategy is to package and grout theuranium into RCBs at the end of SGHWR ILW processing and transfer it to Harwell for longtermstorage in the Harwell ILW store pending the availability of the GDF.RSRL IWS (Issue 5 – October 2012)83