NWP/REP/011Issue 2.1 – Jan 2013Page 2 <strong>of</strong> 58Nati<strong>on</strong>al Programme Office<str<strong>on</strong>g>Strategic</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Guidance</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong><strong>Management</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>LLW</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>ILW</strong>/ <strong>LLW</strong> Cross-Boundary P<strong>on</strong>dFurnitureDocument <strong>Management</strong>Originator:Checker:NameHelen CassidyHannah KozichRoleNati<strong>on</strong>al Programme Implementati<strong>on</strong>ManagerNati<strong>on</strong>al Programme Implementati<strong>on</strong>ManagerApprover: David Rossiter Head <strong>of</strong> Nati<strong>on</strong>al ProgrammeA company owned by UK Nuclear Waste <strong>Management</strong> LtdA company owned by UK Nuclear Waste <strong>Management</strong> LtdNOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
<strong>LLW</strong> Repository LtdNati<strong>on</strong>al Waste ProgrammeNWP/REP/011Issue 2.1 – Jan 2013Page 3 <strong>of</strong> 58Executive SummaryP<strong>on</strong>d furniture, defined as <strong>the</strong> metallic architecture used for <strong>the</strong> storage <strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>ling <strong>of</strong> irradiatedfuel in cooling p<strong>on</strong>ds which has been or is being stored under water, is a ubiquitous waste within<strong>the</strong> Nuclear Decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing Authority (NDA) estate. Decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> fuel cooling p<strong>on</strong>ds willgenerate (retrieve) a significant volume <strong>of</strong> metallic waste. Despite <strong>the</strong> significance <strong>of</strong> thiswastestream, historically <strong>the</strong>re have been limited efforts to analyse detailed informati<strong>on</strong> about <strong>the</strong>characteristics <strong>of</strong> this waste <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> approaches site licence companies (SLCs) are using, orintend to use, for management <strong>of</strong> this waste. The objective <strong>of</strong> this strategic guidance document isto provide a cross-NDA estate compilati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> this data <strong>on</strong> inventory <strong>and</strong> management approachesas a vehicle to support <strong>the</strong> transfer <strong>of</strong> knowledge, best practice, less<strong>on</strong>s learned <strong>and</strong> innovati<strong>on</strong>across <strong>the</strong> NDA estate.An extracti<strong>on</strong>, review <strong>and</strong> refresh <strong>of</strong> data from <strong>the</strong> United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory(UKRWI) 2010 estimates that <strong>the</strong> total volume <strong>of</strong> p<strong>on</strong>d furniture classifiable as low level waste(<strong>LLW</strong>) or intermediate level / low level (<strong>ILW</strong> / <strong>LLW</strong>) cross boundary waste in <strong>the</strong> NDA estate is14315m 3 . This waste inventory is predominantly located at <strong>the</strong> Sellafield site (some 95% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>total volume) <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sists mainly <strong>of</strong> stainless steel. The volume is dominated by <strong>LLW</strong>, albeit thatmuch is expected to be at <strong>the</strong> upper end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>LLW</strong> category. In <strong>the</strong> near term, it is expected that<strong>the</strong> majority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> waste will arise from decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fuel p<strong>on</strong>ds at Research SitesRestorati<strong>on</strong> Ltd (RSRL) Harwell site, <strong>the</strong> Magnox Ltd. sites (Bradwell, Chapelcross, Dungeness A,Oldbury <strong>and</strong> Sizewell A) <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> legacy p<strong>on</strong>d facilities at Sellafield (First Generati<strong>on</strong> MagnoxStorage P<strong>on</strong>d (FGMSP) <strong>and</strong> Pile Fuel Storage P<strong>on</strong>d (PFSP)).Historically, NDA estate SLCs have relied <strong>on</strong> disposal, ei<strong>the</strong>r directly to <strong>the</strong> Low Level WasteRepository (<strong>LLW</strong>R) or else interim storage pending disposal to <strong>the</strong> Geological Disposal Facility(GDF), but <strong>the</strong>re is increasing utilisati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> dec<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> diversi<strong>on</strong> to alternative wasteroutes such as metal melting.Significant efforts have been expended by SLCs (particularly Magnox Ltd.) into <strong>on</strong>going research<strong>and</strong> development (R&D) programmes to identify <strong>and</strong> implement new approaches for management<strong>of</strong> p<strong>on</strong>d furniture. Examples <strong>of</strong> techniques trialled through <strong>the</strong>se R&D programmes include foamdec<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong>, acid dec<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong>, Dec<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong> For Decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing (DFD),Dec<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong> For Decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing Electrochemical I<strong>on</strong> Exchange (DFDX), metal milling <strong>and</strong>nitrocisi<strong>on</strong>.Through review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> routinely used processes for management <strong>of</strong> p<strong>on</strong>d furniture <strong>and</strong> widerdiscussi<strong>on</strong>s with <strong>the</strong> SLCs, a generic decisi<strong>on</strong>-making process to support waste managementopti<strong>on</strong>eering has been developed. This illustrates <strong>the</strong> relati<strong>on</strong>ship between waste managementdecisi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>and</strong> outcomes (using <strong>the</strong> waste management hierarchy), dem<strong>on</strong>strating howcombinati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>of</strong> decisi<strong>on</strong>s can be used to drive to waste management soluti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>of</strong> leastenvir<strong>on</strong>mental detriment. This is intended to inform <strong>and</strong> support <strong>the</strong> detailed opti<strong>on</strong>eeringprocesses used by <strong>the</strong> SLCs.A range <strong>of</strong> issues <strong>and</strong> opportunities have been identified <strong>and</strong> reviewed. <strong>Management</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>seissues, <strong>and</strong> exploitati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> opportunities, provides a mechanism to improve <strong>and</strong> optimise <strong>the</strong>efficacy <strong>of</strong> waste management practices for p<strong>on</strong>d furniture within <strong>the</strong> NDA estate.A company owned by UK Nuclear Waste <strong>Management</strong> LtdNOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
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