Materials used in low-level liquid waste reprocessing/treatment studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The importance of effective waste management in the nuclear fuel cycle cannot be overestimated. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), development work in waste reprocessing and treatment includes the testing and use of various additives for the purpose of facilitating adherence to both process and regulatory performance criteria. Three waste reprocessing/treatment technologies and the associated materials are discussed in this paper: (1) suspension and transfer of sludge from waste storage tanks; (2) treatment to render a waste in compliance with regulatory requirements; and (3) fluoride-rich waste reprocessing. 7 refs., 3 figs

Quality assurance consideration for cement-based grout technology programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed and is continuing to refine a method of immobilizing low-level radioactive liquid wastes by mixing them with cementitious dry-solid blends. A quality assurance program is vital to the project because Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state environmental regulations must be demonstrably met (the work must be defensible in a court of law). The end result of quality assurance (QA) is, by definition, a product of demonstrable quality. In the laboratory, this entails traceability, repeatability, and credibility. This paper describes the application of QA in grout technology development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory