Characterization of transuranic waste is needed to makedecisions about waste site remediation. Soil-gas sampling for xenonisotopes can be used to define the locations of spent fuel andtransuranic wastes. Radioxenon in the subsurface is characteristic oftransuranic waste and can be measured with extreme sensitivity usinglarge-volume soilgas samples. Measurements at the Hanford Site showed133Xe and 135Xe levels indicative of 240Pu spontaneous fission. Stablexenon isotopic ratios from fission are distinct from atmospheric xenonbackground. Neutron capture by 135Xe produces an excess of 136Xe inreactor-produced xenon providing a means of distinguishing spent fuelfrom separated transuranic materials
