Document: NUREG-0800
Document ID: dde3601f-5c9c-402e-b23c-8b7adb773461
Document Type: srp
Title: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS1
Source: NUREG-0800
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0520/ML052070611.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 11
Section ID: 11.4
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
ration of a nuclear power plant, radioactive materials are generated in the form of "wet" and "dry" wastes. Wet wastes, including spent bed resins, filter sludge, spent powdered resins, evaporator and reverse osmosis concentrates, and spent cartridge filter elements, normally result as byproducts from liquid processing systems. Dry wastes, including activated charcoal, HEPA filters, rags, paper, and clothing, normally result as byproducts from ventilation air and gaseous waste processing systems and maintenance and refueling operations. Wet and dry wastes will require processing in appropriate portions of the solid waste management system prior to shipment offsite for disposal. Compressible dry wastes such as contaminated rags, paper and clothing normally undergo a compaction process to reduce the volume of waste shipped offsite. Special provisions are needed to assure that contaminated airborne dusts are not released to the process area during compaction. Liquid wet wastes such as evaporator and reverse osmosis concentrates are solidified (i.e., combined with a suitable binder) prior to shipping, to render the waste immobile and thereby mitigate the consequences of potential ruptures to shipping containers. Other wet wastes such as spent bead and powdered resins, and filter sludges, are either solidified or dewatered prior to shipping. Spent cartridge filter elements are packaged with suitable absorbers in shielded containers, or solidified, prior to shipping. Although there are a number of processes available which are capable of solidifying wet wastes under controlled conditions, there is a potential for free liquids to remain in containers 1 following solidification with the widely varying chemical species encountered during power plant operations. Based on the NRC staff's judgment, it is necessary that vendors and operators implement certain measures to (1) establish process parameters within which systems must be operated to obtain complete solidification, (2)