Virginia Administrative Code › Title 12 - HEALTH › Agency 5 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Chapter 481 - VIRGINIA RADIATION PROTECTION REGULATIONS › Part XI - Licensing Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste › Article 4 - Technical Requirements for Land Disposal Facilities › Section 12VAC5-481-2550 - Land disposal facility operation and disposal site closure

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
Near-surface disposal facility operation and disposal
						site closure.
1. Wastes designated as
					 Class A pursuant to these regulations shall be segregated from other wastes by
					 placing in disposal units which are sufficiently separated from disposal units
					 for the other waste classes so that any interaction between Class A wastes and
					 other wastes will not result in the failure to meet the performance objectives
					 of this part. This segregation is not necessary for Class A wastes if they meet
					 the stability requirements of these regulations.
2. Wastes designated as Class C pursuant to
					 these regulations shall be disposed of so that the top of the waste is a
					 minimum of 5 meters below the top surface of the cover or must be disposed of
					 with intruder barriers that are designed to protect against an inadvertent
					 intrusion for at least 500 years.
3. Except as provided in subdivision 12 of
					 this subsection, only waste classified as Class A, B, or C shall be acceptable
					 for near-surface disposal. All waste shall be disposed of in accordance with
					 requirements of 4 through 11 of this subsection.
4. Wastes shall be emplaced in a manner that
					 maintains the package integrity during emplacement, minimizes the void spaces
					 between packages, and permits the void spaces to be filled.
5. Void spaces between waste packages shall
					 be filled with earth or other material to reduce future subsidence within the
					 fill.
6. Waste shall be placed and
					 covered in a manner that limits the radiation dose rate at the surface of the
					 cover to levels that at a minimum will permit the licensee to comply with all
					 provisions of
					 12VAC5-481-640 at the time the
					 license is transferred pursuant to
					 12VAC5-481-2460.
7. The boundaries and locations of each
					 disposal unit shall be accurately located and mapped by means of a land survey.
					 Near-surface disposal units shall be marked in such a way that the boundaries
					 of each unit can be easily defined. Three permanent survey marker control
					 points, referenced to United States Geological Survey (USGS) or National
					 Geodetic Survey (NGS) survey control stations, shall be established on the site
					 to facilitate surveys. The USGS or NGS control stations shall provide
					 horizontal and vertical controls as checked against USGS or NGS record
					 files.
8. A buffer zone of land
					 shall be maintained between any buried waste and the disposal site boundary and
					 beneath the disposed waste. The buffer zone shall be of adequate dimensions to
					 carry out environmental monitoring activities specified in
					 12VAC5-481-2560 C and take
					 mitigative measures if needed.
9.
					 Closure and stabilization measures as set forth in the approved site closure
					 plan shall be carried out as each disposal unit is filled and
					 covered.
10. Active waste disposal
					 operations shall not have an adverse effect on completed closure and
					 stabilization measures.
11. Only
					 wastes containing or contaminated with radioactive material shall be disposed
					 of at the disposal site.
12.
					 Proposals for disposal of waste that is not generally acceptable for
					 near-surface disposal because the waste form and disposal methods must be
					 different and, in general, more stringent than those specified for Class C
					 waste, may be submitted to the agency for approval.
Statutory Authority
§ 32.1-229 of the Code of Virginia.