SIMPLIFYING
THE RADWASTE
Analytics & Disposal PROCESS
ANNOUNCING:
DWJC provides cost effective technical training for:
- Integrated Shipping & Inventory Program (ISIP)
- 49 CFR Compliance
* HAZMAT Awareness
* Position Specific Training
* Radioactive Materials Shipper Certification
- Advanced Waste Characterization Training to Reduce Disposal Costs
* Developing a Statistical Basis for Scaling Factors with SCAN
* Radioactive Waste Management Program Development
* Using Reactor Chemistry for Radioactive Waste Management with 3R_SCAN
Providing your staff with this training will aid your utility in reducing overall disposal costs by removing overly conservative assumptions common in other waste classification methods and provide more defendable regulatory paperwork. You can trust our knowledge on these topics since we wrote much of the original research (you may have seen some of our work published with EPRI and the NRC).
Click here to learn more about training dates and descriptions.
The Cost of (In-) Accurate Waste Characterization in the U.S. Nuclear Power Industry
written by: Thomas Kalinowski & David James
Abstract:
Proper disposal of waste has never been a human priority. Our history is full of examples of throwing away things with minimal effort or thought to consequence. That is until disease or toxicity become apparent and we realize we need to change. Unfortunately, we almost never have all the information we need at the time we make decisions. In addition to the technical and scientific issues, profits and politics are also factors. Newton's third law also applies to politics and so for every policy (action) put in place, there will be (opposite reaction) forces in play to push back against it. These forces are seldom balanced and so the reaction to the discovery of harm is to over-correct and destroy the benefit to be had. This of course causes those who want the benefit, or profit from it, to work to undermine or repeal those measures put in place to eliminate the harm. The issue is exacerbated when the problem to be solved is highly technical and at the edge of our science so that the harm and benefit cannot be easily or accurately quantified. At these times, reason often goes out the window and our decision makers are influenced by either greed or fear as these emotions are much easier to stoke. Those of us in the middle, with the charge to "do the right thing for the least cost", are therefore frequently constrained and forced into actions that are neither technically the right thing to do and not cost effective.
The cost of radioactive waste disposal is based on the concentrations of various radioisotopes in the waste. Some of these isotopes are relatively easy to quantify and some are not. Most laboratory methods for quantification are limited in the amount of activity that can be present during the measurement process. Current nuclear plants were not designed with the idea that taking truly representative waste samples would be important. The limits used to define waste class and therefore cost are precisely defined but the methods for determining those concentrations are far less precise. Improving the accuracy of radioactivity concentrations in waste and having consistent and reasonable oversight can reduce waste costs through active management of the process.
So what can we do about it? Science may provide an answer.
To read the full paper please email support@dwjames.com to get a copy.
About Us: DW James Consulting specializes in simplifying the radwaste characterization and disposal process, saving our clients money and time. We specialize in characterization without over classification, MCNP shielding analyses for transportation, radwaste package plans, and software.
If you have a complex radwaste issue, we are the team to help you solve it.
Let's schedule a time to talk about your unique radwaste needs. Email us at support@dwjames.com or call us at (651) 482-7556.