Innovative Plutonium Waste Forms: Acceptability to Shipp to WIPP
The mission of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the safe and permanent disposition of transuranic radioactive waste from atomic energy defense activities of the United States. The plant consists of an underground repository in a salt formation that is free of flowing water, easily mined, impermeable, and geologically stable. The salt rock naturally seals fractures and closes openings over time. The repository is now anticipated to receive a greater amount of plutonium materials than originally envisioned. An engineered waste form for safe and efficient transport and long-term disposal of plutonium materials is an urgent need. An optimal waste form could also reduce the disposition life cycle and its associated costs to the taxpayer.