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At least 235 records · Page 13

October 2024 Semiannual Composite Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) Decontaminated Salt Solution (DSS) Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) Results

The aqueous waste from the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) is sampled semiannually for transfers to the Saltstone Production Facility (SPF). Salt solution is treated at SPF and disposed of in the Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF). Per request of customer, X-TTR-Z-00027, Revision 0, one SDF waste form (saltstone) sample was prepared in the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) from the SWPF Decontaminated Salt Solution (DSS) Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) sample and Z-area premix material for the October 2024 semiannual Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) sample. The sample contained 60:40 (by weight) of slag and fly ash (referred to as the “Cement-Free grout sample”). Results from the technical report support Task 2: ‘Grout Leaching Analyses’ of the Task Technical Request (TTR) prepared by Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC). At 64 days cured, a sample of the SDF waste form was collected and shipped to a certified laboratory for analysis using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The October 2024 semiannual Cement-Free grout sample met the South Carolina (SC) Code of Regulations for Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (HWMR) 61-79.261.24 and 61-79.268.48 requirements for a non-hazardous waste form with respect to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals and Underlying Hazardous Constituents (UHCs), and met the SPF WAC that was in effect at the time of the sample collection at SWPF.

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FY25 Task 5: Small-Scale Mixing

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site has 177 underground storage tanks that contain a complex and diverse mix of chemical and radioactive wastes from past nuclear fuel reprocessing and waste management operations. The strategy of the DOE Hanford Field Office is to retrieve this waste, ~20 vol% of which is in the form of insoluble undissolved solids (UDS) or sludge, and treat it via immobilization at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The diverse properties and characteristics of Hanford tank waste lead to major challenges related to its transport from the underground tanks to the WTP. These challenges, however, can be addressed by investigating the behavior of tank waste samples and simulant materials and evaluating their behavior against the capabilities of mixing and transport system designs that may be incorporated to retrieve and treat the waste.

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2023 Annual Site Environmental Report for Sandia National Laboratories, Kaua‘i Test Facility, Hawai‘i

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at the Sandia National Laboratories Kaua‘i Test Facility in Hawai‘i. Activities at the site are conducted in support of U.S. Department of Energy weapons programs, and the site has operated as a rocket preparation launching and tracking facility since 1962. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding the environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, Kaua‘i Test Facility, during calendar year 2023. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, meteorology, ecology, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, wastewater discharge, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and has been approved for public distribution.

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Importance of biological systems in industrial waste treatment potential application to the space station

In addition to having applications for waste management issues on planet Earth, microbial systems have application in reducing waste volumes aboard spacecraft. A candidate for such an application is the space station. Many of the planned experiments generate aqueous waste. To recycle air and water the contaminants from previous experiments must be removed before the air and water can be used for other experiments. This can be achieved using microorganisms in a bioreactor. Potential bioreactors (inorganics, organics, and etchants) are discussed. Current technologies that may be applied to waste treatment are described. Examples of how biological systems may be used in treating waste on the space station.

Revis, Nathaniel↗

Kennedy Space Center Press Site (SWMU 074) Interim Measure Report

This report summarizes the Interim Measure (IM) activities conducted at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Press Site ("the Press Site"). This facility has been designated as Solid Waste Management Unit 074 under KSC's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action program. The activities were completed as part of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) Area Land Use Controls Implementation Plan (LUCIP) Elimination Project. The purpose of the VAB Area LUCIP Elimination Project was to delineate and remove soil affected with constituents of concern (COCs) that historically resulted in Land Use Controls (LUCs). The goal of the project was to eliminate the LUCs on soil. LUCs for groundwater were not addressed as part of the project and are not discussed in this report. This report is intended to meet the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Corrective Action Management Plan requirement as part of the KSC Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments permit and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) self-implementing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) cleanup requirements of 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 761.61(a).

Measures↗

Compliance of NNSS Activities with P322-4 Issues Management and NNSSWAC Requirements

The Institutional Quality and Performance Assurance Division's Quality Support Services Group conducted a surveillance of the compliance of Waste Management Program activities to Issues Management/Corrective Action requirements communicated in P322-4 and the Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance criteria (NNSSWAC). All corrective actions reviewed and records examined were found to be compliant with appropriate and relevant procedures. There were no Findings or Opportunities for Improvement noted.

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An analysis of the technical status of high level radioactive waste and spent fuel management systems

The technical status of the old U.S. mailine program for high level radioactive nuclear waste management, and the newly-developing program for disposal of unreprocessed spent fuel was assessed. The method of long term containment for both of these waste forms is considered to be deep geologic isolation in bedded salt. Each major component of both waste management systems is analyzed in terms of its scientific feasibility, technical achievability and engineering achievability. The resulting matrix leads to a systematic identification of major unresolved technical or scientific questions and/or gaps in these programs.

English, T.↗

2023 Annual Site Environmental Report for Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range. Activities at the site are conducted in support of U.S. Department of Energy weapons programs and have operated at the site since 1957. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding the environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range during calendar year 2023. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, wastewater discharge, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and has been approved for public distribution.

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2023 Annual Site Environmental Report for Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico. Activities at the site support research and development programs with a wide variety of national security missions, resulting in technologies for nonproliferation, homeland security, energy and infrastructure, and defense systems and assessments. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding the environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, during calendar year 2023. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and has been approved for public distribution.

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Generation rates and chemical compositions of waste streams in a typical crewed space habitat

A judicious compilation of generation rates and chemical compositions of potential waste feed streams in a typical crewed space habitat was made in connection with the waste-management aspect of NASA's Physical/Chemical Closed-Loop Life Support Program. Waste composition definitions are needed for the design of waste-processing technologies involved in closing major life support functions in future long-duration human space missions. Tables of data for the constituents and chemical formulas of the following waste streams are presented and discussed: human urine, feces, hygiene (laundry and shower) water, cleansing agents, trash, humidity condensate, dried sweat, and trace contaminants. Tables of data on dust generation and pH values of the different waste streams are also presented and discussed.

Wydeven, Theodore↗

Waste streams in a crewed space habitat

A judicious compilation of generation rates and chemical compositions of potential waste feed streams in a typical crewed space habitat was made in connection with the waste-management aspect of NASA's Physical/Chemical Closed-Loop Life Support Program. Waste composition definitions are needed for the design of waste-processing technologies involved in closing major life support functions in future long-duration human space missions. Tables of data for the constituents and chemical formulas of the following waste streams are presented and discussed: human urine, feces, hygiene (laundry and shower) water, cleansing agents, trash, humidity condensate, dried sweat, and trace contaminants. Tables of data on dust generation and pH values of the different waste streams are also presented and discussed.

Wydeven, T.↗

Technologies for ECLSS Evolution

Viewgraphs and discussion on technologies for Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) evolution are presented. Topics covered include: atmosphere revitalization including CO2 removal, CO2 reduction, O2 generation, and trace contaminant control; water recovery and management including urine processing, hygiene water processing, and potable water processing; and waste management. ECLSS technology schematics, process diagrams, and fluid interfaces are included.

Diamant, Bryce L.↗

Structure–property relations of sodium iron phosphate nuclear waste glasses: Effects of iron redox ratio and glass composition

Iron phosphate glasses, known for their exceptional chemical durability and potential applicability in nuclear waste management, have gained significant attention over the years. The structures of these glasses are complicated by the coexistence of Fe 3+ and Fe 2+ , which plays a crucial role in determining their structures and properties. Here, this work uses molecular dynamics simulations to study the structural changes in Na 2 O–Fe 2 O 3 –P 2 O 5 glasses with varying glass composition and Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox ratio. It was found that the redox ratio and modifier contents significantly affected the short-range and medium-range orders in the glasses. Significant changes in the local environments around P 5+ and Fe 3+ were observed, as reflected by the bond distances and coordination numbers. Na + cations are found to preferentially associate with Fe 3+ (rather than Fe 2+ ), whereas Fe 2+ has stronger association with P 5+ than Na + , confirming the structural role of Fe 2+ as a glass modifier. The disruptions in P–O–P linkages upon increasing FeO suggest that FeO causes glass depolymerization. These glasses achieved higher connectivity with increasing Fe 3+ / (Fe 3+ + Fe 2+ ) ratios, conerting phosphorous Q 2 to Q 3 units and iron Q 5 units to Q 4 units. The decrease of nonbridging oxygen fractions with increasing Fe 3+ / (Fe 3+ + Fe 2+ ) ratios, through creating P–O–Fe linkages, is the main reason of enhanced network connectivity. Quantitative structure–property relationship analyses with different structural descriptors were used to correlate with measured properties. The analyses provided valuable insights into structure–property relationships, emphasizing the importance of choosing relevant energy parameters and defining glass network connectivity, particularly in F net descriptors. It was found the Fe–O–P linkage density exhibits strong correlations to measured dissolution rates, supporting the importance of these linkages in improving the chemical durability in iron phosphate glasses.

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Characterization of Precipitate Reactor Feed Tank (PRFT) Batches 15, 22, and 26 from the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF)

The Savannah River Site (SRS) Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) processes a Monosodium Titanate/Sludge Solids (MST/SS) waste stream received from the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) via the Precipitate Reactor Feed Tank (PRFT). During processing, DWPF is required to provide evidence of compliance with the Waste Acceptance Product Specifications (WAPS) to ensure acceptance of their vitrified high-level waste (HLW) into the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System. Production Records must document the constituents of the MST/SS material in the PRFT from each salt batch (StB) processed at SWPF. Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) has requested Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to analyze PRFT samples representing each SWPF salt batch for thirty-two radionuclides. Additionally, elemental analysis of PRFT slurry and MST/SS solids was performed to aid SRMC in further refinement of the inputs and assumptions used in future frit development and Material Tracking Program calculations. The analyses of PRFT Batches 15, 22, and 26, which corresponds to material from the processing of StB4, StB5, and StB7, respectively, are reported herein. The unwashed dried solids of the PRFT batches were found to be 86-87% MST. Additionally, the total sulfur values are well below the assumed 982 mg of sulfate/kg of PRFT slurry used in Material Tracking Program calculations.

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Hanford Composite Analysis Special Studies FY2025 - Groundwater Flow Simulation for use in a Comparison of Simulated Concentrations in the Saturated Zone Estimated by the Plateau-to-River Model Versions 8.3 and 9.1

In order to meet the requirements of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in DOE O 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, a composite analysis (CA) must be completed for the Central Plateau at the Hanford Site. The CA requires estimates of fate and transport of radionuclides in the groundwater from multiple sources within the modeling domain. This Environmental Calculation File (ECF) details the application of the Plateau-to-River (P2R) Model (CP-57037, Rev. 3, Model Package Report for the P2R Model: Version 9.1) to predict the flow of groundwater on the Central Plateau for the 10,000-year simulation to support a special analysis associated with the Hanford Site CA. The simulated flow field will support the simulation of fate and transport of contaminants for comparison to the results obtained as part of the CA to evaluate impact of the updated version of the P2R Model.

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Affinity of LDR Organics to Cementitious Materials and Activated Carbon

The Hanford site stores approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste in underground storage tanks. The current low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification facility does not have the capacity to immobilize all of the LAW. Therefore, cementitious waste forms are being evaluated as a cost-effective supplemental waste treatment, focusing on the solidification/immobilization of Land Disposal Restricted (LDR) organics, which is currently not recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a standard treatment method (40 CFR 268.42). Previous efforts by the EPA and waste management agencies have highlighted the potential for cementitious materials to retain certain organic species through physical (encapsulation) and chemical (sorption) interactions.

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Humate Amendment Injection Viability Testing – Supplementary Batch Mixture and Soil Column Studies

Groundwater in the Lost Lake Aquifer Zone (LLAZ) in the Southern Sector of the M-Area Hazardous Waste management Facility (HWMF) is contaminated with chlorinated ethenes, including trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). Treatment of contaminated groundwater with humic acid is being evaluated as a potential corrective action for these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the LLAZ in Southern Sector (SRNS, 2019). Pilot scale injections of Huma-K brand humic acid for groundwater treatment were previously performed in M-Area between 2017 and 2020 (Amidon, 2023). Groundwater was extracted from the Lost Lake Aquifer Zone (LLAZ), then a solution of humate was mixed with recovered groundwater and subsequently re-injected into the same aquifer unit. Operations of the historical humate pilot testing were discontinued in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, low injection rates, and recirculation fluid spillage. No further field scale or laboratory research to investigate humate amended groundwater injection was performed at the SRS until 2024. At the request of Area Completion Projects (ACP), the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performed supplementary testing to help determine the viability of further injection of humate as a remedial option for VOCs within the LLAZ in the Southern Sector of the M-Area HWMF.

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In-Tank Processing Using Low Temperature Aluminum Dissolution: Year 1 Progress Report

The Hanford Site stores approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive legacy defense waste in underground tanks. This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing in-tank low-temperature aluminum dissolution to favorably alter the transport properties of aluminum-rich southeast quadrant waste sludges, thereby de-risking sludge delivery for Direct Feed of High-Level Waste. Specifically, this study aims to assess the rate and extent of gibbsite dissolution under various conditions, including different particle sizes (~10 to 90 µm), NaOH concentrations (1 to 6 M), and the presence of specific analytes such as NO 2 - , NO 3 - , and other aluminum-rich waste background analytes, using simulated waste solids and liquids. Experimental tests were designed to highlight the impact of aluminum leaching on simulated waste transport properties, quantified by the just-suspended mixing speed (NJS), and were conducted under well-mixed, turbulent conditions, ensuring full suspension of gibbsite particles using an overhead mixer. The results suggest that the presence of NO 2 - and NO 3 - , in conjunction with leaching at relatively low free hydroxide contents, improved transport requirements (i.e., lowered NJS) for pure gibbsite slurries. These findings will inform the design of potential in-tank processing systems, optimizing aluminum dissolution for improved waste management in the Hanford Tank Farms.

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