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This report presents a summary of description information, facilities, and operating practices at the Nevada Test Site. It is concluded that NTS is not only a feasible location for surface and near-surface storage of low-level wastes, but also a potential site for underground storage of higher level wastes.
The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office initiated the Underground Test Area Activity to characterize the risk posed to human health and the environment as a result of underground nuclear testing activities at the Nevada National Security Site. The UGTA Activity is now administered by the DOE Environmental Management Nevada Program. This document is a revision to NNSA/NSO (2009). The new document and revision number reflect EM Nevada Program as the current UGTA Activity administrator.
The accumulation of municipal solid waste (MSW) continues to rise due to burgeoning population, rapid global urbanization and economic growth, intensifying ecological concerns associated with landfills and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Over the past 2 decades, global waste generation has surged by 50%, with one-third remaining uncollected and about 70% sent to landfills. This review examines the critical role of integrating emerging technologies, such as advanced sensors and artificial intelligence (AI), into end-to-end MSW management to alleviate landfill burdens. The suitability of various AI tools for different stages of MSW management is assessed, alongside the deployment of advanced sensors including hyperspectral cameras, computer vision systems, and internet of things (IoT) devices for material identification. Applications of genetic algorithms and reinforcement learning for optimizing collection routes, reducing costs, and lowering emissions are highlighted. Life cycle assessment (LCA) across all stages of MSW management is also reviewed, along with future trends in leveraging generative AI, natural language processing (NLP), and agent-based AI systems to analyze waste generation patterns and public sentiment. Efficient collection and handling can be enhanced through route optimization with geographic information systems and real-time bin-level monitoring. Furthermore, sensor-embedded, real-time object detection systems paired with robotics enable material characterization and automated sorting, thereby lowering costs and diverting waste from landfills into value-added products for diverse industrial sectors including packaging, chemicals, textiles, metals and glass, transportation, and electronics industries. Without intervention, global waste is projected to reach 4.54 billion tons by 2050, contributing direct economic costs of $\$$400 billion and roughly 2.38 billion tons of CO 2 -equivalent emissions annually. This review demonstrates how AI-driven, end-to-end solutions for MSW management can mitigate economic and environmental challenges, while directly supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development (UNDP) goals related to innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities (SDG 11), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), and climate action (SDG 13).
Herein this study reports a novel approach of resource recovery from co-managing two geographically co-located and chemically complementary wastewaters using a pilot-scale treatment process. Designed to treat flue gas desulfurized (FGD) effluent from combustion powerplants and produced water (PW) from energy industries, the process consists of soda-ash softening, nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). Recovered products are barite, calcite, and low-salinity water. Using field-collected waters, the results show that softening at pH 8.5 produces calcite (yield: 30 kg/m 3 treated water), a chemical used as SO ₂(g) scrubbers. NF treatment under an applied pressure of 3.5 MPa yields a permeate stream laden with monovalent ions (water recovery 60%) and a concentrate stream with a sulfate concentration 1.8 times of the feedwater concentration. Mixing the NF concentrate and PW at a volumetric ratio of 1.0 precipitates a high-density barite material (4.1 g/cm 3 , yield: ~7.5 kg/m 3 mixture) – a critical mineral commonly used as a weighting agent in drilling. The RO treatment recovers >64% water as the permeate, which can be readily used as cooling make-up water at the powerplants. The RO concentrate stream can be further processed in a thermal evaporative system for additional water recovery and brine production.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Dual-sorbent systems are proposed for radioiodine management with a regenerated primary bed for multiple cycles of use in complex conditions and a secondary bed for disposal with higher waste loadings. Sorbent approaches for the effective capture of gaseous radioiodine (isotopes 129 I and 131 I) produced from a range of nuclear processes have been studied for over half a century. (1−5) Whether or not a sorbent (e.g., molecular sieve) is required to physically screen/trap or chemically bind a radionuclide of interest through chemisorption, the complexity of the gas stream has a large impact on the performance (e.g., loading capacity, selectivity) and active life of a sorbent bed. (3) Silver mordenite (AgZ), the U.S. Department of Energy baseline sorbent for radioiodine capture from nuclear processes, performs well within acidic conditions and at elevated temperatures (6) and can be consolidated into a chemically durable waste form for long-term disposal. (7,8) However, new sorbents are being sought because optimal capture performance of AgZ significantly decreases in dynamic oxidizing environments with competing species, and it is expensive and it contains Ag (a toxic metal). (9) Until a new sorbent is found to replace AgZ, the regeneration and reuse of AgZ is an attractive alternative to a single-use primary sorbent bed. In this regard, a primary sorbent could be designed for enhanced capture in complex gas streams and the ability to be regenerated for reuse. Here, a secondary sorbent could then be tailored for maximum iodine loading in the gas stream and chemical durability within a disposal facility.
This paper details a computational framework to produce automated, graphical workflows, and how this framework can be deployed to support complex modeling problems like those in nuclear engineering. Key benefits of the framework include: automating previously manual workflows; intuitive construction and communication of workflows through a graphical interface; and automated file transfer and handling for workflows deployed across heterogeneous computing resources. This paper demonstrates the framework's application to probabilistic post-closure performance assessment of systems for deep geologic disposal of nuclear waste. However, the framework is a general capability that can help users running a variety of computational studies.
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This project focuses on developing an advanced, intensified anaerobic digestion system aimed at transforming the treatment and conversion of organic wastes into valuable products, specifically renewable natural gas. The motivation for this research stems from the limitations of conventional anaerobic digestion technologies, which often face challenges such as long retention times, high operational costs, and incomplete organic material degradation. The new technology called Intensified Versatile Anaerobic Digestion (IVAD), is developed to address these challenges by incorporating innovative reactors and processes that enhance the overall efficiency and output of anaerobic digestion. The significance of this project lies in its potential to revolutionize waste management practices and waste biomass utilization. The IVAD system integrates a hyperthermophilic anaerobic acidification reactor, a hydrothermal treatment (HTT) unit, and both thermophilic and mesophilic methanogenic reactors. This combination enables a higher rate of organic breakdown and energy recovery, resulting in faster processing times, reduced reactor sizes, and lower operational costs compared to traditional systems. Key data include an increase in methane productivity to 1.18 m 3 /m 3 /day, a significant improvement compared to the baseline technology’s 0.64 m 3 /m 3 /day. Additionally, the IVAD system achieves a 45% reduction in levelized cost of energy (LCOE), down to $\$$10.04/MMBTU, and an energy return on investment (EROI) of 3.19, representing an 87% increase over baseline levels. Technical and economic analyses highlight that the IVAD system significantly reduces hydraulic retention time (HRT) and solid retention time (SRT). The HRT for the HTT reactor can be reduced from 1 hour to 0.5 hours, while decoupling SRT from HRT in the anaerobic acidification reactor (AAR) allows for further reductions. These design optimizations lead to smaller reactor volumes, cutting down equipment and construction costs. Despite these advancements, energy consumption remains comparable to conventional methods due to a novel heat recovery strategy, enhancing overall process productivity. The system also achieves in-situ CO 2 removal and ammonia stripping features, resulting in biogas with a methane purity level of 75%, and produces high-quality nitrogen fertilizer as an additional by-product. Public benefits of the IVAD system are substantial, contributing to sustainable waste management and renewable energy production. By providing a scalable solution that can be adopted by dairy farms and similar agricultural operations, the IVAD system helps reduce waste, produce renewable natural gas (RNG) suitable for transportation fuel, and generate fertilizer, supporting a circular economy. This project plays a role in achieving broader environmental objectives by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and promoting energy independence. Additionally, it offers a pathway for farmers to lower operational costs while adopting practices that are both environmentally sustainable and economically advantageous.
A key parameter in analyzing the performance of an integrated waste management system (IWMS) architecture for the disposition of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is the SNF receipt rate from reactor and other custodian sites. The introduction of one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) into the IWMS architecture can enable the receipt rate profile as a function of time to be accelerated relative to system architectures without a CISF. The question then arises as to what an optimal SNF receipt rate profile for an IWMS architecture might be in view of practical constraints and desired system performance attributes and associated metrics. This paper describes a sensitivity study on SNF receipt rates and the associated results for a selected set of IWMS scenarios aimed an in-forming near-term planning for interim storage capabilities and transportation assets. Two different strategies are compared, one that fills an initial CISF quickly and then idles the transportation system while a disposal system is prepared, and a second strategy that aims to provide a more continuous use of transportation assets and receipt capabilities at the IWMS while the disposal system is readied for SNF receipt. Cost considerations and other factors such as impact on timing of clearing reactor sites of SNF, efficient use of capital assets, and other metrics, including those which may be important to a CISF host community, are examined. Based on the analysis, an initial approach is presented targeting a continuous receipt strategy while having the flexibility to step up receipt capabilities to a reasonable degree when needed and beneficial within overall system constraints.
Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT), also known as unit pricing or variable rate pricing, is a solid waste management system where customers pay for waste collection based on the volume or weight of waste they discard. By linking costs directly to waste generation, PAYT encourages customers to reduce waste through recycling, composting, and source reduction. This approach could support key waste management goals such as waste reduction, increased recycling, and controlling disposal costs. PAYT programs are flexible and can be customized to community needs. When implemented effectively, PAYT may also generate dedicated funding for waste services, enhancing program sustainability and stability.
The US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Office of Spent Fuel and High-Level Waste Disposition is examining a set of system options and conducting supporting analyses to inform the development of an integrated waste management system, which may include one or more federal staging facilities (FSFs) for used nuclear fuel (UNF ) sited using a collaborative siting process. This paper focuses on the ongoing activities in two systems engineering and analysis work areas: (1) data and tools development, validation, and maintenance and (2) systems engineering execution. Within the first work area, the STANDARDS 5.0 UNF data and analysis tool, formerly known as UNF-ST&DARDS, is being developed as a foundational resource to assist in the management of UNF data. It has the key capability to model UNF throughout the entire back end of the fuel cycle. STANDARDS also includes several compatible analysis tools for the time-dependent characterization of UNF and related systems by interfacing with the SCALE code system for nuclear analysis and COBRA-SFS for thermal analysis. Also, within the data and tools area is the Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM), which is an agent-based simulation software tool expressly designed to be capable of modeling the waste management system, including the transportation of UNF to and from a FSF. NGSAM has been developed to enable informed decision-making by providing the capability to analyze various potential system options for the management of UNF and high-level radioactive waste. Finally, in the systems engineering execution area, the team has begun to apply a disciplined systems engineering approach at the system level along with supporting analysis to guide the development of the FSF project requirements (including associated transportation infrastructure). Systems engineering principles and practices and their adaptation/application to design and development activities will ensure that the waste management system is effectively implemented as work proceeds. Other activities include investigating the implications of changes in various assumptions and parameters related to waste management systems, such as UNF acceptance rates, receipt logic, facility capacities and capabilities, use of standardized canisters, and different assumed facility operation start dates. Keywords: federal staging facility (FSF), used nuclear fuel (UNF), integrated waste management (IWM) system, Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM), STANDARDS, systems engineering
Waste-to-Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) offers a promising solution to alleviating waste management challenges by converting waste into renewable fuels. Here, this process can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as demonstrated through a comprehensive life cycle analysis. Biogas upgrading is essential to enhance the methane concentration, though it could be energy-intensive and susceptible to methane slippage. Four commonly adopted biogas upgrading technologies, including pressure swing adsorption, membrane separation, chemical absorption, and water scrubbing, are considered. Our study evaluates the life cycle GHG emissions of RNG production from major sources of waste in the U.S. including wastewater sludge, food waste, landfill gas, dairy cow manure, and swine manure. Meta-analysis was conducted to assess methane slippage and energy consumption of biogas upgrading and associated GHG emissions, while accounting for potential avoided emissions from conventional waste management, which vary widely (ranging from −481.0 to 101.8 g CO 2 -eq/MJ). Under default upstream assumptions, representative carbon intensity of RNG varies from about −125 g of CO 2 -eq/MJ (dairy cow manure) to about 41 g of CO 2 -eq/MJ (wastewater sludge). We also explored RNG applications in producing hydrogen, ammonia, and compressed/liquefied forms. These findings highlight the potential of RNG and RNG-derived fuels to reduce GHG emissions and bolster the U.S. energy supply.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires the performance assessment (PA) (Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office [DOE-ID] 2018a), composite analysis (CA) (DOE-ID 2012), and CA addendum (DOE-ID 2018b) for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste (RHLLW) Disposal Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site shall be maintained to evaluate changes that could affect the performance, design, and operating basis for the facility (DOE Manual 435.1-1 Change 3, “Radioactive Waste Management Manual,” Section IV.P. [4]). The RHLLW Disposal Facility became operational in September 2018 after the completion of operational readiness activities required by DOE Order 425.1D, “Verification of Readiness to Start Up or Restart Nuclear Facilities,” and the issuance of the startup authorization by the Startup Approval Authority (Boston 2018). The first waste disposals at the RHLLW Disposal Facility began in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, no significant operational changes or other activities occurred that would cause deviation from the assumptions in the PA and CA pertaining to disposal geometry, verification of waste characteristics, tracking disposal inventories against total limits, facility closure design, or institutional controls. This FY 2025 annual summary report (ASR) documents the continued adequacy of the PA, CA, operating disposal authorization statement (ODAS) (ODAS 2018), ODAS technical-basis documents, and the radioactive waste management basis (RWMB) (INL 2024a) to meet DOE Order 435.1, “Radioactive Waste Management,” performance objectives for the RHLLW Disposal Facility. Annual review of the adequacy of the PA and CA at the RHLLW Disposal Facility ensures that conclusions of the analyses remain valid in accordance with requirements of DOE Order 435.1.
The question of whether centralized storage of civilian spent nuclear fuel (SNF) should be part of the federal waste management system as an intermediate step before permanent disposal has been debated for more than four decades. Since the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) (U.S. House of Representatives 1982) was enacted, the need for interim storage facilities (ISFs) as part of the federal waste management system has been analyzed and documented in numerous reports and studies. This paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages as described in those reports of incorporating an ISF into the waste management system.