FRENCH VERY LOW LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY

JL TISON ANDRA International Branch

WHAT ARE VERY LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE ?

In the French context, Radioactive waste the level of activity of which is sufficiently low so that they do not require to be conditioned as waste that are delivered to Centre de lAube facility

Nuclear waste from Basic Nuclear Installations ==> Waste zoning in nuclear facilities

WASTE ZONING IN NUCLEAR FACILITIES

Framework : order of 31th of December 1999

2 categories of waste may be generated in nuclear facilities : - conventional waste in parts of the facility where no contamination or activation has ever been made possible - nuclear waste in parts of the facility where contamination or activation are possible === > A waste zoning to be implemented

FRENCH REGULATION FOR NUCLEAR FACILITIES areas where there is no possibility of contamination or activation WASTE ZONING Conventional waste

Nuclear waste

areas in which waste are or may be contaminated or activated

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN NUCLEAR FACILITIES

Conventional waste - authorised repositories for waste delivered by nuclear facilities - ICPE 2799

Nuclear waste - Dedicated facility - depending of characteristics of waste to be managed - VLL,LILSL repositories

Classification of Radioactive Waste Intended for Disposal

Short-lived Rn Long-lived Rn

Very low level Low level Intermediate level High level

Waste from dismantling operations Centre de Morvilliers Centre de Morvilliers (waste from dismantling operations) Operating waste from NPPs Centre Aube
+ Centre MANCHE

Graphite, radiumbearing waste Studies stage

Waste from reprocessing plants

Disposal site to be commissioned in 2025

VERY LOW LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY DESIGN

Cross section of a disposal cell

Clay

Sand

Inspection hole Membrane Clay Membrane

Waste

An institutional control period of 30 years

MORVILLIERS VERY LOW LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY

Start up : in July 2003 Area : Capacity : Pu239 : Cs135 : Sr90 : C14 : Ag108 : 45 ha 650,000 m3 1,2 TBq 1,8 TBq 37 TBq 1,9 TBq 3,8 GBq

Total average activity less than 10 bq/g (after 7 years of operations)

Waste conditionning prior to disposal Stabilisation facility

DESIGN DATA Forecast inventory

hazardous waste to be stablised 0,1% metallic waste to be grouted 12% Inert waste 52%

Solidification facility

sludge to be solidified 1% non metallic waste to be compacted 3% metallic waste to metallic waste be compacted 26% 6%

Compaction facility Compaction facility

A design for 30 years of operation 650,000 m3 to be disposed

MORVILLIERS VERY LOW LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY

MORVILLIERS VERY LOW LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY

MORVILLIERS SITE

MORVILLIERS VERY LOW LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY

REMOVABLE BUILDINGS

OPERATION

October 2003 : first deliveries End of October 2004 : deliveries = 14,300 m3

DISPOSAL CELL CLOSURE

WATER TRANSFER SCENARIOS

Clay capping Waste Clay layer Critical group

Water table level

River

Aptian clay Barremian silts Barremian marns

Radiological impact Chemical impact <0,1 Sv/yr stochastic effects additional probability < 5.5.10-9 systemic effects danger ratio < 1.2.10-5 Other altered considered were considered : well near the facility bath tub effect

Radiological capacity of the repository

VERY LOW LEVEL WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA A new approach for radiological criteria
An overall index IRAS that takes into account the radiological spectrum of waste

Ami IRAS ! Classei i 10

Ami : specific activity of the waste for radionuclide i Classei: impact class for the radionuclide i

Examples Class 1 : Co60, Cs137, Pu (except 241), Am241... Class 2 : U... Class 3 : H3, Ni63, Sr90 IRAS must be less than 10 for a single package and less than 1 for all the packages associated to an acceptance file

VERY LOW LEVEL WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA Chemical criteria consistent with non nuclear repositories

So called dangerous waste may be accepted if they comply with criteria for non nuclear waste repositories. 4 < pH < 13 Solubilized part < 10% (mass of dry waste) Leaching test for Cr, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, As, Hg, Ba, Cu, Mo, Sb, Se, Fluorides Asbestos

CONCLUSION

- Trench Surface Very low level waste facility compatible with safety objectives and Regulations. -After 8 years feed back, Very Low Level Waste facility is a success. No impact. - Volume of deliveries beyond expectation. (30000m3/year) -Efforts to increase the density of the waste being disposed. - Offers a route for all dismantling waste.