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Radioactive Waste Disposal: EPA 402-K-94-001 If you require a hard copy of the brochure, please contact ORIA Webmaster. |
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IntroductionAny activity that produces or uses radioactive
materials generates radioactive waste. Mining, nuclear power generation,
and various processes in industry, defense, medicine, and scientific
research produce byproducts that include radioactive waste. Radioactive
waste can be in gas, liquid or solid form, and its level of radioactivity
can vary. The waste can remain radioactive for a few hours or several
months or even hundreds of thousands of years. Because it can be so
hazardous and can remain radioactive for so long, finding suitable
disposal facilities for radioactive waste is difficult. Depending on the
type of waste disposed, the disposal facility may need to contain
radiation for a very long time. Proper disposal is essential to ensure
protection of the health and safety of the public and quality of the
environment including air, soil, and water supplies. Radioactive waste disposal practices have
changed substantially over the last twenty years. Evolving environmental
protection considerations have provided the impetus to improve disposal
technologies, and, in some cases, clean up facilities that are no longer
in use. Designs for new disposal facilities and disposal methods must meet
environmental protection and pollution prevention standards that are more
strict than were foreseen at the beginning of the atomic age. Disposal of radioactive waste is a complex
issue, not only because of the nature of the waste, but also because of
the complicated regulatory structure for dealing with radioactive waste.
There are a variety of stakeholders affected, and there are a number of
regulatory entities involved. Federal government agencies involved in
radioactive waste management include: the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy
(DOE), and the Department of Transportation. In addition, the states and
affected Indian Tribes play a prominent role in protecting the public
against the hazards of radioactive waste. Types Of Radioactive WasteThere are five general categories of radioactive waste: (1) spent nuclear fuel from nuclear reactors and high-level waste from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, (2) transuranic waste mainly from defense programs, (3) uranium mill tailings from the mining and milling of uranium ore, (4) low-level waste, and (5) naturally occurring and accelerator-produced radioactive materials. Radioactive waste is categorized according to its origin and not necessarily according to its level of radioactivity. For example, some low-level waste has the same level of radioactivity as some high-level waste.This booklet describes the different categories of waste, discusses disposal practices for each type. and describes the way they are regulated.
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