PROCESS FOR DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES

A SCHEME FOR MANAGING RADIOACTIE WASTES FOR TRANSPORTATION AND ULTIMATE DISPOSAL IS SET-FORTH IN THIS PROPOSAL. LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS WOULD BE SECURED BY A NEW ENCAPSULATION/FIXATION METHOD. PRODUCTS WILL BE 30 TO 55 GALLON CYLINDRICAL MODULES. MODULES WOULD CONSIST OF CORES OF PARTICULATED RADIOACTIVE WASTES FIXED BY CHEMICALLY CROSS-LINKED POLYETHYLENE AND ENCAPSULATED BY SEAM-FREE JACKETS OF HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE, 1/4" THICK. THE JACKETS WILL BE FABRICATED BY FUSING POWDERED POLYETHYLENE, AN ITEM OF COMMERCE, ONTO THE SURFACES OF THE CONSOLIDATED CORES. SUCH CONFIGURATION OF SECURED WASTES WOULD WITHSTANDSEVERE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES UNDER REAL-LIFE TRANSPORTATIONAND LANDFILL CONDITIONS. WE PROPOSE FOR PHASE I OF THE PROGRAM TO SET FORTH THE ENGINEERING STUDY AND PLANNING REQUIRED FOR FABRICATING 30 TO 55-GALLON MODULES. IN PHASE II, PROTOTYPE MODULES WOULD BE FABRICATED FOR DETAILED EVALUATIONS.