Re: Tritium weeping

[GRAHNK@aol.com]

Good luck.

I recall some material at LANL that started as tritiated water (multiple Ci's 
per liter) and they couldn't keep it in anything at normal temp....for 
disposal, the water was incorporated into grout, placed in 30 gal drums, 
sealed, and then overpacked in 55 gal drums with the surrounding material 
being asphalt.  There was still leakage.  The overpacked drums were buried in 
shafts at Area G.  As I recall, when I worked on the radiological performance 
assement (previous life) for Area G, tritium from this waste stream was found 
to a signficant contributor to offsite dose.

I also worked on a performance assessment for the RWMC at INEEL and again, 
tritium was a problem.  This time the source was activated berylium reflector 
blocks (from the Advanced Test Reactor) disposed in unlined shafts.  They 
proposed future disposals in concrete shafts with 1.5" welded HDPE liners and 
found that they would still leak H-3.  Don't know what they decided to do 
with the rest of the blocks in storage

Kelly Grahn
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety
West Chicago Field Office

GrahnK@aol.com

or 

Grahn@idns.state.il.us
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