Beatty Report Reaffirms Ward Valley Site.SACRAMENTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 1996--Sandra R. Smoley, Secretary of the California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). Health and Welfare Agency, today released a study of the closed low-level radioactive waste Noun 1. low-level radioactive waste - (medicine) radioactive waste consisting of objects that have been briefly exposed to radioactivity (as in certain medical tests) disposal site at Beatty Beatty is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin. In the Scottish case, it is derived from the name Bartholomew, which was often shortened to Bate. Male descendants were then often called Beatty, or similar derivations like Beattie or Beatey. , Nev. The report concluded that the migration of contaminants found at the Beatty facility cannot recur at the Ward Valley, Calif., site. "This report clearly states that the Beatty experience will not be repeated at the Ward Valley facility," said Smoley. "The type of the migration found at Beatty will be prevented by a combination of different geology geology, science of the earth's history, composition, and structure, and the associated processes. It draws upon chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, and mathematics (notably statistics) for support of its formulations. , significantly different waste and surface water management practices, different disposal technologies, and significantly different regulatory reg·u·late tr.v. reg·u·lat·ed, reg·u·lat·ing, reg·u·lates 1. To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law. 2. environment." "The Beatty facility was licensed way back in 1962 -- a different world when it comes to the handling of low-level radioactive waste," said Smoley. "Today, we would never think of disposing large amounts of liquid waste directly into the ground, not managing surface water drainage Wa´ter drain´age 1. The draining off of water. or leaving trenches open to rainwater -- all of which happened at Beatty. Given the disposal practices back then, it's it's 1. Contraction of it is. 2. Contraction of it has. See Usage Note at its. it's it is or it has it's be ~have not surprising that some contaminant contaminant /con·tam·i·nant/ (kon-tam´in-int) something that causes contamination. contaminant something that causes contamination. migration has occurred at that facility." The California Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
adj. Of or exhibiting radioactivity. radioactive characterized by radioactivity. radioactive decay tritium tritium (trĭt`ēəm), radioactive isotope of hydrogen with mass number 3. The tritium nucleus, called a triton, contains one proton and two neutrons. It has a half-life of 12.5 years and decays by beta-particle emission. and carbon-14 were found at the closed low-level radioactive waste disposal site at Beatty. The contaminants were detected at levels which were elevated above normal but still well below levels prompting prompting a stimulus that gets an animal to perform a desired behavior. any health or safety concerns. "For over 10 years, California has been working diligently dil·i·gent adj. Marked by persevering, painstaking effort. See Synonyms at busy. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin d to find the best and safest site for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste," said Smoley. "The Department of Health Services conducted an exhaustive search for a safe site before choosing Ward Valley. A complete environmental review was conducted and a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement were prepared. "The National Academy of Sciences, after conducting an exhaustive study, issued a report clearly rejecting claims that the Ward Valley facility would contaminate con·tam·i·nate v. 1. To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture. 2. To expose to or permeate with radioactivity. con·tam·i·nant n. the Colorado River Colorado River River, south-central Argentina. Its major headstreams, the Grande and Barrancas rivers, flow southward from the Andes Mountains and meet to form the Colorado near the Chilean border. It flows southeastward across northern Patagonia and the southern Pampas. or impose other environmental harm. And both the environmental impact report and the facility's license have been upheld by California's highest court. "The license itself contains extensive monitoring requirements. In addition, California had committed to conducting testing in the exact manner recommended by the National Academy of Sciences before any waste is received at Ward Valley. "Without a doubt, Ward Valley is a technically superior facility, and the only one licensed entirely under rigorous new standards established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), an independent U.S. government commission, created by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 and charged with licensing and regulating civilian use of nuclear energy to protect the public and the environment. . Clearly, what happened at Beatty will not happen here. "This report reaffirms the safety of the Ward Valley site," said Smoley. "The Department of the Interior should stop finding excuses and transfer the land to California so we can comply with the law and move this waste out of our neighborhoods and into a safe facility." -0- Comparison of Beatty and Ward Valley Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities
Technical Requirements and License
Problems Encountered at Beatty Conditions Imposed at Ward Valley
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Liquid wastes were collected and Waste generators will need a
trucked to the site for disposal permit. The state will
solidification. inspect the waste generators to
confirm characterization of the
wastes and compliance with all
waste form, waste classification,
waste characteristic, and waste
packaging requirements at the
waste generator's facility.
Solidification of liquid wastes The state will have full-time did not occur as required and inspectors at the site. Liquid liquid wastes were discharged wastes are prohibited. No waste directly into shallow trenches. treatment will occur at the site. Liquid wastes were discharged The state will have full-time directly onto the ground surface inspectors at the site. Liquid and allowed to infiltrate the wastes are prohibited. soil.
Highly mobile tritium was Special tritium waste packages
disposed as liquid. are required for high activity
tritium wastes. Limits have been
placed on the amount of activity
in a special tritium waste
package. Liquids must be
solidified, not just absorbed by
the waste generator.
Surface water drainage may have The disposal site will be
ponded on trench covers and/or surrounded by an armored perimeter
directly entered open disposal berm. The disposal trenches will
trenches. be protected by berms and grading
to prevent surface water from
entering the trenches.
Surface water drainage carried On-site drainage will not
contaminated soil off-site. discharge off-site. On-site
surface water drainage will be
routed to a sedimentation pond
for collection and analysis.
Discharge of contaminated surface
water is prohibited.
Trenches were open for long Only short segments of the
durations during which direct disposal trenches will be open.
precipitation may have Waste packages will be covered
infiltrated through the trench daily to provide soil to hold
floor. precipitation so it can evaporate.
Trench floors will be sloped away
from the disposed wastes to a
sump. Water and/or wet soil will
be removed from the trench.
Disposal trenches will be filled
from the high end to the low end
to provide drainage of
precipitation away from the
disposed wastes. Trench segments
will be covered and revegetated
as filled in order to keep water
out of the trenches and to
maximize evapotranspiration of
infiltrating precipitation.
Site surface and trench covers Disturbed areas and trench covers
were kept barren. will be revegetated to enhance
removal of infiltration near the
ground surface by
evapotranspiration.
Lateral inflow into trenches was Shallow caliche layers will be
observed on fine-grained removed under the perimeter berms
sediments underlying shallow to prevent lateral flow into the
gravel layer. disposal site. The bottom
elevation of the BC-30 trench is
above the bottom elevation of the
Class A trenches in order to
prevent lateral inflow from the
Class A trenches to the BC-30
trench.
Trench covers were thin and prone Trench covers are nearly 30 feet
to subsidence effects. thick to promote retention of
water for the vegetative zone
(and removal of water by
evapotranspiration). Waste
packages are filed to preclude
void spaces within the packages.
Backfill is placed around waste
packages daily to preclude void
spaces between waste packages.
Drums are limited to two layers
to minimize void spaces between
the drums. Waste-to-trench
volume ratio is very low
(approximately 23%) to minimize
void spaces.
No vadose zone monitoring. A state-of-the-art vadose zone
monitoring program is required
for the site. The monitoring
program will include the
cover, the area between the
trenches, and directly below the
trench floors. The license will
employ a two-tiered (investigation
level and action level)
environmental monitoring response.
Monitoring data will be available
to the public.
CONTACT: State of California Health & Welfare Agency Janice Janice is a given name for females, and is an extended version of Jane. Janice could also refer to: People
Lisa Brandt Brandt , Willy 1913-1992. German political leader. He served as chancellor of West Germany (1969-1974) and won the 1971 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to reduce tension between the East and the West. Noun 1. , 916/654-0589 |
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