Page 220 - Challenges in Corrosion Costs Causes Consequences and Control(2015)

198 CORROSION CAUSES

TABLE 3.22 Volume of Low-Level Waste Received at US
Disposal Facilities
Year Volume of Low-Level Waste Received
(Cubic Meters × 1000)
1985 75.4
1986 51.1
1987 52.2
1988 40.4
1989 46.1
1990 32.4
1991 38.8
1992 49.4
1993 22.1
1994 24.3

In addition, the protective lead shipping casks for containment of the spent fuel weigh
many more additional tons. Corrosion is not an issue in the transportation of nuclear
waste because of the stringent package requirements and the short duration of the
transport; however, corrosion is an important problem in the design of casks used for
permanent storage. Table 3.22 shows the volume of low-level waste received at US
disposal facilities in the 10-year period between 1985 and 1994 (52).

3.32.1 Transition from Interim Storage to Permanent Storage
In 2000, interim storage facilities for nuclear waste were numerous. Interim nuclear
wastage storage consisted of a number of older tanks that have a radioactive leak
history and have a need for remedy. Low-level radioactive waste can be liquid or
solid waste in containers. Low-level waste is stored “dry” aboveground or relatively
shallow underground. At present, there are a total of 250,000 cubic meters of buried
3
low-level waste and 106,000 m of stored aboveground low-level waste at US Depart-
ment of Energy (DOE) facilities (53). The cost of dry storage is reported to be $1.2
million per cask.
High-level waste (HLW) from spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants is
generally stored in water basins at the plants where it was used. At present, nearly
30,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel is stored at commercial reactors (53). Dry
storage and wet basin storage are designed as temporary solutions. The need for a
long-term storage repository is acute and is under study and development.
For example, the K West and K East basins in Hanford, Washington, are two con-
crete basins that were built in 1951 for the temporary storage of nuclear fuel produced
at DOE’s Hanford site. Although the initial plan was to terminate the storage after 20
years, the two basins continue to receive spent fuel from reactors. It has been reported
that rods in open canisters have corroded in the basin, releasing radioactive isotopes
into the basin water. Basin cleanup plans, waste removal, and groundwater contami-
nation were subsequently reported. The cost of this work will be considerable.