Notice of Public Meeting and Request for Comment on Blending of Low-Level Radioactive Waste

Résumé

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) plans to conduct a public meeting on January 14, 2010, in Rockville, MD, to solicit input on issues associated with blending of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW). Since the closure of the LLRW disposal facility at Barnwell, South Carolina on June 30, 2008 to out-of-compact generators, the issue of blending of LLRW has received increased attention from stakeholders, industry, and Agreement States, especially blending that results in a change in the classification of the waste, as defined by the radionuclide concentrations in 10 CFR part 61.55. Blending, as defined here, refers to mixing of LLRW of different concentrations. It does not involve mixing radioactive waste with non-radioactive waste, (i.e., dilution) and concerns only disposal in a licensed facility, not release of radioactivity to the general environment. Blending is not prohibited or explicitly addressed in NRC regulations. In addition, while NRC staff guidance discourages blending in some circumstances, it also recognizes that some blending--including blending that lowers the classification of a waste--may be appropriate in others. However, the closure of the Barnwell facil