10 CFR 61.56, Waste Characteristics

Waste characteristics

a

(a) The following requirements are minimum requirements for all classes of waste and are intended to facilitate handling at the disposal site and provide protection of health and safety of personnel at the disposal site.

(1) Waste must not be packaged for disposal in cardboard or fiberboard boxes.

(2) Liquid waste must be solidified or packaged in sufficient absorbent material to absorb twice the volume of the liquid.

(3) Solid waste containing liquid shall contain as little free standing and noncorrosive liquid as is reasonably achievable, but in no case shall the liquid exceed 1% of the volume.

(4) Waste must not be readily capable of detonation or of explosive decomposition or reaction at normal pressures and temperatures, or of explosive reaction with water.

(5) Waste must not contain, or be capable of generating, quantities of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes harmful to persons transporting, handling, or disposing of the waste. This does not apply to radioactive gaseous waste packaged in accordance with paragraph (a)(7) of this section.

(6) Waste must not be pyrophoric. Pyrophoric materials contained in waste shall be treated, prepared, and packaged to be nonflammable.

(7) Waste in a gaseous form must be packaged at a pressure that does not exceed 1.5 atmospheres at 20 °C. Total activity must not exceed 100 curies per container.

(8) Waste containing hazardous, biological, pathogenic, or infectious material must be treated to reduce to the maximum extent practicable the potential hazard from the non-radiological materials.

b

(b) The requirements in this section are intended to provide stability of the waste. Stability is intended to ensure that the waste does not structurally degrade and affect overall stability of the site through slumping, collapse, or other failure of the disposal unit and thereby lead to water infiltration. Stability is also a factor in limiting exposure to an inadvertent intruder, since it provides a recognizable and nondispersible waste.

(1) Waste must have structural stability. A structurally stable waste form will generally maintain its physical dimensions and its form, under the expected disposal conditions such as weight of overburden and compaction equipment, the presence of moisture, and microbial activity, and internal factors such as radiation effects and chemical changes. Structural stability can be provided by the waste form itself, processing the waste to a stable form, or placing the waste in a disposal container or structure that provides stability after disposal.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions in § 61.56(a) (2) and (3), liquid wastes, or wastes containing liquid, must be converted into a form that contains as little free standing and noncorrosive liquid as is reasonably achievable, but in no case shall the liquid exceed 1% of the volume of the waste when the waste is in a disposal container designed to ensure stability, or 0.5% of the volume of the waste for waste processed to a stable form.

(3) Void spaces within the waste and between the waste and its package must be reduced to the extent practicable.

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NRC website 10 CFR 61.56

v t e Code of Federal Regulations
Title 10 Part 61 - LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE
10 CFR: 1 2 4 5 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 19 20 21 25 26 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 40 50 51 52 54 55 60 61 62 63 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 81 95 100 140 150 160 170 171
1, General Provisions, Purpose and scope 2, Definitions 3, License required 4, Communications 5, Interpretations 6, Exemptions 7, Concepts 8, Information collection requirements: OMB approval 9, Employee protection 10, Licenses, Content of application 11, General information 12, Specific technical information 13, Technical analyses 14, Institutional information 15, Financial information 16, Other information 20, Filing and distribution of application 21, Elimination of repetition 22, Updating of application 23, Standards for issuance of a license 24, Conditions of licenses 25, Changes 26, Amendment of license 27, Application for renewal or closure 28, Contents of application for closure 29, Post-closure observation and maintenance 30, Transfer of license 31, Termination of license 32, US/IAEA Safeguards Agreement, Facility information and verification 40, Performance Objectives, General requirement 41, Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity 42, Protection of individuals from inadvertent intrusion 43, Protection of individuals during operations 44, Stability of the disposal site after closure 50, Technical Requirements for Land Disposal Facilities, Disposal site suitability requirements for land disposal 51, Disposal site design for land disposal 52, Land disposal facility operation and disposal site closure 53, Environmental monitoring 54, Alternative requirements for design and operations 55, Waste classification 56, Waste characteristics 57, Labeling 58, Alternative requirements for waste classification and characteristics 59, Institutional requirements 61, Financial Assurances, Applicant qualifications and assurances 62, Funding for disposal site closure and stabilization 63, Financial assurances for institutional controls 70, Participation by State Governments and Indian Tribes, Scope 71, State and Tribal government consultation 72, Filing of proposals for State and Tribal participation 73, Commission approval of proposals 80, Records, Reports, Tests, and Inspections, Maintenance of records, reports, and transfers 81, Tests at land disposal facilities 82, Commission inspections of land disposal facilities 83, Violations 84, Criminal penalties Appendices:

10 CFR 61.56, Waste Characteristics

a

b

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