A HISTORICAL LOOK AT NEVADA TEST SITE LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL OPERATIONS

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office Environmental Management Program is charged with the responsibility to carry out the disposal of onsite and offsite defense-generated and research-related low-level radioactive waste at the Nevada Test Site. Core elements of this mission are ensuring that disposal take place in a manner that is safe and cost-effective while protecting workers, the public, and the environment. The isolation protection and overall performance of the two low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities at the Nevada Test Site transcend those of any federal radioactive waste disposal site in the United States. The first of the two disposal sites is the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site which is situated on alluvial fan deposits in the Frenchman Flat basin, approximately 770 feet (235 meters) above the water table. Area 5 utilizes a combination of engineered shallow land disposal cells and deep augured shafts for disposal of a variety of waste streams. These waste streams include high volume low-activity waste (3.2 million cubic feet [90,614 cubic meters] in fiscal year 2004), classified material, and high-specific-activity waste (including monoliths from Foster-Wheeler).