The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has approximately 400 million liters (100 million gallons) of liquid high-level waste (HLW) stored in underground tanks and approximately 4,000 cubic meters of solid HLW stored in bins. The current DOE estimate of the cost of converting these liquid and solid wastes into stable forms for shipment to a geological repository exceeds $50 billion to be spent over several decades (DOE, 2000). The Committee on Long-Term Research Needs for Radioactive High-Level Waste at Department of Energy Sites was appointed by the National Research Council (NRC) to advise the Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) on a long-term research agenda addressing the above problems related to HLW stored in tanks and bins at DOE sites.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Executive Summary
1. Introduction
2. Overview of HLW Challenges at DOE Sites
3. Characterization
4. Retrieval and Pretreatment
5. Immobilization
6. Tank Closure and Other Long-Term Issues
7. EMSP Research Portfolio: Technological Risk and Desired Attributes
8. Summary
References
Appendix A: Interim Report
Appendix B: Analysis of the EMSP Research Portfolio
Appendix C: Spent Nuclear Fuel Issues
Appendix D: EMSP Overview and HLW Research Program
Appendix E: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
Appendix F: List of Presentations
Appendix G: Glossary
Appendix H: List of Acronyms