Acceptable knowledge summary report for combustible/noncombustible, metallic, and HEPA filter waste resulting from {sup 238}Pu fabrication activities

Abstract

All transuranic (TRU) waste must be sufficiently characterized and certified before it is shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows use of acceptable knowledge (AK) for waste characterization. EPA uses the term AK in its guidance document and defines AK and provides guidelines on how acceptable knowledge should be obtained and documented. This AK package has been prepared in accordance with Acceptable Knowledge Documentation (TWCP-QP-1.1-021,R.2). This report covers acceptable knowledge information for five waste streams generated at TA-55 during operations to fabricate various heat sources using feedstock {sup 238}Pu supplied by the Savannah River Site (SRS). The {sup 238}Pu feedstock itself does not contain quantities of RCRA-regulated constituents above regulatory threshold limits, as known from process knowledge at SRS and as confirmed by chemical analysis. No RCRA-regulated chemicals were used during {sup 238}Pu fabrication activities at TA-55, and all {sup 238}Pu activities were physically separated from other plutonium processing activities. Most of the waste generated from the {sup 238}Pu fabrication activities is thus nonmixed waste, including waste streams TA-55-43, 45, and 47. The exceptions are waste streams TA-55-44, which contains discarded lead-lined rubber gloves used in the gloveboxes that contained the {sup 238}Pu material, and TA-55-46, which may contain pieces of discarded lead. These waste streams have been denoted as mixed because of the presence of the lead-containing material.