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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Smarter waste strategies: Helping deliver on the promise of advanced nuclear
At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, a clear consensus emerged: Nuclear energy must be a cornerstone of the global clean energy transition. With electricity demand projected to soar as we decarbonize not just power but also industry, transport, and heat, the case for new nuclear is compelling. More than 20 countries committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy forecasts that the country’s current nuclear capacity could more than triple, adding 200 GW of new nuclear to the existing 95 GW by mid-century.
A. Ryan Whited, Robert A. Fjeld, James R. Cook
Nuclear Technology | Volume 123 | Number 3 | September 1998 | Pages 304-319
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT98-A2901
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Vitrification, the conversion of source components into a solid amorphous glass matrix, has emerged as a viable treatment technology for low-level radioactive waste and mixed waste. To dispose of vitrified low-level waste at U.S. Department of Energy facilities, site-specific radiological performance assessments must be conducted to demonstrate that waste glass satisfies performance objectives for environmental protection. More than 2500 m3 of F006-listed low-level mixed-waste sludge stored in the Reactor Materials Department (M-Area) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is scheduled for vitrification. This study evaluates the feasibility of on-site disposal of vitrified M-Area waste at SRS.Laboratory leaching tests that accelerate the glass corrosion process are currently the best indicators of vitrified waste form durability. A method to incorporate laboratory leaching data into performance assessments is presented. A screening-level performance assessment code is used to model trench disposal of M-Area waste glass. The allowable leach rate for vitrified M-Area waste is determined based on both a maximum radiological dose equivalent of 4 mrem/yr for the drinking water pathway and a maximum uranium concentration of 20 g/l in groundwater. The allowable leach rate is compared with published long-term leaching data for a wide range of waste glass compositions and test conditions. This analysis demonstrates that trench disposal of the waste glass is likely to meet applicable performance objectives if the glass is of above average durability compared with the reference set of glasses.
