Low-level radioactive waste

This waste includes protective equipment and items that have come into contact with radioactive materials. They are mostly hard-goods like gloves, clothing, lab supplies, nuclear plant equipment, and medical syringes. These items come from a variety of beneficial uses: electricity generation plants, medical research, manufacturing, and from hospitals.

Although there is a range in level of contamination, 95% of low-level radioactive waste decays to background levels in less than 100 years.

Each state is individually responsible for low-level waste produced within its borders. However, there are only three disposal sites nation-wide: government operated sites in Barnwell, SC and Richland, WA and a private company, Envirocare, accepts waste in Utah. Other states must make arrangements with these sites or build their own.

Before a waste facility is constructed, an environmentally sensible site must be chosen, including being isolated from surface and groundwater. There are five designs for low-level waste facilities: shallow land burial, modular concrete canister, below-ground vault, above-ground vault, and earth mounded concrete bunker.

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Since a government decree that low-level facilities were only required to accept waste from within their state, costs of disposal have risen dramatically. In response, the volume of waste produced has declined sharply. In 1980, 3.7 million cubic feet of waste were produced. Compare this with about 1 million cubic feet in 1999 despite the 50% increase in the number of nuclear plants.