The decommissioning of nuclear facilities leads to a significant amount of combustible waste with very low contamination levels (VLLW) which typically is disposed on a landfill. However, organic waste is generally not suitable for landfilling and incineration may be a better alternative.
In this project, we investigated the radiological consequences of incinerating a limited amount of combustible VLLW with low levels of contamination in a conventional incineration facility. The purpose of the project was to assess whether the concept is feasible considering the handling within an incineration facility and the subsequent management of the incineration residues at a landfill. The scenarios modelled were based on dialogue between a nuclear facility planning decommissioning, two incineration facilities and a landfill site.
We developed scenarios that described the different handling stages and selected parameters based on practices at the facilities. The doses were dominated by external exposure, particularly from Co-60. For the facilities in question, it was determined that there is no radiological risk to the public or to workers at the facilities or the landfill site. The results have sparked a debate within the nuclear industry and among authorities about the best possible way to manage low-level combustible waste.
