EPA’S FINAL DELISTING RULE FOR TRITIATED MIXED WASTE AND DETERMINATION OF EQUIVALENT TREATMENT METHOD FOR A CCO PROCESS

摘要

The United States biomedical R&D community faces limited treatment and disposal options for many of the mixed wastes generated by their research activities.These options are particularly limited for tritiated mixed waste that has both moderate to high tritium content and contains RCRA-regulated hazardous components.Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory(Berkeley Lab or LBNL)believes it is essential to develop processes for ensuring that mixed wastes may be treated and disposed of in a manner that minimizes impacts on the environment. rnIn 1996 Berkeley Lab decided to conduct a treatability study on tritiated mixed waste,using catalytic chemical oxidation(CCO)technology.Along with selection of a suitable treatment technology,it was necessary to formulate a reasonable management and disposal route.This included ensuring the appropriate legal status of this waste by obtaining a Determination of Equivalent Treatment(DET)for the oxidation approach,and by Delisting the oxidized products.Following these actions,products may be disposed as low-level radioactive waste(LLRW)at a permitted facility. rnIn June 1999,LBNL submitted a"Petition to Delist Tritiated Mixed Waste Treatment Residues", including a DET petition,to the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)Region IX.After 4 years careful analysis and public education,the EPA granted both LBNL’s petitions for its tritiated mixed waste on August 7,2003.In the final rule,EPA concluded that the petitioned waste is no longer hazardous and that the CCO treatment is equivalent to combustion.