Radioactive Contamination at Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities

摘要

This report presents information to characterize uranium fuel cycle facilities (excluding reactors), levels of contamination at those facilities, and volumes and activity of wastes associated with their decontamination and decommissioning (D&D). It is one of a series of reports providing information to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in setting standards and guidelines for permissible residual levels of radioactivity from D&D. The categories of facilities covered by this report are: Uranium mines, Uranium mills, Uranium hexafluoride conversion plants, Fuel fabrication plants, including both low and high enriched uranium and mixed oxide facilities. Both active and inactive facilities are identified. The highest volumes of D&D waste (hundreds of millions of cubic meters) are associated with uranium mines, while the highest amounts of radioactivity are a result of D&D at fuel reprocessing plants.