Waste Handling and Disposal at Argonne National Laboratory

Updated June 10, 2004

No single Argonne research program generates a large amount of waste. But all the programs combined generate enough waste that Argonne has special programs to handle and dispose of it properly. Argonne 's waste management operation employs about 40 people and has a budget of about $6 million dollars a year.

Research at Argonne generates four broad categories of waste:

Hazardous and chemical waste consists of chemicals and solvents commonly used in laboratory research, as well as oil, antifreeze and cleaning compounds used to support laboratory operations. These wastes usually arrive at Argonne 's waste-handling facility in containers of 5 gallons or less. Many wastes are then commingled and recycled. Unrecycled chemical wastes are disposed of by “lab-packing” small containers of similar chemicals in absorbent inside 55-gallon drums. Filled drums are sealed, labeled and shipped off-site to licensed and permitted commercial disposal vendors. Argonne generates 15,000 to 20,000 gallons of hazardous and chemical waste per year. Hazardous wastes are regulated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

Low-level radioactive waste at Argonne consists mainly of contaminated debris from projects aimed at the decontamination and decommissioning of laboratory equipment and retired facilities, as well as personal protective equipment, such as shoe covers and disposable paper suits. Additionally, a small portion of low-level waste comprises HEPA filters from exhaust systems and low-level sources used to conduct research with radioactive materials. Low-level radioactive waste is packaged in Department of Transportation-approved shipping containers, which are labeled and shipped by truck to DOE sites or to commercial disposal sites licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Argonne generates about 8,000 cubic feet of low-level radioactive waste a year. Low-level radioactive wastes are regulated by DOE under the Atomic Energy Act.

Mixed waste is radioactive waste that is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, toxic or specifically listed due to its hazardous properties. Mixed waste is regulated by both DOE and the IEPA under RCRA. Simply put, mixed waste Argonne generates several types of mixed waste, including acids, solvents, sludges, and debris contaminated with radionuclides. Argonne 's RCRA permit provides for on-site treatment in five mixed-waste treatment systems. These systems include neutralization of low-level radioactive and transuranic corrosive aqueous wastes and the stabilization of sludge and soil. In addition, some mixed waste requires shipment off site for treatment at an NRC-licensed commercial treatment facility. All treated mixed waste is disposed of at an off-site facility licensed by DOE or NRC and permitted by RCRA.

Transuranic waste contains significant quantities of element heavier than uranium that will be radioactive for thousands of years. Argonne research generates about 60 cubic feet of transuranic waste a year. The waste is packaged to meet acceptance criteria for DOE's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico . The majority of transuranic waste generated at Argonne was shipped to WIPP in 2003-2004. A small amount of transuranic waste will remain at Argonne until it can be characterized and shipped to WIPP. The radioactive portion of transuranic waste is regulated by DOE under the Atomic Energy Act, while the hazardous portion is regulated under RCRA.