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Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Currently, the Nevada Test Site is playing a pivotal role in the clean up of historic nuclear weapons sites in the United States by
providing a place to permanently dispose of low-level radioactive waste. The waste disposed at the Nevada Test Site is only received
from approved U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Defense generators who comply with the Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance
Criteria.
Low-level waste is radioactive waste that is not high-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, transuranic waste, or radioactive by-products.
Typical low-level waste includes materials such as rags, papers, filters, equipment, discarded protective clothing and construction
debris.
The low-level radioactive waste is disposed in engineered pits, trenches, and in subsidence craters at two Radioactive Waste Management
Sites at the Nevada Test Site.
Refer to the following Fact Sheets for more information:
Low-Level Waste at the Nevada Test Site [PDF, 216 KB]
Transporting Low-Level Waste to the Nevada Test Site [PDF, 812 KB]
Mixed Low-Level Radioactive Waste
 The
The Nevada Site Office also disposed another form of low-level waste called mixed low-level waste.
Mixed waste contains both hazardous waste as defined by RCRA and low-level radioactive waste. As a
result of the presence of the hazardous component, mixed low-level radioactive waste is regulated
separately from low-level radioactive waste.
Mixed Waste Disposal Unit is located within the Radioactive Waste Management Complex in Area 5 on the
Nevada Test Site. This unit operates under
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) status and can accept U.S. Department of Energy
generated mixed low-level radioactive waste. Previously, the Nevada Test Site could only dispose of
on-site generated mixed low-level waste but in December 2005, the State of Nevada Division of
Environmental Protection (NDEP) reissued the Nevada Test Site Part B Permit which lifted the prohibition
on accepting DOE mixed low-level waste generated outside the state of Nevada. In accordance with the
permit, the Nevada Site Office is limited to accepting no more than 20,000 cubic meters of mixed
low-level waste and to permanently close the Nevada Test Site Mixed Waste Disposal Unit by December
2010 or sooner, if the volume capacity is reached prior to that time.
Refer to the following Fact Sheets for more information:
Mixed Low-Level Waste at the Nevada Test Site [ PDF, 222 KB ]
Transporting
Low-Level and Mixed Low-Level Waste to the Nevada Test Site [PDF, 736 KB]
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