Preliminary BPEO Study for Sea-Disposal Drums

Objective:

To demonstrate the Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) principle in support of an application for a variation to RSA 93 Authorisation.

Added value to client:

The client has been able to demonstrate that redrumming operations are planned on the basis of the BPEO requirements, thus enabling progress to be made on the application for RSA 93 re-authorisation.

Activity:

Over one hundred drums once designated for sea disposal where stored by the client. The drums contained short-lived beta radionuclides and alpha material (notably radium 226). The drums were classified as Intermediate Level Waste. However, a significant number of drum contents had decayed to Low Level Waste.

RM Consultants Ltd (RMC) carried out a preliminary (non-quantitative) BPEO study in association with a number of qualified experts from the client's operations and environmental departments. A range of technical waste conditioning options to facilitate disposal were generated and assessed. The study employed an elicitation session at which a multi-attribute analysis (MAA) was carried out.

The BPEO was clearly defined. This conclusion was tested by way of a sensitivity analysis, which varied the weightings given to various attributes in the MAA.