ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the radwaste, which belongs to the category of low-level waste (LLW). LLW is produced by the Department of Energy at many of its facilities and by "commercial" generators, which include nuclear power plants, medical facilities, industry, academic institutions, and non-Department of Energy(DOE) government facilities. DOE generates LLW in day-to-day operations and during cleanup of contaminated sites as part of its environmental restoration program. The LLW generated from nuclear power plants can be in gaseous, liquid, and solid forms. The principal gaseous waste release points from a reactor plant are at the main condenser evacuation system. In 1979 the two western sites were temporarily closed by their host states in response to problems concerning waste packaging and transportation. Solidification is the process of converting LLW to a stabilized form to prevent degradation and release of radionuclides. Throughout the world, shallow land burial and ocean disposal are the two methods practiced for the disposal of LLW.
