12/17/2020 · NNSA to review its “dilute and dispose” option for surplus Pu The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) evaluating alternatives for the safe disposal of 34 metric tons of surplus plutonium through its Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program (SPDP).
9/5/2017 · Publicly Released: Sep 5, 2017. As part of its commitment to nonproliferation, the United States is planning to dispose of 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium. The Department of Energy is looking into whether this plutonium could be diluted and disposed of at a geologic repository for defense waste in New Mexico.
Dilute and Dispose Approach • The dilute and dispose approach, also referred to as plutonium downblending, uses an inert material to dry blend with plutonium oxide for disposal at a geologic repository. • Surplus plutonium has been successfully dispositioned as contact handled transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
The goal of DOE-NNSA’s dilute and dispose program is defined in the project’s System Plan: “to plan and execute the disposition of 34 MT of surplus weapons-usable plutonium consistent with United States (U.S.) nuclear nonproliferation policies in a cost-effective manner” ( SRNS, 2018c, p. 8).
The Dilute and Dispose waste form packaged in CCOs does not impact the current WIPP external criticality screening justification • Previous work1,2 analyzed 21 FGE metric tons of 239Pu and predicted that no more than 110 kg of 239Pu could reach the Culebra, which would result in concentrations 4 times lower than the 3 kg/m3 limit, 4/21/2016 · Dilution and disposal entails blending plutonium oxide with a diluent and packing small quantities (300 g Pu ) into disposal drums for emplacement in WIPP (or a second repository with similar characteristics). The purpose of the diluent, the composition of which is classified, is to increase the difficulty of chemical purification of the plutonium.
The “dilute” portion of the dilute and dispose process entails the oxidization of surplus plutonium followed by dry blending with an adulterant to dilute the plutonium-239 content. Details of the adulterant composition and processing steps are classified.
the dilute and dispose approach; these milestones include program elements such as preparing the plutonium for dilution, diluting the plutonium into waste and securely storing it, and disposing of it at WIPP. DOE does not have sufficient space at WIPP to dispose of all defense TRU waste.
WIPP disposal : Separately, the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration announced in the August 28 Federal Register its decision to dispose of an additional 7.1 t of non-pit plutonium using the dilute and dispose method. The plutonium would be disposed of as contact-handled transuranic (TRU) waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in …
adulterating material and disposal in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The Dilute and Dispose option can be thought of as substituting geologic disposal for the self-protecting radiation field and physical protection of spent fuel casks, and the dilution with adulterants as the chemical barrier.
