Why site characterisation is important — case study of an Australian legacy low level radioactive waste site
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Date
2019-09-10
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CRC CARE Pty Ltd,
Abstract
Shallow burial has been a commonly used method for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes, and numerous legacy disposal sites exist worldwide. The effective management and potential remediation of these sites are important issues in many countries. One example is the Little Forest Legacy Site (LFLS) on the southern periphery of Sydney, Australia. At this site, low-level radioactive wastes were disposed by burial in closely-spaced unlined trenches between 1960 and 1968. The wastes included various radioactive materials, contaminated equipment, beryllium contaminated items, and fissile isotopes in gram quantities (plutonium, 233U and 235U). As with other similar sites worldwide, the decision-making strategy for selecting the appropriate remedial option for the LFLS relies on adequate characterisation of the site. In recent years, a major research project has been undertaken at the LFLS. The results, including geochemical, hydrological, radiochemical and microbiological aspects, have been published in a series of papers. A process known as the ‘bath-tub’ effect was implicated in the mobilisation and dispersion of actinides in surface soils following intense rainfall events (Payne et al. 2013). An experimental trench facility in the vicinity of the legacy trenches has recently been constructed, and offers the potential for comprehensive tests of the geochemical behaviour and hydrology of the legacy trenches. The evolving understanding of the LFLS site will help inform management decisions and contributes to the fundamental knowledge of the mobility of anthropogenic radionuclides in the environment.
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Keywords
Site characterization, Australia, Radiation monitoring, Contamination, Environmental transport, Low-level radioactive wastes, Remedial action, Uranium 233, Uranium 235, New South Wales, Waste disposal
Citation
Payne, T. E. (2019). Why site characterisation is important — case study of an Australian legacy low level radioactive waste site. Paper presented to the 8th International Contaminated Site Remediation Conference, Incorporating the 2nd International PFAS Conference, "Cleanup 2019", Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, 8-12 September 2019, (pp. 373).