Abstract |
The town of Midland, South Dakota has levels of radium-226 in its groundwater drinking water supply which exceed EPA drinking water standards. A newly-designed treatment plant will use barium chloride to precipitate out the radium. As a result, a radium-barium sulfate sludge will be produced. The initial task of this report is to determine the degree of radioactivity of the sludge and to investigate the appropriate EPA, NRC and DOT guidelines which regulate the handling and disposal of this low-level radioactive waste. Hazards both to workers and intruders are assessed. The quantity and quality of the sludge are consequently projected and alternative disposal methods evaluated. Packaging and shipment to a licensed radioactive waste disposal site, co-disposal with uranium mill tailings, disposal at a state-operated site, and land disposal at the treatment plant are considered as alternatives. Various immobilization techniques, including bitumenization, polymeric solidification and concrete encapsulation are also investigated. |