January 12th 2023
Posted in: NEWS
The PCM drum recharacterisation project at the Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) in West Cumbria has hit a significant milestone with the measurement of 1000 drums.
The project was initiated after a small sample of historical waste drums from the Magazines at the LLWR Site had been re-measured and found to be low-level waste and not intermediate level waste. The ANTECH UDASS (Universal Drum Assay and Segregation Service) was selected to re-measure the drum population in order to correctly classify them so that they could be appropriately consigned to the lowest radiological category.
The UDASS was calibrated and tested at ANTECH before being shipped to LLWR where it was installed in the drum store. The control station was installed in an adjacent room. LLWR personnel perform the drum handling operations (selecting, loading and unloading). ANTECH operators review the drum fill records and note key details, perform measurements and measurement quality checks. The measurement and quality control data accumulated on the UDASS workstation is regularly copied onto LLWRs preferred media and is also uploaded onto a dedicated area of the ANTECH server. The data is reviewed by highly qualified radiometric physics staff. Analysis results are then peer reviewed, with approved reports inclusive of all necessary assay & analysis data required for repository consignment. The reports are then supplied to the customer.
Preliminary results indicate that the majority of the drums fall into lower classifications based on their radiometric inventory – either LALLW or VLLW.
