FERNALDS DILEMMA - RECYCLE THE RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED SCRAP METAL, OR BURY IT

During the past 5 years, a number of US Department of Energy (DOE) fun ded efforts have demonstrated the technical efficacy of converting var ious forms of radioactive scrap metal (RSM) into useable products. Fro m the development of accelerator shielding blocks, to the construction of low level waste containers, technology has been applied to this fa brication process in a safe and stakeholder supported manner. The pote ntial health and safety risks to both workers and the public have been addressed, The question remains: do the benefits of fabricating produ cts from RSM outweigh the costs? This paper presents a decision method ology for use within DOE to evaluate the costs and benefits of recycli ng and reusing some RSM, rather than disposing of this RSM in an appro ved burial site. The methodology is being applied to a decision on whe ther the DOE Fernald site should recycle its radioactively contaminate d metals. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.