POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE DEPARTMENT-OF-ENERGY PERFORMANCE-OBJECTIVE FOR PROTECTION OF INADVERTENT INTRUDERS ON LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSALS AT OAK-RIDGE-NATIONAL-LABORATORY

Performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive waste at Department of Energy (DOE) sites include limits on radiation dose to i nadvertent intruders. This paper investigates the potential impact of the DOE's performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruder s on the acceptability of low-level waste disposals at Oak Ridge Natio nal Laboratory (ORNL). The analysis is based on waste volumes and radi onuclide inventories for recent disposals at ORNL and estimated doses to an inadvertent intruder per unit concentration of radionuclides in disposed waste for assumed exposure scenarios. The analysis indicates that more than 99% of the total volume of waste in recent disposals me ets the performance objective for inadvertent intruders. Furthermore, the volume of waste found to be unacceptable for disposal is only abou t 16 m(3). Therefore, the performance objective for protection of inad vertent intruders probably will not have unreasonably adverse impacts on acceptable disposals of low-level waste at ORNL.