• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.127-131
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• 2022

The structural safety of prototype transport and storage containers for very low-level radioactive liquid waste was experimentally estimated for its localization development. Transport containers for radioactive liquid waste have been researched and developed, however, there are no standardized commercial containers for very low-level radioactive waste in Korea. In this study, the structural safety of the designated IP-2 type container capable of transporting and temporarily storing large amounts of very low-level liquid waste, which is generated during the operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants, was demonstrated. The stacking and drop tests, which were conducted to determine the structural integrity of the container, verified that there was no external leakage of the contents in spite of its structural deformation due to the drop impact. This study shows the effort required for the localization of the technology used in manufacturing transport and storage containers for very low-level radioactive liquid waste, and the additional structural reinforcement of the container in which the commercial intermediate bulk container (IBC) external frame was coupled.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.365-369
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• 2022

Operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants generates radioactive waste. This radioactive waste can be categorized into several different levels, for example, low, intermediate, and high, according to the regulations. Currently, low and intermediate-level waste are stored in conventional 200-liter drums to be disposed. However, in Korea, the disposal of intermediate-level radioactive waste is virtually impossible as there are no available facilities. Furthermore, large-sized intermediate-level radioactive waste, such as reactor internals from decommissioning, need to be segmented into smaller sizes so they can be adequately stored in the conventional drums. This segmentation process requires additional costs and also produces secondary waste. Therefore, this paper suggests repurposing the no-longer-used spent nuclear fuel casks. The casks are larger in size than the conventional drums, thus requiring less segmentation of waste. Furthermore, the safety requirements of the spent nuclear fuel casks are severer than those of the drums. Hence, repurposed spent nuclear fuel casks could better address potential risks such as dropping, submerging, or a fire. In addition, the spent nuclear fuel casks need to be disposed in compliance with the regulations for low level radioactive waste. This cost may be avoided by repurposing the casks.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.545-547
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• 2011

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.477-492
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• 2009

In this paper, we discuss the experiences during the preparation of the Wolsong Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Center. These experiences have importance as a first implementation for the national LILW disposal facility in the Republic of Korea. As for the progress, it relates to the area of selected disposal site, the disposal site characteristics, waste characteristics of the disposal facility, safety assessment, and licensing process. During these experiences, we also discuss the necessity for new organization and change for a radioactive waste management system. Further effort for the safe management of radioactive waste needs to be pursued.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.265-279
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• 2017

The Gyeongju underground silo type disposal facility, approved for use in December 2014, is in operation for the disposal of low and very low-level radioactive wastes, excluding intermediate-level waste. That is why the existing low-level radioactive waste level has been subdivided and the concentration limit value for intermediate-level waste has been changed in accordance with Nuclear Safety Commission Notice 2014-003. For the safe disposal of intermediate-level wastes, new optimization methodology for calculating the concentration limit of intermediate radioactive level wastes at an underground silo type disposal facility was developed. According to the developed optimization methodology, concentration limits of intermediate-level wastes were derived and the inventory of radioactive nuclides was evaluated. The operation and post closure scenarios were evaluated for the derived radioactive nuclide inventory and the results of all scenarios were confirmed to meet the regulatory limit. However, in case of $^{14}C$, it was confirmed that additional radioactivity limitation through a well scenario was needed in addition to the limit of disposal concentration. It was confirmed that the derived intermediate concentration limit of radioactive waste can be used as the intermediate-level waste concentration limit for the underground disposal facility. For the safe disposal of intermediate-level wastes, KORAD plans to acquire additional data from the radioactive waste generator and manage the cumulative radioactivity of $^{14}C$.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.63-78
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• 2016

To meet nuclear regulatory requirements, more than 95% individual radionuclides in the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste inventory have to be identified. In this study, the radionuclide inventory has been estimated by taking the long-term radioactive waste generation, the development plan of disposal facility, and the new radioactive waste classification into account. The state of radioactive waste cumulated from 2014 was analyzed for various radioactive sources and future prospects for predicting the long-term radioactive waste generation. The predicted radionuclide inventory results are expected to contribute to secure the development of waste disposal facility and to deploy the safety case for its long-term safety assessment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.143-152
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• 2005

There certainly exists the radioactive inventory that exceeds the waste acceptance criteria for final disposal of the low and intermediate-level radioactive waste. In this paper, current disposal status of the long-lived radioactive waste in several nations are summarized and the basic procedures for disposal approach are suggested. With this suggestion, intensive discussion and research activities can hopefully be launched to set down the possible resolutions to dispose of the long-lived radioactive waste.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.533-540
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• 2022

Because of the massive development of nuclear power plants in China in recent years, China is facing the challenge of radioactive waste disposal. China has established complete regulatory requirements for radioactive waste disposal, but it also has encountered problems and challenges in low-level radioactive waste disposal in terms of management, selection of disposal facility sites, and implementation of a site selection plan. Three low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities that have been operated in China are described, and their activity limits, locations, and capacities are also outlined. The connotations of "regional" and "centralized" disposal policies are discussed in light of the characteristics of the radioactive waste. The characteristics and advantages of the regional and centralized disposal policies are compared. It is concluded that the regional disposal policy adopted in 1992 can no longer meet the current disposal needs, and China should adopt a combination of the two disposal policies to solve the problem of radioactive waste disposal.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.509-518
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• 2023

The Kori Unit 1 nuclear power plant, which is planned to be dismantled after permanent shutdown, is expected to generate a large amount of various types of radioactive waste during the dismantling process. For the disposal of Very-low-level waste, which is expected to account for the largest amount of generation, the Korea Radioactive waste Agency (KORAD) is in the process of detailed design to build a 3-phase landfill disposal facility in Gyeongju. In addition, a large container is being developed to efficiently dispose of metal and concrete waste, which are mainly generated as Very low-level waste of decommissioning. In this study, based on the design characteristics of the 3-phase landfill disposal facility and the large container under development, radiation exposure dose evaluation was performed considering the normal and accident scenarios of radiation workers during operation. The direct exposure dose evaluation of workers during normal operation was performed using the MCNP computer program, and the internal and external exposure dose evaluation due to damage to the decommissioning waste package during a drop accident was performed based on the evaluation method of ICRP. For the assumed scenario, the exposure dose of worker was calculated to determine whether the exposure dose standards in the domestic nuclear safety act were satisfied. As a result of the evaluation, it was confirmed that the result was quite low, and the result that satisfied the standard limit was confirmed, and the radiational disposal suitability for the 3-phase landfill disposal facility of the large container for dismantled radioactive waste, which is currently under development, was confirmed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.165-169
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• 2014

In order to use the nuclear energy as the sustainable energy source, the safe and efficient management of radioactive wastes generated from the nuclear fuel cycle including NPP decommissioning is one of the most important factors. The establishment of acceptance criteria for very low level radioactive wastes generated from decommissioning of nuclear power plant in a large quantity is seemed to play a key role for developing a radioactive wastes disposal strategy as well as NPP decommissioning strategy. In this thesis, we want to review the acceptance criteria of low-and-intermediate-level radioactive wastes in this country through the analysis of other country's acceptance criteria.