Projected Subsurface Migration of Radionuclides from Buried Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Transuranic Waste

Several alternative methods are being considered for the long-term isolation of buried transuranic waste at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. One important factor in selecting an alternative is the potential subsurface migration of radionuclides from the waste. Migration projections based on mathematical modeling have been developed for three alternative isolation methods: leave as is, improve in-place confinement, and retrieve and ship to an off-site repository. The projections suggest that radionuclides will not migrate in significant concentrations. Results of subsurface sampling studies suggest that very limited migration has occurred in the 25 years since the waste was buried.