11e(2) Byproduct Material

Tailings or waste produced by the extraction or concentration of uranium or thorium from any ore processed primarily for its source material (i.e., uranium or thorium) content. This excludes underground ores depleted by uranium solution extraction operations (in situ leaching) that continue to remain underground. 11e(2) byproduct material is defined by law under Section 11e(2) of the Atomic Energy Act as amended by Title II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978.

Active Facility

A facility that is being used to conduct DOE missions and has not yet been transferred to the Office of Environmental Management (EM) for management and/or cleanup.

Actual Quantities

Quantities of waste/media/spent nuclear fuel for fiscal years that have been completed, where quantities are reported for activities that took place during the reported year.

Additions

A category of management activities for waste/media/spent nuclear fuel that includes new waste/media/spent nuclear fuel generated, waste/media/spent nuclear fuel generated during treatment processes, and waste/media/spent nuclear fuel received from off site.

Analysis and Visualization System (AVS)

One of the web-based systems used to collect data for the EM Corporate database. AVS collects stream-level data, TSD system information, and programmatic risk information. In addition, AVS contains a dynamic map-drawing tool that is used to create disposition maps - pictures that show the movement of streams through treatment and disposal processes.

Annual Quantity

Quantity of waste/media/spent nuclear fuel that is reported for a specific fiscal year or fiscal year range (see life cycle definition). Annual quantities are often shown for specific management activities. Annual quantities are either actual quantities or projected quantities.

Approved Volume

The portion of a stream quantity resulting from remedial action or deactivation and decommission activities that is being or will be managed as a result of decisions described in by one or more approved decision documents.

Atomic Energy Act

The federal law that administers and regulates the production and uses of atomic power. The act was passed in 1946 and amended substantially in 1954 and several times since then.

AVS

see Analysis and Visualization System (AVS)

Buried Transuranic Waste (Buried TRU)

Transuranic waste that was disposed of (e.g. disposal in shallow burial trenches) prior to 1970.

Buried TRU Database

Data source for the CID that provides information on buried TRU. The Buried TRU database is a database of information that is maintained by EM's Office of Site Closure and contains survey information on buried TRU waste provided by selected DOE Operations/Field Offices.

Central Internet Database (CID)

A web-based reporting tool that is being developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) in accordance with the PEIS Settlement Agreement [Natural resources Defense Council et al., v. Richardson, Civ No. 97-9369 (SS)]. The CID meets the PEIS Settlement Agreement stipulation that DOE develop and deploy an integrated database containing available information on waste, facilities, and contaminated media for which DOE has responsibility. For additional information on terms and requirements for the CID, please refer to the PEIS Settlement Agreement.

Cleanup

The process of addressing contaminated land, facilities, and materials in accordance with applicable requirements. Cleanup does not imply that all hazards will be removed from the site. The term "remediation" is often used synonymously with cleanup.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 USC 906 et seq)

A federal law enacted in 1980 and amended in 1986 that governs the cleanup of hazardous, toxic, and radioactive substances. The Act and its amendments created a trust fund, commonly known as Superfund, to finance the investigation and cleanup of releases of hazardous substances. The 1986 amendments included provisions that require DOE and other federal agencies to clean up their facilities under Federal Facility agreements with EPA.

Contaminant

A general term used to define any hazardous constituent or radionuclide that exists in a waste stream.

Contaminated Media

Contaminated environmental media are materials such as soil, sediment, surface water, groundwater, and others (e.g., sludge and rubble/debris that are intermixed with media) that are contaminated at levels requiring cleanup or require further assessment to determine whether an environmental restoration action is warranted.

Criticality

A term describing the conditions necessary for a sustained nuclear chain reaction.

Curie

A measure of the rate of radioactive decay; it is equivalent to the radioactivity of one gram of radium or 37 billion disintegrations per second.

Data Category

A set of data that is grouped together in the CID for reporting purposes. Data are grouped based on similar characteristics including the type of data, how the data is collected or reported by DOE, or common source systems (EM Corporate Database, Toxic Release Inventory, etc.). The CID groups data into nine data categories: radioactive waste, contaminated media, combined radioactive waste and ex-situ contaminated media, spent nuclear fuel, facilities, non-radioactive waste, toxic chemical release inventory, materials in inventory, and formally utilized sites remedial action program (FUSRAP) and nuclear waste policy act (NWPA) sites.

Data Dictionary

A collection of definitions for each piece of data (i.e., data element) in a database. The CID data dictionary provides a detailed explanation of the meaning of each data element in the CID.

Deactivation and Decommissioning (D&D)

Often called facility disposition, actions taken to reduce the potential health and safety impacts of contaminated DOE facilities, including activities to remove a facility from operation, followed by decontamination, dismantlement, or conversion of a facility to another use.

Destination Activity

The next planned management activity for the waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream in its planned disposition path.

Destination Site

The site where the waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream will be moving next in the course of treatment or where the stream will undergo final disposal.

Destination System

The TSD system to which the stream will be moving next in the course of treatment or where the stream will undergo final disposal.

Disposal

A particular management activity for a waste/media stream where the waste is emplaced in a manner that ensures protection of human health and the environment within prescribed limits for the foreseeable future. For waste/media that has undergone disposal, there is no intent of retrieval and deliberate action is required to regain access to the waste.

Disposal Cell

An engineered unit or waste disposal and containment structure that is designed to safely store waste for extended periods and prevent escape of contaminants to the surrounding environment. The disposal cell may include a multi-layered cover which inhibits the escape of contaminants, prevents wind and water erosion of the contaminated materials in the cell, and prevents precipitation from percolating through the waste.

Disposition

A term used by DOE that refers to the set of management activities that a waste/media or SNF stream will undergo throughout its life cycle from generation until final disposal. Also called disposition path. Waste/media management activities can include treatment, disposal, recycling, and emplacing on site. Spent nuclear fuel management activities can include stabilization, moving to dry storage, and SNF treatment.

DNAPLs

An acronym for dense, non-aqueous phase liquids. DNAPLs are composed of one or more organic contaminants, do not mix with water, and are denser than water. The most common DNAPLs contaminants in groundwater are chlorinated solvents.

EM Corporate Database

Data source for the CID that provides data on high-level waste, low-level waste, mixed low-level waste, transuranic waste, spent nuclear fuel, and facilities. The Office of Environmental Management (EM) collects budget and life-cycle planning data through the EM Corporate Database.

End State

The physical state of a site after the agreed upon remediation activities have been completed.

Engineered Controls

Includes radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary landfills; vaults; repositories, in-situ stabilization; caps on residual contamination; or other man-made controls designed to isolate or to contain waste or materials.

Engineered Units

Includes radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary landfills, vaults; tank farms; and other units with man-made containment systems.

Excess Facility

A facility that is no longer required for the conduct of DOE missions because of inadequacy/age, lack of funding, or changing mission priorities, but has not yet been transferred to the Office of Environmental Management (EM) management and/or cleanup.

Ex-Situ

Ex-situ is Latin for "out of place." Ex-situ cleanup strategies for environmental media that involve excavating or otherwise removing the contaminated media, treating where appropriate, and disposing of these wastes in a facility that isolates the waste from the environment.

Ex-Situ Contaminated Media

Contaminated environmental media that have been or are planned to be remediated by: 1) excavating or otherwise removing the contaminated media from the ground/environment; 2) treating when appropriate; and 3) disposing of these media either back in their initial location after treatment or in a specifically designed facility that isolates the media from the environment.

Facility

A facility is defined as buildings, land, other structures and facilities (OSFs), and trailers/modulars/containers that are owned or leased by DOE.

Facility Information Management System (FIMS)

Data source for the CID that provides facility information including contamination status, use status, and size.

Facility Status

Indicates the status of the facility that reflects programmatic intentions such as whether it is operating, operations standby, shutdown pending transfer, shutdown pending D&D, and D&D in progress.

FIMS

see Facility Information Management System.

Fiscal Year

A 12-month period that defines a year of activities for budgeting, accounting, and planning purposes. The Fiscal year of the U.S. Government and its agencies, including the Department of Energy, is from October 1 through September 30. The Central Internet Database reports all data in fiscal years.

Formerly Utilized Site Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP)

In the 1940's and 1950's, the federal government contracted with private firms to develop processes and perform research projects on radioactive materials. Many of these programs included storage and processing of uranium and thorium. The sites where this work was done were cleaned up according to the standards of that time. Since then, more stringent standards have been developed. Where necessary, additional cleanup is being performed to bring these sites into compliance with today's higher environmental standards. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for the cleanup of some of these sites. FUSRAP was established in 1974 to identify sites previously used by the Manhattan Engineer District and the Atomic Energy Commission (DOE predecessor agencies) and to evaluate environmental conditions at the sites.

Fuel Type

The Spent Fuel program categorizes fuel type as: (1) naval SNF, (2) alum based SNF, (3) Hanford Production type SNF, (4) Graphite type SNF, (5) Commercial type SNF, (6a) DOE Test SNF SST clad, (6b) DOE Test SNF Zirc clad, (6c) DOE Test SNF that does fit into 6a or 6b.

FUSRAP

see Formerly Utilized Site Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP).

Future Volume

The portion of a stream quantity resulting from remedial action or deactivation and decommission activities still requiring future cleanup decisions.

Generating Program

The DOE program that is responsible for generating waste, contaminated media, or spent nuclear fuel.

Generation

The origination of new waste from various facility operations (including production, decontamination and decommissioning, and rework). New generation data do not include additional volumes that result from treatment processes or volumes transferred between sites. "Generation" of ex-situ contaminated media has a different meaning: It is not the origination of new contaminated media, but rather the excavation of contaminated media as part of a remedial action. By definition, in-situ contaminated media is never generated because it is contaminated media remediated without excavation. For in-situ contaminated media, DOE sites report the current year's total estimated volume (entered as an average or a range).

Geologic Repository

A facility that has an excavated subsurface system for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste.

Half-Life

The time it takes for one-half of any given number of unstable atoms to decay to another nuclear form. Each isotope has its own characteristic half-life. They range from millionths of a second to billions of years.

Hazardous Waste

A solid waste, or combination of wastes, that because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics, may (a) cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible illness, or (b) pose a substantial hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed.

Heavy Metals

Metallic elements with high atomic weights (e.g., mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and lead) that can damage living organisms at low concentrations. Uranium, thorium, and plutonium are also heavy metals.

High Level Waste (HLW)

The highly radioactive waste material resulting from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, including liquid waste produced directly in reprocessing and any solid material derived from such liquid waste that contains fission products in sufficient concentrations; and other highly radioactive material that is determined, consistent with existing law, to require permanent isolation. (DOE Order 435.1)

HLW - Vitrified

High-level waste that has been stabilized (chemically converted to a less harmful form) through a vitrification process (i.e., by mixing it with molten glass). The glass mixture is poured into cylindrical metal canisters, where it hardens.

In-Situ

In-situ is Latin for "in place." In-situ cleanup strategies address contaminated environmental media without excavation through strategies that isolate and stop any further spread into the surrounding environment.

In-Situ Containment

Response strategy consisting of the placement of a barrier, seal, or diversion to contain the further spread of contamination (e.g., capping, lateral barrier, interception).

In-Situ Contaminated Media

Contaminated environmental media that have been or are likely to be remediated, without excavation, by using strategies that destroy, isolate, or prevent any further spread of contaminants into the surrounding environment (e.g., in-situ treatment, capping in place, institutional controls).

Institutional Controls

Non-engineering measures - usually, but not always, legal controls - intended to affect human activities in such a way as to prevent or to reduce exposure to hazardous substances. Institutional controls include, but are not necessarily limited to: land and resource (e.g., water) use and deed restrictions; well-drilling prohibitions; building permits; and well use advisories and deed notices; and other legally enforceable measures. However, they are distinct from physical engineering measures, such as treatment and containment systems.

Inventory

Material that is stored at the facility or site. For the CID, inventory amounts for each year are expressed as Starting Inventory + Additions - Dispositions (where starting inventory = ending inventory of prior fiscal year).

Isotopes

Different forms of the same chemical element, which are distinguished by having different numbers of neutrons (but the same number of protons) in the nucleus of their atoms. A single element may have many isotopes. For example, uranium appears in nature in three forms: uranium-234 (142 neutrons), uranium-235 (143 neutrons), and uranium-238 (148 neutrons); each uranium isotope has 92 protons.

Land Use

The ultimate uses to be permitted for currently contaminated lands, waters, and structures at each Department of Energy installation.

Life Cycle

EM defines life cycle as fiscal year 1997 through 2070. Data are collected for individual years through 2010 and for five-year blocks starting with 2011 (i.e., 2011-1015, 2016 - 2020, etc.).

Long-Term Stewardship

Encompasses all activities required to maintain an adequate level of protection to human health and the environment posed by nuclear and/or chemical materials, waste, and residual contamination remaining after cleanup is complete.

Low Level Waste (LLW)

Low-level radioactive waste (LLW) is radioactive waste, including accelerator-produced waste, that is not high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, transuranic waste, byproduct material (as defined in section 11e.(2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954), or naturally occurring radioactive material (DOE Order 435.1)

Management Activity

A specific process that results in the addition, treatment, or disposal of waste, media or spent nuclear fuel. The group of management activities that a particular waste stream is undergoing or is planned to undergo is called the stream's disposition or disposition path.

Managing Program

The DOE program that is responsible for the storage, treatment, and disposal of the waste/media/spent nuclear fuel.

Materials in Inventory (MIN)

Materials that are not currently in use (i.e., have not been used during the last year and are not reasonably expected to be used within the coming year), that have not been designated as waste, and that have not been set aside for national defense purposes.

Materials in Inventory Database

Data source for the CID that provides information on "excess fissile materials and other material inventories" as requested by the Settlement Agreement.

Matrix Parameter Category (MPC) Code/MPC Name

The code and associated name that identifies the physical/chemical form of a stream (e.g., soil/gravel, liquids, heterogeneous debris, etc). In many of the CID standard reports, the user can select specific MPC Names as a filter or one of three groups of MPCs: Only Groundwater/Wastewater Quantities, No Groundwater/Wastewater Quantities, or All Physical Forms.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)- The maximum permissible level of a contaminant in water delivered to any user of a public system. MCLs are enforceable standards.

MIN Category

A Grouping of MIN data based on defined characteristics. There are 10 categories of MIN data that were studied in the January 1996 Report, Taking Stock: A Look at the Opportunities and Challenges Posed by Inventories from the Cold War Era: sodium, lead, lithium, scrap metal and equipment, weapons components, depleted uranium, natural and enriched uranium, plutonium and other nuclear materials, spent nuclear fuel, and chemicals.

MIN Subcategory

Each MIN category is further broken down into two subcategories: nuclear materials and non-nuclear materials.

Mixed Low Level Waste (MLLW)

Mixed low-level waste (MLLW) is defined as LLW determined to contain both a hazardous component subject to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended, and a radioactive component subject to the Atomic Energy Act (DOE Order 435. 1).

Nanocurie

One one-billionth of a curie.

Neutron

A massive, uncharged particle that comprises part of an atomic nucleus. Uranium and plutonium atoms fission when they absorb neutrons. The chain reactions that make nuclear reactors and weapons work thus depend on neutrons. Man-made elements can be manufactured by bombarding other elements with neutrons in production reactors.

Non-Annualized Quantity

A quantity of material or waste where the DOE reporting site could not specify the years in which a management activity would occur or when quantities would be in inventory.

Non-Radioactive Hazardous Waste

Non-radioactive hazardous waste is any solid waste or combination of solid wastes, which do not contain radionuclides of any type and, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may: 1) cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible, illness; or 2) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed.

Non-Routine Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Waste

Solid waste that is either a listed hazardous waste (per 40 CFR 261.30 - 261.33) or exhibits the characteristics of a hazardous waste, that has resulted from one-time operations by environmental restoration program activities, including primary and secondary wastes associated with retrieval and remediation operations, "legacy wastes," and wastes from decontamination and decommissioning/transition operations.

Non-Routine Sanitary Waste

Waste that does not contain radioactive or hazardous constituents sufficient to require special management that has resulted from one-time operations by environmental restoration program activities, including primary and secondary waste associated with retrieval and remediation operations, "legacy waste," and waste from decontamination and decommissioning/transition operations.

Non-Routine State Waste

Any waste not specifically regulated under RCRA, which may be regulated by State or local authorities (such as used oil) that has resulted from one-time operations by environmental restoration program activities, including primary and secondary wastes associated with retrieval and remediation operations, "legacy wastes," and wastes from decontamination and decommissioning/transition operations.

Non-Routine Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Waste

Individual chemical wastes (both liquid and solid) regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act that have resulted from one-time operations by environmental restoration program activities, including primary and secondary wastes associated with retrieval and remediation operations, "legacy wastes," and wastes from contamination and decommissioning/transition operations.

Nuclear Reactor

A device that sustains a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

An independent agency of the federal government created by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, which abolished the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and transferred its regulatory function to the NRC. Responsible for ensuring adequate protection of public health and safety, the common defense and security, and the environment in the use of nuclear materials in the United States. Responsible for regulation of commercial nuclear power reactors; non-power research, test, and training reactors; fuel cycle facilities; medical, academic, and industrial uses of nuclear materials; and the transport, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials as waste.

Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982

An Act to provide for the development of repositories for the disposal of high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel, to establish a program of research, development, and demonstration regarding the disposal of high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel, and for other purposes. Section 151(b) discusses the provisions for title and custody of low-level waste and the land on which it is disposed.

Office of Environmental Management (EM)

An office of the DOE that was created in 1989 to oversee DOE's waste management and environmental cleanup efforts. Originally called the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, it was renamed in 1993.

Operations/Field Office

A management office in the field that carries the organizational responsibility for (1) managing and executing assigned programs, (2) directing contractors who conduct programs, and (3) assuring that environmental, safety, and health protection are integral parts of each program. DOE operations office manage multiple geographic sites across the DOE Complex. (Annual Report of Waste generation and Pollution Prevention Progress, 1998)

Output Format

The type of electronic file that is produced to show a report after it has been generated. Possible output formats include Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Portable Document Format (PDF), and Comma delimited file (importable to spreadsheet applications).

Physical Form

see Matrix Parameter Category (MPC) Code/MPC Name.

Plutonium

A man-made fissile element. Pure plutonium is a silvery metal heavier than lead. Material rich in the plutonium-239 isotope is preferred for manufacturing nuclear weapons. The half-life of plutonium-239 is 24,000 years.

  Profile

  A defined group of elements of a waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream that have similar isotopes and/or hazardous contaminants. A profile is the lowest-level of categorization of parts of a waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream, or a "sub-stream." All sub-streams of a single waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream must total to 100% of that stream.

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)

A document that evaluates the environmental impacts of federal programs potentially affecting one or more sites. The document is prepared in accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act.

Projected Quantities

Quantities of waste/media/spent nuclear fuel that the reporting site provides as estimates for future years based on current management plans.

Radioactive Waste

Waste that contains or is contaminated with radionuclides (nuclei of atoms that posses properties of spontaneous disintegration - radioactivity) that are regulated by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, at concentrations greater than established levels.

Radionuclide

A radioactive species of an atom characterized by the constitution of its nucleus.

Receiving Site

  The site that will be receiving the waste/media/spent nuclear fuel from a shipping site in the specified time range.

Reprocessing

A process for extracting uranium, plutonium, and other radionuclides from dissolved spent nuclear fuel and irradiated targets. The fission products that are left behind are high-level waste. Reprocessing is also known as chemical separation.

Routine Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Waste

Solid waste not specifically excluded from regulation under 40 CFR 261.4, or delisted by petition, that is either a listed hazardous waste (40 CFR 261.30-261.33) or exhibits the characteristics of a hazardous waste (40 CFR 261.20-261.24) that is produced by any type of production, analytical, and/or research and development laboratory operations; treatment, storage, or disposal operations; "work-for-others;" or any other periodic and recurring work that is considered ongoing.

Routine Sanitary Waste

Waste that does not contain radioactive or hazardous constituents sufficient to require special management. Examples of sanitary waste are municipal solid waste, construction/demolition debris, and some waste water.

Routine Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Waste

Individual chemical wastes (both solid and liquid), regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). that is produced by any type of production, analytical, and/or research and development laboratory operations; treatment, storage, or disposal operations; "work-for-others;" or any other periodic and recurring work that is considered ongoing.

SDD

See Stream Disposition Data (SDD)

Selection Criteria

A feature of standard reports that allows the user to select specific information to be included in the report. Selection criteria categories include: Reporting Period, State or Operations Office, Site, Managing Program, Year Range, Waste Type, and Physical Form (MPC Code).

Shipping Site

The site that will be sending waste/media/SNF to a DOE, commercial, or other non-DOE site in the specified year or range of years.

Site

An area of land (or a series of buildings) where DOE has or is conducting cleanup work. Click here to receive a table of valid sites in the CID.

Site Area Name and Number

The name (and associated three-digit number) assigned by the Operations/Field Office to identify an administrative subdivision of a site.

Source Activity

The last management activity for the waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream.

Source Reactor

The nuclear reactor where the spent nuclear fuel element was irradiated.

Source Reduction

Any practice which reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal and reduces the hazards of public health and the environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants.

Source Site

The site where the waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream was last managed.

Source System

The TSD system where the waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream was last processed.

Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF)

Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) is fuel that has been permanently withdrawn from a nuclear reactor following irradiation, but has not been processed to remove its constituent elements. (DOE Order 5660. 1B, Management of Nuclear Materials, May 26, 1994)

Spent Nuclear Fuel Database

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Database stores information on spent nuclear fuel throughout the DOE Complex. A subset of information from the Spent Nuclear Fuel Database is incorporated into the EM Corporate Database, which is a source system for the CID.

Standard Report

Reports that are in a standard format, but allow the user to tailor the output by selection criteria to choose specific information to be included to include or exclude particular records from the report format and by sorting the records to present a user-specified order.

Steward

Individuals or groups responsible for performing and/or ensuring that the required long-term stewardship activities take place.

Stewardship

See Long-Term Stewardship.

Stream

A group of materials, media, or wastes having similar origins or management requirements (same disposition path). Also referred to as a waste stream, media stream, or spent nuclear fuel stream.

Stream Disposition Data (SDD)

Stream-level data that document the planned storage, treatment, and disposal of waste, contaminated media, or spent nuclear fuel.

Summary Report

"Pre-generated" outputs available in Portable Document Format (PDF), that aggregate detailed data to provide site- and complex-wide information about DOE waste management activities.

TBD Disposition

Management activity for waste/media where the reporting site has not yet determined the requirements for stream treatment and/or disposal; therefore, disposition activities are considered "to be determined" (TBD). Quantities of waste/media identified as TBD Dispositions are identified on some CID standard reports.

TBD Site

Site identified for treatment or disposal of waste when the stream treatment and/or disposal requirements are known, but the treatment or disposal site has not been decided (i.e., "to be determined" (TBD)).

Thorium (Th)

A naturally occurring radioactive element.

Total Curies

The CID presents curie data as total curies. A curie measures the radioactivity of a stream, measured directly or estimated based on isotopes present and isotope concentration. For additional information, please refer to the definition for Curie.

Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Databases

Data source for the CID that provides information on releases of materials classified as toxic chemicals by the EPA.

Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting

Required annual reporting of toxic chemicals as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA) (also referred to as the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)). Facilities that meet the EPCRA/TRI reporting criteria are required to report on releases of toxic chemicals into the air, water, and land, as well as off-site transfers of waste for treatment, energy recovery, recycling, or disposal at a separate facility. The current TRI list contains more than 500 individually listed chemicals and 28 chemical categories (including two delimited categories containing 39 chemicals).

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (Public Law 94-469)

A Federal law, enacted in 1976 to protect human health and the environment from unreasonable risk caused by exposure to or the manufacturing, distribution, use, or disposal of substances containing toxic chemicals. PCBs are regulated under TSCA.

Transuranic Waste (TRU)

Transuranic Waste (TRU) is radioactive waste containing more than 100 nanocuries of alpha-emitting transuranic isotopes per gram of waste, with half-lives greater than 20 years. The term transuranic means those elements with an atomic number greater than that of uranium (i.e., atomic number > 92). (DOE Order 435. 1)

Treatment

Any method, technique, or process designed to change the physical or chemical character of waste to render it less hazardous; safer to transport, store, or dispose; or reduce its volume.

Treatment/Storage/Disposal (TSD) System

A discrete treatment or disposal capability for a waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream. A TSD system could be a physical structure, such as a disposal cell or "non-physical," such as a specialized treatment process.

TRI Database

See Toxic Release Inventory Databases.

Tritium (T)

The heaviest isotope of the element hydrogen. Tritium is produced in nuclear reactors and is three times heavier than ordinary hydrogen. Tritium gas is used to boost the explosive power of most modern nuclear weapons. Tritium has a half-life of approximately 12 years.

Unspecified Site

Site identified for treatment, shipping, receiving, or disposal of waste/media/spent nuclear fuel when the stream treatment, shipping, receiving, or disposal requirements are known, but the treatment, shipping, receiving, or disposal site has not been determined or was not reported by the site.

Unspecified Waste Type

Contaminated media volumes identified as having been managed or projected to be managed, when the stream management requirements can be known, but the site reported the waste type as "unspecified." In most cases, this occurs when contaminated media volumes include more than one waste type. Once the volume is partitioned, the waste types can be specified.

Uranium

The basic material for nuclear technology. This element is naturally slightly radioactive and can be refined to a heavy metal more dense than lead.

Uranium-233

A man-made fissile isotope of uranium.

Uranium-235

The lighter of the two isotopes of uranium; it is the only naturally occurring fissile element. Uranium-235 makes up 0.7% of the uranium that is mined from the ground. It has a half-life of 704 million years.

Uranium-238

The heavier of the two main isotopes of uranium. Uranium-238 makes up over 99% of uranium that is mined from the ground. It has a half-life of 4.5 billion years and is not easily split by neutrons.

Uranium Mill Tailings

Earthen residues that remain after the extraction of uranium from ores. Tailings may also contain other minerals or metals not extracted in the process.

Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) of 1978 (Public Law 95-604)

The act that directed the Department of Energy to provide for stabilization and control of the uranium mill tailings from inactive sites is a safe and environmentally sound manner to minimize radiation health hazards to the public. It authorized the Department to undertake remedial actions at 24 designated inactive uranium-processing sites and at an estimated 5,000 vicinity properties.

Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project

A program to reduce the hazards posed to the public by uranium mill tailings. The program was created by the Department of Energy in response to UMTRCA, which was enacted in 1978. The DOE's Office of Environmental Management is responsible for implementing the UMTRA Project.

Vitrification

A process that stabilizes nuclear waste by mixing it with molten glass. The glass mixture is poured into cylindrical metal canisters, where it hardens. Vitrification is a method used to prepare waste, mainly high-level waste, for disposal.

Waste Generation Report Database

see Pollution Prevention Database.

Waste Type

Standard DOE classification of the waste/media/spent nuclear fuel stream. Valid waste types include high-level waste, high-level waste-vitrified, low-level waste, mixed low-level waste, transuranic waste, buried transuranic waste, and other (other includes 11e2 byproduct as defined as the waste produced by the extraction or concentration of uranium or thorium from any ore processed primarily for its source material (i.e., uranium or thorium) content.