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Used Nuclear Material
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) stringently control and diligently oversee the management of nuclear fuels and its radioactive byproducts. We designed and built facilities at our Palo Verde plant that safely store these wastes on site. Given our expertise and commitment to safety, we are also actively engaged in shaping future legislation and regulations that affect the handling of radioactive waste.
Palo Verde and other similar nuclear power plants produce two forms of radioactive waste: high-level waste and low-level waste. High-level waste consists of relatively small amounts of used uranium fuel. This spent fuel is highly radioactive for many years, but it can be safely isolated in above- or below-ground storage.
We have existing fuel storage pools at Palo Verde and have recently constructed a new facility for on-site dry storage of used fuel. With the existing storage pools and the addition of the new facility, used fuel storage will be available for use by Palo Verde to allow continued operation through the term of the operating license for each of Palo Verde’s three units. On average, Palo Verde permanently discharges 200 fuel assemblies annually. These discharged assemblies contain approximately 88 Metric Tons Uranium (MTU) and fission product inventory of 990 million curies.
Low-level waste includes materials and substances that have had some contact with the nuclear process and become radioactive. Although in the past we stored some low-level waste on-site in a low-level waste facility, we currently ship low-level waste to off-site facilities. We believe interim low-level waste storage methods are or will be available for Palo Verde to continue operation and to safely store low-level waste until a permanent disposal facility is available.
Hazardous Waste
We have specific programs in place to reduce and minimize hazardous waste. Tracking our hazardous waste stream is accomplished through waste manifest data for hazardous wastes shipped off site. APS hazardous waste primarily consists of batteries, light bulbs, solvents, paint waste and aerosol cans.
APS Hazardous Waste Generation
|
Year |
Tons |
|
2002 |
105.2(a) |
|
2001 |
242.6(b) |
|
2000 |
78.6(c) |
|
1999 |
24.3 |
|
1998 |
23.8 |
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(a) In 2001 and in 2002 baseline numbers were higher because:
- Universal waste was not previously included in our hazardous waste totals.
- Batteries were not previuosly included as hazardous waste.
(b) The increase in the amount of hazardous waste generated in 2001 resulted from separate incidents at our Cholla Power Plant that required a one-time cleanup. In last year’s EHS Report, 2001 hazardous waste numbers were estimated at 180.4 tons. |
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(c) Waste figures for 2000 include 55.4 tons of soil removed during remediation of the Prescott Manufactured Gas Plant. |
2002 Management of Hazardous Wastes
|
Management Type |
Tons |
|
Recycled |
74.59 |
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Incinerated |
10.39 |
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Universal Waste |
12.02 |
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Treated |
0.12 |
|
Landfilled |
8.12 |
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