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We have had hazardous waste minimization programs in place for a number of years, which has resulted in significant reductions in the amount of hazardous wastes generated at APS facilities.
All our facilities are now normally classified as Small Quantity Generators (SQG) or Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators (CESQG) of hazardous waste, and in 2006 none of our facilities were classified as Large Quantity Generators of Hazardous Waste. In 2006, APS has continued to show good results in hazardous waste reductions, as shown in the chart below. The primary difference between the 2005 and 2006 numbers was that PVNGS had a large episodic generation of mixed wastes (including lead) in 2005.
Our facilities employ a wide variety of pollution-prevention activities based on the facilities individual and diverse needs. The Deer Valley Service Center is charged with managing the waste and recycling for our service centers. Through a centralized facility, we are able to implement a variety of reuse and recycling activities.
APS is a member of the EPA's WasteWise Partnership and Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2). WasteWise is a voluntary EPA program through which organizations work to minimize solid waste. C2P2 is a cooperative effort between the EPA and the Utility Solid Waste Activity Group (USWAG) to help promote the beneficial use of coal combustion products and the environmental benefits that can result.
Nuclear power plant operators are required to enter into spent fuel disposal contracts with the DOE, and the DOE is required to accept and dispose of all spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive wastes generated by domestic power reactors. Although the Nuclear Waste Policy Act required the DOE to develop a permanent repository for the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel by 1998, the DOE has announced that the repository cannot be completed before at least 2017.
The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station and other nuclear power plants produce two forms of radioactive waste: high-level waste and low-level waste. High-level waste consists primarily of spent nuclear fuel. This spent fuel is highly radioactive for many years, but can be safely stored in spent fuel storage pools or specially designed and licensed spent fuel storage casks.
We have existing spent fuel storage pools at Palo Verde and have constructed and are using a facility for on-site dry cask storage of spent fuel while we are awaiting the completion of the Nuclear Waste Storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. With the existing storage pools and the addition of the on-site dry cask storage facility, we believe spent fuel storage methods will be available for use by Palo Verde on-site to allow continued safe operation through the term of the operating license for each of Palo Verde’s three units. On average, Palo Verde replaces 200 fuel assemblies annually.
Some low-level waste has been stored on-site in a low-level waste facility; however APS is currently shipping low-level waste to off-site disposal facilities which are permitted to accept these types of wastes. Examples of low-level waste include used protective clothing, resins and filters.
New Protective Clothing at PVNGS
Palo Verde employees who work in radiological controlled areas of the plant now are using environmentally friendly protective clothing (PC) that will eliminate on- and off-site management of plant laundry.
The new protective clothing, which is sold under the trade name OREX, is designed to be worn once and discarded rather than laundered again and again like standard protective clothing. Terry Gober, section leader, RP Contamination Control, said eliminating offsite laundering means less radioactive material is transported on public highways and there is no need to conduct radiation surveys on the PCs when they come back from laundering. Repairing torn PCs also no longer is required.
According to the product's developer, Eastern Technologies Inc., the clothing's lightweight fabric is made from a substance that can be broken down ─ with the help of microorganisms ─ into mostly carbon dioxide and water. The water is then passed through resin beds, making the disposal process less expensive.
Further information on spent nuclear fuel and low-level wastes can be found in the PNW annual report.
Pinnacle West and APS perform audits of all vendors that provide waste disposal or recycling activities and services to company facilities. This program evaluates our vendor's facility operations, environmental management systems and financial strength in order to minimize short- and long-term liability caused by vendor actions or omissions. The audits also ensure that our waste materials are being properly managed once they leave our facilities. Twenty-three vendor audits were completed in 2006, including 18 audits of waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities, and five audits of recycling firms.
Pinnacle West belongs to the Joint Utility Vendor Audit Consortium (JUVAC), CHWMEG Consortium and the Desert Utility Vendor Audit Team (DUVAT). The consortiums are made up of various organizations or partnerships that conduct vendor audits and make them available to their members. Participation in these consortiums helps to leverage auditing resources and performance.
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