TRU Programs Regulatory
Knowledge & Experience
Aspen’s award winning proven track record in developing and providing innovative approaches for TRU waste processing, increases in packaging efficiencies, reduction in worker dose, increases the effectiveness programs resulting in increased success of waste passing TRU waste certification on the first review.
Our Expertise Includes:
- Permitting & Characterization: Enhanced Acceptable Knowledge (AK) characterization, methods, plans and procedures; waste certification.
- Risk and decision analysis: Safeguard and Security reviews; Risk and Vulnerability for disposition of attractive materials.
- Experience and knowledge of nuclear operations, treatment and packaging process development & implementation.
- WIPP characterization, including sample and analysis plans; theoretical chemistry.
- Quality audits.
- Strategic planning and environmental program development; project baselines, cost and schedule.
- Corrective action plans and implementation.
- DOE Order 435.1-1. Compliance and implementation in operations.
- Waste flow process assessment from operations through WIPP certification and TRUPACT-II loading.
- Reactive Wastes. Orphan and difficult waste; D&D debris.
Regulatory
Knowledge & Experience
Aspen has 25 years of solid experience in highly regulated mixed waste. Our focus has been on higher content radionuclide (e.g., “residues”) and other challenging waste streams. The Aspen founders were involved in the development of the original TRUPACT loading configurations. Our founders formed the original team who developed from concept to approval to implementation of the Pipe Overpack Component (POC). We have worked with inter-agency regulators (state, EPA, NRC, etc.) and DOE complex-wide experts to develop enhanced efficiencies in packaging, such as improved filters, vented bags, bag liners and other configurations that resulted in significant cost and schedule savings for the Complex. Our key personnel are well versed in federal and state laws, policy developments, and site-specific environmental and waste management requirements. We have worked successfully with the U.S. EPA, DOE, Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, and Idaho regulatory agencies.
Aspen’s depth of knowledge integrates operational real-world experience with legal, regulatory and policy analysis.
- Regulatory compliance reporting and correspondence to regulators.
- Equivalencies and exceptions.
- Permitting support.
- Compliance auditing.
- Legal analyses.
- Interpretation of analytical data to determine regulatory compliance.
- Recommendations for testing, or further analysis.
- Worst case scenario determination; supporting calculations.
Packaging and Transportation
Knowledge & Experience
Aspen’s experts analyze safety, risk, safeguards and security for storage and transportation of radioactive and mixed wastes, spent nuclear fuel, and high-level radioactive waste from various generating facilities to disposal facilities. Aspen’s highly qualified and cleared personnel have consistently performed with high degrees of effectiveness and within schedule and budget.
Aspen has provided technical and compliance support to DOE and DOE sites for 25 years in TRU waste packaging, transportation and compliance to WIPP standards – including compliance to DOE, RCRA/EPA, NRC, DOT and IAEA regulations. Aspen’s highly specialized expertise in packaging and transportation of nuclear materials and waste supports programmatic quality assurance (QA/QC); specialized testing (e.g., drop tests; test support, procedure preparation, data acquisition and monitoring); risk and safety assessment in transportation (analyze safety, risk, safeguards and security for storage and transportation of radioactive and mixed wastes); and regulatory compliance advice.
Notable among Aspen’s capabilities is our ability to provide innovative constructs for developing programmatic pathways to transport materials that otherwise have inherently embedded issues that render such populations intractable. For example, Aspen has the ability to complete short duration and highly affordable studies that yield results on such matters as thermal analysis of potential pressure and stress-strain, relevance of kinetic reactivity post-aging, and compilation and normalization of complex data points to relate to real-world application.
Aspen’s work with the DOE Complex is highly regarded.