A containment enclosure for shielding an outer cask containing an inner canister loaded with nuclear waste such as spent fuel rods. The enclosure includes a lower base portion at least partially embedded in a concrete pad and an upper radiation shielding portion defined by a shield jacket coupled to and supported by the lower base portion at a circumferential joint. Cavities of the base and shielding portions collectively define a contiguous containment space for the cask. A portion of the cask resides in each of the base and shielding portions which completely enclose and shield the cask to minimize radiation dosage of personnel in the environment surrounding the cask. The cask is cooled by a natural convectively-driven ambient cooling air ventilation system including air inlets at the circumferential joint of the enclosure. The concrete pad may be part of a spent nuclear fuel storage installation comprising plural cask containment enclosures.

A dry storage systems for radioactive nuclear waste materials may include a double-walled canister system. The canister system may include a canister having a tubular inner shell defining an internal cavity for storing nuclear waste material, a first lid sealably welded to a first end of the inner shell, a primary base plate defining a peripheral edge portion and having an annular closure flange, and an annular full thickness butt weld formed at an abutment joint between the annular closure flange and a second end of the inner shell. The inner shell, first lid, and first end closure may collectively define a sealed primary pressure retention barrier. A tubular outer shell may adjoin the inner shell. The outer shell may be welded to the canister to form a hermetically sealed secondary pressure retention barrier.

A dry storage systems for radioactive nuclear waste materials may include a double-walled canister system. The canister system may include a canister having a tubular inner shell defining an internal cavity for storing nuclear waste material, a first lid sealably welded to a first end of the inner shell, a primary base plate defining a peripheral edge portion and having an annular closure flange, and an annular full thickness butt weld formed at an abutment joint between the annular closure flange and a second end of the inner shell. The inner shell, first lid, and first end closure may collectively define a sealed primary pressure retention barrier. A tubular outer shell may adjoin the inner shell. The outer shell may be welded to the canister to form a hermetically sealed secondary pressure retention barrier.

Dangerous, toxic, and/or radioactive volatiles are produced from nuclear fission, nuclear decay, and/or as a byproduct from vitrification of radioactive wastes. Such volatiles are treated during and after vitrification of the radioactive waste, to be converted into fixed-chemicals, that are retained in, on, and/or proximate to a cold-cap located vertically above vitrified melt. The cold-cap may have one or more volatile fixing additives (VFAs) for retaining the fixed-chemicals. The VFAs are located in and/or the cold-cap. The vitrification may occur within at least one human-made cavern. The human-made cavern may be located within a deep geologic rock formation. The deep geologic rock formation may be located at least 2,000 feet below a terrestrial surface of the Earth. The human-made cavern may be formed by first drilling a wellbore from the terrestrial surface to the deep geologic rock formation and then underreaming the wellbore into the deep geologic rock formation.

Dangerous, toxic, and/or radioactive volatiles are produced from nuclear fission, nuclear decay, and/or as a byproduct from vitrification of radioactive wastes. Such volatiles are treated during and after vitrification of the radioactive waste, to be converted into fixed-chemicals, that are retained in, on, and/or proximate to a cold-cap located vertically above vitrified melt. The cold-cap may have one or more volatile fixing additives (VFAs) for retaining the fixed-chemicals. The VFAs are located in and/or the cold-cap. The vitrification may occur within at least one human-made cavern. The human-made cavern may be located within a deep geologic rock formation. The deep geologic rock formation may be located at least 2,000 feet below a terrestrial surface of the Earth. The human-made cavern may be formed by first drilling a wellbore from the terrestrial surface to the deep geologic rock formation and then underreaming the wellbore into the deep geologic rock formation.

A nuclear waste storage system includes a human-unoccupiable directional drillhole formed from a terranean surface into a subterranean formation, the drillhole including a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal portion that includes a hazardous waste repository for nuclear waste storage; a casing including one or more tubular sections sized to fit within the drillhole; and a coating attached to an exterior surface of the casing, the exterior surface facing a rock formation through which the drillhole is formed.

A nuclear waste storage system includes a human-unoccupiable directional drillhole formed from a terranean surface into a subterranean formation, the drillhole including a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal portion that includes a hazardous waste repository for nuclear waste storage; a casing including one or more tubular sections sized to fit within the drillhole; and a coating attached to an exterior surface of the casing, the exterior surface facing a rock formation through which the drillhole is formed.

Systems, methods, processes, and/or steps for the long-term disposal of high-level nuclear and radioactive waste, along with other radioactive waste forms, is done within deep salt formation(s) of predetermined characteristics. Waste may be emplaced within a given deep salt formation and after emplacement, creep of that deep salt formation around the deposited waste may entirely entomb that emplaced waste safely for geologic time periods. To emplace the waste, wellbore(s) may be drilled from the Earth's terrestrial surface into the given deep salt formation and then either a mostly horizontal wellbore may be formed within the given deep salt formation and/or a human-made cavern may be formed down and within the given deep salt formation. After emplacement, creep of the deep salt formation will destroy the initial boundaries of the horizontal wellbore and/or of the human-made cavern. This creep sealing process may occur over relatively short time periods.

Systems, methods, processes, and/or steps for the long-term disposal of high-level nuclear and radioactive waste, along with other radioactive waste forms, is done within deep salt formation(s) of predetermined characteristics. Waste may be emplaced within a given deep salt formation and after emplacement, creep of that deep salt formation around the deposited waste may entirely entomb that emplaced waste safely for geologic time periods. To emplace the waste, wellbore(s) may be drilled from the Earth's terrestrial surface into the given deep salt formation and then either a mostly horizontal wellbore may be formed within the given deep salt formation and/or a human-made cavern may be formed down and within the given deep salt formation. After emplacement, creep of the deep salt formation will destroy the initial boundaries of the horizontal wellbore and/or of the human-made cavern. This creep sealing process may occur over relatively short time periods.

A method for treatment of spent ion-exchange resins for disposal includes feeding a mixture of spent ion-exchange resins to the a loading tank, separating the ion-exchange resins, feeding separated ion-exchange resins into the a drying chamber, vacuum drying the ion-exchange resins and subjecting the resins to additional heat treatment in a high-temperature furnace, and unloading the treated ion-exchange resins into a transport container. A device for treatment of spent ion-exchange resins includes a loading tank, a metering device connected to a drying chamber, an inclined feed screw located between the loading tank and the metering device, a vacuum pump, a heated gas filter, a high-temperature furnace equipped with a vacuum drying and gas purification system, and a feeding device located between the drying chamber and the high-temperature furnace. A docking unit is connected to a lower part of the high-temperature furnace.