Concentrations and radioactive content of liquid wastes in Russia

Mayak, Chelyabinsk regiona High-level wastes: 11,120 cubic meters (m3) of solutions with an activity of 258 million curies (Ci), and 18,650 m3 of pulps with an activity of 131 million Ci are stored in: 20 containers with volumes up to 300 m3 each 20 concrete tanks each with a capacity of 1100 m3 61 tanks with nitric acid materials About 1700 m3 of high-level liquid wastes with an activity of 200 million Ci have been vitrified. Medium-level liquid wastes are located in reservoirs Nos. 2,3,4,10, and 11, with a combined area of 84 km2, and an activity of 394 million Ci. Lake Karachai (Reservoir No. 9) contains 120 million Ci. Staroe Boloto (an artificial lake) contains 35,000 m3 of liquid wastes, with an activity of 2 million Ci. Siberian Chemical Plant, Tomsk Oblastb Pools 1 and 2 have an area of 75,000 m2, and contain 180,000 m3 of liquid wastes with 126 million Ci. There is indication of high levels of plutonium in the wastes. Remediation of the pools has consisted of filling them in with soil. Underground storage (deep-well injection): 33-36 million m3. Low-level wastes are at a depth of 240-290 meters, medium- and high-level wastes 310-340 meters. The original activity of the wastes is estimated to have been 1.1 billion Ci.

Mining and Chemical Plant, Krasnoyarsk regionb Steel tanks (300 m3 and larger) contain 6500 m3 of liquid wastes, 110 million Ci. Four reservoirs. Activity of 5,000 Ci. Four open pools with 50,000 m3 of wastes, 20,000 Ci. Underground storage facility "Severny." Since 1963, 4.5 million m3 of liquid wastes have been injected at a depth of 190-475 meters, 700 million Ci.c National Research Institute of Nuclear Reactors, Dmitrovgradb Injection of 2 million m3 of liquid wastes with activity of 90,000 Ci. Sources: Bellona Working Paper, 1995 No. 4; V. I. Bulatov, Radioactive Russia (Novosibirsk: TsERIS, 1996); Donald J. Bradley, Behind the Nuclear Curtain: Radioactive Waste Management in the Former Soviet Union (Columbus, OH: Battelle Press, 1997); and Anatoli Diakov, "International Reprocessing Report: Russia," Energy & Security, No. 2, 1997.