Nuclear Waste in Tennessee Landfills

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Nuclear WasteinTennessee Landfills
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HOW AND WHY TENNESSEE IS THE ONLY STATE TO ACCEPT
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN ITS SOLID WASTE
LANDFILLS
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Today, both the nuclear weapons complex and the
nuclear utilities face an aging infrastructure.
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Over 100 aging nuclear reactors now dot the
country side.
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Unlike other aging industrial infrastructures,
these facilities have been contaminated with
long lived, life-harming radioactive isotopes.

Only time can reduce the danger of nuclear
contaminated materials, time that is measured in
millions of years.
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Age of Nuclear Reactors
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The N-Waste Disappearing Act
Because older nuclear reactors have begun to
leak, they are being closed and dismantled.
States in which the plants are sited do not want
the wastes left there, so the utilities are
looking for a place to take this nuclear waste.
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The Volunteer State To the Rescue!!!
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No Place to Go but TN!The TN N-Waste Loophole
Tennessee stands alone among the states in the
extent to which it has developed a process to
DELIBERATELY invite routine disposal of nuclear
waste in our solid waste landfills.
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The nuclear industry does not want to pay to
dispose of all its low-level waste at the
licensed facility in Utah. TDEC has licensed
processors to decide which nuclear materials can
be reclassified from licensed radioactive waste
to regular trash that goes to our solid waste
landfills.
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TDEC and the Tennessee Loophole
Decades ago TDEC created what is known nationally
as the Tennessee Loophole which allows
low-level nuclear waste to be dumped into our
solid waste landfills. TDEC held no public
hearings in TN to discuss whether this was
something that the people of TN wanted. The
program known as BSFR was kept secret
deliberately and would still be secret if Diane
DArrigo from the Nuclear Information Resource
Service (NIRS) had not written a report revealing
it and if Demetria Kalodimos on Channel 4 in
Nashville had not produced an award-winning
series on the landfills.(To view, go to NIRS.org)
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TNs nuclear facilities
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TDEC has deregulated the Nuclear Industry
TDECs deregulation of radioactively contaminated
materials provides that the nuclear generators
are cleared of liability, once the nuclear waste
is transferred to the solid waste landfills. Thus
if health effects can later be proven, the
generators cannot be held responsible.
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How TDEC Protects the Citizens

• TDEC has relaxed the standards by which nuclear
  waste can be dumped.
• TDEC stands alone among the state regulators in
  the extent to which it has reduced the
  "regulatory burden" on nuclear companies that
  produce nuclear waste and contaminants.
• TDEC insists that the additional radiation
  exposure it has forced on the public is
  "allowable."
• TDEC has increased the health risk to
  Tennesseans.

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TDEC currently allows nuclear waste to be
routinely dumped into four TN solid waste
landfills.
Mont- gomery
Robertson
Macon
Clay
Pickett
Hancock
Sullivan
Johnson
Stewart
Scott
Claiborne
Hawkins
Sumner
Campbell
Wash- ington
Lake
Obion
Henry
Jackson
Overton
Carter
Houston
Fentress
Weakley
Smith
Union
Grainger
Hamblen
Dickson
Cheatham
Greene
Davidson
Wilson
Putnam
Morgan
Anderson
Unicoi
Dyer
Humph- reys
Jefferson
Benton
Gibson
Knox
Carroll
DeKalb
Cumberland
White
Roane
Cocke
Williamson
Crockett
Hickman
Sevier
Cannon
Loudon
Lauderdale
Van Buren
Rutherford
Blount
Henderson
Warren
Decatur
Haywood
Madison
Perry
Maury
Rhea
Bledsoe
Tipton
Bedford
Lewis
Marshall
Meigs
Coffee
Monroe
Chester
Sequat- chie
Grundy
McMinn
Hardeman
Shelby
Fayette
Hardin
Wayne
Lawrence
Giles
Hamilton
McNairy
Lincoln
Franklin
Marion
Bradley
Polk

• 1) Carter Valley, Hawkins County
• 2) South Shelby, Shelby County
• 3) North Shelby, Shelby County
• Chestnut Ridge Landfill Recycling Center,
  Anderson County
• Middle Point in Rutherford County discontinued
  receiving nuclear waste in 2008 due to public
  protest.

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AMOUNTS OF LLRW in 2004-2006
38,343,961 lbs in 3 years

• 2004
• North Shelby 3,677,876
• South Shelby 0
• Carter Valley 0
• Chestnut Ridge 0
• Middle Point (from Impact 165,858 Toxco 0)
• 2005
• North Shelby 9,823,073
• South Shelby o
• Carter Valley 7,481,581
• Middle Point (Impact 10,130,000 Toxco 0)

•  
• 2006
• North Shelby 1,302,663
• South Shelby 966,937
• Carter Valley 3,261,010
• Chestnut Ridge 191,194
• Middle Point 1,343,769
• (Impact 590,570 Toxco 753,199)

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AMOUNT of BSFR 2007-09 in pounds

• Landfill 2007 2008
  2009
• North Shelby 2,000,000 180,000
  179,000
• South Shelby 530,000 850,000
  1,770,000
• Middle Point 400,000 0
  0
• Chestnut Ridge 1,300,000 890,000
  1,861,000
• Carters Valley 495,000 140,000
  150,000
• _________
  _______ ________
• 4,725,000
  2,060,000 3,960,000
• TOTAL FOR 3 YRS 10,745,000 pounds

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Where does LLRW come from?

• Only 20 of the low level radioactive waste that
  goes into TN landfills is generated from within
  the state
• Waste from decommissioned reactors comes to TN
  for processing and burial from as far away as
  California, Michigan, Connecticut, Washington
  state, and New York
• ENERGY SOLUTIONS has applied for a permit to
  bring 40,000 tons of waste to Tennessee from
  Italy. This will open the door to all the worlds
  waste coming to our fair state.

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Types of Radioactive Waste

• High Level Radioactive Waste
• Irradiated (spent) Fuel
• Liquid and Sludge from Reprocessing
• Solidified Reprocessing Liquid
• -- can give a lethal dose unshielded in
  seconds.
• So-called Low-Level Radioactive Waste, not low
  risk
• --Filters, resins and sludges from cleaning
  the cooling water -- can give a lethal dose
  unshielded in 20 minutes.
• --Activated metal pipes and components
• --Control rods, poison curtains, racks that hold
  the fuel and entire reactors
• --Concrete basemats and containment domes
• --Dry radioactive waste
• The same plutonium, cesium, strontium , iodine
  and other atoms are high level in the fuel but
  low-level when they leak out .

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What is going into TN landfills?

• There is no limit on the kind of radionuclides
  that can go to the solid waste landfills in TN
  (can be Plutonium, Strontium, Cesium, etc).
• Presumably the wastes are from Class A.
• Some of the wastes dumped in 2007 were
• ?blasting grit used to clean reactor head studs
  in nuclear power plants blasting grit from
  nuclear facilities
• ?water treatment resins from nuclear power plants
• ?CD/Low-Level Soil from nuke facilities
• ?waste generated within radiological restricted
  areas
• ?dry radioactive waste
• ?Poly Ion Exchange Resin

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Disclosed BSFR to Middle Pointfrom Media Sources

• 1994 -- 200,000 to 400,000 lbs/mo spent ion
  exchange resin, pellets that filter radiation out
  of water
• 1999 -- 40,000 lbs/wk soil area where scrap
  thorium alloy parts were stored.
• 4800 tons/mo trash from restricted area of a
  nuclear facility
• Loads of radioactive metal were taken to the
  dump, but it wasn't clear where it came from.
• 2005 - 10 million lbs - dismantled Big Rock Point
  nuclear plant Michigan
• 400 tons/mo contaminated dirt - UCLA at Los
  Angeles. 2

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Middle Point Landfill in Walter Hill, Tennessee,
on Stones River
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Middle Point and Water Plant
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(No Transcript)
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Shelby County

• North Shelby County Landfills has received the
  most radioactive waste of any landfill in TN,
  over 17 Million Pounds in 6 years.
• The city of Memphis depends upon an underground
  aquifer for its drinking water.
• If the drinking water is contaminated, the
  health and welfare of 670,000 people will be
  threatened. Memphis is the largest city in
  Tennessee.
• Memphis lies on an earthquake fault. It might not
  take a major earthquake to damage those landfills
  and pollute the water.

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BFI CARTER VALLEY LANDFILL

• Already Leaking
• Groundwater Contamination
• People becoming ill
• 2nd highest level of birth defects in Tennessee
• 5/06 BFI assessed 70,000 by TDEC for
  groundwater contamination, (after 2 years of
  warnings and violations notices )
• TN Clean Water Network Director of Community
  Organizing, Rachael Bliss, cited the Hawkins
  County landfill as a prime example of the TDECs
  failure to control leaking landfills
  contaminating ground and surface water.
• Landfill leachate contaminates drinking water
  sources like groundwater and surface water with
  toxic pollutants that are known to cause birth
  defects, cancer, learning disabilities and other
  health problems.

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How does Tennessee Department of Conservation
Measure Verify Radioactivity Levels in
Tennessees Landfills?

• Companies bringing in LLRW to Tennessee landfills
  are responsible for monitoring the levels of
  radiation from point of sourcei.e.
  self-monitoring
• Gate Monitors are located at each landfill
  which receives radioactive waste
• It is possible to hide hotter radiation in center
  of trucks and escape detection by monitor
• It is also possible to BRIBE THE GATEKEEPERS

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Low Level Radioactive Waste . . . is it worth
the risks?

• Will eventually leak into the groundwater and
  drinking water, creating cancers, disease
  clusters, birth defects and learning
  disabilities.
• Ingested radiation, whether breathed in from the
  air, or consumed through drinking water, or from
  foods grown on contaminated land, is far more
  toxic to living creatures than external
  radiation.

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MORE RADIATION TO COME
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Proposed New Reactors
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Bellefonte
In the previous slide, you can see a small green
rectangle just south of Tennessee. This is the
location of the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in
Hollywood, AL. Construction of this reactor
began in 1974 but stopped in 1988, after the
disaster at Chernobyl. In 2009, the NRC approved
TVAs request to reinstate Bellefonte to its
original construction permits. On May 24, 2010,.
TVA recommended building a conventional reactor
at the unfinished site. This project will cost 4
billion. The plant will put the city of
Chattanooga within the 50 mile radius that is
considered most dangerous to residents.
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50 mi radius Bellefonte Nuclear
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AND DONT FORGET THE 40,000 TONS OF ITALIAN WASTE
TO BE IMPORTED
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Government reassurances

• We are told by TDEC and by the NRC that the
  maximum amount of radiation exposure we can
  receive from landfills or incinerators is one
  milli-rem per year, and that this level is safe
  (allowable).
• A millirem is a computer calculation which cannot
  be measured.
• These calculations for human safety are based
  upon a theory of what a young adult male can
  tolerate. No allowances are made for fetuses or
  children, who are most vulnerable, or for elderly
  people or those whose immune systems may be
  compromised.

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RESRAD MAN
RESRAD is a computer model designed to estimate
radiation doses and risks from RESidual
RADioactive materials.
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BEIR VII REPORT of the National Academy of
Sciences Study of the health risks from exposure
to low levels of Ionizing Radiation

• The committee concludes that the higher the dose,
  the greater is the risk the lower the dose, the
  lower is the likelihood of harm to human health.
• In case of in utero exposure (exposure of the
  fetus during pregnancy, excess cancers can be
  detected at doses as low as 10 mSv.
• Cells do not necessarily have to be hit directly
  by a radiation track for the cell to be affected.
• Studies in radiation biology show that a single
  radiation track (resulting in the lowest exposure
  possible) traversing the nucleus of an
  appropriate target cell has a low but finite
  probability of damaging the cells DNA.
• The committee has concluded that there is no
  compelling evidence to indicate a dose threshold
  below which the risk of tumor induction is zero.
• The committee concludes that the preponderance of
  information indicates that there will be some
  risk, even at low doses.

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In other words, in our bodies, the effects of
radiation are cumulative, regardless of whether
the level is high or low, from background
sources, x-rays, CT scans, or nuclear waste.
The more we are exposed to, the more likely we
are to get cancer. What is an safe level for
one person may be the tipping point for another.
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First years effort

• In late 2007, members of ENDIT met with Rep.
  Donna Rowland and asked her to sponsor
  legislation to ban dumping of nuclear waste in TN
  landfills.
• Rep. Rowland Sen. Jim Tracy introduced
  legislation and then refrained from putting it on
  notice until threatened with press coverage.
• Legislation was killed in committees. Both
  legislators made a poor showing of defending
  bills.
• Multiple bills on radioactive waste introduced by
  Sen. Beverly Marrero Rep. Jeanne Richardson,
  both of Memphis. All were killed by TDEC lawyer
  Alan Leicerson.

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History of Rowland/Tracy bill

• Bill HistoryActions Taken on HB4064Action
• DateTaken Off Notice For Cal. in s/c Local
  Government of SLG of State Local Government
  Committee 04/16/2008
• Placed on s/c cal Local Government of SLG for
  04/16/20080
• 4/09/2008Assigned to s/c Local Government of
  SLG04/02/2008
• Ref. to State Local Government04/02/2008P2C,
  caption bill, held on desk - pending
  amdt.02/07/2008P1C.02/04/2008Intro.
• 01/31/2008Filed for intro.01/31/2008
• Actions Taken on SB4092Action
• DateAction Def. in S. E,CT Comm. to 4/16/2008
• 04/09/2008Placed on S. E,CT Comm. cal. for
  04/09/2008
• 04/03/2008P2C, ref. to S. E,CT Comm.
• 02/04/2008Intro., P1C.01/31/2008
• Filed for intro.01/31/2008

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TDEC kills another bill

• SB 4092 - HB 4064
• February 27, 2008
• SUMMARY OF BILL Requires the Board of Solid
  Waste Disposal, in conjunction with Department of
  Environment and Conservation, to annually publish
  reports listing materials disposed of in
  landfills and listing violations by landfill
  owners. Requires information at a hazardous waste
  management facility that discloses the contents
  of what is being disposed to be public record.

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• ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT
• Increase State Expenditures 11,200/One-Time
• 64,200/Recurring
• Increase Local Expenditures Exceeds 100,000
• Assumptions
• The Department of Environment and Conservation
  will need two new clerks to handle administrative
  workload of compiling the information required by
  the bill.
• ? A recurring increase in state expenditures of
  64,200 for the salaries (39,552), benefits
  (13,448), printing (600), office space
  (5,400), phones (1,200), office supplies
  (600), network connections (2,400), and an
  annul contribution to the equipment replacement
  fund (1,000) for the two additional positions.
• ? A one-time increase in state expenditures of
  11,200 for office landscaping (7,200) and PCs
  (4,000) for the two additional positions.
• ? 81 landfills in the state are operated by local
  governments. Each landfill will be required to
  maintain and submit information concerning the
  materials accepted. Assuming a cost of 1,500 for
  each locally owned landfill to document,
  maintain, and submit the required information,
  there is estimated to be an increase in local
  government expenditures exceeding 100,000 (81 x
  1,500 121,500

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Second years effort

• In January of 2009 we asked Sen. Marrero and Rep.
  Brenda Gilmore to sponsor only one bill,
  SB687/HB790, to ban the dumping of radioactive
  waste in TN landfills.
• This time several environmental groups in the
  state had become interested in supporting this
  legislation. Chamber of Commerce opposed bill.
• Lawyer Brian Paddock drew up the bill for us and
  helped negotiate it through committees.
• Chair of Tennessee Environmental Council, Don
  Safer also worked in lobbying for bill.
• Marrero sponsored a Senate resolution on Italian
  waste. Defeated in committee by one vote.

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Fate of SB687/HB790

• House Bill was sent to summer study committee.
• Senate Bill died in committee.

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Italian Waste
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Third years effort

• When the 2010 legislative session began, there
  were three bills introduced to ban the dumping of
  radioactive waste in TN landfills.
• Sen. Andy Berke and Rep. Ty Cobb modified their
  bill, SB2735/HB2826, to ban the downblending of
  radioactive waste in TN. This bill passed in the
  Senate Committee on Environment Conservation,
  but was defeated in the House State Government
  Sub-committee.

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VOTES

• SB2735 by Berke - S. E,CT COMM. Recommended
  for passage w/amendments- refer to S. Cal. Comm.
  3/23/2010 Passed          Ayes..................
  ..............................5          Noes....
  ............................................4   
         Senators voting aye were Barnes, Burks,
  Jackson, Southerland, Stewart --
  5.          Senators voting no were Faulk,
  Johnson, Woodson, Yager 4.
• HB2826 by Cobb T - STATE GOVERNMENT OF SLG
  Recommended for passage w/amendments- refer to
  State Local Government Committee 4/6/2010
  Passed          Ayes............................
  ....................3          Noes..............
  ..................................3          Rep
  resentatives voting aye were Cobb T, Litz,
  Pruitt -- 3.          Representatives voting no
  were Carr, Haynes, McCormick -- 3.

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Our bill HB2911/SB2801

• Again Sen. Beverly Marrero and Rep. Brenda
  Gilmore sponsored a bill, drafted by Brian
  Paddock, to ban the dumping of radioactive waste
  in TN landfills.
• Again Don Safer, Brian, and I lobbied in favor of
  the bill. Again TDEC and the C of C worked
  against it.
• This time the house bill was sent to the House
  Sub-committee on State Government, where it
  passed, then to the full Committee on State and
  Local Government, where, for the third time, it
  was sent to summer study. The Senate bill was
  never heard.

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The Third Bill

• A backup bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Turner
  of Nashville and Sen. Roy Herron. This is
  HB3402/SB3221.
• Their bill was modified to require that
  processors who send special waste to landfills
  report in advance amounts and kinds of waste to
  the local officials of the community and to the
  local newspapers.
• This bill passed the House Committee on State and
  Local Government but is pending in the Finance,
  Ways and Means Committee.

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HJR798 on Foreign Waste

• This resolution was introduced by Rep. Ulysses
  Jones of Memphis. It has been co-sponsored by
  several other representatives, including Kent
  Coleman from Rutherford.
• Pending for full House vote on May 20.

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What Can You Do?

• Stay informed on issues and legislation regarding
  nuclear reactors and nuclear waste.
• Read Dr. Helen Caldicotts book Nuclear Power is
  Not the Answer.
• Go to websites such as www.nirs.org and
  www.ieer.org and www.solarvalleycoalition.net.
  Check out organizations such as Physicians for
  Social Responsibility and Union of Concerned
  Scientists.
• Learn more about your representatives, both at
  the state and local levels. Check their voting
  records. Let them hear from you regularly.
• Sign the sheet to join ENDIT mailing list. I
  send out notices of important legislation.