GLOSSARY
activity - See radioactivity.
adsorption -The adhesion (attachment) of a substance to the surface of a solid or solid particles.
aggregate - Any of several hard, inert materials such as sand or gravel used for mixing with a cementing material to form concrete, mortar, or plaster.
air dispersion coefficients - Parameters that represent the dispersion of air pollutants with respect to distance from the source.
air quality - A measure of the levels of constituents in the air; they may or may not be pollutants.
air quality standards - The prescribed level of constituents in the outside air (ambient air) that should not be exceeded legally during a specified time in a specified area. (See criteria pollutant.)
air sampling - The collection and analysis of air samples for the purpose of measuring pollutants.
alpha particle - A positively charged particle consisting of two protons and two neutrons that is emitted from the nucleus of certain nuclides during radioactive decay. It is the least penetrating of the four common types of radiation (alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron).
alpha waste - Waste contaminated with alpha radioactivity measuring 10 to 100 nanocuries per gram of waste.
amalgam - An alloy of mercury with another metal that is solid or liquid at room temperature according to the amount of mercury present.
ambient air - The surrounding atmosphere, usually the outside air, as it exists around people, plants, and structures. It is not the air closest to emission sources.
annulus - The space between the two walls of a double-wall tank.
aqueous - Made from, with, or by water.
aquifer - A geologic formation that contains enough saturated, porous material to permit movement of groundwater and to yield groundwater to wells and springs.
ash basin - Settling pond where ash-laden water is retained to allow the ash to settle before the water is discharged.
ashcrete - The solid that results from mixing a liquid waste with cement.
atmosphere - The layer of air surrounding the Earth.
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) - A five-member commission established after World War II to supervise the use of nuclear energy. The AEC was dissolved in 1975 and its functions transferred to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), which later became the Department of Energy (DOE).
atomic weight - The relative weight of an atom of a chemical element based on the weight of the most abundant isotope of carbon, which is taken to be 12 (or, prior to 1962, the most abundant isotope of oxygen, which was taken as 16).
attainment - A measure of through-put capacity of a facility or system expressed as a percentage.
backfill - Material used to refill an excavation. In this eis, backfill refers to material placed around waste storage containers.
background exposure - See exposure to radiation.
background radiation - Normal radiation present in the lower atmosphere from cosmic rays and earth sources. Background radiation varies considerably with location depending on elevation above sea level and natural radioactivity present in the earth or building materials such as granite.
baseline - Assessment of existing conditions before the addition of pollutants.
becquerel - The international unit of radioactivity, equal to one disintegration or other nuclear transformation per second.
benthic region - The bottom of a body of water. This region supports the benthos, a type of life that not only lives on but contributes to the character of the bottom of the body of water.
benzene - A clear, flammable, hazardous, aromatic organic compound (C6H6); it is a carcinogen.
beta particle - An elementary particle emitted from a nucleus during radioactive decay. It is negatively charged, is identical to an electron, and is easily stopped by a thin sheet of metal.
biodiversity - The variety of life, including all plants and animals within a region.
biological dose - The radiation dose, measured in rem, absorbed in biological material.
biological half-life - The time required by the body to eliminate half of an introduced substance through normal channels of elimination.
biota - The plant and animal life of a region.
blackwater - Water in coastal plains, creeks, swamps, and/or rivers that is dark or black due to dissolution of naturally occurring organic matter and certain minerals from soils and decaying vegetation.
blowdown - The withdrawal of water from an evaporating process to maintain a solid balance within specified limits of concentrations of those solids.
borehole - Fiberglass-lined circular hole (9-foot-diameter) augered to a depth of approximately 30 feet that holds forty-two 55-gallon drums of waste grouted in place.
borosilicate glass - A chemically resistant glass made primarily of silica and boron. As a waste form, high-level waste has been incorporated into the glass to form a leach-resistant nondispersible (immobilized) material.
bottomland hardwood forest - Forested wetlands containing a predominance of hardwood species such as oak, hickory, sweetgum, tulip poplar, bald cypress, and blackgum found adjacent to streams and rivers in the southeastern United States.
°C - Degree Celsius. °C = 5/9 X (°F - 32).
calcareous sands - Sands containing calcium carbonate; when these sands are treated with cold dilute hydrochloric acid, bubbling (effervescing) can be observed, representing the evolution of carbon dioxide.
cancer - A malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth, capable of invading surrounding tissue or spreading to other parts of the body.
canister - A stainless-steel container in which immobilized radioactive waste is sealed.
canyon - A heavily shielded building used in the chemical processing of radioactive materials to recover special isotopes for national defense or other programmatic purposes. Operation and maintenance are by remote control.
capable - Determination if a geological fault has moved at or near the ground surface within the past 35,000 years.
capping - The process of sealing or covering a waste unit with an impermeable medium.
carcinogen - An agent capable of producing or inducing cancer.
carcinogenic - Capable of producing or inducing cancer.
Carolina bay - Shallow depressional wetland area found on the southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain.
catchment basin - A basin to catch drainage or runoff.
Category 2 species - Plant or animal species for which there is some evidence of vulnerability, but for which presently there is not enough data to support listing as threatened or endangered.
celsius - Of or relating to a temperature scale that registers the freezing point of water as 0°C and the boiling point as 100°C under normal atmospheric pressure.
Citizens Advisory Board - A formally chartered group of local private citizens who provide DOE with a consensus of public opinion on SRS issues.
collective dose - The sum of the individual doses to all members of a specific population.
committed dose equivalent - The dose equivalent calculated to be received by a tissue or organ over a 50-year period after the intake of a radionuclide into the body.
committed effective dose equivalent - The sum of the committed dose equivalents to various tissues in the body.
concentration - The quantity of a substance contained in a unit quantity of a medium (e.g., micrograms of aluminum per liter of water).
condensate - Liquid water obtained by cooling the steam produced in an evaporator system.
confidence level - The certainty of a particular point (measurement, amount, value) being within a statistically determined range.
constituents - Parts or components of a chemical system.
criteria pollutant - Air pollutants for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established concentration standards; concentrations below the standards do not pose a threat to public health and welfare.
cumulative effects - Additive environmental, health, or socioeconomic effects that result from a number of similar activities in an area.
curie (Ci) - A unit of measure of radioactivity equal to 37,000,000,000 decays per second. A curie is also a quantity of any nuclide or mixture of nuclides having one curie of radioactivity.
daughter - A nuclide (also called decay product) formed by the radioactive decay of another nuclide, which is the "parent."
decay product - See daughter.
decay, radioactive - The spontaneous transformation of one nuclide into a different nuclide or into a different energy state of the same nuclide. The process results in the emission of nuclear radiation (alpha, beta, gamma, or neutron radiation).
decommissioning - The removal from service of facilities such as processing plants, waste tanks, and shallow land disposal units, and the reduction or stabilization of radioactive contamination. Decommissioning concepts include:
• Decontaminate, dismantle, and return area to original condition without restrictions.
• Partially decontaminate, isolate remaining residues, and continue surveillance and restrictions.
decontamination - The act of removing a chemical, biological, or radiologic contaminant from, or neutralizing its potential effect on, a person, object, or environment by washing, chemical action, mechanical cleaning, or other techniques.
defense waste - Nuclear waste generated by government defense programs as distinguished from waste generated by commercial and medical facilities.
derived concentration guide (DCG) - The concentration of a radionuclide in air or water that, under conditions of continuous exposure for 1 year by one exposure mode (i.e., ingestion of water, submersion in air, or inhalation), would result in an effective dose equivalent of 100 millirem. DCGs do not consider decay products when the parent radionuclide is the cause of the exposure.
destruction capability - The ability of a process to destroy an undesirable constituent or element.
detritiation - Removal of tritium.
direct disposal - Disposal without treatment.
disposal - Placement of waste in a safe place in such a manner that the materials remain permanently isolated from the environment.
dissociate (dissociation) - Separation of chemicals into their elemental or ionic state.
distillate - A liquid product condensed from vapor during evaporation.
dose - The energy imparted to matter by ionizing radiation. The unit of absorbed dose is the rad, equal to 0.01 joules per kilogram of irradiated material in any medium.
dose conversion factor - Factor used to calculate the cancer risk for a radiation dose.
dose equivalent - A term used to express the amount of effective radiation when modifying factors have been considered. It is the product of absorbed dose (rads) multiplied by a quality factor and other modifying factors. It is measured in rem (Roentgen equivalent man). (See effective dose equivalent.)
dose rate - The radiation dose delivered per unit time (e.g., rem per year).
E-Area vault - Project that consists of several types of facilities (i.e., below-grade concrete structures, on-grade concrete structures within an excavated area) that will store designated waste types (low-activity, intermediate-level tritiated and nontritiated, and long-lived waste) of low-level radioactive waste materials.
ecology - The study of the relationships between living things and their environments.
ecosystem - The community of living things and the physical environment in which they live.
effective dose equivalent - A quantity used to estimate the biological effect of ionizing radiation. It is the sum over all body tissues of the product of absorbed dose, the quality factor (to account for the different penetrating abilities of the various types of radiation), and the tissue weighting factor (to account for the different radiosensitivities of the various tissues of the body).
effluent - A liquid discharged into the environment, usually into surface streams. In this eis, effluent refers to discharged wastes that are nonpolluting in their natural state or as a result of treatment.
effluent standards - Defined limits of waste discharge in terms of volume, content of contaminants, temperature, etc.
eis - Environmental impact statement; a legal document required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, for Federal actions involving significant or potentially significant environmental impacts.
eluate - The liquid resulting from removing the trapped material from an ion-exchange resin.
Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPG) - Values used to determine potential health effects from chemical accidents.
emission standards - Legally enforceable limits on the quantities and kinds of air contaminants that may be emitted to the atmosphere.
endangered species - Plant or animal species that are threatened with extinction.
endemic - Found only within a certain locality.
engineered trench - Reinforced, concrete-formed, walled 100-foot-long, 50-foot-wide disposal trench with steel covers over each area to minimize rainwater intrusion and direct drainage away from the trench. A leachate collection system installed below the floor of the trench monitors the performance of the disposal cells.
environment - The sum of all external conditions and influences affecting the life, development, and ultimately, the survival of an organism.
environmental justice - The fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, incomes, and educational levels with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment implies that no population of people should be forced to shoulder a disproportionate share of the negative environmental impacts of pollution or environmental hazards due to a lack of political or economic strength.
environmental restoration - The assessment, cleanup, and restoration of sites contaminated with radioactive or hazardous substances during past production or disposal activities.
environmental transport - The movement through the environment of a substance, including the physical, chemical, and biological interactions undergone by the substance.
erosion -The process in which actions of wind or water carry away soil.
exceedance - A value over a prescribed limit.
exothermic - Of or indicating a chemical change accompanied by a release of heat.
Experimental Transuranic Waste Assay Facility (ETWAF) - The assay facility is utilized in alternative A - limited treatment configuration for each of the three waste forecasts.
exposure to radiation - The incidence of radiation on living or inanimate material by accident or intent. Background exposure is the exposure to natural background ionizing radiation. Occupational exposure is the exposure to ionizing radiation that occurs during a person's working hours. Population exposure is the exposure to a number of persons who inhabit an area.
external radiation - Being exposed to radiation from sources outside your body.
°F - Degree Fahrenheit. °F = °C X 9/5 + 32.
fall line - A line drawn through the falls (or rapids) of successive rivers and roughly defining the area where streams pass from the harder rocks of the Piedmont to the softer rocks of the Coastal Plain.
fallout - The descent to earth and deposition on the ground of particulate matter (which is usually radioactive) from the atmosphere.
fault - A break in the Earth's crust along which movement has occurred.
fauna - Animals.
fecal coliform - Type of bacterial count used to show fecal (bodily waste) contamination levels in water.
filtercake - The dewatered residue from a filter, centrifuge, or other dewatering device.
fiscal year - Period of one year used to calculate financial data. As defined by the Federal government, this eis uses a fiscal year which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30.
fission products - Nuclei from the fission of heavy elements (primary fission products); also, the nuclei formed by the decay of the primary fission products, many of which are radioactive.
floodplain - Level land built up by flowing stream deposition and periodically submerged by floodwater from that stream.
flora - Plants.
gamma rays - High-energy, short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation accompanying fission, radioactive decay, or nuclear reactions. Gamma rays are very penetrating and require relatively thick shields to absorb the rays effectively.
genus/genera - A group of structurally or phylogenetically related species.
geology - The science that deals with the Earth: the materials, processes, environments, and history of the planet, especially the lithosphere, including the rocks and their formation and structure.
greater confinement disposal facility or vaults
Storage facility (boreholes and engineered trenches) that will require minimum maintenance after closure for disposal of the high activity fraction of the low-level solid beta-gamma waste and low-level alpha waste.
gross alpha radioactivity - A measure of total alpha radioactivity.
groundwater - The supply of fresh water in an aquifer under the Earth's surface.
half-life (radiological) - The time in which half the atoms of a radioactive substance disintegrate to another nuclear form. Half-lives vary from millionths of a second to billions of years.
hazardous waste storage facility - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) interim-status or permitted temporary holding area of hazardous waste prior to treatment or disposal.
heavy metals - Metallic elements of high atomic mass, such as mercury, chromium, cadmium, lead, or arsenic, that are toxic to plants and animals at known concentrations.
HEPA filter - High-efficiency particulate air filter designed to remove 99.95 percent of the particles down to as small as 0.3 micrometer from a flowing air stream.
high-heat waste - Freshly generated waste that contains a large concentration of short-lived radionuclides from the first extraction cycle of a separations process. High-heat waste is aged to allow radioactive decay to prevent the potential discharge of harmful levels of radiation.
historic resources - The sites, districts, structures, and objects considered limited and nonrenewable because of their association with historic events, persons, or social or historic movements.
hydrolysis - A process of decomposition in which a compound is broken down and changed into other compounds by taking up the elements of water.
hydrostratigraphy - Names used to identify the water-bearing properties of rocks.
immobilization - Conversion of a material into a form that will resist environmental dispersion.
incineration - The burning of waste.
inhibited water - Water treated with chemicals to retard or halt corrosion, especially of metals.
insoluble sludge - A thick layer of various heavy metals and long-lived radionuclides that will not dissolve and that separate out of the waste over time and settle to the bottom of the waste tank.
institutional controls - Actions that limit human activities at or near facilities where hazardous and/or radioactive wastes exist. They may include land and resource use restrictions, well drilling, prohibitions, building permit restrictions, and other types of restrictions.
interim status - The period of operation for facilities that require Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permits until the permitting process is complete.
internal radiation - Being exposed to radioactive materials inside the body.
investigation-derived waste - Contaminated material resulting from investigation activities at hazardous or radiological waste sites.
ion - An atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons and has become electrically charged.
ion exchange - Process in which a solution containing soluble ions to be removed is passed through a column of material that removes the soluble ions by exchanging them with ions from the material in the column. The process is usually reversible so that the trapped ions can be collected (eluted) and the column regenerated.
ion-exchange medium - A substance (e.g., a resin) that allows cesium or some other soluble ion to be removed from a solution.
ionization - The process that creates ions. Nuclear radiation, X-rays, high temperatures, and electric discharges can cause ionization.
ionizing radiation - Radiation capable of displacing electrons from atoms or molecules to produce ions.
irradiation - Exposure to radiation.
isotope - An atom of a chemical element with a specific atomic number and atomic mass. Isotopes of the same element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Isotopes are identified by the name of the element and the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For example, plutonium-239 is a plutonium atom with 239 protons and neutrons.
joule - A unit of energy equal to the work done by a force of 1 newton acting through a distance of 1 meter. A newton is the unit of force needed to accelerate a mass of 1 kilogram 1 meter per second per second.
latent cancer fatalities - Deaths resulting from cancer that has become active following a period of inactivity.
leachate - Liquid that has percolated through solid waste or other media and that contains dissolved or suspended contaminants extracted from those materials.
leaching - The process in which a soluble component of a solid or mixture of solids is extracted as a result of percolation of water around and through the solid.
lithosphere - The solid part of the earth composed predominantly of rock.
lithostratigraphy - Description of geological formations based on the physical characteristics of rocks.
loam - A soil textural class with about equal proportions of sand, clay, and silt particles.
long-lived radionuclides - Radioactive isotopes with half-lives greater than approximately 30 years.
long-lived waste - Radioactive waste with a half-life which is sufficiently long to remain dangerous beyond the time its retention in a disposal unit can be assured (e.g., carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 years and so is considered a longlived waste).
low-activity vaults - On-grade concrete module structures within an excavated area that provides waste storage capacity for waste containers of low-activity waste.
low-heat waste - Second or subsequent extraction cycle waste generated from a separations process. Low-heat waste contains few radionuclides and does not require aging (radioactive decay). Low-heat waste is also generated in reactor areas, the Defense Waste Processing Facility and other SRS production support facilities. (See high-heat waste.)
low-income communities - A community in which 25 percent or more of the population is identified as living in poverty.
low-level radioactive waste disposal facility - Disposal facility located within E-Area and consisting of earea Vaults, slit trenches, boreholes, greater confinement disposal vaults, and engineered lowlevel trenches.
lower limit of detection - The smallest concentration/amount of the component being measured that can be reliably detected in a sample at a 95 percent confidence level.
macroencapsulate - To seal (e.g., in a box or polymer) a contaminated component so that the contamination is contained.
material substitution - Replacing a hazardous material with a nonhazardous material to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated.
MAXIGASP - A computer program used to calculate doses or airborne releases of radioactivity to the maximally exposed member of the public.
maximally exposed individual - A hypothetical member of the public assumed to receive the highest calculated dose.
maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - The maximum permissible level of a contaminant in water that is delivered to a user of a public water system.
migration - The natural travel of a material through the air, soil, or groundwater.
mothball - To place and maintain facilities in a condition practical to restart, conducting only those activities necessary for routine maintenance or to protect human health and the environment.
nano - A prefix meaning one billionth (10-9) of any measurement.
National Register of Historic Places - A list maintained by the National Park Service of architectural, historical, archaeological, and cultural sites of local, state, or national importance.
natural radiation or natural radioactivity - Background radiation. Some elements are naturally radioactive, whereas others are induced to become radioactive by bombardment in a reactor or accelerator.
NEPA - National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; it requires the preparation of an eis for Federal projects that could present significant impacts to the environment.
neutralization wastewater - Wastewater to which acid or alkali is added to adjust the pH to a preferred range.
neutron - An elementary particle with no electrical charge used to bombard the nuclei of various elements to produce fission and other nuclear reactions.
non-alpha waste - Waste contaminated with alpha radioactivity measuring less than 10 nanocuries per gram of waste.
nonprocess water - At SRS, potable water.
nonvolatile beta radioactivity - A measure of total beta radioactivity less the volatile isotopes.
NRC - Nuclear Regulatory Commission; the independent Federal commission that licenses and regulates commercial nuclear facilities.
nuclear energy - The energy liberated by a nuclear reactor (fission or fusion) or by radioactive decay.
nuclear radiation - Radiation, usually alpha, beta, gamma, or neutron, which emanates from an unstable atomic nucleus.
offgas - Exhaust emission from an air-emission control unit.
offsite population - In this eis, all individuals located within an 80kilometer (50-mile) radius of SRS.
organic compounds - Chemical compounds containing carbon and usually hydrogen and/or oxygen.
outcropping - Place where groundwater is discharged to the surface. Springs, swamps, and beds of streams and rivers are outcrops of the water table.
outfall - Place where liquid effluents enter the environment and may be monitored.
parameter - A characteristic element; any of a set of physical properties whose values determine the characteristics or behavior of something.
particulates - Solid particles small enough to become airborne.
pH - A measure of the hydrogen ion concentration in aqueous solution. Pure water has a pH of 7, acidic solutions have a pH less than 7, and basic solutions have a pH greater than 7.
people of color communities - A population that is classified by the U.S. Bureau of the Census as Black, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, or other nonwhite persons, the composition of which is at least equal to or greater than the state minority average of a defined area or jurisdiction.
percent attainment - Percent of the time a facility is available for operations.
permeability - Ability of rock, soil, or other substance to transmit a fluid.
person-rem - The radiation dose to a given population; the sum of the individual doses received by a population segment.
physiographic - Regions classified based on their physical geographic and geologic setting.
pollution - The addition of any undesirable agent to an ecosystem in excess of the rate at which natural processes can degrade, assimilate, or disperse it.
pollution prevention - The prevention, rather than control, of pollution using engineering solutions, material substitutions, and procedural changes to reduce the volume and/or toxicity of pollutants produced.
postulated accident - An accident that is forwarded as having occurred to produce the described effects.
potable - Drinkable; for domestic use.
precipitate - A solid (used as a noun). To form a solid substance in a solution by a chemical reaction (used as a verb).
precipitation - The process of forming a precipitate from a solution.
process well/water - At SRS, water used within a system or process and not used as potable water.
production well/water - At SRS, water treated and used as potable water.
prompt fatality - Death that occurs immediately or within a short time (e.g., a few weeks) as a direct result of an event (e.g., accident).
PSD (Prevention of significant deterioration) - Establishes the acceptable amount of deterioration in air quality. When the air quality of an area meets the standards for a specific pollutant, the area is declared to be in attainment for that pollutant. When the air quality of an area does not meet the standard for a specific pollutant, the area is said to be a nonattainment area for that pollutant. PSD requirements allow maximum increases in ambient air pollutant concentrations (sulfur dioxide, particulates, nitrogen oxide) for construction or modification of facilities, which by definition do not "significantly deteriorate" the existing baseline air quality. (See criteria pollutant.)
PUREX - An acronym for plutonium-uranium extraction.
rad - Radiation absorbed dose; the basic unit of absorbed dose equal to the absorption of 0.01 joules per kilogram of absorbing material.
radiation - The emitted particles and/or photons from the nuclei of radioactive atoms. A shortened term for ionizing radiation or nuclear radiation as distinguished from nonionizing radiation (microwaves, ultra-violet rays, etc.).
radiation shielding - Reduction of radiation by interposing a shield of absorbing material between a radioactive source and a person, laboratory area, or radiation-sensitive device.
radioactive waste - Materials from nuclear operations that are radioactive or are contaminated with radioactive materials for which there is no practical use or for which recovery is impractical.
radioactivity - The spontaneous decay of unstable atomic nuclei, accompanied by the emission of radiation.
radioisotopes - Radioactive isotopes. Some radioisotopes are naturally occurring (e.g., potassium-40), while others are produced by nuclear reactions.
radiolysis - The decomposition of a material (usually water) into different molecules due to ionizing radiation. In water, radiolysis results in the production of hydrogen gas and oxygen.
recycling - Return of a waste material either to the process that generated the waste or to another process to use or reuse the waste material beneficially; recovery of a useful or valuable material from waste.
rem (Roentgen equivalent man) - The unit of dose for biological absorption. It is equal to the product of the absorbed dose in rads and a quality factor and a distribution factor.
repository - A place for the disposal of immobilized high-level waste to isolate it from the environment.
resin - An ion-exchange medium; organic polymer used for the preferential removal of certain ions from a solution.
Richter scale - A scale of measure used in the United States to quantify earthquake intensity.
risk - In accident analysis, a measure of the impact of an accident considering the probability of the accident occurring and the consequences if it does occur (risk = probability X consequences).
roast, retort, and amalgamate - Heating mercury-contaminated equipment to drive off the mercury as a vapor, collecting and condensing the mercury to a liquid form. Amalgamate - alloying the liquid metal with other metals to create a semi-solid.
Roentgen - A measure of radiation exposure to gamma radiation in air.
runoff - The portion of rainfall, melted snow, or irrigation water that flows across the ground surface and eventually is returned to water bodies. Runoff can carry pollutants or harmless chemical constituents into receiving waters.
saltcake - Concentrated waste in the form of crystallized salts resulting from the evaporation of liquid high-level waste.
saltstone - Low-radioactivity fraction of high-level waste mixed with cement, flyash, and slag to form a concrete block.
sanitary landfill - A solid-waste disposal facility which is constructed in a manner that protects the environment; waste is spread in thin layers, compacted to the smallest practical volume, and covered with soil at the end of each work day.
satellite accumulation area - Hazardous waste collection points "at or near the point of generation" (as defined by RCRA).
scintillation - A flash of light produced in a fluorescent material by ionizing radiation. A technique used to measure the radioactivity of a sample.
scrub-shrub wetlands - Wetland areas dominated by woody vegetation less than 6 meters (20 feet) tall, including shrubs, young trees, and trees and shrubs that are small or stunted due to environmental conditions.
scrubber - Engineered equipment used to remove constituents from a gas stream by absorption and/or chemical reaction.
sedimentation - The settling of excess soil and mineral solids of small particle size (silt) contained in water.
sedimentation pond - Pond constructed specifically to trap excess soil and mineral solids and prevent their deposition in downstream waters and wetlands.
seepage basin - An excavation that receives wastewater. Insoluble materials settle out on the floor of the basin and soluble materials seep with the water through the soil column where they are removed partially by ion exchange with the soil. Construction may include dikes to prevent overflow or surface runoff.
seismic load - The force due to earthquakes.
seismicity - Refers to earth-movement events, usually earthquakes.
shield - Material used to reduce the intensity of radiation that would irradiate personnel or equipment.
siltation - The act of depositing sediment, as by a river.
slit trench - In this eis, an excavated trench 6 meters wide and 6 meters deep of variable length used to store intermediatelevel, bulky noncontainerized low-level (alpha and beta-gamma) and containerized offsite wastes.
sludge - The precipitated solids (primarily oxides and hydroxides) that settle to the bottom of the storage tanks containing liquid high-level waste.
slurry - A suspension of solid particles (sludge) in water.
socioeconomic - The societal and economic configuration of a group of people.
solvent - A substance, usually liquid, that can dissolve other substances.
source reduction - Activities that reduce or eliminate wastes before they are generated.
source term - The initial amount of radioactivity used to calculate exposure and doses to various receptor groups.
standby (cold standby) - Facility is maintained such that it can be brought back into operation with minimum effort.
still bottoms - The sludge that remains in the bottom of a distillation apparatus after the desired product has been evaporated and removed.
storage - Retention of radioactive waste in man-made containment, such as tanks or vaults, in a manner permitting retrieval (as distinguished from disposal, which implies no retrieval).
stratigraphy - Branch of geologic science concerned with the description, organization, and classification of layered rock units and associated non-layered rock units.
sump - An impermeable point of collection for liquids in a building or facility.
Superfund - A trust fund established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and amended by the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act that finances long-term remedial action for hazardous waste sites.
supernatant, supernate - The radioactive layer of highly mobile liquid containing soluble salts; the supernatant remains above the saltcake and/or insoluble sludge in a waste tank.
surface water - All the water on the Earth's surface (streams, ponds, etc.), as distinguished from groundwater, which is below the surface.
suspect soil - Soil that could be radiologically contaminated.
standard pressure and temperature - Air pressure at mean sea level (1 atmosphere); a temperature of 0°C.
tank farm - An installation of (usually interconnected) underground tanks for the storage of high-level radioactive liquid wastes.
toxicity - The quality or degree of being poisonous or harmful to plant or animal life.
turbidity - The degree to which water is muddied or clouded by suspended sediments.
vault - A reinforced concrete structure for storing strategic nuclear materials used in national defense or other programmatic purposes.
vitrification - Incorporation of a material into a glass form.
volatile organic compounds - An organic compound with a vapor pressure greater than 0.44 pounds per square inch at standard temperature and pressure.
volatilized - Caused to pass off as a vapor.
waste acceptance criteria - Criteria put forth by a waste management facility which defines the waste it will accept.
waste certification criteria - Criteria that must be met for transport, treatment, and disposal of waste.
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - DOE facility located near Carlsbad, New Mexico, built to demonstrate the safe underground disposal of transuranic waste from numerous facilities owned by DOE.
waste minimization - Reduction of waste before treatment, storage, or disposal by source reduction or recycling activities.
water quality standard - Provisions of state or Federal law that consist of a designated use or uses for the waters of the United States and water quality standards for such waters based upon those uses. Water quality standards are used to protect the public health or welfare, enhance the quality of water, and serve the purposes of the Clean Water Act.
wind rose - A map showing the direction and magnitude of the wind.
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