Survey on the planning process for waste characterization with statistical methods; Data quality objectives process

Murakami, Masashi  ; Sasaki, Toshiki 

A numerous analytical data will be required for the characterization of the radioactive waste stored in Japan Atomic Energy Agency toward their processing and disposal. A "Data Quality Objectives (DQO) Process" is widely applied as a tool for the development of a cost-effective characterization plan in the overseas nuclear sites. The DQO Process is a multi-step planning process developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and can be used for the planning of a scientifically rigorous and cost-effective data collection program for the various projects involving the collection of the environmental data. We have considered to reduce the cost required for the future characterization of the stored waste by applying the statistical methods and have performed a literature survey on the DQO Process. The survey effort was focused on the guidance documents of the DQO Process published by the EPA and was also spent for the related matters such as a quality system of the EPA and the activities beyond the DQO Process as well as the examples of the application at the nuclear sites. In this report, the details on the planning procedure using the DQO Process are reviewed together with the background information such as why DQO Process was developed, what kind of transition was occurred, and how it is currently used in the EPA. The examples on the application for various objects at Hanford Site in the United States, where has the various legacy waste generated in the past activities and has the big environmental problems, are also reviewed. This report summarizes the important matters and methodology on the planning with the statistical sampling methods. It also provides the examples of the approaches for the complex objects, and will therefore be helpful in the future planning for the various kind of the waste characterization.