Clive Disposal Site facts for kids
Class A Radioactive Waste disposal at Clive Disposal Site
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| Coordinates | 40°42′31″N 113°07′03″W / 40.70861°N 113.11750°W |
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The Clive Disposal Site is a special place in Clive, Utah, where certain types of waste are stored safely. It's located in the western part of Utah, near the Dugway Proving Grounds. This site is operated by a company called EnergySolutions.
The Clive Disposal Site is designed to store materials like depleted uranium. These materials are called "radioactive waste" because they give off energy as they slowly change over time. Depleted uranium, for example, takes millions of years to become stable. Because of this, it needs to be stored very carefully and according to strict rules to keep everyone safe.
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How the Site Started
The facility was first built in 1988 by a company called Envirocare. They managed the site until 2007. That year, Envirocare joined with another company to become EnergySolutions, which now runs the site.
Moving Waste to Clive
A lot of the waste stored at Clive comes from places like old power plants. For example, when the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in California was shut down, much of its waste was sent to the Clive site. This waste was transported by train.
In 2020, some very large parts from the San Onofre plant were moved. They were so big that they had to be transferred from trains to special trucks. These trucks then carried the heavy pieces more than 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) along highways. One of these loads weighed 670 tons, which was the heaviest ever moved by road in the state of Nevada!
How the Site Operates
The Clive Disposal Site is licensed to store a specific type of radioactive waste, known as "Class A" low-level waste. This is the least radioactive type of waste.
Rules for Waste Storage
In 2011, EnergySolutions asked the State of Utah for permission to mix different types of waste. They wanted to blend more radioactive "Class B" and "Class C" wastes with "Class A" waste. The idea was to dilute the stronger waste so that the mixture would meet the "Class A" safety levels.
However, Utah's Division of Radiation Control looked into this idea and decided not to allow it. If they had approved it, Utah would have been one of the few states to accept these more radioactive types of waste.
Accepting Depleted Uranium
In 2015, Utah began making plans to allow the site to accept even more radioactive waste, up to 250,000 tons. A special agreement was made that allowed depleted uranium to be accepted as a "Class A" material. This was a big decision because depleted uranium can actually become more radioactive over time, eventually exceeding the "Class C" standards.
In 2019, despite some people asking for it to be stopped, Utah Governor Gary Herbert approved this plan. This means the Clive Disposal Site continues to be an important place for storing these unique materials safely for a very long time.
