Waste drum assay technology wins R&D 100 Award

A technology for the nondestructive evaluation and assay of mixed and TRU waste drums has been recognized by R&D Magazine as one of the 100 most significant technologies of 2000. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which developed active and passive computer tomography (A&PCT), shares the award with Bio-Imaging Research (BIR), a Lincolnshire, Illinois firm whose funding from the TRU and Mixed Waste Focus Area and the Industry Programs enabled it to incorporate A&PCT and digital radiography into its Waste Inspection Tomography (WIT) trailer (Tech ID 259) for identifying and quantifying gamma isotopes within drums (see Initiatives, February 1997).

WITCO, a subsidiary of BIR, operates as a member of the TRUtech team in providing a complete range of mobile, waste-drum characterization services (see Initiatives, Spring 1999). DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office has certified that TRUtech’s processes can adequately characterize TRU waste for determining its acceptability at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

For more information about WIT and BIR, see http://www.bio-imaging.com, or contact Richard Bernardi, BIR's program manager, at bernardi@interaccess.com or marketing@birinc.com.