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The City Council took a series of votes Tuesday related to the on-site disposal of approximately five liters of radioactive mixed waste at the recently closed National Tritium Labeling Facility. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington sponsored the resolutions at the urging of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste, a citizens group that is concerned the disposal process will release tritium, a low-level radioactive isotope used in medical research, into the atmosphere. 

The tritium facility is overseen by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 

The council voted on nine resolutions, five of which were approved by 8-0 votes. Councilmember Miriam Hawley was absent. Among the resolutions approved were the reaffirmation of the city’s policy to oppose the operation of the tritium facility, a request that the LBNL guarantee in writing that no additional tritium waste will be disposed of and that LBNL notify the city of any further plans to dispose of toxic wastes. 

The council did not approve a recommendation to consider funding a lawsuit against the California Department of Toxic Substance Control for permitting the disposal process. Three other recommendations to send letters to various state agencies requesting the immediate halt to the disposal process also failed. 

Worthington said he put the recommendations on the agenda because the lab did not notify the community of its intention to dispose of the waste. 

“The main thing that motivated me was the lab’s secrecy in conducting this process,” he said. “They announced they were closing the facility and then behind the scenes sought a permit to dispose of this dangerous material.” 

The California Department of Toxic Substance Control issued the disposal permit in December. 

The disposal process, also referred to as a “treatability study” because of its experimental nature, heats the mixed hazardous waste through a process known as catalytic chemical oxidation. The heat burns off the organic hazardous materials leaving the tritium, which is captured in water. 

Once the tritium is isolated, it can be shipped to a low-level radioactive storage facility, where it is buried in sealed containers and allowed to decompose naturally. 

LBNL began oxidizing the mixed-waste materials in January and is expected to be completed in early April. 

LBNL Environmental Attorney Nancy Shepard assured the council that the oxidation process is safe, despite an accident that occurred in July 1998 during a similar procedure. That accident resulted in an unplanned release of 35 curries of tritium into the atmosphere. Normally the facility released 50 to 100 curries during the course of an entire year. 

“The Kiln process, which we were using in 1998 is no longer in place,” Shepard said. “We have taken measures to assure there will be any unplanned releases.” 

But members of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste remained skeptical and called for the immediate halt of the process. 

“The lab had a very significant problems that have not been addressed,” said CTTW member Pan Sihvola. “We do whatever we can to avoid another accident.” 

Councilmember Linda Maio said the on-site disposal process was the responsible thing to do. 

“I’m glad that we aren’t shipping our mixed waste off-site because the only other way it can be disposed of is by burning it in a fashion that will release all of the tritium into the atmosphere," she said. “This process will allow 97 percent of the tritium to be safely buried where it will cause no harm.” 

Contact reporter John Geluardi at johng@berkeleydailyplanet. net.