Nuclear Waste Classification Calculator

Real waste streams mix multiple radionuclides at once, and their combined hazard is cumulative even if no single nuclide alone exceeds its limit. The sum-of-fractions method — dividing each nuclide's concentration by its class limit and adding the results — captures that combined effect: a waste stream at 60% of the Cs-137 limit and 60% of the Sr-90 limit sums to 1.2, correctly failing Class A even though neither nuclide individually exceeds 100%.

Transuranics are long-lived alpha emitters governed by a flat concentration threshold (100 nCi/g) from a different table of the regulation (Table 1) than the short-lived beta/gamma emitters in the sum-of-fractions method (Table 2). Exceeding that transuranic threshold routes the waste straight to Greater Than Class C regardless of how the other four nuclides score, since transuranic content alone can make near-surface disposal inappropriate.

Both require the waste form itself to be structurally stable so it won't collapse the disposal trench over time, but Class C waste — being more concentrated and containing waste that will remain hazardous far longer — additionally requires an intruder barrier, extra depth or engineered cover designed to prevent inadvertent human contact with the waste for hundreds of years after disposal.

It's a flat per-cubic-meter rate multiplied by your waste volume, using representative figures for each class ($10,600/m³ for Class A up to $176,500/m³ for Class C). Real disposal facility pricing varies substantially by site, waste form, packaging, and transportation, so treat this as a rough order-of-magnitude planning figure rather than an actual quote.