1. Depleted Uranium Disposal
LLW Forum Fall Meeting
Depleted Uranium Disposal
Status Update
30 October 2014

2. Depleted Uranium Use in DOD
Armor piercing munitions
Several types of ammo – 20mm through 120mm
Not used in training
Military purpose to defeat heavy armor
Waste generated from production, testing (some classified), demilitarization (disassembly of rounds)
M1 Abrams Tank Armor
Waste disposed at Nevada National Security Site
DU serves critical purpose for the Warfighter

3. DU Disposal Status Pre-Moratorium Post-Moratorium Future
In 2010 purged DOD inventories
Disposed of all > 5% by weight materials at EnergySolutions
Post-Moratorium
Dispose of < 5% by weight at EnergySolutions
DU penetrators (metal rods) from demilitarization operations goes to Aerojet for recycle
DU fragments from testing is in storage
Future
Immediate: no crisis
Near term: need for disposal of fragments, contaminated media
Long term: need for disposal of fragments + penetrators, and contaminated media + soils from firing ranges
End of life cycle for armor defeating munitions