Oral Presentation Royal Australian Chemical Institute National Congress 2026

Evolving role of research at the Little Forest legacy low level radioactive waste site (137826)

Timothy E PAYNE 1 , Alicea Gedz 1 , Stuart Hankin 1 , Cath Hughes 1 , Duncan Kemp 1 , Sangeeth Thiruvoth 1 , Andrew Kinsela 2 , Trevor Waite 2 , Sheng Chen 2
  1. Ansto (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Kirrawee, NSW, Australia
  2. Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Shallow burial has been utilized in numerous countries worldwide for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes (1). At the Little Forest Legacy Site (LFLS) site near Sydney, Australia, low-level radioactive wastes were buried in closely-spaced unlined trenches between 1960 and 1968 (2). Similar to many overseas sites, there has been evidence of release of radioactive contaminants (including Pu) from the LFLS trenches (3). Several years of scientific work has been undertaken at the site to characterize radionuclide mobilization processes and assist in the selection of the preferred management option (3,4). Cutting edge techniques, such as synchrotron EXAFS (5), accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) (6), and trace-level isotopic and REE analysis (7), have been applied in this research. The AMS technique has been applied to the measurement of anthropogenic radionuclides at LFLS, which are not usually present in Australian natural environments (e.g. 233U (6)). Also, a test trench facility has been constructed to support the in-field evaluation of remediation options, facilitate detailed studies of radionuclide mobilization processes and enable model parameterization (8). A multi-layer engineered cover was installed at the LFLS in late 2024, and the research has subsequently entered a new phase aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of this intervention. Such an assessment is now considered to be an essential component of post-remediation site management (1). The research during the current phase is specifically aimed at evaluating whether the installation of the cap has led to lower water levels in the legacy trenches, dampened the response to rainfall, or resulted in any impacts on radioactivity levels or the chemistry of groundwater. The research will involve extensive ongoing radionuclide measurements and further work with the experimental trench facility at the site.  It is intended that the research will lay the groundwork for future monitoring and management of the site.

  1. (1) IAEA (2025). Environmental Remediation and Management of Trenches Containing Historic Radioactive Wastes (Report NW-G-3.3). International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.
  2. (2) Payne, T.E. (2012). Background Report on the Little Forest Burial Ground Legacy Waste Site (ANSTO E-780). Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australia.
  3. (3) Payne, T.E., et al. (2013). Trench ‘Bathtubbing’ and Surface Plutonium Contamination at a Legacy Radioactive Waste Site. Environmental Science & Technology, 47, 13284-13293. dx.doi.org/10.1021/es403278r.
  4. (4) Griffiths, H. and T.E. Payne (2018). Management Options for the Little Forest Legacy Site, Australia. Radiation Protection in Australasia. 35(2): 3-8.
  5. (5) Kinsela, A.S., et al. (2016). Influence of Dissolved Silicate on Rates of Fe(II) Oxidation. Environmental Science & Technology. 50(21): 11663-11671.
  6. (6) Payne, T.E., et al. (2024). Accelerator mass spectrometry measurements of 233U in groundwater, soil and vegetation at a legacy radioactive waste site. Chemosphere. 358: 141761.
  7. (7) Cendón, D.I., et al. (2022). Rare earth elements and yttrium as tracers of waste/rock-groundwater interactions. Science of the Total Environment. 830: 54706.
  8. (8) Kinsela, A.S., et al. (2021). Biogeochemical Mobility of Contaminants from a Replica Radioactive Waste Trench in Response to Rainfall-Induced Redox Oscillations. Environmental Science & Technology. 55(13): 8793-8805.