6.38. The waste characteristics important to the safety of the operational and post-closure periods are part of the relevant safety case. Waste acceptance criteria may be developed by means of an iterative dialogue between regulatory body, the operator of the facility and the generator of the waste. The criteria should include the waste characteristics important to safety in the operational period and the period after closure and typically specify the following.
(a) The permissible range of chemical and physical properties of the waste and the waste form;
(b) The permissible dimensions, weight and other manufacturing specifications of each waste package;
(c) Allowable levels of radioactivity in each package;
(d) Allowable amounts of fissile material in each package;
(e) Allowable surface dose rate and surface contamination;
(f) Requirements for accompanying documentation;
(g) Allowable decay heat generation for each package.
Generators of waste and operators of facilities may wish to consider additional waste acceptance criteria, such as the waste conditioning method adopted in the treatment process, the potential for gas generation (e.g. through radiolysis, corrosion or the influence of microorganisms) or the composition of the waste (e.g. presence of free liquids, void volumes, organic content).