Affordable cleanup? : opportunities for cost reduction in the decontamination and decommissioning of the nation's uranium enrichment facilities / Committee on Decontamination and Decommissioning of Uranium Enrichment Facilities, Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Decontamination and Decommissioning of Uranium Enrichment Facilities.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Radioactive waste sites--Cleanup--United States--Cost control.

Radioactive waste sites.

Nuclear facilities--Decommissioning--United States--Cost control.

Nuclear facilities.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (323 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, c1996.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The Energy Policy Act of 1992 called on the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and provide recommendations for reducing the costs of decontaminating and decommissioning (D&D) the nation's uranium enrichment facilities located at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Raducah, Kentucky; and Portsmouth, Ohio. This volume examines the existing plans and cost estimates for the D&D of these facilities, including such elements as technologies, planning and management, and identifies approaches that could reduce D&D costs. It also assesses options for disposition of the large quantities of depleted uranium hexafluoride that are stored at these sites.

Contents:

Affordable Cleanup?

Copyright

Preface

Contents

Executive Summary

THE GDPS

D&amp

D COST ESTIMATES

THE UNCERTAIN CONTEXT

Final State of the Sites

Disposal of Waste

Criteria for Release of Decontaminated Materials

The D&amp

D Fund and Budgetary Uncertainties

Sequence of Plant Cleanup

Management of DUF6

RECOMMENDATIONS

Previous D&amp

D Experience

Contracting and Management

Need for New Facilities

Waste Management

Regulatory Coordination

Coordinated Planning

Stakeholder Involvement

Prioritized Cost and Risk Reduction

D Technology Issues

Safeguards and Security

DUF6

1 Introduction

STUDY BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

THE U.S. URANIUM ENRICHMENT ENTERPRISE

THE UNITED STATES ENRICHMENT CORPORATION

THE D&amp

D FUND

THE CHALLENGES OF A D&amp

D EFFORT

D COSTS

ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT

REFERENCES

2 The GDP Sites: Process, Facilities, Inventories, and Risks

THE GASEOUS DIFFUSION PROCESS

SITE DESCRIPTIONS

BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT

CONTAMINATION

Radiological Contamination

Nonradioactive Contamination

STORAGE OF DUF6

SITE DIFFERENCES

RISKS SUBSEQUENT TO GDP CLOSURE

CONCLUSIONS

3 Decontamination Processes

INTRODUCTION

NUCLEAR CRITICALITY

URANIUM DEPOSIT REMOVAL

Gaseous Removal of Deposits

Mechanical Removal

Aqueous Spray Removal

DECONTAMINATION OF CASCADE EQUIPMENT

Disassembly

Aqueous Decontamination

DECONTAMINATION OF SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND BUILDINGS

Radioactively Contaminated Support Systems

Radioactively Contaminated Interior Building Surfaces

Removal of Nonradioactive Hazardous Material

WASTE MANAGEMENT

CHARACTERIZATION

Radionuclide Measurement Techniques

Hazardous Nonradioactive Materials

AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS.

CAPENHURST TECHNOLOGIES

Removal of Uranium from the Capenhurst Enrichment Cascades

Decontamination of Equipment from the Capenhurst Cascades

Decontamination of Supporting Systems and Building Surfaces

Characterization

General Considerations

CIP/CUP TECHNOLOGIES

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

General

Conclusions

Recommendations

Uranium Deposit Removal

Recommendation

Decontamination of Cascade Equipment

Decontamination of Support Systems and Buildings

Conclusion

Waste Management and Recycling

Robotics

4 Analyses of the D&amp

D Cost Estimates for the GDPs

PREVIOUS COST ESTIMATES

The 1988 MMES Study

The 1991 Ebasco and TLG Estimates

Comparison of the Ebasco and TLG Estimates for the Five Process Buildings at the Oak Ridge GDP

SAIC Analysis of the Ebasco Estimate for DOE

IDENTIFICATION OF MAJOR COST ELEMENTS

TIME PROFILE OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURES FOR THE D&amp

ESTIMATING U.S. GDP D&amp

D COSTS FROM CAPENHURST D&amp

Capenhurst Plant Description

Capenhurst Project Description

Estimating Oak Ridge Costs by Scaling Capenhurst Costs

THE SHIPPINGPORT REACTOR D&amp

D PROJECT

D Cost Estimates

Cost to D&amp

D the GDPs

Adequacy of the D&amp

D Fund

Experience from Other D&amp

D Projects

5 Planning the D&amp

D Program

PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT

END-STATE ALTERNATIVES

Prioritized Cost- and Risk-Reduction Approach.

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED REGULATORY PROGRAM

Federal Regulations

DOE

EPA

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

OSHA

DOT

USEC Effects on Regulatory Oversight

EPA and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Development of Radiation Site Cleanup Regulation

State Regulation

Challenges and Current Developments

DOE-Level Planning

Complex-Level Planning

D Organization and Staffing

Plant Characterization Program

Regulatory Plan

Waste Management Plan

Site-Level Planning

Execution of the Planning

Scheduling and Sequencing

Effects of Early Plant Shutdown

Effects of D&amp

D Program Delay

MANAGEMENT ISSUES

Public and Stakeholder Involvement

Regulatory Issues

Planning

Management Issues

6 Opportunities for D&amp

D Cost Reduction

PROGRAM INTEGRATION

Management Approach

An Alternative Management Approach

Contracting Strategy

Contracting Cost

RADIOACTIVE AND HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

Reducing Waste Quantity

Waste Disposal Site and Unit Disposal Cost

Waste Packaging, Transport, and Disposal

Risk That Waste Management Costs May Be Higher

Hazardous Waste Disposal Costs

DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING

Technology

Decontamination Process

Melting of Difficult-to-Decontaminate Components

Automation and Robotics

Building Decontamination and Removal

Use of Historical Maintenance Cost Data

SUPPORT FACILITIES

Decontamination Facilities

Eliminate the High-Assay Decontamination Facility

Simplify the Low-Assay Decontamination Facility Design

Use of Existing Buildings

Multiple Low-Assay Decontamination Facilities versus a Single Shared Facility

New Administration Building

COST ESTIMATE ASSUMPTIONS.

Learning Curve

Site Practices and Procedures

Safeguards, Security, and Classification

Criticality Prevention

Surveillance and Maintenance

Labor Agreements

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions and Recommendations

7 Disposition of the DUF6

DUF6 INVENTORY

USES FOR DEPLETED URANIUM

Shielding Applications

Use as a Fluorinating Agent

Re-enrichment or Dilution

DUF6 Enrichment by AVLIS

Blending Agent

Potential Energy Resource for Reactors

DEPLETED URANIUM MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

Condition of Cylinders

Environmental, Safety, and Health Issues

Continued Surveillance and Maintenance: Requirements and Costs

Conversion Options and Costs

Assessment of Alternative Management Options

ANALYSIS OF COST ESTIMATES FOR CONVERSION

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COST SAVING

Plant Scale

Plant Life

Uranium Oxide Density

HF Production and Marketing

Use of Existing Facilities

New Technology

8 Major Recommendations

COORDINATED PLANNING

CONTRACTING AND MANAGEMENT

PRIORITIZED COST AND RISK REDUCTION

REGULATORY COORDINATION

STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT

NEED FOR NEW FACILITIES

D TECHNOLOGY ISSUES

SAFEGUARDS AND SECURITY

Appendices

Appendix A Statement of Task

Appendix B The Committee's Panel Structure and Panel Statement of Tasks

Decision And Process Analysis Panel

Technology Panel

Cost Analysis Panel

Appendix C Committee Meetings and Activities

Separate Panel Meetings

Site Visits and Symposiums Attended by Selected Members of the Committee and Staff

Appendix D Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff

Staff.

Board on Energy and Environmental Studies

Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology

Board on Radioactive Waste Management

Appendix E Radionuclide Characterization and Detection

Radionuclides To Be Characterized

Radionuclide Characterization Processes

Initial or Scoping Measurements

Characterization During D&amp

D

Compliance Characterization

Radionuclide Characterization Instrumentation

Regulatory Requirements

References

Appendix F Automation and Robotics

Commercial Systems

Doe Programs

Appendix G Nuclear Criticality

Production And Loss of Neutrons

Avoiding Criticality

Summary

Appendix H Previous Decontamination and Decommissioning Efforts

Capenhurst Gaseous Diffusion Plant

Description of Capenhurst Facility

Approach

Development Activities

Decontamination and Disassembly

Gaseous Decontamination to Remove UO2F2

Removal of Nonradioactive Hazardous Materials

Equipment and Cell Structures Disassembly

Interim Storage of Plant Components

Size Reduction

Chemical Decontamination

Melting

Ancillary Structures Removal

Waste Treatment and Disposal

Personnel Protection During Decommissioning

Criticality Control

Air Monitoring

Similarities And Differences Between Capenhurst And The U.S. Enrichment Plants

Quantity Comparisons Of Capenhurst And The Oak Ridge Gdp

Appendix I Waste Treatment

Separations

Treatment Options

Recycling

Appendix J Review of Existing Cost Estimates

MMES Estimate

Ebasco Estimate

Assumptions

DOE-Directed Assumptions

Ebasco Assumptions

The Assumption of New High- and Low-Assay Decontamination Facilities

Analysis of the Ebasco Estimate

Comparison Of The 1988 MMES And 1991 Ebasco Studies

TLG Cost Estimate.

Saic Review.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786610192342

9780309175876

0309175879

9781280192340

1280192348

9780309552981

0309552982

9780585002149

0585002142

OCLC:

726823017