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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
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Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel

Treatment Options for Disposal

Milton Levenson, Principal Investigator

Kevin D. Crowley, Study Director

Board on Radioactive Waste Management

Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1998

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
×

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

Support for this study was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, under Grant No. DE-FC01-94EW54069. All opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Energy.

Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 98-84670

International Standard Book Number 0-309-06049-4

Additional copies of this report are available from:
National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Box 285 Washington, DC 20055 800-624-6242 202-334-3313 (in the Washington Metropolitan Area) http://www.nap.edu

Copyright 1998 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Cover photo: Radiation glow from an empty zirconium oxide crucible that had been used to melt highly radioactive fuel at Argonne West. The glow is from residual fission products on the surface of the crucible which is at room temperature. The ambient light level was 100 footcandles and the photo was taken through a 60-inch thick leaded glass window. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.

Printed in the United States of America.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
×

RESEARCH REACTOR ALUMINUM SPENT FUEL

Treatment Options for Disposal

MILTON LEVENSON, Principal Investigator, Menlo Park, California

KEVIN D. CROWLEY, Study Director

ANGELA R. TAYLOR, Senior Project Assistant

LATRICIA BAILEY, Project Assistant

Milton Levenson is a chemical engineer with more than 48 years of experience in nuclear energy and related fields. His technical experience includes work in nuclear safety, fuel cycle, water reactor technology, advanced reactor technology, remote control technology, and sodium reactor technology. His professional experience includes research and operations positions at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Bechtel Power Corporation. Mr. Levenson is the past president of the American Nuclear Society; a fellow of the American Nuclear Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; and the recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Robert E. Wilson Award. He is the author of more than 150 publications and presentations and holds three U.S. patents. He received his B.Ch.E. from the University of Minnesota and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1976.

Kevin D. Crowley is director of the Board on Radioactive Waste Management at the National Research Council and has 15 years of experience in geoscience and nuclear science research and policy work. He holds a Ph.D. degree in geology from Princeton University and previously held positions at the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Oklahoma, and Miami University of Ohio. He is the author of about 30 technical publications, holds one U.S. patent, and has directed or staffed about a dozen NRC studies.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
×

BOARD ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

MICHAEL C. KAVANAUGH, Chair,

ENVIRON Corporation, Emeryville, California

JOHN F. AHEARNE, Vice-Chair,

Sigma Xi and Duke University, The Scientific Research Society, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

ROBERT BUDNITZ,

Future Resources Associates, Inc., Berkeley, California

ANDREW P. CAPUTO,

Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.

MARY R. ENGLISH,

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

DARLEANE C. HOFFMAN,

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California

JAMES JOHNSON,

Howard University, Washington, D.C.

ROGER E. KASPERSON,

Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts

JAMES O. LECKIE,

Stanford University, Stanford, California

JANE C.S. LONG,

University of Nevada, Reno

CHARLES McCOMBIE,

National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Wettingen, Switzerland

H. ROBERT MEYER,

Keystone Scientific, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado

D. WARNER NORTH,

DFI/Aeronomics, Mountain View, California

MARTIN STEINDLER,

Argonne National Laboratory (retired), Argonne, Illinois

JOHN J. TAYLOR,

Electric Power Research Institute (retired), Palo Alto, California

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

Staff

KEVIN D. CROWLEY, Director

ROBERT S. ANDREWS, Senior Staff Officer

THOMAS KIESS, Senior Staff Officer

JOHN R. WILEY, Senior Staff Officer

SUSAN B. MOCKLER, Research Associate

ERIKA L. WILLIAMS, Research Assistant

TONI GREENLEAF, Administrative Assistant

ROBIN L. ALLEN, Senior Project Assistant

PATRICIA A. JONES, Senior Project Assistant

ANGELA R. TAYLOR, Senior Project Assistant

LATRICIA BAILEY, Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair,

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

PATRICK R. ATKINS,

Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

JERRY F. FRANKLIN,

University of Washington, Seattle

B. JOHN GARRICK,

PLG, Inc., Newport Beach, California

THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

DEBRA KNOPMAN,

Progressive Foundation, Washington, D.C.

KAI N. LEE,

Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts

JUDITH E. McDOWELL,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

RICHARD A. MESERVE,

Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C.

HUGH C. MORRIS,

Canadian Global Change Program, Delta, British Columbia

RAYMOND A. PRICE,

Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario

H. RONALD PULLIAM,

University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

THOMAS C. SCHELLING,

University of Maryland, College Park

VICTORIA J. TSCHINKEL,

Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida

E-AN ZEN,

University of Maryland, College Park

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

Staff

ROBERT M. HAMILTON, Executive Director

GREGORY H. SYMMES, Assistant Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative and Financial Officer

SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate

MARQUITA SMITH, Administrative Assistant/Technology Analyst

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
×

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering, research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and of advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and interim vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
×

Foreword

Unlike most National Research Council (NRC) studies, which are undertaken by an appointed committee of experts, this project was conducted by a principal investigator (P.I.), Milton Levenson, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, who was selected for his extensive experience with nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear safety, remote control technology, and reactor technology. The findings presented in this report reflect his views, based on the information made available to him by the study's sponsor. The study was conducted under the aegis of the NRC Board on Radioactive Waste Management.

In preparing this report, the P.I. reviewed data and documents on the aluminum spent fuel program and related issues that were provided to him by the U.S. Department of Energy (Appendix F), and he obtained briefings from DOE and contractor staff at two public information-gathering meetings held near the Savannah River site (Appendix B). In addition, the P.I. obtained technical advice from 13 expert consultants (Appendix E), eleven of whom attended the second information-gathering meeting. These consultants provided the P.I. with short written reports which have been included in Appendix D of this report.

A draft of this report was reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review was to provide candid and critical comments to assist the NRC in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The content of the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report.

Patrick R. Atkins, Aluminum Company of America

Donald A. Brand, NAE, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (retired)

Thomas B. Cochran, Natural Resources Defense Council

Harold K. Forsen, NAE, Bechtel Corporation (retired)

B. John Garrick, NAE, PLG, Inc. (retired)

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
×

Darleane C. Hoffman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

William E. Kastenberg, NAE, University of California at Berkeley

Ronald A. Knief, Ogden Environmental and Energy Services Co.

D. Warner North, DFI/Aeronomics

Frank L. Parker, NAE, Vanderbilt University

Steve Pawel, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Martin J. Steindler, Argonne National Laboratory (retired)

William G. Sutcliffe, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Edwin L. Zebroski, NAE, Aptech Engineering Services, Inc.

Although the individuals listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, the responsibility for the final content of this report rests with the P.I. and the NRC.

BRUCE ALBERTS, CHAIRMAN

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
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Preface

Aluminum spent fuel from foreign and domestic research reactors represents only a small part of the total DOE and commercial spent fuel inventory—less than 10 percent by volume of DOE's inventory and less than 1 percent by volume of the commercial spent fuel inventory. However, aluminum spent fuel represents a challenge for disposal because of its relatively high uranium-235 enrichment. For policy reasons, DOE is seeking alternate options to conventional reprocessing for safe treatment and eventual disposal of this fuel.

DOE chartered a task team to review feasible treatment options and make recommendations, and the Savannah River Office of DOE was assigned the responsibility for implementing them. DOE-Savannah River requested that the National Research Council (NRC) conduct a review of its plans to treat for disposal the aluminum spent research reactor fuel under its management (Appendix A). This report is the product of that review.

Because of the perceived urgency of the aluminum spent fuel program this has been a fast-track review—two months for data collection, one month for writing, and three months for the NRC review process—and has been possible only through the help and cooperation on the part of many people. We involved several expert consultants in our second information-gathering meeting (Appendix B). They adjusted their personal schedules with only one to two weeks advance notice to attend this meeting and provide written reports before the end of the year (these reports appear in Appendix D). The Savannah River staff of DOE and the site contractors, supported by staff from the Yucca Mountain Project, were flexible and responsive to our many requests for information and much more cooperative than has been this writer's past experience with DOE projects of a similar nature. They also have introduced an additional urgency into getting this report published—they are moving rapidly to correct some of the shortcomings identified by the task team report, by their own reviews, and through discussions at the two information-gathering meetings for this project. To be relevant we had to publish quickly.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
×

This report is the result of the Principal Investigator's digestion of a large amount of written information (Appendix F), information provided in the two information-gathering meetings, and a review of the consultants' reports (Appendix D). This was made possible to a large extent by the support and contributions of the NRC staff. Because of the short schedule and the large amount of paper to be reviewed, the work of Angela Taylor and Latricia Bailey in arranging the travel and meetings and turning the paper mill in high gear was essential in meeting our schedule. If this report is coherent, it is due to the considerable writing skills and dedication of Kevin Crowley who took my rambling thoughts and ''what about" nuggets and transformed them into regular sentences, paragraphs, and chapters.

This is not a personal report—it has been subjected to the National Research Council's review process and is an NRC report—but if it contains errors of either omission or commission, they are mine.

MILTON LEVENSON

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel: Treatment Options for Disposal. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6099.
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) for management of aluminum spent fuel from foreign and domestic research reactors, much of which is highly enriched in uranium-235. This EIS will assess the need for additional treatment and storage facilities at the Savannah River Site to accommodate the receipt of this fuel, and it also will assess and select a treatment technology to prepare this fuel for interim storage and eventual shipment to a repository for disposal.

This National Research Council book, which was prepared at the request of DOE's Savannah River Office, provides a technical assessment of the technologies, costs, and schedules developed by DOE for eight alternative treatment options and the baseline reprocessing option. It also provides comments on DOE's aluminum spent fuel disposal program, a program that is slated to last for about 40 years and cost in excess of $2 billion.

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