Affordable Cleanup? Opportunities for Cost Reduction in the Decontamination and Decommissioning of the Nation's Uranium Enrichment Facilities (1996) / Chapter Skim
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1 INTRODUCTION
1 INTRODUCTION
Pages 15-26
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From page 15... ...
that comprise the nation's uranium enrichment facilities. The discussion covers the objectives of the study, a brief history and description of the gaseous diffusion facilities, the establishment of the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC)
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As defined by the statement of task, the study excludes consideration of environmental restoration activities, such as cleanup of soils and groundwater at the three enrichment facility sites. Also excluded are the gaseous centrifuge facilities at the Oak Ridge and Portsmouth sites that were never used for commercial production.
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The second plant, the Paducah GDP in Kentucky, was built between 1951 and 1955 to produce uranium to enrichment levels no greater than 2 percent. The third plant, the Portsmouth GDP in Ohio, began operation in 1956 and was designed to accept natural uranium feed, as well as the product from either the Oak Ridge or the Paducah GDP, and produce enriched uranium ranging from 2 percent to greater than 97 percent 235U.
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Lockheed Martin Utility Services (formerly Martin Marietta Utility Services [MMUS]
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: "Place structures to be returned at the facility in a safe secure condition, removing any immediate threats to human health and safety ...." 9 In a nuclear criticality event, an assemblage of enriched uranium results in a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction generating heat, radioactive contamination, and gamma and neutron radiation. Usually a criticality event is self-limiting because the energy release disrupts the geometric configuration of the enriched material that caused the criticality.
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The process equipment at the nonoperating plant at Oak Ridge contains significant quantities of solid deposits of uranium of all degrees of enrichment. Large quantities of hazardous substances, such as asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
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These deposits, some highly enriched as in the K-25 building at Oak Ridge, present a distinguishing problem, namely, the prevention of a criticality accident, which is germane to few other facilities requiring cleanup. Requirements for preventing criticality will increase costs at Oak Ridge and Portsmouth compared to Paducah, where deposits are at much lower enrichment levels.
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Following on this financial assessment, DOE commissioned two cost estimates for D&D of the GDP facilities (see Chapter 4~. Ebasco prepared a preliminary cost estimate that assumed "prompt dismantlement," with the facilities to be cleaned of radioactive and hazardous materials and restored to a condition such that a future occupant would not be exposed to harmful substances (DOE, 1991a)
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ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT As seen above, the D&D of the GDPs and associated cost estimates involve a number of issues, such as the state of the sites and the scope and extent of cleanup, technologies for accomplishing the D&D, and the regulatory environment and standards under which the D&D will occur. Chapter 2 of the report discusses the current situation at the GDP facilities describing the gaseous diffusion process and the equipment used for uranium enrichment, the buildings and sites, the radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants in the buildings that have to be removed, and the risks subsequent to closure of the facilities.
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Chapter 5 also presents a D&D planning approach to minimize conflict and delays. Based on all the preceding material, Chapter 6 delineates opportunities for cost reduction grouped according to the categories used in the Ebasco cost estimate: program integration, radioactive and hazardous waste management, decontamination and decommissioning, and support facilities.
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1990. Testimony on the Department of Energy's Uranium Enrichment Enterprise and the Independent Financial Assessment Prepared by Smith Barney before the Subcommittee on Energy Research Development Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S.
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