Affordable Cleanup? Opportunities for Cost Reduction in the Decontamination and Decommissioning of the Nation's Uranium Enrichment Facilities (1996) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
8 MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS
8 MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS
Pages 183-192
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 183... ...
The D&D of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, for example, indicated the importance of a streamlined management approach and thorough planning, with a decommissioning plan incorporating a detailed technical baseline, as part of developing a cost estimate and engaging in the actual D&D. Based on reported D&D costs for the Capenhurst GDP, experience from other D&D projects, and a review of the cost estimates, the committee concluded that there are significant opportunities to reduce the D&D costs of the GDPs.
|
From page 184... ...
The decommissioning plan should incorporate all major assumptions (technical, cost, and institutional) , a proposed management organizational structure for both DOE and the decommissioning operations contractor, tradeoff studies for determining an optimized decommissioning sequence, a detailed work breakdown structure, and a detailed cost estimate and schedule.
|
From page 185... ...
Large reductions in D&D project costs are unlikely to be achieved under the currently proposed project management approach using multiple prime contractors. Experience on other DOE projects demonstrates conclusively that this concept results in much higher costs relative to projects managed by other government agencies and the private sector.
|
From page 186... ...
Such an approach identifies conditions at the sites that, if not quickly remediated, could lead to increased risks or costs as a result of delay. For example, it appears to the committee that the removal of the deposits of highly enriched uranium from the Oak Ridge process equipment should be a first priority.
|
From page 187... ...
Given the contentious issues that have emerged relating to many sites in the DOE weapons complex as a result of past practices, it is essential that a credible and meaningful stakeholder and public involvement process be implemented that ensures smooth planning and implementation of D&D. Increased attention to stakeholders and the public concerning D&D at the three GDP sites can further result in decisions that enjoy wide public acceptance, reduce conflicts among stakeholders and citizens, and minimize costly delays.
|
From page 188... ...
Considering the large costs of low-level radioactive waste management, there are significant opportunities to optimize waste packaging and transportation to achieve cost savings. The committee notes that radioactive, hazardous, and mixed wastes from other activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation are being temporarily stored within the GDP process buildings.
|
From page 189... ...
A high-assay decontamination facility was proposed to decontaminate equipment containing highly enriched uranium deposits, and a low-assay decontamination facility was proposed to decontaminate equipment containing low-enriched uranium deposits. Decontamination techniques to be used in these facilities included mechanical removal, C1F~ (gaseous chlorine trifluoride)
|
From page 190... ...
These technologies include technologies for characterization, disassembly, removal of uranium deposits from the process equipment, decontamination of the process equipment and buildings, melt refining and recycling of metals, and treatment of wastes. However, there are some uncertainties about technical effectiveness, such as the degree to which certain technologies can remove 99Tc (technetium-99)
|
From page 191... ...
. 191 optimization of aqueous decontamination to remove radioactive surface contamination from materials and process equipment, with special attention to 99Tc; and support of current DOE robotics programs, with highly focused demonstrations to verify potential cost savings and safety benefits.
|
From page 192... ...
Considering cost, risk and social values, the most attractive of the known processes can be chosen. Significant savings in the costs of long-term storage should be possible by improving the physical properties of the U3O8; in particular, increased particle size and much higher packing density should be possible, which would reduce storage costs based on volumetric fees.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.