A risk comparison for startup of plutonium thermal stabilization operations
- Stone and Webster Engineering Corp., Boston, MA (United States)
- EG and G Rocky Flats, Inc., Golden, CO (United States)
Plutonium production operations at the Rocky Flats Plant were curtailed in 1989 by the Department of Energy so that a new operating contractor, EG&G Rocky Flats Inc., could assess the safety of resuming plutonium operations and implement a new safety culture consistent with nuclear reactor practices. In 1992, the Plant`s mission was changed to decommissioning, decontamination, and environmental restoration. In order to support this new mission, a safety analysis for Building 707 required rebaselining of the risk of resuming thermal stabilization of pyrophoric forms of plutonium by electrical heating in an air environment, as well as other activities to support the building in a standby and interim storage mode. The general approach was to update the safety analysis that rebaselined risks from fires, explosions, spills, criticalities, and seismic events for the previous production mission. Event tree analyses of the risk dominant scenarios were modified to establish accident sequence frequencies for the new mission. Radiological source terms were revised to reflect the quantities of plutonium at risk for the new mission. While the total amount of plutonium metal is reduced due to the mission change, the amount of plutonium oxide powder is expected to be greater. Radiological consequences and risks were analyzed with the MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System (MACCS) computer code for the dose to the maximum offsite individual and the latent cancer fatality risks to the population within 10 and 50 miles. Risk information was presented in terms of mean risk estimates and risk curves. A comparison of risks was then made to the NUREG-1150 risk curves from severe accident analysis of power reactors and to the Department of Energy SEN-35-91 quantitative safety goals. Also, a comparison was made to the expected number of fatalities caused by commercial and residential building collapses due to the seismic event itself in populated areas around the Rocky Flats Plant.
- Research Organization:
- EG and G Rocky Flats, Inc., Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC34-90RF62349
- OSTI ID:
- 10179885
- Report Number(s):
- RFP-4746; CONF-931121-14; ON: DE93018802
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual winter meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers,New Orleans, LA (United States),28 Nov - 3 Dec 1993; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
NEOPLASMS
RISK ASSESSMENT
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
SEISMIC EVENTS
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION DOSES
HEALTH HAZARDS
DECOMMISSIONING
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
053004
560101
054000
DESIGN BASIS AND HYPOTHETICAL ACCIDENTS
DOSIMETRY AND MONITORING
HEALTH AND SAFETY