Managing the Retrieval Risk of Buried Transuranic (TRU) Waste with Unique Characteristics

Conference · Sun Feb 26 00:00:00 EST 2006

OSTI ID:875791

Wojtasek, R. D. ^[1]; Gadd, R. R. ^[2]; Greenwell, R. D. ^[3]

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1. Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
2. Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc., Richland, WA (United States)
3. Duratek Federal Services of Hanford, Inc., Richland, WA (United States)

United States-Department of Energy (DOE) sites that store transuranic (TRU) waste are almost certain to encounter waste packages with characteristics that are so unique as to warrant special precautions for retrieval. At the Hanford Site, a subgroup of stored TRU waste (12 drums) had special considerations due to the radioactive source content of plutonium oxide (PuO₂), and the potential for high heat generation, pressurization, criticality, and high radiation. These characteristics bear on the approach to safely retrieve, overpack, vent, store, and transport the waste package. Because of the potential risk to personnel, contingency planning for unexpected conditions played an effective role in work planning and in preparing workers for the field inspection activity. As a result, the integrity inspections successfully confirmed waste package configuration and waste confinement without experiencing any perturbations due to unanticipated packaging conditions. This paper discusses the engineering and field approach to managing the risk of retrieving TRU waste with unique characteristics.

• Research Organization: Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc., Richland, WA (United States); Duratek Federal Services of Hanford, Inc., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-96RL13200
• OSTI ID: 875791
• Report Number(s): HNF-27217-FP Rev 1; TRN: US0600777
• Resource Relation: Conference: WM'06 Conference, Tucson, AZ (United States), 26 Feb - 2 Mar 2006
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
CONFIGURATION
CONFINEMENT
CRITICALITY
PACKAGING
PERSONNEL
PLANNING
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PRESSURIZATION
TRANSPORT
WASTES
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Waste Packages
As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) Considerations
Management Review Committee (MRC)
Contingency Planning
Drum Storage
Hanford Site Low Level Burial Grounds (LLBG)