Engineering evaluation of alternatives: Managing the assumed leak from single-shell Tank 241-T-101

Brevick, C H; Jenkins, C

doi:10.2172/206515

Title: Engineering evaluation of alternatives: Managing the assumed leak from single-shell Tank 241-T-101

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Abstract

At mid-year 1992, the liquid level gage for Tank 241-T-101 indicated that 6,000 to 9,000 gal had leaked. Because of the liquid level anomaly, Tank 241-T-101 was declared an assumed leaker on October 4, 1992. SSTs liquid level gages have been historically unreliable. False readings can occur because of instrument failures, floating salt cake, and salt encrustation. Gages frequently self-correct and tanks show no indication of leak. Tank levels cannot be visually inspected and verified because of high radiation fields. The gage in Tank 241-T-101 has largely corrected itself since the mid-year 1992 reading. Therefore, doubt exists that a leak has occurred, or that the magnitude of the leak poses any immediate environmental threat. While reluctance exists to use valuable DST space unnecessarily, there is a large safety and economic incentive to prevent or mitigate release of tank liquid waste into the surrounding environment. During the assessment of the significance of the Tank 241-T-101 liquid level gage readings, Washington State Department of Ecology determined that Westinghouse Hanford Company was not in compliance with regulatory requirements, and directed transfer of the Tank 241-T-101 liquid contents into a DST. Meanwhile, DOE directed WHC to examine reasonable alternatives/options for safe interim management ofmore »« less

Authors:

Brevick, C H ^[1]; Jenkins, C ^[2]

ICF Kaiser Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)

Publication Date:: Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1996

Research Org.:: Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States); ICF Kaiser Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 206515

Report Number(s):: WHC-EP-0873
ON: DE96006826; TRN: 96:009387

DOE Contract Number:: AC06-87RL10930

Resource Type:: Technical Report

Resource Relation:: Other Information: PBD: Feb 1996

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; HANFORD RESERVATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; STORAGE FACILITIES; LEAKS; REMEDIAL ACTION; PLANNING; LEVEL INDICATORS; ACCURACY; STABILIZATION; WASTE RETRIEVAL; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS

Citation Formats


                    Brevick, C H, and Jenkins, C. Engineering evaluation of alternatives: Managing the assumed leak from single-shell Tank 241-T-101.  United States: N. p., 1996. 
        Web.  doi:10.2172/206515.

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                    Brevick, C H, & Jenkins, C. Engineering evaluation of alternatives: Managing the assumed leak from single-shell Tank 241-T-101.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/206515

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                    Brevick, C H, and Jenkins, C. 1996.  
        "Engineering evaluation of alternatives: Managing the assumed leak from single-shell Tank 241-T-101".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/206515.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/206515.

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@article{osti_206515,

  title        = {Engineering evaluation of alternatives: Managing the assumed leak from single-shell Tank 241-T-101},

  author       = {Brevick, C H and Jenkins, C},

  abstractNote = {At mid-year 1992, the liquid level gage for Tank 241-T-101 indicated that 6,000 to 9,000 gal had leaked. Because of the liquid level anomaly, Tank 241-T-101 was declared an assumed leaker on October 4, 1992. SSTs liquid level gages have been historically unreliable. False readings can occur because of instrument failures, floating salt cake, and salt encrustation. Gages frequently self-correct and tanks show no indication of leak. Tank levels cannot be visually inspected and verified because of high radiation fields. The gage in Tank 241-T-101 has largely corrected itself since the mid-year 1992 reading. Therefore, doubt exists that a leak has occurred, or that the magnitude of the leak poses any immediate environmental threat. While reluctance exists to use valuable DST space unnecessarily, there is a large safety and economic incentive to prevent or mitigate release of tank liquid waste into the surrounding environment. During the assessment of the significance of the Tank 241-T-101 liquid level gage readings, Washington State Department of Ecology determined that Westinghouse Hanford Company was not in compliance with regulatory requirements, and directed transfer of the Tank 241-T-101 liquid contents into a DST. Meanwhile, DOE directed WHC to examine reasonable alternatives/options for safe interim management of Tank 241-T-101 wastes before taking action. The five alternatives that could be used to manage waste from a leaking SST are: (1) No-Action, (2) In-Tank Stabilization, (3) External Tank Stabilization, (4) Liquid Retrieval, and (5) Total Retrieval. The findings of these examinations are reported in this study.},

  doi          = {10.2172/206515},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/206515},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1996},

  month        = {Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1996}

}

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