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Title: Plan for Developing and Implementing the LLNL Plutonium Facility and Packaging Program

Abstract

The LLNL Plutonium Facility uses glove boxes for performing operations involving special nuclear materials (SNM) that for the most part are not connected to each other. Having standalone glove boxes mandates bag-in and bag-out operations to provide personnel safety in material transfers. The use of inexpensive disposable primary and secondary containers (i.e., food pack and paint cans) decreases operational risks by reducing glove box transfers. Typically, containers consist of produce cans, paint cans, lard cans, and egg cans; however, some cans with bolted flanges have been used for protection from oxidation or to reduce dose to the handler. The lard cans and egg cans are slip lid cans and have predominantly been used for the outermost containment, or secondary can, in the packaging configuration. For non-weapon parts the packaging has generally been, from the inner most container to the outside container as (1) the primary can, (2) a bag-out bag, (3) a poultry bag, and (4) a secondary can. This system has evolved over many years and has proven to be effective. During FY2002 through FY2004, the ''Legacy'' material projects at LLNL inspected, repackaged and processed (if necessary), approximately 1500 items, which translates to at least 3000 containers (primary andmore » secondary). There were no failed containers identified during this repacking campaign; however, a documented technical basis does not exist for LLNL's current packaging system. In addition, this system may not meet drop test criteria. To assure that material is packaged and stored safely and consistently, LLNL is developing criteria for packaging and storage of special nuclear materials, as well as the associated technical basis. This document describes the plan for developing these criteria, technical basis, and implementation of the approved packaging and storage plan.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Livermore, CA (US)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI Identifier:
15016337
Report Number(s):
UCRL-TR-210907
TRN: US0502263
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 29 Mar 2005
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; CONFIGURATION; CONTAINERS; CONTAINMENT; FLANGES; FOOD; FOWL; GLOVES; IMPLEMENTATION; OXIDATION; PACKAGING; PERSONNEL; PLUTONIUM; SAFETY; SLIP; STORAGE

Citation Formats

Dodson, K E, Burch, J G, Krikorian, O H, and Riley, D C. Plan for Developing and Implementing the LLNL Plutonium Facility and Packaging Program. United States: N. p., 2005. Web. doi:10.2172/15016337.
Dodson, K E, Burch, J G, Krikorian, O H, & Riley, D C. Plan for Developing and Implementing the LLNL Plutonium Facility and Packaging Program. United States. doi:10.2172/15016337.
Dodson, K E, Burch, J G, Krikorian, O H, and Riley, D C. Tue . "Plan for Developing and Implementing the LLNL Plutonium Facility and Packaging Program". United States. doi:10.2172/15016337. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/15016337.
@article{osti_15016337,
title = {Plan for Developing and Implementing the LLNL Plutonium Facility and Packaging Program},
author = {Dodson, K E and Burch, J G and Krikorian, O H and Riley, D C},
abstractNote = {The LLNL Plutonium Facility uses glove boxes for performing operations involving special nuclear materials (SNM) that for the most part are not connected to each other. Having standalone glove boxes mandates bag-in and bag-out operations to provide personnel safety in material transfers. The use of inexpensive disposable primary and secondary containers (i.e., food pack and paint cans) decreases operational risks by reducing glove box transfers. Typically, containers consist of produce cans, paint cans, lard cans, and egg cans; however, some cans with bolted flanges have been used for protection from oxidation or to reduce dose to the handler. The lard cans and egg cans are slip lid cans and have predominantly been used for the outermost containment, or secondary can, in the packaging configuration. For non-weapon parts the packaging has generally been, from the inner most container to the outside container as (1) the primary can, (2) a bag-out bag, (3) a poultry bag, and (4) a secondary can. This system has evolved over many years and has proven to be effective. During FY2002 through FY2004, the ''Legacy'' material projects at LLNL inspected, repackaged and processed (if necessary), approximately 1500 items, which translates to at least 3000 containers (primary and secondary). There were no failed containers identified during this repacking campaign; however, a documented technical basis does not exist for LLNL's current packaging system. In addition, this system may not meet drop test criteria. To assure that material is packaged and stored safely and consistently, LLNL is developing criteria for packaging and storage of special nuclear materials, as well as the associated technical basis. This document describes the plan for developing these criteria, technical basis, and implementation of the approved packaging and storage plan.},
doi = {10.2172/15016337},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 29 00:00:00 EST 2005},
month = {Tue Mar 29 00:00:00 EST 2005}
}

Technical Report:

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  • This document addresses the concern raised in the Savannah River Site (SRS) Acceptance Criteria (Reference 1, Section 6.a.3) about receiving an item that is over batched by 1.0 kg of fissile materials. This document shows that the occurrence of this is incredible. Some of the Department of Energy Standard 3013 (DOE-STD-3013) requirements are described in Section 2.1. The SRS requirement is discussed in Section 2.2. Section 2.3 describes the way fissile materials are handled in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Plutonium Facility (B332). Based on the material handling discussed in Section 2.3, there are only three errors that couldmore » result in a shipping container being over batched. These are: incorrect measurement of the item, selecting the wrong item to package, and packaging two items into a single shipping container. The analysis in Section 3 shows that the first two events are incredible because of the controls that exist at LLNL. The third event is physically impossible. Therefore, it is incredible for an item to be shipped to SRS that is more than 1.0 kg of fissile materials over batched.« less
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  • This document contains a three-part addendum to the Clinch River Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation Plan. The Clinch River RCRA Facility Investigation began in 1989, as part of the comprehensive remediation of facilities on the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). The ORR was added to the National Priorities List in December 1989. The regulatory agencies have encouraged the adoption of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) terminology; therefore, the Clinch River activity is now referred to as the Clinch River Remedial Investigation (CRRI), not the Clinch River RCRA Facility Investigation. Part 1more » of this document is the plan for sampling and analysis (S&A) during Phase 2 of the CRRI. Part 2 is a revision of the Quality Assurance Project Plan for the CRRI, and Part 3 is a revision of the Environmental Health and Safety Plan for the CRRI. The Clinch River RI (CRRI) is designed to address the transport, fate, and distribution of waterborne contaminants (radionuclides, metals, and organic compounds) released from the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and to assess potential risks to human health and the environment associated with these contaminants. Primary areas of investigation are Melton Hill Reservoir, the Clinch River from Melton Hill Dam to its confluence with the Tennessee River, Poplar Creek, and Watts Bar Reservoir. The contaminants identified in the Clinch River/Watts Bar Reservoir (CR/WBR) downstream of the ORR are those associated with the water, suspended particles, deposited sediments, aquatic organisms, and wildlife feeding on aquatic organisms. The purpose of the Phase 2 S&A Plan is to describe the proposed tasks and subtasks developed to meet the primary objectives of the CRRI.« less