Radioactive waste spill and cleanup on storage tank at the Savannah River Plant
This report was prepared for historical purpose to document events associated with a radioactive spill and subsequent cleanup efforts at the Savannah River Plant. On December 29, 1983, approximately 100 gallons of liquid radioactive waste, containing an estimated 200-600 curies of cesium-137, leaked from a flushwater line onto the top of the Savannah River Plant's Tank 13 in H-area. The highest measured radiation rate was 100 R/hr at 12 inches from the evaporator feed pump riser. The leak was caused by a series of events involving inadequate heat tracing on a flushwater line, failure of a gasket in 7/sup 0/F weather, failure of personnel to follow a procedure, and leakage across a gate valve seat. Some of the leaked solution migrated into storm water ditches during rain, and a total of 237 millicuries migrated to a nearby stream over several months. However, no significant increase in the cesium-137 concentration occurred in the Savannah River or in the groundwater under the impacted area. Cleanup, costing 3.7 million dollars, took place over the following eighteen months. Cleanup involved water flushing, chemical flushing and mechanical removal of a portion of the concrete tank-top surface, followed by excavation of 1383 cubic yards of soil surrounding the tank. Stringent and effective radiological controls, including development of remote decontamination methods, allowed the cleanup to be accomplished with a total radiation dose to personnel of 58 rems. New safeguards were built into the system to protect against spills and to provide greater assurance of spill containment. Lead sheeting and a 4- to 6-inch-thick concrete overpour were bonded over the remaining contaminated concrete to reduce the radiation levels to less than 20 mR/hr at 3 feet. The Tank 13 evaporator feed system resumed operation in June 1985. 3 refs., 42 figs., 2 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 5557903
- Report Number(s):
- DP-1722; ON: DE86014331; TRN: 86-025868
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
DECONTAMINATION
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
CESIUM 137
CLEANING
CONCRETES
CONTAMINATION
EXCAVATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FAILURES
GASKETS
LEAKS
LIQUID WASTES
SOILS
TANKS
WATER
ACCIDENTS
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUILDING MATERIALS
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CONTAINERS
DATA
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
SEALS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing
054000 - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety