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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Hanford production reactor decommissioning

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5959459
There are nine plutonium production reactors located at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. Eight of these reactors have been shutdown, defueled, deactivated and placed in retirement. The ninth reactor is N Reactor which remains in operation. The combined thermal energy developed during operation of all nine reactors was in excess of 20,000 MWt. This required large and complex systems to dissipate the heat generated and to monitor the many parameters incidental to safe and efficient operation of the nuclear reactors. During the last several years, the Department of Energy has been involved in a study to determine the final disposition of the retired government-owned facilities on the Hanford Reservation. Two programs are in progress and are directed towards final disposition of these facilities. First, in 1974, a site cleanup program was started which is involved in the elimination of potential industrial and radiological hazards and the final disposition of clean (free of contamination) facilities. Second, in 1977, UNC Nuclear Industries was authorized to begin the planning necessary to implement full-scale decommissioning of the contaminated portion of one reactor complex. The facility selected for this demonstration program is identified as 100-F. The progress made in these programs, along with some of the techniques being considered in the Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) work is included in this report.
Research Organization:
UNC Nuclear Industries, Inc., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-06-1857
OSTI ID:
5959459
Report Number(s):
UNI-SA-63; CONF-790923-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English