Idaho Engineering Laboratory

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The Idaho Engineering Laboratory occupies 2,314 square kilometers (890 square miles) in a remote desert area in southern Idaho along the western edge of the Eastern Snake River Plain. There are no permanent residences within its borders, and the nearest major community, the City of Idaho Falls, is located 67 kilometers (42 miles) to the southeast. The Laboratory consists of 10 major operating areas at the site and several facilities in the City of Idaho Falls. One area has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

FACILITY MISSION

The mission of the Environmental Management program at the Laboratory is to manage waste and clean up contamination produced by past activities. Environmental Management has been the Laboratory's landlord since FY 1994. The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program coordinates and oversees the orderly transition of contaminated structures and facilities from other Departmental programs to the Environmental Management program; puts those facilities into a safe, low-risk maintenance mode; and provides overall landlord functions. The Environmental Restoration program addresses contaminated soil, ground water, structures, and other material at the site. The Waste Management program manages spent nuclear fuel and treats, stores, and disposes of waste generated by fuel reprocessing, manufacturing, research, and remediation.

The Laboratory's Environmental Management program is driven by the Settlement Agreement, the Federal Facility Agreement/Consent Order, the Notice of Noncompliance Consent Order, and several hazardous waste consent orders.

The Settlement Agreement, signed by the Department and the State of Idaho in October 1995, had a big impact on the Environmental Management program because it accelerated waste treatment and disposal of spent nuclear fuel, high-level waste, and transuranic waste. The agreement requires the Department to remove all spent nuclear fuel from the state by FY 2035; prepare all high-level waste for disposal by FY 2035; and to begin transuranic waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by April 30, 1999.

The Record of Decision for the Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program Environmental Impact Statement documents the Department's decision, to regionalize spent nuclear fuel management by fuel type. Under this decision, Hanford production reactor fuel will remain at the Hanford Site; aluminum clad fuel will be consolidated at the Savannah River Site; and other spent fuel types will be transferred to the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The strategies and assumptions used in generating this cost estimate are consistent with the selected alternative in the Record of Decision.

In November 1995, the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory signed a consent order with the State of Idaho. The Consent Order governs mixed waste management at the Laboratory. As a result of the Site Treatment Plan for mixed waste, the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory is one of the larger Department of Energy sites that will develop specialized treatment for mixed waste. Furthermore, other smaller Department of Energy sites have requested that their mixed waste be treated at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory facilities.

FUTURE USE

In FY 1995, the Idaho Operation Office developed the Comprehensive Facility and Land Use Plan for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The plan describes the integration of mission, economic, ecologic, social, and cultural factors in a comprehensive plan to guide facility-and land-use decisions. The plan gives the history of the site and an overview of facility areas, activities, and programs. It describes the Laboratory's interaction with its neighbors and describes its effect on the surrounding region. Finally, the plan contains projections of future land use and facility and infrastructure changes.

The plan's land-use projections were based on an FY 1994 effort to develop reasonable land-use scenarios covering the next 100 years. These scenarios, developed with extensive stakeholder involvement, assume that the Laboratory's boundaries will not change in the next 100 years and that future industrial development will most likely be concentrated in the central portion of the site and within major facility areas. The designation for waste disposal areas will remain Controlled Access. The outer perimeter will continue to serve as a safety and security buffer and livestock grazing area buffer zone and will be designated as Open Space use. These scenarios were used to develop the Baseline Environmental Management Report cost estimates. The future-use assumptions for this report are highlighted in the map above.

NUCLEAR MATERIAL AND FACILITY STABILIZATION

The objective of the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program is to stabilize materials and facilities and to deactivate facilities prior to decommissioning. This is accomplished using scheduling/transfer units to group facilities by geographical and functional criteria.

The Office of Environmental Management scheduling/transfer units (facility groupings) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory are managed by the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization and Waste Management programs. In addition, one scheduling/transfer unit at the Laboratory is currently managed by the Department's Office of Nuclear Energy. All scheduling/transfer units currently managed by the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program are undergoing deactivation. This report assumes that scheduling/transfer units managed by the Waste Management program and Office of Nuclear Energy will not transfer to the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program until they are slated to undergo deactivation as well, and that the current manages are responsible for all necessary stabilization and post-stabilization surveillance and maintenance activities. After deactivation, all buildings will be maintained in a minimum surveillance and maintenance mode until scheduling and funding allow transfer to the Environmental Restoration Decommissioning program. Surveillance and maintenance activities continue throughout the process.

A total of 124 buildings and structures at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory are or will be scheduled to enter the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program. The Department has identified total of 16 scheduling/transfer units for current and future surplus facilities. These scheduling/transfer units define projects that reduce environmental, health and safety risks; consolidate and remove waste inventories; and reduce surveillance and maintenance costs as facilities are prepared for decommissioning. Although alternate uses are also pursued during the process, this report assumes that all of the facilities will eventually be transferred the Environmental Restoration program for decommissioning following actions by Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization. These estimates assume that all Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization will be complete by FY 2037. Descriptions of these scheduling/transfer units are provided below.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 01 -- The Experimental Breeder Reactor/Borax Area: includes 11 facilities used to treat and store radioactive waste in accordance with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requirements. Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities are scheduled to begin in FY 2016 and be completed in FY 2017. This scheduling/transfer unit is managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 02 -- The Power Burst Facility Reactor Area: consists of nine buildings comprising 2,271 square meters (24,424 square feet) and 10 structures. The Power Burst Facility reactor facilities are currently maintained in a safe shutdown condition. Surveillance and maintenance activities for these facilities will continue until the spent fuel is removed. The Idaho Brain Tumor Center signed a lease with the Department of Energy in September, 1994 for the use of the Power Burst Facility in treating patients using Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. The Idaho Brain Tumor Center must take control of the Power Burst Facility before January 1, 1997, and obtain an operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission before January 1, 2000 or the lease will be terminated. This scheduling/transfer unit is managed by Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 03 -- The Test Reactor Area, Advanced Test Reactor: consists of four buildings, including the Advanced Test Reactor building, one of the largest and most advanced test reactors. It has been operated continually for almost 30 years. The Advanced Test Reactor is primarily used for the irradiation services for Department of Energy and production of isotopes for industry. This estimate assumes that Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities will begin in FY 2025 and be completed in FY 2029. As noted, this scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Office of Nuclear Energy. However, it is important to note that the Office of Nuclear Energy has not projected an end date for this facility. The time-frame presented may be premature.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 04 -- The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Fuel Processing Complex: consists of four buildings including the 601 Fuel Process Building and the 640 Headend Process Plant. Deactivation activities have begun at buildings 601 and 640. Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities are estimated to be completed by FY 2007. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 05 -- The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Tank Farm Area: includes one building comprising 135 square meters (1,481 square feet) and 11 waste tanks with vaults. This estimate assumes that Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities will commence in FY 2010 and be completed by FY 2018. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 06 -- The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Waste Calcine Facility: consists of one building, the Waste Calcine Facility. The initial design phase has been completed on schedule. The definitive design has started and is on schedule. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act environmental assessment and risk assessment are on schedule. The design will be completed this year and prework activities started. The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities are scheduled to be completed by FY 1999. This scheduling/transfer unit is managed by Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 07 -- The Test Area North: consists of eight buildings including the 13,650 square meter (150,000 square foot) Manufacturing Assembly and Hot Shop, building 607. The facilities at the Hot Shop are designed to service and maintain highly radioactive contaminated assemblies including complete reactor systems. Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities are scheduled to begin in FY 2002 and be completed by FY 2008. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 08 -- The Test Reactor Area Material Test Reactor Area: consists of two buildings and eight structures. The Material Test Reactor building was built in 1952 to provide the capability for irradiating fuels and material test samples. The structures are underground storage tanks ranging from 560 to 37,800 liters (1,500 to 10,000 gallons) used for the storage of hot waste from the Material Test Reactor operations. Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities for the Material Test Reactor Building are scheduled to begin in FY 2001 and end in FY 2003. The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities associated with the remaining facilities are scheduled to begin in FY 2010 and be completed in FY 2012. This scheduling/transfer unit is managed by Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 09 -- The Test Reactor Area Advanced Reactivity Measurement Facility: consists of one building, the Advanced Reactivity Measurement Facility located in building 660. This facility consists of two low-power reactors located in a common pool: the Advanced Reactivity Measurement Facility and the Coupled Fast Reactivity Measurement Facility. Building 660 contains highly enriched uranium. Fuel removal is ahead of schedule and will be completed this fiscal year. Completion of deactivation is scheduled for FY 1997. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 10 -- The Special Power Excursion Reactor Test IV Mixed Waste Storage Facility: consists of three buildings including the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant 603 Fuel Receipt and Storage Building, Power Burst Facility 613 Special Power Excursion Reactor Building, an underground fuel oil tank, and an underground septic tank. The fuel removal activities for Idaho Chemical Processing Plant 603 building are ahead of schedule and will be completed in FY 1998. The deactivation planning activities for this facility have been initiated this year. The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities associated with the remainder of this scheduling/transfer unit will take place in FY 2003. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 11 -- The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant New Waste Calcine Facility: consists of one facility, the New Waste Calcine Facility. This facility is used to convert high-level waste and sodium-bearing waste to a reduced volume, enhanced stability granular solid, and is scheduled to be operational until FY 2022. This estimate assumes that Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities are scheduled to begin in FY 2022 and be completed in FY 2025. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 12 -- The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Fluorinel Dissolution and Fuel Storage Facility: consists of one facility, the Fluorinel Dissolution and Fuel Storage Facility. This facility is used for underwater fuel storage. The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities are scheduled to begin in FY 2006 and be completed in FY 2010. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 13 -- The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Miscellaneous Area #1: consists of five buildings. These buildings are the 635 and 636 Waste Storage Pipe Manifold Buildings, the 637 Process Improvement Facility, the 638 Waste Station, and the 641 Waste Holdup Tank Pumphouse. The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities are scheduled to start in FY 2010 and end in FY 2012. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 14 -- The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Miscellaneous Area #2: consists of four buildings including the 764 Spent Fuel Hold Tank Vault and the proposed Three Mile Island Storage Building. The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities will begin in FY 2030 and are expected to be completed in FY 2032. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 15 -- The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Miscellaneous Area #3: consists of six buildings and 15 structures. The primary facilities include the 604 Rare Gas Plant, the 605 Blower Building, the 639 Blower Building, the 646 Instrument Building, the 649 Atmospheric Pressure Building, the 684 Remote Analytical Laboratory, the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Main Stack, and the vaults for the 1st through 6th bin sets. This estimate assumes that Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities will start in FY 2035 and will be complete in FY 2037. This scheduling/transfer unit is currently managed by the Waste Management program.

Scheduling/Transfer Unit 16 -- The Test Reactor Area Engineering Test Reactor: consists of two buildings; the Engineering Test Reactor Building, and the Engineering Test Reactor Heat Exchanger Building. The Engineering Test Reactor was constructed in 1957 to provide additional irradiation capabilities. It was placed on inactive status in 1982. Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization activities will begin in FY 2004 and be complete in FY 2005. This scheduling/transfer unit is managed by Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization.

Waste generated by the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program will be transferred to the Waste Management program for treatment and disposal. The volumes of waste generated by waste type for each scheduling/transfer unit are provided in the accompanying table.

DEACTIVATION

Deactivation is a series of steps to reach a minimum surveillance and maintenance condition. Deactivation activities at Scheduling/Transfer Units 2, 3, 8, and 9 will focus on removing the spent nuclear fuel and performing decontamination to reduce background levels in these facilities. In addition, deactivation activities will include controlling imminent hazards, eliminating instrumentation and utilities, and removing waste and recyclable materials to ensure long-term operation of safety systems.

POST-DEACTIVATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance will consist of required monitoring and maintenance of facilities for all scheduling/transfer units until they are transferred to the Environmental Restoration Decommissioning program. This estimate assumes that post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance for all applicable scheduling/transfer units will be complete by FY 2037.

LONG-TERM SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Long-term surveillance and maintenance includes the cost of operating and maintaining parts of the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant's infrastructure. These activities support high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel management programs. The costs for operating the waste management facilities at the Plant are included in the Waste Management program estimate provided later in this site summary. The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program costs include operating the coal-fired steam generating plant, utilities, landlord services, analytical services, engineering services, and maintenance activities and are included in the estimate below.

Direct Program Management/Support

Direct costs borne by the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program support the maintenance of infrastructure, with an emphasis on environmental, safety, and health issues in the following areas:

Integrated Facility Planning - Provides for site development planning, geographic information system, facility information management system, facility inspections, surplus facility management, and facility disposal initiatives.

Operational Services - Provides various site-wide services including U.S. Geologic Survey gauging stations, flood research and mitigation, seismic monitoring, land and environmental issues, and cultural resources management.

Environmental, Safety and Health Corrective Actions - Corrects site-wide deficiencies as noted on the Safety and Health Corrective Actions List.

Environmental Monitoring - Provides site-wide meteorological conditions and data archiving. This activity provides for an emergency response network capability for monitoring accidental releases of hazardous substances into the atmosphere.

Emergency Preparedness - Provides emergency response training, drills and exercises, hazard assessment, and incident response teams to ensure that there is minimal loss of life and property in case of an actual emergency.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

The Environmental Restoration program at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory identifies and evaluates potentially contaminated areas, devises cleanup strategies, and carries out cleanup as needed. In addition, the program decontaminates and dismantles selected surplus facilities at the Laboratory.

The program operates within the framework of the Federal Facility Agreement/Consent Order signed in FY 1991 by the Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the State of Idaho. This entails preparing an assessment and proposed remediation plan; submitting the plan for comment to various stakeholders (e.g., the State, federal agencies, Shoshone and Bannock Nations, and interested members of the public); and then identifying in a "Record of Decision" the alternative that has been selected as the appropriate course of action for a particular area. The Record of Decision includes information on the schedule of activities, technical approach, and remediation performance standards.

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory has been divided into 10 waste area groups composed of 98 operable units; each of the operable units contains one or more areas/sites grouped together by similar contamination problems or geographic boundaries. Waste Area Groups 8 and 9 are managed by Argonne National Laboratory-West and the Naval Reactors Facility and are not addressed in this site summary. (The Argonne National Laboratory-West discussion precedes this site summary. The Naval Reactors Facility is outside the scope of this report.) Assessments, remedial actions, long-term surveillance and monitoring and program management may be conducted concurrently for a number of operable units when it has been determined to be technically appropriate, cost effective and approved by the Federal Facility Agreement/Consent Order project managers. Decommissioning or return for use of surplus facilities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory are addressed separately within scheduling/transfer units to facilitate integration with the Waste Management and Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization programs at the site.

Costs for treating, storing, and disposing of waste generated by cleanup activities are split between the Environmental Restoration program and the Waste Management program estimates: waste dispositioned to onsite facilities is addressed by the Waste Management cost estimate, waste dispositioned to offsite facilities is addressed by the Environmental Restoration cost estimate. The major deviation from this rule is that the transportation and disposal costs associated with all transuranic mixed and transuranic waste are included in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site summary, as directed by national program assumptions.

Since FY 1986, 381 potentially contaminated areas/sites have been identified. Assessments have begun at the waste area group level for the Test Area North, Test Reactor Area, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, and the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Completion of assessment and cleanup activities at the Waste Area Group level are summarized in the major milestone list below.

Waste Area Group 1: Test Area North

Waste Area Group 1 covers 50 hectares (125 acres) and consists of six industrial areas at Test Area North that include the Technical Support Facility, Water Reactor Research Test Facility, Cask Testing Project, Loss-of-Fluid Test Facility, Initial Engine Test Facility, and Specific Manufacturing Capability Facility. In the past, the largest program at Test Area North was the Loss-of-Fluid Test Reactor. Constructed in 1965-1975 and now closed, it was a scaled-down version of a commercial pressurized-water reactor. It was used to perform more than 40 loss-of-coolant experiments simulating reactor accidents. Today, the largest project in Test Area North is the Specific Manufacturing Capability Project, which develops and produces armor for U.S. Army tanks. A variety of research programs also remain active.

Waste Area Group 1 is divided into 11 operable units including underground storage tanks, pits, evaporation ponds, and a railroad turntable. It contains 79 potential release sites at which hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste is present. Possible contaminants include asbestos, petroleum products, acids and bases, radioactive rubble and water, laboratory bottles, and sanitary waste. Both ground-water and soil remediation will be conducted in this Waste Area Group.

Assessment and remedial actions have concluded for eight of the operable units within Waste Area Group 1 encompassing 75 possible release sites and sites requiring No Further Action. Assessment and/or remedial actions are under way for the remaining three operable units.

ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIAL ACTION

Operable Unit 1-07A, the Injection Well Interim Action, covers the contaminated ground-water plume beneath Test Area North. The assessment concluded that the injection well was the primary source of ground-water contamination at Test Area North. Elevated levels of volatile organic compounds were detected as well as Cesium-137 and Strontium-90. The treatment plan specified pump and treat technology, with the effluent discharged to a pond. The purpose of the Interim Action was to begin reducing contaminant levels and to begin understanding the hydrodynamics of the system. The Interim Action has rolled over into the 1-07B Final Action discussed below.

Operable Unit 1-07B, Technical Support Facility Injection Well Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study, covers the contaminated ground-water plume at Test Area North. The assessment is complete, and the Record of Decision was signed in August 1995. The Record of Decision specifies that the contaminated ground water be treated to below regulatory standards within 100 years. The selected method of remediation is pump and treat using an air-stripper and carbon absorption unit. The treated water is reinjected into the aquifer. The Remedial Action is assumed to be complete in FY 2001; however, the schedule may be extended 30 years. Low-level waste generated by the treatment process will be disposed of at the onsite Radioactive Waste Management Complex; hazardous waste will be disposed of at a commercial facility offsite. Approximately 34 million cubic meters (44.5 million cubic yards) of water are expected to be treated, along with spent carbon, ion exchange resins and mixed waste sludges.

Operable Unit 1-10 is the comprehensive investigation unit for Waste Area Group 1 and covers burn pits, trenches, drains, injection wells, buried mixed waste tanks, and the paint shop ditch. A total of three removal actions have been completed. The last removal action was completed in FY 1995. A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study will be conducted in FY 1997 to verify the completed removal actions. This report assumes that a Record of Decision will be signed in FY 1998 that will designate No Further Action.

Waste Area Group 2: Test Reactor Area

Waste Area Group 2 is associated with the Test Reactor Area and contains two shutdown reactors. These reactors are the Materials Test Reactor, a 40-megawatt light-water reactor that operated between 1952 and 1970, and the Engineering Test Reactor, a 175-megawatt pressurized light-water reactor that operated between 1957 and 1982. Today, the Test Reactor Area houses extensive facilities for studying the effects of radiation on materials, fuels, and equipment. One of these, the Advanced Test Reactor, is used to test materials under reactor conditions and to produce radioisotopes for medicine, research, and industry.

Waste Area Group 2 is divided into 13 operable units consisting of 52 potential release sites. These sites include leaching ponds, underground storage tanks, rubble piles, cooling towers, an injection well, French drains, and assorted spills that may have released hazardous and radioactive waste. Contaminants include petroleum products, acids, alkalies, polychlorinated biphenyls, radioactive materials, and heavy metals. However, the extent of soil contamination at the Test Reactor Area is not completely defined.

Assessment and remedial action is complete for 12 of the operable units within Waste Area Group 2 encompassing 43 possible release sites. Assessment is under way for the remaining operable unit.

ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIAL ACTION

The Operable Unit 2-13 comprehensive Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study covers two waste disposal ponds, a sewage leach pond, a French drain, a diesel unloading pit, and a radioactive tree site. The assessment has begun and the Remedial Investigation/Baseline Risk Assessment was submitted in February 1996. It will be followed by the draft Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study in August 1996. The assessment has identified metals, radionuclides, organics, and semi-volatile organic contamination. The assessment is expected to be completed in FY 1999. The expected remedial action determination will require a combination of capping and soil retrieval and disposal. Remedial actions are assumed to be completed by FY 2000. An estimated 4,000 cubic meters (5,240 cubic yards) of low-level waste (contaminated soils) will be retrieved and disposed of at the Laboratory's soil repository.

Waste Area Group 3: Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

Waste Area Group 3 includes the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, which had been used for reprocessing spent reactor fuel to recover krypton and uranium from spent nuclear fuel. The plant is now a receiving-and-packaging facility for government-owned nuclear fuels from research and defense reactors. It also develops technologies to treat and store high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.

Most of the known contamination at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant is below the surface of the soil. The full extent cannot be determined until detailed characterization studies are completed; however, the Department estimates that the quantity of contaminated material is approximately 39,000 cubic meters (51,090 cubic yards) of contaminated soil. Definitive information on the extent and magnitude of contamination will be gathered from FY 1996 to FY 1999.

The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant is divided into 14 operable units consisting of 93 potential release sites. Contaminants include organic chemical compounds, radioactive materials, metals, corrosives, petroleum waste, and mixed waste. Assessment and remedial actions have been completed for 13 of the operable units encompassing 50 potential release sites. Assessment is under way for the remaining operable unit.

ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIAL ACTION

Operable Unit 3-13 is the comprehensive Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study for the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant and will bring together the results from earlier characterization efforts for contaminated pits, tanks, transformer yards, ponds, French drains, spills, injection wells, miscellaneous radioactively contaminated soils, and perched ground water. The results from these investigations will be evaluated to provide a comprehensive and cumulative assessment of risk from the entire operable unit. The Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study assessment phase is not complete, but preliminary investigations have found areas of contamination that may require remedial action.

Radionuclides are the most prevalent contaminant at the plant, with the majority of the contamination located within the tank farm. Approximately 3,000 curies of radionuclides are estimated to be present in the alluvium above the basalt, 95 percent of which is strontium-90 and cesium-137. Radionuclide (mostly strontium-90) contaminated perched water bodies also have been identified below the plant.

This report assumes that the Record of Decision will be signed in FY 1998 and that it will require capping the Tank Farm for contaminant containment, consolidating and capping other miscellaneous radiologically contaminated sites in an engineered landfill, and onsite pumping and treating of contaminated perched water. Remedial action is expected to be completed in FY 2004.

The quantity of low-level waste (contaminated soils) at Operable Unit 3-23 is expected to be approximately 29,835 cubic meters (39,000 cubic yards). This report assumes that treatment and disposal will occur onsite at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. The volume of contaminated perched water is estimated to be approximately 23.1 million liters (6.1 million gallons) and will be treated using the Processing Equipment Waste evaporator located at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant.

Waste Area Group 4: Central Facilities Area

Many technical and support services for the Laboratory are located at the Central Facilities Area. These services include environmental monitoring and calibration laboratories, hazardous waste storage, communications, security, fire protection, warehouses, vehicle and equipment pools, and bus operations. These operations will continue beyond the life cycle of the environmental remediation activities in this area.

This group is divided into 13 operable units consisting of 50 potential release sites. These sites include spills, underground storage tanks, a landfill, evaporation ponds, leach fields, and leach pits. Potential contaminants include chemicals, solvents, polychlorinated biphenyls, asbestos, radionuclides, unexploded ordnance, heavy metals, and construction debris. The contamination is believed to be contained within the boundaries of Waste Area Group 4.

Assessment and remedial actions have concluded for eight of the operable units within Waste Area Group 4, encompassing 34 possible release sites. Assessments and/or remedial actions are under way for the remaining five operable units.

ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIAL ACTION

Operable Unit 4-07 includes four French drains and one chemical washout area. Assessment is complete and has identified the contaminants as organic, inorganic, and radiological. The French drains were removed under a time critical removal action in FY 1995. This report assumes that no further remedial action is necessary for this operable unit, and the final determination is being evaluated by the regulators.

Operable Unit 4-09 includes the Transformer Yard Spills, the Pump Station Fuel Spill, the Tank Farm Pump Station Spills, and the Cafeteria Oil Tank Spill. The Transformer Yard Spills is an area outside of a former welding shop where it was suspected that metals, solvents, and oils were disposed. The remaining areas are impacted by independent fuel spills or leaks. An initial assessment was completed in FY 1995 that determined the contaminants of concern to include petroleum hydrocarbons and semi-volatile organic compounds. The remedial action strategy for this operable unit is to remove the contaminated soils and treat them at the Central Facilities Area Landfarm. This report assumes that up to 100 cubic meters (131 cubic yards) of contaminated soil will be removed and treated at the Landfarm.

Operable Unit 4-12, Central Facilities Area Landfills, includes three landfills that were operated as disposal facilities for construction, office, and cafeteria waste from the early 1950s until 1984. Landfill I covers approximately 3.3 hectares (8.25 acres). Landfill II covers 6 hectares (15 acres), and Landfill III covers 4.8 hectares (12 acres). The assessment is complete, and the findings include identification of contaminants of concern in the surface soil including beryllium, cobalt-60, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The selected remedy for these sites is uniform containment with a native soil cover, institutional controls, and monitoring. This report assumes that remediation will be completed in FY 1998 for Operable Unit 4-12.

Operable Unit 4-13 includes comprehensive risks posed by all sites at Central Facilities Area. The Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study will be in FY 2000. The scope of this investigation is currently being developed. The assumed result of this assessment is that remedial actions will not be required.

Waste Area Group 5: Power Burst Facility and Auxiliary Reactor Areas

Waste Area Group 5 covers cleanup of the Power Burst Facility and the Auxiliary Reactor Areas. The Power Burst Reactor was used as the severe-damage testing ground for commercial-reactor fuels. This reactor has been leased to the Idaho Brain Tumor Center. The Special Power Excursion Reactor Test IV facility, also at the Power Burst Facility, was built in 1960 to provide a prototype for testing the safety of water pool reactors. The reactor building was decommissioned and the Department currently uses the facility for mixed waste storage.

The Waste Experimental Reduction Facility is also located at the Power Burst Facility. The Waste Experimental Reduction Facility incinerates and/or compacts low-level and low-level mixed waste and contains storage areas for hazardous and mixed waste.

Waste Area Group 5 also includes four auxiliary reactor areas. Auxiliary Reactor Area I was constructed in the late 1950s to provide support facilities for various Laboratory programs and was active until the spring of 1988. Auxiliary Reactor Area II housed the Stationary Low Power Reactor No. 1, which the Army operated between August 1958 and December 1960. The reactor was destroyed in an accident on January 3, 1961. After cleanup, the three main buildings were converted into offices and welding shops. These facilities have not been used since 1986. Area III was the site of a plant used between 1960 and 1965 to test gas-cooled reactors for the Army. After 1966, the plant served as a laboratory for testing reactor components and instruments. The facility has not been used since 1988. Auxiliary Reactor IV is another small research reactor that has been decommissioned. The facility was demolished, and the Department uses the area for explosives research.

Waste Area Group 5 is divided into 13 operable units with 53 potential release sites. These sites include evaporation ponds, sanitary sewers, waste sumps, a waste burial ground, and storage tanks. The contaminants are petroleum products, hazardous waste, radioactive materials, metals, and radioactively contaminated soil, rubble, and debris.

Assessment and remedial actions have concluded for nine of the operable units within Waste Area Group 5, encompassing 41 possible release sites. Assessments and/or remedial actions are under way for the remaining operable units.

ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIAL ACTION

Operable Unit 5-01 addresses two underground storage tanks that contained mixed radioactive waste and oil waste. The assessment has determined the contaminants of concern to be volatile organic compounds, xylene, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and trace Cesium-137. The tanks are being removed under the Decommissioning program and the wastes will be disposed in permitted facilities. Cleanup is expected to be completed in FY 1996.

Operable Unit 5-02, the Special Power Excursion Reactor Test IV Lake is a 30,000-square meter (7.4-acre) impoundment that received uncontaminated effluent from the Special Power Excursion Reactor Test reactor, Three Mile Island studies, and discharges from the Mixed Waste Storage Facility. The assessment is complete. Contaminants encountered in sampling were low levels of cesium, uranium, chromium, and polychlorinated biphenyls. This report assumes that No Further Action will be required at this site.

Operable Unit 5-05/6-01 includes the burial grounds for the Stationary Low-Power-1 reactor and the Boiling Water Reactor Experiment reactors. Assessment of contamination at the burial grounds is complete. Exposure to radioactive isotopes was determined to be the pathway of greatest risk. The primary contaminants are cesium and uranium. The Record of Decision was signed in January 1996. The approach for remediation involves construction of barrier caps engineered of mostly native materials.

Operable Unit 5-12 is the Waste Area Group 5 Comprehensive Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study. This operable unit encompasses the comprehensive cleanup for all Auxiliary Reactor Areas and the Power Burst Facility. Also included are several sites that contain contaminated soils, a septic system, and two fuel tanks. The assessment phase has not yet begun. The Record of Decision is expected to be signed in August 1999. Remediation for this operable unit will be focused on soils. Radiologically contaminated soils will be disposed of in containers at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Soils with mixed waste will be treated at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility, and the resultant low-level waste will be disposed of at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. No Further Action is expected for the septic and fuel tanks. The remedial action is scheduled to be completed prior to FY 2003.

Waste Area Group 6: Experimental Breeder Reactor-I and the Boiling Water Reactor Experiment Area

Waste Area Group 6 includes the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I and the Boiling Water Reactor Experiment Facility. Both of these were test reactors that have since been decommissioned. Experimental Breeder Reactor-I is now a National Historic Landmark. It was the first nuclear reactor in the world to generate usable amounts of electricity. The area of the Boiling Water Reactor Experiment housed five reactors, which operated between 1953 and 1964. These facilities were decommissioned between 1979 and 1992. The buildings and equipment were completely dismantled and removed, and no operations other than monitoring are conducted. Potential contaminants from past operations are organic and inorganic chemicals, radioactive materials, and metals.

Waste Area Group 6 consists of five operable units with 22 potential release sites, including the burial site for the Boiling Water Reactor Experiment-I, a trash dump, fuel-oil tanks, septic tanks a leach pond, and soils contaminated with petroleum and radioactive materials.

All of the operable units within Waste Area Group 6 that require remediation are being addressed within other operable units in other waste area groups.

Waste Area Group 7: Radioactive Waste Management Complex

The Radioactive Waste Management Complex was established in 1952 as a controlled area for the disposal of solid radioactive waste that the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and other sites that the Department operated. From 1952-1970, approximately 60,000 cubic meters (78,600 cubic yards) of transuranic waste was buried at the disposal site at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. From 1970 to the present, low-level radioactive waste has been disposed of at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, primarily from onsite generators. Radioactive waste was buried in shallow pits and trenches in a 36-hectare (90-acre) area called the Subsurface Disposal Area. Assessment and cleanup of the Subsurface Disposal Area is the most complex environmental restoration project at the Laboratory. Presently, the Subsurface Disposal Area is a fenced area surrounded by a flood-control dike and a drainage channel, and it is actively managed as part of the Radioactive Waste Management Complex facility. Low-level radioactive waste from Idaho National Engineering Laboratory generators continues to be disposed of in Subsurface Disposal Area pits 17-20.

In 1970, the site began storing transuranic waste and alpha-emitting low-level waste formerly categorized as transuranic waste. Transuranic waste is contaminated with long-lived radionuclides (for example, plutonium) and, therefore, requires permanent disposal in a geologic repository. Received in steel drums or boxes, this waste was stacked on asphalt pads in the Transuranic Storage Area while awaiting shipment to a repository.

Fourteen operable units have been identified at this complex with 15 possible release sites, including the historical contaminant releases from the Subsurface Disposal Area. The extent of contaminant migration from various operable units is currently being determined.

Assessment and remedial actions have concluded for ten of the operable units within Waste Area Group 7. Assessments and remedial actions are under way for the remaining operable units. Waste Area Group 7, including Pit 9, encompasses two-thirds of the life-cycle costs for environmental restoration assessment and remedial actions at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIAL ACTION

Operable Unit 7-08 (organic contamination in the Vadose Zone) includes design construction and operation of a collection and treatment system to remove volatile organic compounds from the Vadose Zone in the Subsurface Disposal Area. The assessment is complete and resulted in identification of the following contaminants of concern: organic liquids including lathe coolant, used oils, and degreasing agents. The selected remedy for Operable Unit 7-08 is vapor vacuum extraction to remove volatile organic compounds and catalytic oxidation units to treat them. Following remedial actions, this report assumes that the ground-water contamination will be below regulatory standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels). The final phase of operations is scheduled to be complete by June, 2005. This report further assumes that 185 cubic meters (242 cubic yards) of contaminated gas will be treated onsite using catalytic oxidation.

Operable Unit 7-13/14 (Transuranic Contaminated Waste Pits and Trenches Comprehensive) includes the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. The Subsurface Disposal Area is a confirmed release site. Environmental monitoring has shown that transuranic radionuclides have migrated to the 34-meter (110-foot) sedimentary interbed beneath the site. Organic vapors have been detected in the unsaturated zone beneath the site. Volatile organic compounds have been detected in the Snake River Plain Aquifer, which is located 183 meters (600 feet) below the surface at this location. The assessment has just begun, and a remedial action determination is expected to be reached in FY 2000 that will identify remedial action requirements. The assumed cleanup approach for Operable Unit 7-13/14 includes excavation of contaminated materials (primarily transuranic and alpha-emitting low-level waste) from the Subsurface Disposal Area pits and trenches for treatment. This baseline estimate assumes that the planned treatment methodology will involve physical separation, chemical extraction, and thermal treatment. Treated waste will be sized to reduce its volume. Some excavated material will be returned to the pits and trenches.

The waste will be treated by FY 2015. Transuranic waste resulting from treatment will be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant between FY 2003 and FY 2020. A native material cover will be installed over the Subsurface Disposal Area by FY 2020. It is assumed that 185,897 cubic meters (243,525 cubic yards) of waste will be retrieved. This estimate does not include the volume of the clean soil overburden. This report assumes 50 percent of the waste will require treatment leaving 50 percent of the material to be returned to the Subsurface Disposal Area for final disposal. This report assumes that 9,432 cubic meters (12,356 cubic yards) of transuranic waste will be stored and then shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for final disposal.

Waste Area Group 7: Pit 9 Project

Major cleanup efforts are under way to remediate the pre-1970 buried transuranic waste contained in Pit 9. Operable Unit 7-10 (Pit 9) is a one-half-hectare (one-acre) disposal pit located in the northeast corner of the Subsurface Disposal Area. This waste may have the potential for migrating from the pit, contaminating the subsurface area or the Snake River Plain Aquifer. The waste within Pit 9 is primarily transuranic waste with some low-level waste. The assessment is complete, and Record of Decision was signed October 1, 1993.

Pit 9 was selected for an interim action and comprehensive demonstration of treatment technologies for transuranic waste at the Laboratory. The Record of Decision specified that a proof-of-process test would be conducted to demonstrate that the proposed treatment methodologies could meet performance objectives and cleanup criteria. Proof-of-process tests have been conducted for two processes involving physical separation, chemical extraction, and thermal treatment of materials. Following the proof-of-process test, a limited production test will be conducted to demonstrate that the performance objectives and cleanup criteria can be met with a full-scale system and that the treatment systems are reliable.

Following successful completion of the limited production test, the remediation action will consist of excavating and separating waste for input into the treatment process. Treated waste that contains fewer than 10 nanocuries per gram of transuranic elements would be returned to the pit and the extracted transuranic waste would be stored onsite at the Laboratory, awaiting offsite disposal. A contract was awarded for the completion of this comprehensive demonstration in October 1994.

The waste will be excavated from Pit 9 and treated by FY 1999. This baseline report anticipates that transuranic waste will be disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in FY 2004. A soil cover will be installed over the pit by FY 1999. An estimated 7,000 cubic meters (9,170 cubic yards) of waste will be excavated and treated at a commercial treatment facility located at the Laboratory, resulting in an estimated 275 cubic meters (360 cubic yards) of transuranic waste for offsite disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Temporary storage for waste generated by the Pit 9 project will be provided in the Transuranic Storage Area at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex.

Waste Area Group 10: Miscellaneous Areas

Waste Area Group 10 includes areas in and around the Laboratory that cannot be accommodated by the other defined groups. They include the regional Snake River Plain Aquifer and other surface disposal sites and ponds not included in the other groups. The boundaries of Waste Area Group 10 are Laboratory boundaries encompassing 2,314 square kilometers (890 square miles) or beyond, as necessary to encompass real or potential environmental impacts.

This grouping consists of 13 specifically identified sites and four generally identified sites divided into seven operable units. Specific sites include the Liquid Corrosive Chemical Disposal Area located between Waste Area Groups 6 and 7, the Organic Moderated Reactor Experiment leach pond located between Waste Area Groups 4 and 5, and former ordnance areas (including the old naval ordnance disposal area) located at numerous sites within the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

Assessment and remedial actions for 12 of the operable units within Waste Area Group 10 have concluded. Assessment is under way for the remaining operable unit.

ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIAL ACTION

Operable Unit 10-04 has 22 active possible release sites and the responsibility for regional scale ground-water and ecological risk evaluations. Radionuclide and ordnance-contaminated soils are the primary contaminants of concern, as a result of wind-blown contamination and ordnance testing activity, respectively. Operable Unit 10-04 is anticipated to require minimal additional ordnance removal, institutional control of ordnance and radionuclide-contaminated soils, and long-term ground-water monitoring at the Laboratory boundary. The assessment is currently in the scoping phase and is expected to have an approved Record of Decision in FY 1999.

Decommissioning

The decommissioning activity includes decontamination and dismantlement of selected surplus Laboratory facilities. These activities entail safe caretaking of radioactively contaminated surplus facilities after they have been shut down. Facilities are either decontaminated for reuse or, if they pose a potential threat to human health and the environment, completely demolished and removed. Specific activities include assessing the size and scope of the problem, deciding on the approach, dismantling equipment, decontaminating or demolishing structures, removing contaminated soils, if needed, and recontouring and reseeding the site.

CURRENT SURPLUS FACILITIES

The Department has selected 37 identified surplus contaminated facilities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory for decontamination and dismantlement under the Environmental Restoration program. These facilities have been grouped into a single scheduling/transfer unit to be consistent with Waste Management and Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization integrated planning at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Of the 37 facilities, 31 have completed decontamination. Nine of these have been identified for reuse and the remainder have been identified for dismantlement.

Currently, six Environmental Restoration facilities are scheduled for decommissioning. The total size of these six facilities is 2,855 square meters (30,700 square feet). Assessment activities for the facilities are scheduled to end in FY 1996. The decommissioning of these facilities is scheduled for completion in FY 2000.

The Army Reentry Vehicle Facility consisted of an earth-covered bunker, a test pit, and a lean-to shed covering the test pit. The test pit was contaminated with low-level beta and gamma radiation. The test pit and lean-to shed were dismantled and removed in FY 1989, but a dumpster in the bunker contains four drums of mixed waste that consists of radioactively contaminated sodium-potassium liquid metal. In addition to being radioactive, this waste is hazardous because it is reactive with air; it therefore requires treatment by a special chemical process. The radiologically contaminated sodium-potassium was delivered to Argonne National Lab-West facility on October 1, 1995 for treatment.

Dismantling is scheduled for Auxiliary Reactor Area buildings 626 and 627, the hot cells, the septic systems, and all other structures in this area. These activities will be completed in the FY 1996 to FY 1997 timeframe.

The facility of interest in Auxiliary Reactor Area II is the Stationary Low Power Reactor No. 1, which was destroyed in an accident on January 3, 1961. After a thorough cleanup, the three main buildings were converted into offices and welding shops, but these facilities have not been used since FY 1986. The buildings have been dismantled. The equipment used for cleaning up the reactor was decommissioned in FY 1993. Though most of the contamination was confined within two steel-framed buildings and one cinder-block building, some of the soils around the buildings are contaminated. This project is scheduled for completion in FY 1997.

Auxiliary Reactor Area III housed a facility for testing gas-cooled reactors for the Army. After 1966, the facility served as a laboratory for component and instrument testing. It has not been used since FY 1988. Decommissioning has entailed removal of the exhaust stacks, piping, the hot-waste tank and lines, concrete, and miscellaneous items in the reactor buildings. All buildings will be dismantled. The project will be completed in FY 1996.

The Advanced Reactivity Measurement Facility was used for special nuclear testing from 1962 through 1992. The facility will be decommissioned in FY 1998 to FY 1999.

The Boiling Water Reactor Experiment facility housed four separate experimental reactors that operated between 1953 and 1964. The facility has not been used since 1964. Decommissioning was conducted intermittently between FY 1979 and FY 1992; activities included total dismantlement, removal, and disposal of the equipment and buildings. The foundations of the turbine building were decontaminated, demolished to below-grade, and left in place. The three underground storage tanks were removed and disposed. The raw water system, electrical substation, and security fence were removed and disposed of when decommissioning of the reactor building was completed. Contamination is primarily confined to the below-ground reactor building and the subreactor room sump. The site will be restored and seeded with native grasses and will be available for reuse. These activities will be completed by FY 1997.

The Chemical Processing Plant Service Waste Monitoring Facilities were used for many years to monitor the service waste discharges. These facilities have been replaced with updated facilities and equipment. Decommissioning is scheduled to begin in FY 1996 and be completed in FY 1997.

The Loss of Fluid Test Mobile Test Assembly has already been decommissioned, and most of the ancillary equipment has already been removed from the various facilities at the Test Area North in which it was stored. The remaining work involves dismantling the mobile test facility and disposing of the low-level radioactive waste generated. The project is scheduled for completion in FY 1999.

Once accepted into the program, surplus facilities undergo detailed radiological, chemical, and physical characterization. For the six remaining active facilities, this characterization is expected to be completed in FY 1996. Hazardous waste will be disposed of at offsite commercial facilities. Low-level radioactive wastes that can be sized to reduce its volume will be treated at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility and then disposed of at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Low-level radioactive waste that cannot be sized will be disposed of directly at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Mixed waste that can be treated onsite will be treated at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility and then disposed of at Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Any other mixed waste generated will be treated and disposed of at offsite commercial facilities.

FUTURE SURPLUS FACILITIES SCHEDULED TO ENTER THE DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAM

Currently, 189 facilities not under Environmental Restoration program control are scheduled to become surplus and will transfer for decommissioning in the future. These facilities have been grouped into 23 scheduling/transfer units to coordinate with the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization and Waste Management programs. The following table identifies the number of facilities in each scheduling/transfer unit, the size of the unit's facilities in square feet, and estimated dates for assessment and decontamination and dismantlement completions.

Long-Term Surveillance and Monitoring

Long-term surveillance and monitoring will include site-wide monitoring and routine maintenance and bi-annual sample monitoring of the ground water from monitoring wells throughout the Snake River Plain Aquifer on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. This activity is scheduled to continue throughout the 100-year land-use scenario.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program management and support for the environmental restoration activities includes management, oversight and stakeholder support activities not directly related to a specific remediation or decommissioning activity. Program management is necessary to ensure that the activities are effectively planned, executed, controlled, and reported.

Activities include technical support and integration, quality and compliance assurance, program planning and reporting, strategic planning, technical support, waste stream projections and tracking, Environmental Management program integration, Department of Energy Headquarters initiative support, funds management, training, community relations, data and sample management, Department Field Office Environmental Restoration oversight personnel, and specific stakeholder support grants.

Tasks include the maintenance of the Federal Facilities Agreement/Consent Order specified Administrative Record, document control, library services, financial services, planning and scheduling, systems engineering, cost and schedule control, development and operations of multiaccess data systems, personnel training, and routine and special reporting. Quality and compliance assurance provides independent safety, quality, health, and environmental reviews and oversight of all projects.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

The Waste Management program manages high-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, transuranic waste, low-level mixed waste, low-level waste, hazardous waste, sanitary waste, and special case waste. The Waste Management program manages waste generated by environmental restoration and facility stabilization activities, as well as that from non-Environmental Management program generators such as the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy and the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Activities also include managing waste that originates at other Department of Energy sites.

Each waste type requires a different management strategy because each has specific technical requirements for treatment, storage, and disposal. The management strategy for each waste type also depends on the consent orders and compliance agreements the Department has entered into with the State of Idaho and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Laboratory's Waste Management program is driven by the Settlement Agreement, the Federal Facility Agreement/Consent Order, the Notice of Noncompliance Consent Order, and several hazardous waste consent orders.

The Settlement Agreement, signed in October 1995, accelerated waste treatment and disposal for spent nuclear fuel, high-level waste, and transuranic waste. The agreement requires the Department to remove all spent nuclear fuel from the State by FY 2035 (15 years earlier than last year's estimate); prepare all high-level waste for shipment by FY 2035 (15 years earlier than last year' s estimate); and begin transuranic waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant by April 30, 1999.

The Record of Decision (May 1995) for the Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program Environmental Impact Statement documents the Department's decision to regionalize spent nuclear fuel management by fuel type. Under this decision Hanford production reactor fuel will remain at the Hanford Site, aluminum-clad fuel will be consolidated at the Savannah River Site, and other spent fuel types will be transferred to the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The strategies and assumptions used in generating this cost estimate are consistent with the selected alternative in the Record of Decision. The Record of Decision will be modified as necessary to support the Settlement Agreement.

In November 1995, the Department and the State of Idaho accepted the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site Treatment Plan with a Federal Facility Agreement/Consent Order. The Consent Order governs mixed waste management at the Laboratory. The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory is one of the larger Department of Energy sites that will treat mixed waste onsite. As a result, smaller Department of Energy sites have requested their mixed waste be treated at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory facilities. Presently, 20 sites have mixed waste in storage (approximately 500 cubic meters [655 cubic yards] total) that could be treated in Idaho. The cost of shipping and disposing waste from offsite is included in the generating facility cost estimate. Receipts from offsite facilities have been factored into the waste volume projections used to generate this cost estimate.

High-Level Waste

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory manages high-level radioactive waste at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. The Chemical Processing Plant's mission was to reprocess spent nuclear fuel for krypton and uranium recovery. Spent fuel reprocessing stopped in FY 1992 and is not expected to resume.

The Chemical Processing Plant manages four types of high-level waste: high-level liquid waste, sodium-bearing waste, calcined solid waste, and high-efficiency particulate air filters. Although the sodium-bearing waste does not meet the definition of high-level waste, it is managed as high-level waste because of similar characteristics. All four types of high-level waste are considered mixed waste because they contain hazardous components regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The waste is therefore subject to the Land Disposal Restrictions and is included in the consent order signed with the State of Idaho. The basic management strategy is to convert the liquid high-level waste to a more stable solid form that can be safely disposed.

GENERATION AND HANDLING

High-level waste was generated by reprocessing spent nuclear fuel at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. From 1963 to 1992, reprocessing generated approximately 5,131 cubic meters (6,726 cubic yards) of liquid high-level waste.

Liquid sodium-bearing waste was, and continues to be, generated from incidental activities associated with operating the Chemical Processing Plant. This report assumes that 5,049 cubic meters (6,614 cubic yards) of sodium-bearing waste will be generated between now and FY 2031. Although sodium-bearing waste is not technically high-level waste, but transuranic mixed waste, it is managed as high-level waste because of similar characteristics. For the purposes of this report, all of the sodium-bearing waste is classified as liquid high-level waste.

Chemical Processing Plant operations also generate high-level waste high-efficiency particulate air filters from the plant's off-gas filtration system. The plant expects to generate 484 cubic meters (634 cubic yards) of concentrated filters between now and FY 2014.

TREATMENT

The treatment scenario developed for the Baseline Environmental Management Report will be evaluated under the National Environmental Policy Act prior to any final decisions. The assumptions used to generate this scenario present a more efficient alternative solution to meeting the goals and standards identified by the Settlement Agreement.

The New Waste Calcining Facility takes liquid high-level waste from the High-Level Liquid Waste Tank Farm and converts it to a granular solid called calcine. This produces reduced waste volume while making the waste less corrosive. The calcine is then stored in the Calcine Solids Storage Facility. The New Waste Calcining Facility is expected to operate until FY 2001 and will convert 3,406 cubic meters (4,462 cubic yards) of liquid waste into 1,370 cubic meters (1,795 cubic yards) of calcine.

The Remote-Handled Immobilization Facility, scheduled to begin operations in FY 2010, will treat the remaining 6,774 cubic meters (8,874 cubic yards) of liquid high-level waste from the Tank Farm. It will also treat the 5,810 cubic meters (7,611 cubic yards) of calcine from the Calcined Solids Storage Facility. The Remote-Handled Immobilization Facility is scheduled to begin Phase I operation in FY 2010. Phase I separates high-level waste into high-activity and low-activity fractions. The low-activity fraction will be grouted (solidified). Phase II operations are expected to begin in FY 2015 and will involve converting the high-activity waste into glass through vitrification. The calcine will be treated in a similar fashion. This facility will generate approximately 419 cubic meters (549 cubic yards) of vitrified high-level waste, 55 cubic meters (72 cubic yards) of contact-handled transuranic waste, and 48,000 cubic meters (62,880 cubic yards) of grouted low-level waste during both phases of operation.

Approximately 521 cubic meters (683 cubic yards) of waste high-efficiency particulate air filters will be dissolved between now and FY 2014 at the High-Efficiency Particulate Air Leach Facility. The dissolved filters will be sent to the Remote-Handled Immobilization Facility for vitrification.

STORAGE

High-level waste is stored as a liquid and as calcine. There are 5,131 cubic meters (6,722 cubic yards) of liquid waste currently stored at the High-Level Liquid Waste Tank Farm. An additional 5,049 cubic meters (6,614 cubic yards) will be produced between now and FY 2031. The Tank Farm consists of stainless steel tanks enclosed in underground concrete vaults. The tanks are identical except for the vault design. Five vaults are of pillar and panel construction and do not meet seismic requirements; none of the vaults meet Resource Conservation and Recovery Act secondary containment requirements. Although leaks have occurred occasionally in associated valves and piping, the tanks have never leaked.

The liquid high-level waste storage strategy is to store newly generated waste in the existing, noncompliant tanks until FY 2012. From FY 2009 to FY 2025, all liquid high-level waste generated will be treated in the Remote Handled Immobilization Facility.

There are 3,810 cubic meters (4,991 cubic yards) of calcine stored in the Calcined Solids Storage Facility. The facility will receive an additional 1,370 cubic meters (1,795 cubic yards) from the New Waste Calcine Facility between FY 1997 and FY 2001. There are seven bins at the facility, which are all stainless steel tanks inside concrete vaults. With the exception of the first bin, the vaults are all at least partially underground and are designed to store calcine for up to 500 years. The first bin could be replaced because it does not meet seismic standards.

There are also 37 cubic meters (48 cubic yards) of high-efficiency particulate air filters stored in the New Waste Calcining Facility.

DISPOSAL

This waste is destined for disposal in a deep geologic repository. This estimate anticipates that disposal of the Laboratory's high-level waste will begin in FY 2020 and be complete by FY 2049. This report further assumes that 46 canisters per year will be shipped to the repository. Grouted low-level waste from the Remote-Handled Immobilization Facility are assumed to be disposed of in the old, noncompliant tanks, pending regulatory review.

Spent Nuclear Fuel

The site strategy for spent nuclear fuel management is to place all fuel into transportable dry storage, thereby making it easier for future transport out of the State of Idaho to a monitored retrievable storage site or to permanent disposal in a geologic repository. The spent fuel will be consolidated into dual-purpose canisters located at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. The canisters will provide a passive dry storage system. These canisters may also be used to transport the fuel offsite in the future and could become part of the eventual disposal package. Current plans do not include treatment of any fuel by the Environmental Management program.

GENERATION AND HANDLING

The current inventory of spent nuclear fuel at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory is 565 cubic meters (740 cubic yards). The site expects to receive an additional 154 cubic meters (202 cubic yards) of spent fuel from the Navy; 26 cubic meters (35 cubic yards) of fuel from the Advanced Test Reactor; 75 cubic meters (98 cubic yards) of new Department of Energy fuels; 4.3 cubic meters (5.6 cubic yards) of fuel from foreign research reactors; and 11 cubic meters (14 cubic yards) from the Department's West Valley Site. In the past, the Laboratory received spent nuclear fuel from other government and university research reactors in special cases and from commercial reactors, such as the Three Mile Island 2 reactor in Pennsylvania. This report assumes that no additional receipt of Naval Reactor fuel at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant is planned after FY 2000.

Also, 21.9 Metric Tons Heavy Metal will be shipped from Savannah River Site between FY 2001 and FY 2010. In addition, another 0.1 Metric Tons Heavy Metal will be shipped from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

STORAGE

Approximately 565 cubic meters (740 cubic yards) of spent nuclear fuel are currently stored at 10 facilities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Test Area North has fuel stored in dry storage casks and in underwater storage; the Test Reactor Area has fuel stored underwater at three locations, the Advanced Test Reactor, the Material Test Reactor, and the Advanced Reactivity Measurement Facility/Coupled Fast Reactivity Measurement Facility; the Power Burst Facility has fuel stored underwater; and the Chemical Processing Plant has two underwater and two dry storage facilities.

Future plans include storing all spent nuclear fuel into dry modular interim storage at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. Limited wet storage capacity will still be maintained because some fuel may need to be cooled before placement in dry storage canisters. This report assumes that fuel will be stored in multipurpose canisters starting in FY 2003 and all spent nuclear fuel at the Laboratory will be loaded and ready for shipment to the repository by FY 2035.

DISPOSAL

The Laboratory's spent nuclear fuel will be shipped to the geologic repository for disposal. Current plans assume the repository will open in FY 2010, and will start accepting the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory's fuel in FY 2016.

In keeping with the Record of Decision, 27 cubic meters (35 cubic yards) of spent fuel will be shipped to the Department's Savannah River Site between FY 2011 and FY 2018. In addition, 2.9 cubic meters (3.8 cubic yards) of nonirradiated fuel will be shipped to the Department's Oak Ridge site in FY 2000.

Transuranic Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Since 1970, 51,720 cubic meters (67,753 cubic yards) of the Department's defense-generated and other transuranic waste have been stored in retrievable storage in an earthen covered berm at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Most of this transuranic waste originated at the Department's Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado. Over 60 percent of the Department's current inventory of transuranic waste is located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

Alpha-contaminated low-level waste, or alpha low-level waste, is low-level radioactive waste that is contaminated with alpha-emitting transuranic radionuclides at concentrations between 10 and 100 nanocuries per gram of waste. Before 1982, this waste was considered to be transuranic waste, which was then defined as waste contaminated with plutonium and other transuranics at concentrations of 10 or more nanocuries per gram of waste.

TREATMENT

Transuranic and alpha low-level waste will be treated together in a thermal process at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Facility. The Laboratory will ship 3,100 cubic meters (4,061 cubic yards) of certified untreated waste directly to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant before the startup of the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Facility.

A mobile characterization facility will be operational by October 1998. The data obtained from this facility will be used in analyses required to demonstrate compliance with the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit. The laboratory currently performs this function on a limited basis at the Argonne National Laboratory-West site.

STORAGE

There are currently 51,720 cubic meters (67,753 cubic yards) of transuranic waste in earthen covered storage. Between FY 2000 and FY 2014, the Department will retrieve this waste and place it in accessible storage. The site is constructing a retrieval enclosure over waste stored beneath the earthen and geofabric cover. It will provide increased protection for the stored waste containers, enhanced containment for contaminated areas, and provide year-round capability to retrieve the stored waste. Construction of the retrieval enclosure began in FY 1993 and will be completed in FY 1996.

Currently, 13,035 cubic meters (17,076 cubic yards) of waste is in accessible storage at two air supported buildings at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Between FY 1996 and FY 2015, a total of 64,755 cubic meters (84,829 cubic yards) of waste, including 13,035 cubic meters (17,075 cubic yards) currently in accessible storage, and 51,720 cubic meters (67,753 cubic yards) from earthen covered storage, will pass through accessible storage. The inventory consists of 128,500 drums and 11,000 boxes, most of which originated at the Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado.

To improve the storage facilities, the Laboratory built seven new engineered storage modules that comply with a Consent Order with the State of Idaho and the storage requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. By January 1, 1998, 13,035 cubic meters (17,076 cubic yards) of waste currently stored in the two air-support buildings will be placed in the new storage modules.

Waste that does not meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Waste Acceptance Criteria is placed in "problem" storage at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. This report assumes that 3,900 cubic meters (5,109 cubic yards) will not meet the Waste Acceptance Criteria. 1,600 cubic meters (2,096 cubic yards) of this waste will be treated at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project; 2,300 cubic meters (3,013 cubic yards) will be repackaged and placed in storage for shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

Following treatment at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project, or repackaging, waste will be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for disposal.

In FY 1997, the Department plans to reactivate the Stored Waste Examination Pilot Plant to production-level operations. The reactivation will depend on the availability of final waste-acceptance criteria from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in late 1996. Final waste-acceptance criteria from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant are necessary to ensure that waste shipped for disposal only needs to be certified once.

DISPOSAL

The Laboratory expects to dispose of transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant between FY 1998 and FY 2023. This report assumes that shipments to the Plant will begin shortly after the facility opens in FY 1998 and will conclude in FY 2023. The disposal costs included in this estimate are for managing the transuranic waste and include retrieval, characterization, treatment, and packaging to meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant waste acceptance criteria. Costs for the actual disposal of the waste are included in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant cost estimate.

Low-Level Mixed Waste

The low-level mixed waste management strategy is to treat the waste according to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act standards and dispose of the residue or store it until a disposal facility is available.

The following table identifies the sites that will ship low-level mixed waste to the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Approximately 83 cubic meters (109 cubic yards) of low-level mixed waste will be generated annually until FY 2014. The Laboratory expects to generate a total of 76 cubic meters (100 cubic yards) of sludges and liquids, 171 cubic meters (224 cubic yards) of miscellaneous debris, 3.8 cubic meters (5 cubic yards) of wastewater, 1,178 cubic meters (1,543 cubic yards) of combustibles, 216 cubic meters (283 cubic yards) of metal debris, 5 cubic meters (7 cubic yards) of lead casks, and 2.8 cubic meters (3.7 cubic yards) of mercury contaminated debris. There are also 178 cubic meters (233 cubic yards) of lead bricks that must be stored onsite. No additional lead brick waste is expected to be generated. Adding the newly generated waste to the existing inventory yields approximately 2,704 cubic meters (3,542 cubic yards) of low-level mixed waste requiring treatment between now and FY 2014. Sources of waste include decontamination and decommissioning, environmental restoration, nuclear operations, and waste treatment activities.

TREATMENT

The strategy for treating low-level mixed waste is to use existing on-site and commercial facilities until FY 2003 and to use the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project beginning in FY 2003. A total of 124 cubic meters (162 cubic yards) of sludges and liquids will require treatment. Between FY 1996 and FY 2003, the Department will stabilize 68 cubic meters (89 cubic yards) at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility. Starting in FY 2003, the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project will treat the remaining 48 cubic meters (63 cubic yards).

Between FY 1996 and FY 2003, 210 cubic meters (275 cubic yards) of miscellaneous debris will be microencapsulated at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility. The remaining 108 cubic meters (141 cubic yards) will be treated by the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project starting in FY 2003.

Between FY 1996 and FY 2003, 7.4 cubic meters (9.7 cubic yards) of wastewater will be treated at the Portable Water Treatment Unit, a small ion exchange and carbon absorption unit. The remaining 2.4 cubic meters (3.1 cubic yards) will be treated by the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project starting in FY 2003.

The Waste Experimental Reduction Facility will incinerate 1083 cubic meters (1,419 cubic yards) of combustible waste until FY 2003. The remaining 749 cubic meters (981 cubic yards) will be treated by the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project starting in FY 2003.

The entire inventory of metal debris, 307 cubic meters (402 cubic yards), will be treated at the Chemical Processing Plant and Water Wash between FY 1998 and FY 2015. The Department will dismantle the entire inventory of lead casks at Test Area North by FY 2001. The entire inventory of mercury contaminated debris will be treated at the Waste Reduction Operations Complex's Retorting unit by FY 2003. The Laboratory's inventory of lead bricks will be treated at a commercial decontamination facility, the Waste Reduction Operations Complex macroencapsulation unit, or at a commercial macroencapsulation unit. The entire 178 cubic-meter (233-cubic yard) inventory will be treated by FY 1998.

STORAGE

Approximately 1,253 cubic meters (1,641 cubic yards) of low-level mixed waste is currently stored at the Laboratory. There are 40 cubic meters (52 cubic yards) of sludges and liquids, 147 cubic meters (193 cubic yards) of miscellaneous debris, 6 cubic meters (7.9 cubic yards) of wastewater, 647 cubic meters (848 cubic yards) of combustibles, 91 cubic meters (119 cubic yards) of metal debris, 116 cubic meters (152 cubic yards) of lead casks, 3.5 cubic meters (4.6 cubic yards) of mercury contaminated debris, and 178 cubic meters (233 cubic yards) of lead bricks. Waste that has been treated, or is awaiting treatment, can be stored at existing storage facilities at the Waste Reduction Operations Complex until FY 2010. After that time, low-level mixed waste will be stored at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex.

DISPOSAL

Low-level mixed waste that can be rendered non-hazardous by treatment at existing facilities is disposed of at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex as low-level waste. The 907 cubic meters (1,188 cubic yards) of low-level mixed waste destined for treatment by the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project will be disposed of as transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

Low-Level Waste

The Laboratory's low-level waste management strategy is to process waste onsite until FY 2003. In FY 1999, disposal will shift to the Department's Hanford Site in Washington State. FY 2004 commercial facilities will handle all treatment.

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Direct disposed low-level waste is waste that can be disposed of without treatment. Between FY 1996 and FY 2047, facility deactivation will generate 9,050 cubic meters (11,856 cubic yards), decontamination and decommissioning will generate 132,400 cubic meters (173,444 cubic yards), and radioactive waste management activities will generate 73,112 cubic meters (95,777 cubic yards) of direct disposed low-level waste.

Compactable low-level waste can be compacted prior to disposal. Compaction reduces waste volume by 500 percent or more and saves landfill space. Between FY 1996 and FY 2046, radioactive waste management activities will generate 32,640 cubic meters (42,758 cubic yards), and decommissioning work will generate 3,935 cubic meters (5155 cubic yards) of compactable low-level waste.

Combustible low-level waste can be incinerated prior to disposal. Waste management activities will generate 77, 520 cubic meters (101,155 cubic yards) and decommissioning will generate 5,877 cubic meters (7,699 cubic yards) of combustible low-level waste.

Sizable low-level waste can be cut into pieces and efficiently packaged to reduce its volume. Radioactive waste management activities are expected to generate 18,360 cubic meters (24,052 cubic yards) of sizable low-level waste between now and FY 2046.

Remote handled direct disposed low-level waste requires special handling because of its high radiation levels. The Laboratory expects to handle 3,848 cubic meters (5,041 cubic yards) between now and FY 2047.

TREATMENT

The strategy is to treat compactable, combustible, and sizable low-level waste at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility until FY 2003. In FY 2004, treatment will shift to the commercial sector. Direct disposed low-level waste is not treated.

Between FY 1996 and FY 2046, 40,007 cubic meters (52,409 cubic yards) of compactable low-level waste will be processed. Between now and FY 2003, 7,507 cubic meters (9,834 cubic yards) will be processed at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility; from FY 2004 to FY 2047, 31,500 cubic meters (41,265 cubic yards) will be processed by the commercial sector.

Between FY 1996 and FY 2003, 17,229 cubic meters (22,570 cubic yards) of combustable low-level waste will be incinerated at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility; from FY 2004 to FY 2047, 71,868 cubic meters (94,147 cubic yards) will be processed by the commercial sector.

Between FY 1996 and FY 2003, 3,888 cubic meters (5,093 cubic yards) of sizable low-level waste will be processed at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility; from FY 2004 to FY 2047, 15,840 cubic meters (20,750 cubic yards) will be processed by the commercial sector.

STORAGE

A substantial volume of low-level waste accumulated onsite during the time the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility was not operational (February 1991 through September 1994). The Department incinerated some of this backlog at a private sector facility; however, approximately 9,500 cubic meters (12,445 cubic yards) of the backlog remains. All low-level waste backlog requires processing because any directly-disposable waste that was generated during this time period has already been disposed of at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex.

All newly generated low-level waste will be stored temporarily at generator facilities until the Department can ship it directly to the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility for volume reduction or to the Radioactive Waste Management Complex for disposal. At the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility, the low-level waste will be treated and disposed or shipped to a private sector treatment facility.

The Laboratory currently stores 2,432 cubic meters (3,186 cubic yards) of compactable, 5,700 cubic meters (7,467 cubic yards) of combustible, and 1,368 cubic meters (1,792 cubic yards) of sizable low-level waste. Direct disposed waste is not stored.

DISPOSAL

Regardless of whether the waste is treated at a Department of Energy facility or at a commercial facility, the residue from treatment is disposed of at a Department of Energy facility. The low-level waste disposal strategy is to dispose of low-level waste at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex until FY 1998. Beginning in FY 1999, the Department will ship low-level waste to its Hanford site for disposal. Approximately 20,321 cubic meters (26,621 cubic yards) will be disposed of at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex; 219,404 cubic meters (287,419 cubic yards) will be disposed of at Hanford.

Hazardous Waste

The Laboratory's hazardous waste management strategy is to minimize generation and storage, and use the private sector for treatment and disposal.

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Approximately 120 cubic meters (157 cubic yards) of hazardous waste is generated at the Laboratory each year.

TREATMENT

The Laboratory ships hazardous waste directly from the generating facility to an offsite commercial treatment facility. This report assumes that the private sector can treat all hazardous waste generated at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

STORAGE

The waste generator holds waste in either a temporary accumulation area or in a storage facility until the commercial treatment facility picks it up. Hazardous waste that cannot be shipped immediately to a commercial facility is stored at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility Waste Storage Building.

DISPOSAL

Hazardous waste is treated and disposed of at offsite facilities. It is not disposed of at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Waste is transported by the commercial treatment facility. Waste is packaged according the receiving facility's waste acceptance criteria. Transportation costs are included in the treatment costs.

Sanitary Waste

The Sanitary Solid Waste Landfill Complex has historically received between 60,000 and 110,000 cubic meters (78,600 and 144,100 cubic yards) of sanitary waste annually to recycle or dispose. The waste volume disposed of in the landfill each year uses 1.2 to 1.6 hectares (three to four acres) of space. At this rate, the current 4.8-hectare (12-acre) disposal area will reach capacity in mid-1996. Landfill Complex operations will then be extended into an adjacent 90-hectare (225-acre) area. The adjacent area will provide sanitary waste disposal capacity for at least 30 years based on the current usage rate and assuming no shallow rock beds are encountered. The Department will continually evaluate this rate to determine the actual life of the complex. In FY 2020, if required, a decision will be made concerning future solid waste disposal needs and capacity. A strategy for the providing long-term capability for disposal of solid waste beyond the projected life of the complex will be developed as necessary.

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Manufacturing, industrial, and commercial processes generate sanitary waste at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Sanitary waste include office waste, cafeteria waste, scrap metal, wood, asbestos, and construction debris that does not contain any radiological or hazardous material. Sanitary waste is a byproduct of human activity where industrial and commercial operations occur. Between FY 1996 and FY 2047, the Laboratory expects to generate approximately 3,950,600 cubic meters (5,175,286 cubic yards) of sanitary waste.

TREATMENT

This report assumes that approximately 1,150 cubic meters (1,507 cubic yards) of petroleum contaminated media will be landfarmed at the Solid Waste Landfill Complex annually. Petroleum contaminated media are soil, gravel, sand, or other earth materials contaminated with petroleum products. After the petroleum contaminated media is landfarmed, it can be used as landfill cover.

Other sanitary waste is not treated.

STORAGE

Sanitary waste is not stored at the Laboratory.

DISPOSAL

Sanitary waste is collected from the generator, thoroughly monitored for radioactive contamination, and disposed of in the Solid Waste Landfill Complex. The total land area of the landfill complex is approximately 306 hectares (764 acres), of which 90 hectares (225 acres) are available for future sanitary waste disposal activities. Current disposal operations are located at a 4.8-hectares (12-acre) gravel removal area . This complex has been in use since 1947, and is expected to remain in use until FY 2047. Asbestos generated from maintenance projects and decommissioning activities is boxed and disposed of in the designated asbestos disposal area.

Special Case Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Special case waste is radioactive waste owned or generated by the Department that does not fit into management plans developed for final treatment and disposal of the major radioactive waste types: transuranic waste, low-level waste, or high-level radioactive waste. Special case waste can pose potential problems to generators, handlers, and disposal facility operators and may require special management and disposal schemes. It is primarily waste that has limited or no planned disposal alternatives. Other special case waste includes Greater-Than-Class C low-level waste and sealed sources.

Greater-Than-Class C, low-level waste is radioactive waste generated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed or Agreement State-licensed generators that exceeds the Class C limits defined in the Code of Federal Regulations. The regulations codified disposal requirements for three classes of low-level waste considered generally suitable for near-surface disposal which are classified as A, B, and C. Class C waste requires the most rigorous disposal specifications. Waste with a concentration above Class C limits for certain short and long-lived radionuclides is identified as Greater-Than-Class C low-level waste. The Department of Energy generated waste with concentrations above Class C limits is included as special case waste or transuranic waste.

Sealed radiation sources are capsules containing radioactive materials. In some cases, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or an Agreement State regulatory authority determines some sources constitute an unacceptable risk to the public health and safety if left in the public domain. In these cases, the Department accepted these sources pursuant to authority under the Atomic Energy Act. Generally, these sources are Greater-Than-Class C waste. The Laboratory does not currently treat this waste type.

STORAGE

Special case waste is stored in several facilities at the Laboratory, including the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, the Test Reactor Area, the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, Test Area North, Power Burst Facility, the Naval Reactor Facility, and Special Manufacturing Capability facilities.

Preliminary evaluations have been made of the storage requirements for the special case waste, but more effort is planned to determine the future capacity and configuration needs. This will allow a final decision to be made about storage requirements in Idaho. To facilitate decisionmaking and to manage materials and waste at the Laboratory effectively and efficiently, activities planned to evaluate storage requirements for sealed sources, special case waste, and Greater-Than-Class-C waste will be coordinated. This will ensure selection of the best storage configuration to meet the requirements of each waste stream or potential waste stream. For purposes of this estimate, indefinite storage of the waste is assumed.

Historically, these waste types have not been the focus of major waste management activities at the Laboratory. They have remained in indefinite storage with little, if any, funding to develop treatment and disposal options. Some special case waste could be made acceptable for disposal as low-level waste. Some of this material can be sized for placement into disposal canisters for disposal at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. The canisters are grouted for shielding purposes, which makes the disposal package acceptable, and, thus, a special case waste stream is eliminated.

DISPOSAL

All Greater Than Class C low-level waste, some special case waste and sealed radiation sources will require disposal in a geologic repository. However, costs estimated for this report are limited to storage and handling. No costs have been provided for the disposal of this waste.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program management represents cross-cutting activities associated with all waste types and not directly in support of specific operations or projects. It provides overall support and direction for ongoing waste treatment, storage, and disposal activities at the Laboratory. In addition to program management (i.e., the planning and management of resources, budgets, and schedules) and facility management (the care, maintenance, and replacement of existing facilities and facility-related equipment), it includes quality assurance, regulatory compliance, personnel training, document development and control, and records and data management.

Management is also responsible for the waste minimization and pollution prevention program that tracks the amount of waste generated at the site and encourages the use of waste reduction methods. The program assesses opportunities for preventing pollution from waste streams, increases recycling efforts, and ensures the procurement of recycled products.

Environmental oversight and monitoring activities are also provided by program management. The environmental oversight activity provides resources to the Idaho Health and Welfare Department to perform tasks stipulated in the Environmental Oversight and Monitoring Agreement between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho. The agreement requires the Department to develop and provide waste management documents, pollutant inventories and monitoring reports to the State, and to provide office facilities and support for onsite monitoring activities. This activity includes independent oversight of Laboratory programs to monitor air, ground water, surface water, soils, and biological parameters at and in the vicinity of the Laboratory and assessment of compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

LANDLORD ACTIVITIES

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory landlord program supports general plant projects and line-item construction projects that will correct deficiencies in environmental, utility, fire, and facility infrastructure systems. Also, general purpose capital equipment will be acquired and managed in support of the Laboratory's missions and goals. The landlord program also provides an integrated and comprehensive facility planning system that incorporates the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory's strategic goals.

The Laboratory's infrastructure requirements are dictated by the Comprehensive Facility and Land Use Plan and the other programs and their specific needs. The infrastructure program provides continuous program management and integrated facility planning as well as coordination and external interface on infrastructure issues. It also supports day-to-day general purpose capital equipment and facility needs such as building and structure maintenance, electrical power, railroad lines, transportation equipment, water supply, steam, roads, fire equipment and training, safeguards and security, telecommunications, computer systems, medical services, laboratory support, and sanitary landfill. Priority is given to correcting environmental, safety and health deficiencies; halting the decay or deterioration of the necessary physical infrastructure; providing support services; and continuing a systematic restoration and surplus facility disposition process.

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONNEL

Current Composition

The following table identifies the personnel composition for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Management program. The current federal work force consists mainly of managers, professionals, engineers, and scientists. The contractor work force includes a mix of professional and labor personnel required to conduct the environmental management activities at the site.

*The Projections for Full-Time Equivalent employees are based on FY 1996 planning baselines (see Reader's Guide).

Site Management Structure

Because missions have changed and evolved throughout the history of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, the Department has used multiple management and operating contractors who focus on narrowly defined areas of responsibility. Cost-plus-award-fee contracts were used but suffered from the absence of well-defined performance criteria and measures. Department of Energy management at the site recognized the potential for cost competitiveness and contract reform by consolidating the five existing contracts into a single Management and Operating contract. The Request for Proposal was prepared to search for approaches that would make the Laboratory more productive. The resulting Lockheed Martin contract contains unique and innovative proposals that are specific, measurable, and attainable, and influence current management actions. The contract began on October 1, 1994 and will continue for a period of five years.

Future Full-Time Equivalent Needs

Changes in mission from defense production to environmental management, combined with declining budgets will continue to have a direct impact on the required skill mix of the worker population and on the maintenance of the required core competencies to meet mission requirements. Because the retention and replacement of critical skills and core compensation are critical to meeting the long-term site objectives, programs have been implemented to analyze and manage the skill mix of the work force, minimize the impact of restructuring activity on mission-based staffing requirements, and maximize the use of the retained work force. Core competency and critical skills have been identified, with a focus on operations and maintenance, engineering, research and development, scientific program support, and radiological and industrial hygienists requirements. The programs in place are designed to maintain required core competency for each program phase through timely personnel transfers, retraining, subcontracting, and judicious limited hiring. In the future, the employment trend at the Laboratory may shift to subcontracts, with significant declines in employment beyond FY 2040 if additional missions are not secured.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following tables present estimated funding information for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATE

Life-cycle costs are lower than in previous estimates because of the settlement agreement between the State of Idaho and the Department and because of better integration among programs. The agreement requires the Department to remove all spent fuel and transuranic waste from Idaho sooner than in previous estimates. The Department developed a comprehensive integrated Environmental Management program to schedule the program more efficiently, resulting in more accurate assumptions, compressed schedules, and shared technologies and facilities, thereby reducing the life-cycle cost of the program. In addition, the Settlement Agreement accelerated waste disposal and facility disposition by as much as 20 years over last year's estimate. This considerably reduced the duration of the Environmental Management program at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, thereby also reducing life-cycle costs.