Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site 2

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Facility Decommissioning

Decommissioning costs for each of the more than 400 structures at Rocky Flats was parametrically estimated against the Building 865 model based on the square foot factors for each of the nine major activities: Project Management, Surveillance and Maintenance, Characterization, Environmental/Safety and Health, Engineering, Internal Deactivation and Decommissioning, and Closeout and Verification. Five variable factors were applied to modify the cost estimates to more accurately reflect complexity: building type (plutonium, nonplutonium, or general support), accessibility, occupancy, and square feet of facility floor space. The cost assumes that all buildings will be dismantled or demolished. Costs are also estimated for removal of under-building contamination.

PLUTONIUM BUILDING DECOMMISSIONING

This activity covers the decontamination and decommissioning of facilities at Rocky Flats that have been, or are suspected to be, contaminated with plutonium residues. Decommissioning of plutonium-contaminated facilities involves a process consisting of multiple activities that must be tailored to meet specific planning criteria for the desired end state.

Plutonium buildings functioned at Rocky Flats as principal production, processing, developmental laboratory, and plutonium recovery facilities in support of weapon pit-components production. Primary contaminants of concern include plutonium, uranium, beryllium, and hazardous chemicals. The laboratories, process equipment, gloveboxes, and piping may require cleaning using various methods, including high-efficiency particulate air vacuuming, chemical cleaning (solvents), physical cleaning (wiping, steam), scabbling of concrete surfaces, and water rinsing. In addition, electropolishing may be used to decontaminate portable, irregularly shaped surfaces (such as glovebox components). After decontamination, equipment and structures may be volume-reduced, separated, and packaged and stored as waste, or reused, recycled, or stockpiled for reuse at other facilities. After removing the equipment and decontaminating the interior of the facility, verification samples will be taken to ensure that the risk of release is insignificant prior to breaking the envelope of the structure to initiate structural and subgrade dismantlement.

NONPLUTONIUM BUILDING DECOMMISSIONING

This activity covers the decommissioning of facilities at Rocky Flats that have been, or are suspected to be, contaminated with nonplutonium radioactive residues, such as depleted or enriched uranium. Decommissioning of nonplutonium-contaminated facilities involves a process consisting of multiple levels of detailed activities that must be tailored to meet specific planning criteria for the desired end state.

Nonplutonium buildings functioned as principal uranium and beryllium metallurgical development laboratories, depleted uranium production facilities, nuclear safety laboratories, nonplutonium production facilities, and functionally related support facilities. Primary contaminants of concern include uranium, beryllium dust, and hazardous chemicals used in production processes. The production, laboratories, process equipment, and piping will require cleaning using various methods, including high-efficiency particulate air vacuuming, chemical cleaning (solvents), physical cleaning (wiping, steam), scabbling of concrete surfaces, and water rinsing. In addition, electropolishing will be used to decontaminate porable, irregularly shaped surfaces (such as glovebox components). After decontamination, equipment and structures will be volume-reduced, separated, and either packaged and stored as waste or reused, recycled, or stockpiled for reuse at other facilities. After removing the equipment and decontaminating the interior of the facility, verification samples will be taken to ensure that the risk of release is insignificant prior to breaking the envelope of the structure to initiate structural and subgrade dismantlement.

GENERAL SUPPORT BUILDING DECOMMISSIONING

This activity covers the decommissioning of facilities at Rocky Flats that have been, or are suspected to be, contaminated with nonradioactive, hazardous substances, or uncontaminated. Decommissioning of general support facilities involves a process consisting of multiple levels of detailed activities that must be tailored to meet specific planning criteria for the desired end state.

General support buildings/facilities/structures serve the overall site infrastructure and include administrative trailers, offices, water and fuel storage tanks, towers, ranges, garages, the fire station, electrical substations, and other facilities which collectively make up the administrative and utility lifeline at Rocky Flats. The primary contaminants of concern include nonradioactive, hazardous substances including virgin petroleum products stored for future use and chemical solvents. Contaminated areas will require cleaning through various methods, including high-efficiency particulate air vacuuming, chemical cleaning (weak acids), physical cleaning (wiping, steam), scabbling of concrete surfaces, and water rinsing. After decontamination, equipment and structures will be volume-reduced, separated, and either packaged and stored as waste or reused, recycled, or stockpiled for reuse at other facilities. After removing the equipment and decontaminating the interior of the facility, verification samples will be taken to ensure that the risk of release is insignificant prior to breaking the envelope of the structure to initiate structural and subgrade dismantlement.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program management support is required to provide planning, control and reporting, coordination, and oversight for all subprojects of the Environmental Restoration Project, as defined in the Environmental Restoration Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site Project Management Plan. It also encompasses environmental restoration quality assurance, information management, project services, Administrative Record functions, and dedicated community relations support and computer systems assistance.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION SITE-WIDE OPERATIONS

The scope of site-wide operations is to oversee and provide facilities, space, equipment, maintenance, equipment inventory, computer security, and building staff in support of all ongoing Interagency Agreement directed activities. This includes day-to-day management of over 3,000 inventoried items including radios for daily field communication, field vehicles, onsite buildings and one offsite building. The Department operates and maintains two decontamination facilities to prevent cross-contamination to uncontaminated areas by decontaminating all equipment (e.g., drill rigs, augers, sampling utensils) used to conduct remedial investigations and remedial action fieldwork at the 16 operable units onsite. The Site-Wide Water Treatment Facility is operated and maintained as required by the Interagency Agreement to treat various operable unit-generated waters as well as incidental waters, purge waters, and decontamination waters as acceptance criteria allow. Site-wide operations also include the management of environmental restoration-generated waste in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act units, staff for offsite certification, onsite packaging and handling practice, and spill responses. Personal protective equipment disposal and Hazardous Waste Compliance program implementation are also included under site-wide operations.

INTEGRATED TECHNICAL PROGRAM (TECHNICAL SERVICES)

The Environmental Restoration Integrated Technical program encompasses tasks supporting all of the operable units and includes a variety of plans, procedures, reports, studies, and other activities required by the Interagency Agreement, the Department of Energy Orders, and/or site policy. These activities apply to all site environmental restoration activities and include, but are not limited to, the Integrated Technical program characterization studies for background soils characterization and field sampling. These studies continue to monitor the migration of plutonium and americium in soils in the vadose zone. They monitor runoff transport and assess radionuclides and metals in the ground water near the eastern site boundary.

The Industrial Area Interim Remedial Action program coordinates the development of decision documents and prepares for the implementation of the selected alternatives. This program also includes monitoring activities for decommissioning.

The Geologic Characterization program develops data and interpretations pertaining to lithologies, stratigraphy, and the structure of Rocky Flats, as required to support characterization of the individual operable units. This is accomplished through background surficial soils characterization, stable isotope investigations, aquifer testing, seep-flow measurement, hydrogeology modeling, core radiography, and soil assessment.

The Ground-Water Monitoring program monitors new wells, supports aquifer tests, and phases in routine monitoring of existing wells. It evaluates techniques for upgradient ground water, industrial area ground water, vertical gradient ground water, and ground-water monitoring.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

The goal of the Rocky Flats Waste Management program is to reduce, eliminate, or mitigate environmental liabilities by managing waste safely and effectively. The sources of waste are inventories from past production, as well as current and future facility stabilization/deactivation activities. The Environmental Restoration section addresses all treatment, storage, and disposal costs and associated activities for waste generated by remedial action and decommissioning. See theNuclear Material and Facility Stabilization map for the location of waste management activities.

The management of waste involves a four-step process: characterization, treatment, storage, and disposal. This process is not necessarily sequential for all waste streams. For example, some waste requires treatment before and after storage, other waste may be sent directly to disposal. Six types of waste are generated and/or stored at Rocky Flats: transuranic mixed waste, transuranic waste, low-level mixed waste, low-level waste, hazardous waste, and sanitary waste.

This estimate includes compliance with federal, state, and local environmental laws, Department of Energy Orders, various agreements, and consent decrees that protect the environment and public health. Site-specific agreements include the Interagency Agreement and the 1995 Compliance Order resulting from the Site Treatment Plan process under the Federal Facility Compliance Act.

Waste characterization encompasses sampling and analyzing waste, developing analytical methods, and documenting and verifying waste streams. Much of the waste generated in the past was characterized solely by process knowledge (i.e., personal judgment based on experience with a particular process or operation). For this reason, laboratory analysis is vital to waste characterization. This report assumes that facilities will be modified to address waste characterization needs.

Waste treatment costs encompass both existing and planned treatment systems, as well as surveillance and maintenance of the major waste treatment facilities. Existing waste treatment systems at Rocky Flats focus on reducing the volume of liquid and solid waste forms and stabilizing other waste to produce a waste form suitable for storage or disposal. These existing systems use technologies that were initiated many years ago and were not designed to produce final waste forms to meet current waste acceptance criteria. Treatment systems are being developed and are described in the Site Treatment Plan for transuranic mixed and low-level mixed waste.

Residue management at Rocky Flats is unique because the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program is responsible for treatment and the Waste Management program is responsible for storage and disposal. This waste management estimate classifies residues as transuranic mixed and transuranic waste because of the way in which materials will be managed for disposal.

Most of the waste must be kept in interim storage pending the availability of onsite or offsite disposal. Site plans call for the identification and provision of timely interim waste storage capacity, particularly for contaminated media and low-level mixed waste, sufficient to support remediation and other scheduled mission activities. Rocky Flats will not be used as a storage facility for materials imported from other sites in the weapons complex.

This estimate assumes that waste shipment/disposal rates are equivalent to waste generation rates after the year 2020. The waste will be shipped, packaged and certified by the generator without treatment, precluding the need for additional storage capacity.

Sanitary solid waste is currently the only waste disposed of onsite. However, this estimate assumes that environmental restoration-generated waste will be disposed of in an onsite Corrective Action Management Unit and pondcrete will be disposed of in an adjacent Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C disposal cell. This estimate assumes that nonenvironmental restoration generated low-level mixed waste and low-level waste will be disposed of at the Nevada Test Site. Some forms of low-level mixed waste are currently being disposed of at Envirocare of Utah.

Transuranic Mixed Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Transuranic mixed waste is transuranic waste with a hazardous waste constituent or characteristic. This waste must be managed in accordance with appropriate radioactive waste regulations and hazardous waste regulations. It is generated from routine operations, residue stabilization, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closure activities. Characterization of this waste is based largely on process knowledge and limited sampling and analysis.

TREATMENT

Existing liquid processing treatment systems for volume reduction of transuranic mixed liquid waste are Building 774, miscellaneous aqueous waste handling and immobilization and the Building 374 liquid waste treatment facility. The primary planned treatment methods for solid transuranic mixed waste are immobilization of free liquids and particulate, neutralization and oxidation, and repackaging to meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant waste acceptance criteria.

STORAGE

Transuranic mixed waste must be stored in permitted Resource Conservation and Recovery Act storage units. The available storage capacity for transuranic mixed waste is expected to increase in the future as residues are processed and residue storage space is transferred to transuranic mixed storage capacity. Transuranic mixed and transuranic waste will be certified, staged, and shipped out of Building 664.

DISPOSAL

Transuranic mixed waste is assumed to be disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Increased certification capacity for Rocky Flats is assumed to support this disposal. Approximately 5,000 cubic meters (6,600 cubic yards) of waste will be shipped for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant between FY 1999 and FY 2039.

All disposal costs for transuranic mixed waste are included in the Waste Isolation Pilot Program. The costs included in this estimate are for managing transuranic mixed waste and include retrieval, characterization, treatment, and packaging to meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Waste Acceptance Criteria.

Transuranic Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

At Rocky Flats, transuranic waste is primarily contaminated with plutonium. Contaminated media include combustibles, plastics, light metals, and sludges. Characterization of this waste has been based largely on available process knowledge.

TREATMENT

Treatment systems are divided into primary and in-process systems. In-process systems focus on volume reduction and stabilization in preparation for safe storage rather than on treating waste for final disposal. The primary existing solid waste treatment system for transuranic waste is the Building 776 solid waste reprocessing and repackaging system. Existing liquid processing treatment systems for transuranic liquid waste are Building 371 caustic waste treatment, Building 774 aqueous waste treatment, Building 774 miscellaneous aqueous waste treatment, Building 374 liquid waste treatment facility, and Building 771 oxalate and hydroxide precipitation. The primary planned treatment for transuranic waste includes immobilizing free liquids and particulate, neutralizing and oxidating them, and repackaging the waste to meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Waste Acceptance Criteria.

STORAGE

Department of Energy Orders govern the storage of transuranic waste. Some waste is currently stored in regulated transuranic mixed storage areas because very few areas at Rocky Flats have been formally designated as storage areas for non-Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-regulated waste. Commingling of nonregulated waste containers with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-regulated waste containers is a legally acceptable practice but it increases overall storage costs. Historically, transuranic waste was stored in areas that are permitted for transuranic mixed and mixed residue waste because these areas satisfied concerns for radiological safety and container management. Also, the site lacks sufficient storage space overall to allow for total segregation of transuranic waste. Transuranic mixed and transuranic waste will be certified, staged, and shipped out of Building 664.

DISPOSAL

Transuranic waste will be disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, which this report assumes will open in FY 1998. The report also assumes that disposal of approximately 3,300 cubic meters (4,300 cubic yards) of transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant will begin in FY 1999 and continue through FY 2039.

Transportation of transuranic mixed and transuranic waste by truck to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant will require using the Transuranic Package Transporter (TRUPACT II) shipping vessel. Each shipping vessel can contain 14 0.2- cubic meter (55-gallon) drums or two standard metal boxes, and each truck trailer can carry three vessels.

All disposal costs for transuranic waste are included in the Waste Isolation Pilot Program. The costs included in this estimate are for managing transuranic waste and include retrieval, characterization, treatment, and packaging to meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Waste Acceptance Criteria.

Low-Level Mixed Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Low-level mixed waste includes combustibles, plastics, light metal, soils, and liquids as well as treated waste such as cemented solar pond sludge (pondcrete) and cemented aqueous process waste salts (saltcrete).

TREATMENT

The primary existing treatment system for low-level mixed waste is the Building 374 liquid waste treatment facility. Planned treatment for low-level mixed waste includes Diversified Scientific Services, Inc., the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project in Idaho, and several onsite treatment systems. All waste will be treated to meet land disposal restrictions.

STORAGE

A Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit regulates the storage of low-level mixed waste at Rocky Flats. Current projections indicate that the addition of Building 440 storage will provide sufficient storage capacity for future needs until onsite treatment begins.

DISPOSAL

Low-level mixed waste must meet land disposal restriction standards prior to disposal. This report assumes that 9,700 cubic meters (12,800 cubic yards) of saltcrete will continue to be shipped to Envirocare of Utah until FY 2021. This estimate also assumes that 12,000 cubic meters (16,000 cubic yards) of pondcrete will be placed in the proposed onsite Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C disposal cell from FY 1999 through 2000, which will close in FY 2003. Approximately 700 cubic meters (900 cubic yards) of low-level mixed waste will be disposed of at commercial facilities between FY 1999 and 2046, and between FY 1999 and 2044, an additional 28,000 cubic meters (37,000 cubic yards) will be shipped to the Nevada Test Site.

Low-Level Waste

GENERATION AND HANDLING

Low-level waste includes combustibles, plastics, light metals, soils, and liquids, as well as treated waste such as sewage sludge. Characterization of this waste is based largely on process knowledge; however, laboratory analysis to supplement process knowledge has been included in the cost estimate for waste characterization.

TREATMENT

Primary existing treatment systems for low-level waste are Low-level Waste Sewage Sludge Treatment, and Building 374 Liquid Waste Treatment Facility. The primary planned treatments include drying, segregating, and repackaging to meet waste acceptance criteria. There are no costs included in this estimate.

STORAGE

Low-level waste is stored in compliance with requirements set forth in Department of Energy Orders. Some of this waste is currently stored in regulated low-level mixed waste storage areas. Building 440 will be converted to store low-level waste and will also provide the capability to stage and ship the waste.

Rocky Flats currently stages and ships low-level waste out of Building 664. The site has the capability to ship waste directly from the Centralized Waste Storage Facility (Building 906) and 750 and 904 pads.

DISPOSAL

Low-level waste handled by the Waste Management program will be transferred to the Nevada Test Site for disposal. Low-level sewage sludge will also be shipped to the Nevada Test Site. Waste transferred to the Nevada Test Site is estimated at approximately 36,000 cubic meters (47,000 cubic yards) and will take place between FY 1996 and FY 2046. An additional 3,400 cubic meters (4,500 cubic yards) will be disposed of at a commercial facility between FY 1997 and FY 2044.

Currently, 46 cubic meters (60 cubic yards) of asbestos-containing material are stored in Building 666 and several other locations at Rocky Flats. Of the total, 31 cubic meters (41 cubic yards) of asbestos-containing material are contaminated with low levels of radioactive materials. Radioactive asbestos-containing material is shipped to the Department of Energy's Hanford Facility for landfill disposal. The remainder is shipped to an appropriate offsite commercial facility.

Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste management requirements are based on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulations and the Colorado Hazardous Waste Regulations. Hazardous waste must be stored in permitted Resource Conservation and Recovery Act storage units. Current projections indicate that existing storage capacity will be sufficient for future needs.

This report assumes that the current practice of shipping nonenvironmental restoration hazardous waste to commercial treatment, storage, and disposal facilities will continue. This report also assumes that 3,000 cubic meters (3,900 cubic yards) will be transferred to commercial facilities between FY 1996 and 2046.

Sanitary Waste

TREATMENT

The Sanitary Waste Program involves operating the Waste Water Treatment Plant and the sanitary landfill. Sanitary waste is primarily generated by routine operations, decontamination, and decommissioning activities. Liquid sanitary waste is treated in a two-phase process. Resulting liquids are treated in an activated carbon bed filtration system and resulting solids are handled as low-level waste.

DISPOSAL

Solid sanitary waste is not stored or treated prior to being recycled commercially or disposed of at the site landfill. The volume of solid sanitary waste to be disposed at the site landfill is currently estimated at 6,500 cubic meters (8,500 cubic yards) per year. Construction of the first cell of a new sanitary landfill to replace the existing sanitary landfill began in FY 1994. This new landfill will consist of three individual cells and will have a capacity of approximately 456,000 cubic meters (600,000 cubic yards) to meet solid sanitary waste disposal requirements for the life cycle. Each cell will be equipped with a double-liner system, a leachate collection system, a leak detection system, a methane gas collection system, and a baler system to enhance waste volume reduction and recycling. This report assumes that the new landfill will operate until FY 2049. In addition, approximately 7,500 cubic meters (9,800 cubic yards) of sanitary waste will be shipped to a commercial facility for disposal.

Direct Program Management/Support

The purpose of direct program management support provided to waste management activities is to ensure compliance with existing agreements and to reduce the risk and costs associated with managing Rocky Flats's inventory of waste. Program management activities include assessing and responding to regulatory changes, exploring regulatory flexibility, developing strategies, planning baselines, developing tracking, and reporting on budgets and performance. Waste strategies include optimizing transuranic waste shipments and minimizing waste through recycling.

LANDLORD ACTIVITIES

Landlord responsibility for Rocky Flats was transferred from the Office of Defense Programs to the Office of Environmental Management in FY 1994. This responsibility, which has been assumed by the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program, covers certain site-wide activities that are not assigned to direct site programs. The landlord activities support the direct programs and cover a wide range of site functions required for maintaining the infrastructure at Rocky Flats. These functions include environmental monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, safeguards and security, fire/security system replacement, and health and safety.

Environmental monitoring includes monitoring and assessing air quality, chemical tracking and reporting; surface water monitoring, assessment, and operations; groundwater monitoring and geologic monitoring; ecology and National Environmental Policy Act requirements for biological flora and fauna assessment and protection; and environmental impact mitigation planning and documentation. Numerous ongoing reporting activities maintain compliance with environmental regulations.

Maintaining the infrastructure requires many types of refurbishment, replacements, and upgrades. Because the facilities are aging, projects must be completed to replace electrical, mechanical, or other infrastructure systems. The decision to proceed with infrastructure replacement projects is made when the cost of maintaining the system exceeds the cost of replacing it. Projects at Rocky Flats include replacing the main site electrical substation, which is expected to be completed in FY 1998, and replacing specific portions of the plutonium heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. A project also is under way to upgrade, replace, or close underground storage tanks to meet current regulations and performance standards. This project will be completed in FY 1999.

Another important landlord responsibility involves safeguards and security to protect Special Nuclear Material and site personnel. Several projects are scheduled to ensure continuing success in this area. A replacement of the plant annunciation system will ensure worker safety through the site-wide sounding of alarms and dissemination of information. This replacement will be completed in FY 2000. The Master Safeguards and Security Agreement requires the completion of various projects to protect Special Nuclear Material. These projects include upgrading perimeter intrusion equipment and adding a glovebox line to consolidate plutonium.

The fire/security system will be replaced by FY 2000. It will provide a new security alarm and fire alarm, upgrade the central and secondary alarm stations, and reduce the size of the Protected Area, and the personnel access control systems. This project is necessary to meet National Fire Protection Association requirements, protect government-owned assets, and ensure the safety and security of the public, workers, and the environment. This project is phased so that its scope can be adjusted as fire and security requirements change in response to Rocky Flats' new mission.

Health and safety encompasses nuclear safety, emergency management, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, and radiation protection. The Department plans several capital projects to upgrade Rocky Flats. They include new equipment, air monitoring improvements, and health physics improvements. New equipment such as an alpha spectroscopy analysis system and an emergency body counter are needed to ensure the ongoing success of radiological protection. Air monitoring improvements include a representative effluent sampler system and ambient air particulate sampler system, both of which are required to comply with current standards for radionuclide air monitoring. In addition, replacing two alarm/monitoring systems in plutonium processing and support buildings will meet current requirements for airborne alpha radiation monitoring.

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONNEL

Current Composition

Current staffing requirements represent a site-wide mix of federal and contractor personnel, which is presented in the table below. The federal work force consists primarily of managers, administrators, professionals, engineers, and scientists. This mix supports the oversight of site operations and management of the interface between regulators, Headquarters, and other organizations required to accomplish the mission and vision at Rocky Flats. The contractor work force is primarily a mix of professional staff and labor personnel who conduct the day-to-day site operations and plan and perform the remediation of the site.

Site Management Structure

Kaiser-Hill operates the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site for the Department of Energy under a performance-based Integrating Management Contract, which began in July 1995 and is in place for the next five years. As part of contract reform, Kaiser-Hill is responsible for integrating all contractors at Rocky Flats. These subcontracts are for specific tasks for which Kaiser-Hill and the various subcontractors will share the rewards or penalties of cost and schedule underruns and overruns. The Department of Energy expects to achieve substantial cost savings through these control reforms.

Future Full-Time Equivalent Needs

Based on the current site mission and the future scope of work assumed for this report, future personnel needs at the site will include an increase in project managers, cost estimators, and engineers, and a decrease in administrative and clerical personnel.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following table presents estimated funding information for the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATE

The 1996 life-cycle cost estimate for the Environmental Management program at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site is $17.3 billion. This estimate is 52 percent less than the 1995 life-cycle cost estimate of $36.6 billion, after taking FY 1995 expenditures into account. The $19.0 billion reduction in the program's estimated life-cycle cost reflects site-wide changes in work scope and facility operation schedules. These changes are in response to Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 94-1 and the Department's Plutonium Vulnerability Assessment, which stipulate that the consolidation, stabilization, and repackaging of vulnerable materials be accelerated. The accelerated schedules are dictating near-term, site-specific reprioritization efforts to redirect resources from other site programs to plutonium stabilization and related risk-reduction activities. These changes emphasize early action, reduction in waste generation, and modifications to waste management strategies. The following sections highlight the major differences between the 1995 and 1996 cost estimates for the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program, the Environmental Restoration program, and the Waste Management program at Rocky Flats.

Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization Program Overall Differences

The 1996 life-cycle cost estimate for the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program is $4.2 billion. This estimate is 78 percent higher than the 1995 estimate of $2.6 billion, after taking FY 1995 expenditures into account. The $1.9 billion increase in projected life-cycle cost is due to accelerated schedules and expanded scope for facility stabilization activities, the use of more accurate methods of cost estimating, and the inclusion of direct program management costs.

The 1995 life-cycle estimate for Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program activities was largely extrapolated from available complex-wide data using a parametric modeling approach. This model assumed a 10-5-2 year schedule for pre-stabilization surveillance and maintenance, deactivation/stabilization, and post-stabilization surveillance and maintenance. The 1996 estimate is predicated on assumptions developed at the site that more accurately reflect and accommodate site requirements.

Although some of the 1996 assumptions reduced the program's projected life-cycle costs, e.g., cost reductions directly tied to shortened surveillance and maintenance schedules, more significant increases in stabilization and deactivation costs offset these reductions. The projected increase in stabilization costs primarily reflect the extension of the stabilization phase to include removing Special Nuclear Material and Waste Management program-stored waste.

Environmental Restoration Program Overall Differences

The 1996 life-cycle cost estimate for the Environmental Restoration program is $5.9 billion. This estimate is 65 percent lower than the 1995 estimate of $17.1 billion. This $11.1 billion decrease in projected life-cycle cost is due primarily to revised program assumptions, most of which have shortened the program's projected life cycle.

The 1996 cost estimate assumes a more aggressive remediation schedule that is largely predicated on applying risk-based cleanup standards. In contrast, the 1995 estimate assumed longer durations for assessment and remediation and used residential level cleanup standards for most areas of the site, while deferring decommissioning activities until the outyears. The reduction in cleanup targets and added emphasis on remedial action rather than on assessment have significantly lowered the remediation costs as well as the treatment, storage, and disposal costs borne by the program.

Other factors that have contributed to lower projected costs in the 1996 estimate include: a reduction in the projected level of labor-intensive decontamination before facilities are demolished, focusing remedial actions on buffer zones and accessible areas that have been prioritized for cleanup, an accelerated decommissioning schedule that reduces the amount of time the facilities spend undergoing surveillance and maintenance prior to decommissioning, and the anticipated use of an onsite Corrective Action Management Unit and low-level waste disposal cell that would sharply reduce the volume of waste requiring offsite shipment.

Waste Management Program Overall Differences

The 1996 life-cycle cost estimate for the Waste Management program is $2.8 billion. This estimate is 71 percent lower than the 1995 estimate of $9.6 billion, after taking FY 1995 expenditures into account. This $6.6 billion decrease in projected life-cycle cost is primarily tied to major changes in waste management strategies and significant reductions in waste stream generation. In contrast to the 1995 cost estimate, the 1996 estimate plans for fewer waste treatment facilities. The 1996 estimate assumes that storage will occur outside the Protected Area, away from plutonium facilities, substantially reducing the indirect support costs associated with environment, safety and health activities, and security. The 1996 estimate also assumes that as facilities are decommissioned some will be permitted or repermitted as storage facilities, thereby avoiding new construction costs. In addition, the 1996 estimate assumes that onsite disposal will be conducted in a disposal facility designed to meet Resource Conservation and Recovery Act performance standards, leading to dramatic handling, shipping, and disposal cost reductions.

The 1996 estimated waste management life-cycle cost decreased substantially because of a projected reduction in waste streams generation by stabilization and remediation activities. This reduction is a result of the expedited deactivation of buildings, reduced stabilization activities for residue treatment, improved facility decommissioning strategies for decontaminating metals, improved techniques for estimating decommissioning costs in the outyears, and adopting a risk-based cleanup approach to remediation.

Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program and Environmental Restoration program activities generate transuranic mixed and transuranic waste. The combined total reduction in projected volumes of transuranic mixed waste and transuranic waste is approximately 25 percent. The currently projected volumes of low-level mixed and low-level waste that will be generated by both programs are about 25 percent lower, respectively, than the 1995 estimate. The total reduction in projected volumes of hazardous waste is approximately 25 percent. Similarly, the total reduction of the currently projected volumes of sanitary waste is approximately 30 percent less than the 1995 estimate.

Landlord Overall Differences

The 1996 life-cycle cost estimate for Landlord costs is $4.4 billion. This estimate is 66 percent higher than the 1995 estimate of $2.8 billion, after taking FY 1995 expenditures into account.