Savannah River Site

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The Savannah River Site is located in west-central South Carolina and is bordered on the southwest by the Savannah River. The closest major population centers are Aiken, South Carolina, and Augusta, Georgia. The Savannah River Site comprises approximately 806 square kilometers (310 square miles); its production facilities occupy less than ten percent of the total area.

Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization Section

Environmental Restoration Section

Waste Management Section

Landlord Section

FACILITY MISSION

The Atomic Energy Commission established the Savannah River Site in 1950 to produce special radioactive isotopes for national security purposes. The primary purpose of this mission was the production of strategic isotopes (for example, plutonium-239 and tritium) used in the development and production of nuclear weapons for national defense. The Savannah River Site also produced other special isotopes (for example, californium-252, plutonium-238, and americium-241) to support research in nuclear medicine, space exploration, and commercial applications. To produce these isotopes, the Department of Energy fabricated selected materials into metal targets and irradiated them in the Savannah River Site nuclear reactors. The targets were transferred to the chemical separations facilities and dissolved in acid, and the desired isotopes were chemically separated and converted into a solid form, either an oxide powder or a metal. The oxide or metal was fabricated into a usable form at the Savannah River Site or other Department of Energy sites. In addition, the Savannah River Site chemically reprocessed spent nuclear fuel to recover uranium-235.

After the Cold War, the mission of the Savannah River Site changed as emphasis shifted from nuclear material production to environmental management. Despite this shift, the Savannah River Site remains a major defense installation capable of processing and purifying tritium and plutonium; however, the fuel and target manufacturing facilities, along with the five production reactors, are not in operation at this time. With the exception of these facilities, the processing facilities have been inventoried and are waiting for the resumption of operations to stabilize nuclear materials that are considered programmatic or at-risk.

The Environmental Management program was initiated at the Savannah River Site in 1989 to address the closure of old burial grounds and seepage basins. During that same year, reactor operations were halted to address safety and environmental upgrades to selected reactor facilities. The chemical processing facilities continued operation into 1992, when chemical processing and recovery activities were halted to address potential safety concerns. These concerns were addressed; however, before operations resumed, the end of the Cold War reduced the need for additional defense materials. Current operation of the chemical processing facilities is limited to the recycling of tritium, which continues today under the Office of Defense Programs, and to materials containing plutonium-238, which are used to support exploratory space missions. During January 1995, the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program was designated as the landlord, placing the Savannah River Site under Environmental Management program control, except for the tritium mission.

Current activities under the Environmental Management program are conducted under three major programs at the Savannah River Site: Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management.

The stabilization/deactivation of nuclear materials and deactivation of facilities is accomplished under the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program. When these activities are complete, the facilities are transferred to the Environmental Restoration program for decontamination and decommissioning. Environmental Restoration is also responsible for the cleanup of soils and ground water contaminated as a result of operations at the site. Waste generated by both of these programs is treated, stored, and disposed of under the Waste Management program.

The primary drivers for these programs are the Federal Facility Agreement and the Federal Facility Compliance Act Consent Order. These agreements define legal actions and milestones for the Savannah River Site. The key issue that is emerging from these agreements is the projected budget shortfall and its effect on programmatic and technical decisions, including decisions on Environmental Impact Statements pertaining to the management of spent nuclear fuels and plutonium-239 disposition.

FUTURE USE

The Savannah River Site began work on a Future Use Project in early 1994, and a report on the Future Use Project was issued in January 1996. The purpose of this project is to determine the stakeholder-preferred future-use options for Savannah River Site land and facilities. Stakeholders include: interested citizens, former landowners, hunters, employees, civic organizations, local government officials, representatives from local communities (for example, Citizens for Environmental Justice), the Savannah River Site Citizens' Advisory Board, Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, and the Savannah River Regional Diversification Initiative.

Despite the diverse spectrum of interested parties, several common themes and recommendations emerged from the future-use planning process. The most common recommendations are that (1) the Savannah River Site boundaries should remain unchanged, and the land should remain under the ownership of the Federal Government; (2) residential use of site land should be prohibited; (3) if the Department of Energy or the Federal Government should ever decide to sell any of the Savannah River Site land, former landowners or their descendants (as of 1950-1952) should have first option to repurchase their former land; (4) some of the land should continue to be available for industrial uses; (5) industrial and environmental research and technology development and transfer should be expanded; (6) natural resource management should be pursued with biodiversity being the primary goal; (7) recreational uses should be increased as appropriate; (8) all land should be available for multiple uses (for example, ecological research, natural resource management, research and technology demonstration, and recreation); and (9) future-use planning should consider the full range of worker, public, and environmental risks, benefits, and cost. These recommendation are consistent with the Department's support for legislation to formally designate the Savannah River Site as a National Environmental Research Park.

Land-use assumptions used in the development of this report are consistent with the Future Use Project and input from the Savannah River Site Citizens' Advisory Board. The Savannah River Site life-cycle cost estimate assumes that the Federal Government will continue to own the Savannah River Site, and Savannah River Site will provide land for the Department's defense activities with adequate isolation from population centers. The central industrial area will be used by the Official of Defense Programs for continued activities and by the Environmental Management program for maintaining and monitoring the buried and stored waste remaining at the Savannah River Site. The central industrial area includes low-level radioactive waste disposal areas that will be restricted as long as necessary to ensure protection of human health and the environment. The goal for restoration is to remediate all land and ground water located near the perimeter of the Savannah River Site to permit multiple, concurrent uses.

The Department of Energy will consider the stakeholder-preferred options throughout future planning and decision making activities as it weighs mission needs, technological capabilities, legal requirements, and funding. The assumed future-use profile for the site is portrayed in the map above.

NUCLEAR MATERIAL AND FACILITY STABILIZATION

The Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program is responsible for the development and implementation of nuclear material management activities on the Savannah River Site. This includes stabilization of production materials and deactivation and decommissioning of associated facilities prior to release to the Environmental Restoration program for ultimate decommissioning.

The facilities in the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program comprise more than 1,000 buildings; 35 additional buildings are currently dedicated to the tritium program; and approximately 300 additional buildings are in the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management programs. This analysis is based on the Surplus Facility Inventory and Assessment data base. Projects at these facilities are grouped into scheduling transfer units. These groupings are based on geographical and functional criteria. Facilities in each scheduling transfer unit are to be stabilized, deactivated, and placed in a two-year surveillance and maintenance process before being transitioned to the Environmental Restoration program.

Current plans and estimates are Federal Facility Agreement-driven, with schedules that assume requirement-level funding and timely decisions on the Environmental Impact Statement for management of spent nuclear fuels and nuclear materials. Uncontaminated facilities are assumed to go directly to the Environmental Restoration program for decommissioning. Characterization and packaging costs associated with waste from each scheduling transfer unit are included in the estimates for the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program. Costs for treatment, storage and disposal of this waste are included in Waste Management program costs. Once transferred, facility costs are assumed to be the responsibility of the Environmental Restoration program. All reactors and canyons will be deactivated prior to transfer to the Environmental Restoration program for decontamination and decommissioning.

Costs for the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program are reported by scheduling transfer unit. They do not include new mission programs or facilities, and they assume the program will not remediate tritium-contaminated ground water. Costs associated with these facilities are summarized in the tables at the end of this section.

The cessation of processing operations resulted in a large inventory of unrecovered nuclear materials in various stages of the production and recovery cycle. These materials include acidic solutions containing dissolved target or fuel materials; recovered isotopes stored in stainless steel tanks; product forms of isotopes (oxide powders and metals) packaged in storage containers (for example, cans and drums); residue forms containing varying amounts of isotopes packaged in cans; and unirradiated and irradiated metal fuel, targets, control rods, and other reactor core components (stored both dry and in water-filled basins).

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 94-1 recommendation to use the separations facilities to concentrate, purify, and stabilize surplus nuclear materials would reduce the risk posed by interim management and is the subject of several studies and National Environmental Policy Act evaluations (for example, the F Canyon Plutonium Solutions Environmental Impact Statement and the Interim Management of Nuclear Materials Environmental Impact Statement). The facilities in the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program include chemical processing facilities, reactor and reactor materials facilities, and landlord facilities. These three categories are subdivided into scheduling transfer units based on geographic proximity, function, responsible organization, and size. This was done to ensure that (1) physical areas could be turned over to the Environmental Restoration program in their entirety, (2) similar processes could be employed for required tasks, and (3) responsibility for planning and execution could be assigned.

Chemical processing facilities are located within the F and H Areas. The primary mission of the facilities was to separate special nuclear materials from spent reactor fuels and irradiated targets. Chemical separation and purification of these materials is accomplished in facilities known as canyons, which are supported by ancillary facilities that provide further chemical conversion, cold chemical feeds, or general facility services. Chemical Processing Facility projects are represented by the following scheduling transfer units: (1) F Canyon and supporting facilities; (2) 235-F Area metallurgical facilities; (3) 247-F Naval fuels fabrication facilities; and (4) H Canyon and supporting facilities.

The completion of the Savannah River Site Stabilization program for the identified at-risk materials is expected by FY 2002, with the consolidation of special nuclear materials in the proposed new Actinide Packaging and Storage Facility. Currently, there is no authorized future mission for the chemical processing facilities after the stabilization of the at-risk materials. Alternative uses for these facilities are being evaluated; options include the future disposition of fissile materials and the support of the continuing defense programs.

The reactor and reactor materials facilities at Savannah River Site are located in C, K, L, P, and R Areas. The materials fabrication facilities are located in M Area, and the heavy water facilities are located in D Area. All of the reactor areas are similar in physical size and layout. The past mission of the reactor areas was to produce material for the Department of Defense nuclear weapons program. Currently, the five production reactors are nonoperable, and future operations are not planned. The present reactor deactivation programs will be completed in approximately 18 years.

D Area facilities were designed to produce heavy water for use in the production reactors. The area originally contained three sets of heavy water extraction towers with the necessary support facilities. The area was operational until 1982. As of September 1995, two sets of extraction towers and most support facilities have been removed. Surveillance and maintenance requirements are minimal. The existing site inventories of contaminated heavy water are currently being processed in the heavy water rework and purification facilities for future onsite storage. These facilities are scheduled to close and become surplus by FY 2001.

M Area facilities were designed for machine fabrication of special fuel assemblies that contained targets used in the production of special nuclear materials. These facilities were also used as safe storage for the assemblies prior to use in the reactor areas. Recently, these facilities were used to stabilize existing stockpiles by consolidating (melting) fabricated assemblies into ingots, which have since been stored in another facility until the Oak Ridge Reservation can receive them. The area is now being decontaminated, and the facilities are being made available for commercial business operations. All stabilization activities will be completed by FY 2002.

The reactor and reactor material facilities comprise seven scheduling transfer units. For the purposes of this report, two scheduling transfer units are discussed in detail: (1) P Area - P reactor and supporting facilities and (2) M Area - alloy fabrication facilities. Costs for the remaining reactors and reactor material facilities appear in the "additional scheduling transfer units" presented later in this section.

The landlord facilities comprise administrative offices, laboratories, maintenance and other service facilities, utilities, and related infrastructure. These facilities are co-located with the operating facilities to provide direct mission support or are centrally located as site-wide needs dictate. These facilities range in size from two-square meter (25-square foot) test stations to 20,000-square meter (250,000-square foot) laboratory facilities. There are 15 different landlord facility scheduling transfer units. The landlord facility project addressed in this report, A Area site services facilities, is the largest grouping at the Savannah River Site. The following table presents the milestones for transferring major facilities from the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program to the Environmental Restoration program.

F Canyon and Supporting Facilities

The 221-F Canyon Building contains the plutonium uranium extraction (solvent) process. The processing facility, referred to as the Canyon Building, began operating in 1954. The primary mission of the facility was the recovery of plutonium and uranium from irradiated depleted and natural uranium reactor targets, spent reactor fuels containing large fractions of plutonium, and plutonium metal returned from weapons production and support sites. The Canyon Building is supported by several major ancillary facilities. The outside facilities (211-F) provide cold chemical feed makeup and storage of bulk chemicals, along with limited facility support services. The Depleted Uranium Processing Facility (221-FA Line) converts depleted uranium solution to oxide and packages it for onsite storage. The Canyon Building and supporting facilities are now in a standby mode.

The FB Line Facility is a hardened structure located in the F Area Canyon Facility. The FB Line was placed into service around 1960 to produce high-purity plutonium metal from the dilute plutonium-239 solution produced in F Canyon. FB Line vaults currently store special nuclear materials, some of which require further stabilization to meet Department of Energy storage standards.

PRE-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

The F Canyon and supporting facilities have been maintained in a state of standby since early 1992. Improvements to the overall facilities (for example, structures, process equipment, procedures, and safety documentation) have led the Department of Energy to authorize startup of F Area facilities for the stabilization of at-risk nuclear materials, as identified in Environmental Impact Statement studies. Startup is continuing for implementation of the preferred options identified in the Savannah River Site Interim Management of Nuclear Materials Environmental Impact Statement, and work is complete for stabilization startup. No further activities associated with pre-stabilization are required for F Area facilities.

A new Actinide Packaging and Storage Facility (a $137 million, 1997 line-item project) will be added to the F Area facilities. Completion of this facility is scheduled for FY 2001. The purpose of this facility is to provide the necessary capabilities for high-firing plutonium oxide and to package all plutonium to current Department standards for interim storage. In addition, the facility will provide sufficient vault storage capacity to consolidate nuclear material storage. This consolidation will allow the systematic shutdown of vaults in older Savannah River Site facilities.

STABILIZATION

Currently, the F Area chemical processing facilities are not declared surplus and are staffed to provide necessary support for facility restart and the eventual stabilization of nuclear materials that have been identified as at-risk by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 94-1 recommendations. Several preferred options were identified for the stabilization of nuclear materials that would use the F Canyon and supporting facilities according to the Interim Management of Nuclear Materials Environmental Impact Statement process. These preferred options include stabilization and repackaging of existing high-grade plutonium vault inventories (metal and oxide), conversion of plutonium solutions to stable vault material, stabilization and packaging of plutonium residues, dissolution of at-risk targets and fuels, conversion of special nuclear materials, conversion of programmatic nuclear material solutions to solid form for storage and eventual shipment, and stabilization of highly enriched uranium in the Savannah River Site inventory. A schedule for the stabilization of nuclear materials outlines a program that envisions completion of material stabilization by FY 2001. Waste forecasts for this phase are estimated at 12,000 cubic meters (15,700 cubic yards); more than 90 percent of the waste is low-level waste. Liquid waste streams are transferred to the F Area tank farm and will be eventually processed through the Defense Waste Processing Facility.

POST-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

The purpose of the F Canyon post-stabilization surveillance and maintenance program (which has an anticipated time frame of FY 2002 to FY 2004) is to maintain the viability of the chemical processing facilities during a period of evaluation. If declared excess, the facilities will undergo removal of all remaining residual hazardous materials. The process systems and process cells will be thoroughly flushed, and process lines will be drained. These activities will not jeopardize future restart of these facilities. Building systems and components will be evaluated, and an engineering analysis will be completed to determine which critical systems must be maintained to ensure structural integrity of the building and minimize the impact to health and safety of the public and workers. Facility deactivation plans still must be completed. This three-year program is estimated to cost about $250 million. Waste associated with process system flushes will be transferred to the F Area tank farm and will eventually be processed through the Defense Waste Processing Facility. The waste estimate for this phase is 4,500 cubic meters (5,900 cubic yards), and over 90 percent of the waste is low-level waste. Although the chemical processing facilities have no authorized mission after the stabilization of all at-risk nuclear materials, alternative uses for these facilities are currently being evaluated.

DEACTIVATION

Because of their size, potential residual contamination, and complexity, the F Canyon and associated facilities present a challenge for deactivation. To date, only a very limited study of deactivation requirements has been undertaken. For planning purposes, a significant reduction in costs is not expected until the completion of deactivation activities. The estimated cost for this deactivation phase, including surveillance and maintenance, is $450 million, based on experience at the Hanford Site and best engineering judgment.

No major decontamination or dismantlement activities are expected to be completed during the deactivation phase for the F Area chemical processing facilities; therefore, no significant increase in the overall waste generation is expected. Liquid waste associated with deactivation of the facilities will be transferred to the F Area tank farm and processed through the Defense Waste Processing Facility. Waste estimates for this phase forecast 5,000 cubic meters (6,550 cubic yards) of waste; 90 percent of the waste is low-level waste.

POST-DEACTIVATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Current plans are to maintain the facilities in post-deactivation, minimal surveillance and maintenance status for two years prior to transfer to the Environmental Restoration program in FY 2013. Estimated costs associated with maintaining a minimal surveillance and maintenance program for the F Area chemical processing facilities are estimated to average $13 million per year. Waste estimates for the post-deactivation phase have not been fully developed; however, it is anticipated that a significant reduction in waste is feasible, and waste generation should not exceed 200 cubic meters (260 cubic yards) per year. More than 95 percent of the waste is low-level waste.

235-F Area Metallurgical Facilities

Built in the early 1950s, the 235-F Building is a two-story, windowless, reinforced concrete structure. The 235-F Facility has as its mission the continued safe, secure storage of special nuclear materials until a new storage and treatment facility can be funded and constructed to enable consolidation of the special nuclear materials. Portions of the 235-F Facility were once used to fabricate heat sources from plutonium-238 oxide powder for space mission applications. These selected production areas of the 235-F Facility have been shut down and do not support the existing facility mission. Upon transfer and consolidation of nuclear material into a new vault, the remaining 235-F Facility could be declared surplus.

PRE-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Pre-stabilization activities are considered complete for the highly contaminated surplus sections of the 235-F Facility associated with the plutonium-238 fabrication program.

STABILIZATION

Currently, $15 million to $17 million per year is required for surveillance and maintenance of the contaminated process areas and for management of the stored special nuclear materials. Interim storage of special nuclear materials at the 235-F vault is expected to be required through FY 2002 to support the secure storage of nuclear materials. During this period, provisions will be made to support additional shipment and receipt of special nuclear materials from the vaults in order to stabilize and package all nuclear materials in a manner that meets interim storage criteria. Current and future operation of the facility is based on the Interim Management of Nuclear Materials Environmental Impact Statement and subsequent decisions and responses to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 94-1 recommendations.

The inventory of nuclear material in this facility will be consolidated in the proposed new Actinide Packaging and Storage Facility (expected by FY 2002) and the future use of the 235-F vaults will be evaluated to determine whether or not to declare the entire facility excess. The best engineering judgment considers it undesirable to deactivate the shutdown of plutonium-238 production areas while vault storage areas are in active use.

POST-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

During the year following the de-inventory of the 235-F vaults, studies regarding the viability of the 235-F Facility will be conducted. Surveillance and maintenance will be conducted to ensure continued protection of the environment and the safety of the workers and the public. Estimates forecast costs for the one-year post-stabilization period at $12 million to maintain the facility at an acceptable level of risk. Low-level waste volume has been forecast to be 10 cubic meters (13.5 cubic yards) per year for this phase.

DEACTIVATION

A deactivation plan for the 235-F Facility has not been developed. The Plutonium-238 processing lines will continue to comprise the largest portion of the 235-F Facility surveillance and maintenance costs until a decontamination and dismantling plan is implemented. Deactivation costs are expected to be $80 million for a four-year period. Accomplishments during deactivation are expected to include limited decontamination, contamination fixation, improved containment, possible limited dismantling or removal of highly contaminated items to reduce the risk of nuclear material migration. Low-level waste is forecast at 4 to 5 cubic meters (5 to 6.5 cubic yards) per year for surveillance and maintenance of the facility; however, this estimate does not include any waste volume assumptions for the decontamination or dismantling segments of the deactivation work.

POST-DEACTIVATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

A preliminary engineering study that was completed in FY 1993 estimated that decontamination and partial dismantling of the plutonium-238 processing facilities would cost in excess of $100 million. This effort would result in a significant reduction in plutonium-238 contamination. A deactivation program of this nature would reduce the facility risk with a corresponding reduction in facility surveillance and maintenance costs. Post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance costs are estimated to average three million dollars per year; and low-level waste generation is forecast at three cubic meters (four cubic yards) per year. The facilities are targeted to be conveyed in this condition to the Environmental Restoration program during FY 2010.

247-F Naval Fuels Building and Supporting Facilities

The 247-F Facility is located within a deactivated security zone in F Area. The 247-F Building and nearby ancillary facilities were utilized for fabrication of enriched uranium fuel for use in the production of naval reactor fuel elements, until the operation was shut down in 1988. Currently, there is no identified mission for the facility.

After the process was shut down, the 247-F Facility was de-inventoried of enriched uranium and chemicals, and the process equipment was flushed and isolated; however, portions of the building and equipment are contaminated with corrosive residue, containing a measurable quantity of enriched uranium. Characterization surveys found transferable contamination within the process cabinets. Limited decontamination has been performed, and current conditions are documented in monthly surveillance and maintenance contamination surveys of the facility to ensure contamination in the cabinets has not migrated. The 247-F Building is currently in a shutdown mode. This facility is currently surveyed and maintained to keep the safety and waste operation systems functioning.

POST-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Safety documentation is being analyzed, and activities that would reduce surveillance and maintenance of the facility are being evaluated. Early investigations indicate that full-scale reduction to a passively maintained facility is not possible until significant reductions in the residual contamination of enriched uranium is accomplished. This would require significant glovebox cleaning, material and equipment removal, and fixation of residual contamination. Until this work is completed, the facility will require periodic entry and inspection along with continued operation of key building safety systems to ensure the safety of the environment, workers, and public.

The costs associated with the two-year post-stabilization surveillance and maintenance program, during FY 1996 and FY 1997, are estimated at $16 million. Low-level waste volumes have been estimated at 200 cubic meters (260 cubic yards) for this period.

DEACTIVATION

A conceptual study was completed that included the following scope: decontaminate, dismantle, and remove limited equipment from the 247-F Core Area. This study estimated the cost to be approximately $40 million to $45 million. There is currently no deactivation plan for 247-F Facility to achieve a desired passive end-state. For planning purposes, costs are estimated at $45 million over a five-year period (FY 1998 to FY 2002) for routine surveillance and maintenance, reduction in contamination, partial equipment removal, and the lay-up of support systems, with associated reduction in surveillance and maintenance costs to be achieved in the year 2003. Waste volumes for this phase have been estimated at 300 cubic meters (400 cubic yards) of low-level waste.

POST-DEACTIVATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance costs are estimated at less than four million dollars per year, with waste generation forecast at less than 30 cubic meters (40 cubic yards) per year. It is expected that the facility will transition to the Environmental Restoration program no later than FY 2005.

H-Canyon and Supporting Facilities

The canyon began operation in July 1955 as a Plutonium Uranium Extraction Facility with a primary mission to recover enriched uranium from spent uranium fuels. The canyon was modified in 1963 to recover neptunium as well as enriched uranium. The Canyon Building is supported by three principal ancillary facilities. The ancillary facilities comprise a number of processes and services that provide bulk chemical storage, liquid waste disposal, the recovery of plutonium-238, and vaults for storing nuclear materials. The canyon and support facilities are currently maintained in inventoried standby.

The estimated costs and waste volume for H-Canyon assume that these facilities will be used to stabilize the majority of the site's aluminum-clad fuels in order to transform the highly enriched uranium into a nonweapons-usable form. The canyon and supporting facilities have been maintained in a state of standby since the early 1990s while the Department evaluates alternatives for the stabilization of aluminum-clad highly enriched spent nuclear fuel remaining from previous operations.

PRE-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

The H Canyon and support facilities have been maintained in a state of inventoried warm standby since the early 1990s pending a decision on the options for stabilization. Start-up authorization is expected for implementation of the preferred options resulting from the Savannah River Site Interim Management of Nuclear Materials Environmental Impact Statement. Pre-stabilization activities are essentially complete for existing H Area facilities.

STABILIZATION

The Department expects that operations to stabilize the nuclear materials identified as at-risk will begin in late 1997. The Interim Management of Nuclear Materials Environmental Impact Statement identifies several options for the stabilization of nuclear materials using the H Canyon and its associated support facilities. These options include: (1) stabilization/blending/packaging of plutonium-238 inventories, (2) conversion of plutonium solutions to stable material, (3) dissolution of at-risk targets and fuels and conversion to stable forms, (4) conversion of programmatic nuclear material solutions to a solid form for storage and eventual shipment, and (5) dilution and stabilization of highly enriched uranium currently held in the Savannah River Site inventory to low enriched uranium. The cost for the stabilization of the nuclear materials, including surveillance and maintenance, is forecast at $750 million.

Waste stream forecasts are 12,000 cubic meters (15,700 cubic yards); greater than 80 percent of the waste is considered low-level waste, and the rest is high-level waste. Liquid waste streams are transferred to the H Area tank farm and will eventually be processed through the Defense Waste Processing Facility.

POST-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

The primary purpose of the post-stabilization surveillance and maintenance program (during FY 2002 to FY 2004) is to maintain the viability of the chemical processing facilities until they are declared excess. When this occurs, the facilities will undergo removal of all residual hazardous materials, the process systems and process cells will be thoroughly flushed, and the process lines will be drained. Building systems and components will be evaluated, an engineering analysis will be completed to determine which critical systems must be maintained to ensure structural integrity of the building and to minimize the impact of any health and safety issues that may affect the public or workers, and facility deactivation planning will begin. This three-year program is estimated to cost approximately $210 million. Waste associated with process system flushes will be transferred to the H Area tank farm and will eventually be processed through the Defense Waste Processing Facility. Low-level waste is estimated at 4,800 cubic meters (6,300 cubic yards). There is currently no authorized mission for the H Area chemical processing facilities following stabilization of the at-risk nuclear materials. Alternative uses for these facilities in support of other stabilization and nuclear material disposition programs are being evaluated.

DEACTIVATION

A limited investigation of deactivation requirements has been undertaken, but no deactivation requirements have been defined. The best engineering judgment in forecasting costs for this deactivation phase, including surveillance and maintenance over the deactivation period (FY 2005 to FY 2010), is $350 million. No major decontamination or dismantling activities are expected during the H Area deactivation; therefore, no significant waste increase is forecast above the waste volume generated during the post-stabilization period. Waste associated with deactivating the facilities will be transferred to the H Area tank farm and will be eventually processed through the Defense Waste Processing Facility. Estimates for the period forecast waste at 5,800 cubic meters (7,600 cubic yards), almost all of which is low-level waste.

POST-DEACTIVATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

The facilities are scheduled to begin a post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance phase by FY 2011, and this report assumes transition to the Environmental Restoration program will occur by FY 2013. Costs associated with maintaining a minimal surveillance and maintenance program for the H Area chemical processing facilities after deactivation are estimated at $11 million per year. Waste estimates for post-deactivation activities have not been fully developed; however, preliminary estimates suggest low-level waste volumes will be less than 300 cubic meters (400 cubic yards) per year.

P Area Reactor and Supporting Facilities

P Reactor, similar to all of the reactors at the Savannah River Site, has two functional areas, referred to as the exclusion area and the administrative area. The reactor exclusion area contains production buildings and all buildings and facilities necessary for operational support. The area outside and surrounding the exclusion area contains the administrative support facilities and the cooling water storage basins. The entire reactor area, both exclusion and administrative areas, is enclosed by fencing to form an operations/administrative compound. The past mission of the reactor was to produce material for the Department of Defense Nuclear Weapons program. P Area stabilization activities are complete. Activities included removing the fuel from the reactor vessel.

POST-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Post-stabilization surveillance and maintenance activities at these facilities are forecast to be complete between FY 1996 and FY 2001. Most waste has been shipped to proper treatment and disposal facilities. Currently, the major stabilization and maintenance costs associated with the reactor facility relate to moderator storage and fuel basin maintenance. The estimated cost for these activities is $31 million; however, this work will result in a cost savings of over ten million dollars when compared to continued surveillance and maintenance. All waste generated is expected to be low-level waste and generated at a rate of 341 cubic meters (450 cubic yards) annually.

DEACTIVATION

P Area deactivation activities are forecast for completion between FY 2002 and FY 2004. This area includes the reactor and the ancillary facilities associated with and located within the exclusion perimeter. The reactor and fuel basin will require the most extensive deactivation.

The Department expects that deactivation of the reactor building will include the following activities: (1) All fuel, targets, components, and scrap will be removed from the disassembly basin; deuterium moderator (1,000 drums) will be removed; all waste will be removed; and all lead not required for safe building storage will be removed; however, bioshielding will remain. (2) All friable asbestos will be stabilized in situ or removed; items presenting a significant fire potential will be removed. (3) All water systems will be drained. (4) The fire water dry standpipe will remain empty, and the service raw water source will not be available. (5) Sump pumps will remain energized, and other systems will be shut down. (6) One transformer room will remain energized to supply the pumps and lighting when required. (7) Dampers will be positioned to allow air circulation. (8) Permanent building and personnel monitoring equipment will be removed or shut down. (9) All office furniture, equipment, tools, and supplies will be removed. (10) All fuel and cadmium rods will be removed.

The Department expects that some activities will not be accomplished. These include: (1) fuel basins will not be drained; however, components will be removed from the reactor tank, (2) the reactor tank will not be sealed, (3) no equipment will be removed for storage, (4) no provisions will be made to preserve equipment or instruments, and (5) no established contamination areas or equipment will be decontaminated. Therefore these activities are not included in the cost estimate.

Several activities will be accomplished for long-term safe storage. Sump pumps will remain operable and set for automatic operation, and the water will be diverted for storage. Water level indication, sampling, and manually controlled pump-out capabilities will be provided. The water level will be monitored during periodic inspections. The Remote Monitoring and Control System will be shut down. One exhaust fan will remain operable; however, it will be shut down. Building lighting will be operable; however, it will be turned off except during periodic inspections. One building transformer room will remain energized. Some breakers will be closed to other transformer rooms, as required, to provide power to equipment. All other breakers will be de-energized. Roofs will be repaired as required to maintain structural integrity and prevent rainwater intrusion. Maintenance of the safety envelope around P Area will require seven to ten full-time employees, who will be located on the premises. The estimated deactivation work schedule is three years with the present resources available. The estimated cost is $15 million.

POST-DEACTIVATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

P Area post-deactivation and surveillance and maintenance activities will include regularly scheduled monitoring of basin pump operation and routine facility maintenance to maintain roof integrity. No waste of significant volume is expected to be generated during post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance. Most of this waste should be in the form of personal protection clothing and equipment, and all should be compactable low-level waste. The estimated cost for post-deactivation activities is $1.5 million per year. These activities are projected to last two to three years, after which the Department expects that the Environmental Restoration program will initiate decontamination and decommissioning activities.

M Area Alloy Fabrication Facilities

M Area facilities were designed for machine fabrication of special fuel assemblies that contained targets used in the production of special nuclear materials. As such, they are similar to those structures found in nonnuclear metal fabrication and finishing operations. These facilities were also used as safe storage for the assemblies prior to use in the reactor areas. Recently, these facilities were used to stabilize existing stockpiles by consolidating (melting) fabricated assemblies into billets. These billets have been stored in another facility until the Oak Ridge Operations Office can receive them. The area is being decontaminated, and the facilities are being made available for commercial business operations. All stabilization activities will be completed by FY 2000.

PRE-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

The pre-stabilization activities, which primarily involved de-inventory of large quantities of depleted uranium cores, excess enriched uranium, lithium aluminum tubes, aluminum stock, and miscellaneous scrap, are scheduled for completion in July 1996.

STABILIZATION

The stabilization phase is under way. Facility stabilization for M Area production facilities (except the Liquid Effluent Treatment Facility, the 316-M Chemical Storage Pad, and the laboratories) is forecast for completion by March 1996. Due to the required waste supernatant processing and sludge inventory, the Liquid Effluent Treatment Facility is not forecast to complete stabilization, tank cleaning, and closure activities until September 1998.

POST-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

The post-stabilization surveillance and maintenance activities involve periodic surveillance and inspection of the facilities by operations personnel, survey of the facilities by radiological control operations personnel, and preventive and corrective maintenance of necessary high-efficiency particulate air exhaust systems, electrical substations, building lighting, fire protection systems, and back-up diesel generators. Concurrent with these surveillance and maintenance activities, deactivation work is being done. This approach will result in a cost savings by reducing surveillance and maintenance costs in the future.

DEACTIVATION

The facility deactivation phase requires limited isolation activities that will be implemented after the Liquid Effluent Treatment Facility is stabilized. Deactivation of M Area facilities is scheduled for FYs 1996 through 2000 and will include deactivation and isolation of utilities, deactivation of unnecessary security systems, and deactivation of nuclear incident monitors.

As each facility is phased out, its operating systems will be deactivated to the extent practicable. The electrical systems will be tagged, and only required lighting, alarms, and fire protection systems will remain active. Other systems are to be blinded or locked out. Where possible, utilities will be isolated at facility entrances and blanked or tagged out to leave the area safe for the routine surveillance tours. Process and service drains will remain open to the Liquid Effluent Treatment Facility. As facilities are cleared and drains are checked, provisions will be made to provide direct outfall to the storm sewer, and process sewer drains will be sealed, pending permit revisions. The estimated cost for this phase is approximately $12 million.

POST-DEACTIVATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

This phase will include establishing cost-effective surveillance and maintenance while meeting environmental, safety, and health requirements. In addition, it will include maintaining facilities in compliance with Department Orders, standards, codes, and regulatory requirements.

A minimal level of activity will be continued to ensure that facilities are maintained in a safe and environmentally sound manner. These activities include routine waste handling, environmental effluent monitoring, emergency preparedness, fire protection surveillance and maintenance, freeze protection, security systems operation and maintenance, general plant housekeeping and maintenance, radiological monitoring, compliance activities, occurrence reporting, and audit and assessment closures. The estimated cost for this phase is approximately $10 million.

Landlord Facilities

The actions described here apply to the largest grouping of facilities within A Area, which is the principal administrative and service area of Savannah River Site. Current, previous and near-term continuing use of these facilities is anticipated in order to house and support administrative offices, central laboratories and their direct infrastructure service, and a number of centralized maintenance and support functions (for example, machine shops) that service organizations and areas across the Savannah River Site. Size and functions of the 179 separate facilities within this scheduling transfer unit range from a two-square meter (21-square foot) sewage test station to the 20,000-square meter (215,000-square foot) main laboratory building. The complexity and diversity of facilities dictates that this scheduling transfer unit will be further broken into smaller groupings for planning, management, and execution.

Many of these facilities are currently classified as uncontaminated. Within this group, a large number should be candidates for immediate decommissioning without prior transfer to the Environmental Restoration program, and some of the smaller facilities are expected to be retired and decommissioned in advance of the identified transfer date by consolidating and, in some cases, privatizing services. Contamination types and levels in this group of facilities are related to the function of the facility. Power facilities are likely to be contaminated by asbestos and, possibly, chemicals. Laboratory facilities may have a spectrum of radiological contamination, chemical contamination, and mixed waste.

PRE-DEACTIVATION/STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Prior to deactivation, the facilities will be assessed in detail and classified to confirm the extent and type of any contamination and to establish a time-phased plan for stabilization. This assessment will also consider service provided, organizations or missions affected by the service, feasibility for early suspension or relocation of the supported service (for example, administrative office), and the relative ease of decommissioning. This survey will support the preparation of specific strategies for stabilization or removal of the contaminants consistent with the integrated area deactivation schedule and the schedule(s) for deactivation of supported facilities outside A Area.

STABILIZATION

A Area stabilization activities consist primarily of the removal and disposition of radionuclides, chemicals, and hazardous materials from contaminated facilities. Some degree of system flushing or mechanical cleanout will be required in the laboratory areas to reduce radioactive and chemical deposits to acceptable levels. Stabilization schedules will have to be integrated with deactivation schedules for the tank farms and other facilities that may have to receive and treat these materials. In situ stabilization or removal of asbestos-containing materials will be consistent with the regulatory requirements and risk assessments in effect at that time.

POST-STABILIZATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Surveys will be conducted and evaluated to document that residual levels of radionuclides, chemicals, and other contaminants are within tolerance thresholds and are appropriately documented. This will provide a basis for determining the technical and economic feasibility of salvaging and selling furnishings, fixtures, instrumentation, and equipment from those facilities that can be clearly determined to be within threshold limits for type and degree of contamination.

DEACTIVATION

Fire detection and protection systems will be left in place and operable, pending case-by-case decisions on reuse or decommissioning. Minimal lighting for safe walk-about will be left operable. Process and domestic water supplies will be isolated outside facilities. Inside drains will be opened. Sump pumps, if installed, and the power supplies to those pumps will be left in place and operable. Natural draft ventilation will be established. Records and documents will be cataloged, boxed, stored or shredded, and recycled, as appropriate. Office furnishings, computer systems, and telecommunications equipment will be removed for reuse or excess. Salvageable instrumentation; equipment; fixtures; piping; process systems; components; utility and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; instrumentation; and power cabling will be removed to the extent warranted by salvage economics. Equipment for which salvage is either technically or economically unfeasible will be left in place unless it poses a fire hazard.

POST-DEACTIVATION SURVEILLANCE AND MAINTENANCE

Only a minimal degree of surveillance should be necessary for A Area facilities. Laboratory facility systems not removed will be surveyed on a yearly basis to confirm residual radioactivity levels, and the results will be documented. Only a minimal amount of maintenance should be necessary and will principally include roof inspections and repair.

Additional Scheduling Transfer Units

These facilities consist of the reactors/reactor materials facilities in R, D, C, K, and L Areas and landlord facilities in Areas M, D, R, S, T, P, C, K, B, F, N, H, L, which are not discussed in this report. Their scopes of work and nature of activities are similar to those reactor and landlord facilities previously discussed. Collectively, these costs represent 17 percent of the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program cost estimate. The reactor facilities will be transferred to the Environmental Restoration program beginning in FY 1999 (R Area Reactor). The last reactor to transfer will be L Area Reactor in FY 2014. All landlord facilities will be transferred beginning in FY 2001 through FY 2019.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program management involves the entire Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program work scope and comprises activities directly related to the cost-effective completion of program objectives. This includes planning, scheduling, estimating, and baseline management and reporting, and it is provided by program personnel. In all these areas, program management support is required to oversee the management and operating contractor and to assess performance on a regular basis through the established award fee process. Direct support activities for ongoing stabilization and deactivation activities in such areas as facility management and maintenance, environmental compliance and reporting, safety and health, legal/permitting, financial management and accounting, quality assurance, and personnel training are tailored to meet the program and the Savannah River Site objectives and are provided from a centralized source. Both program management and direct support services are tracked and charged directly to the program. They are projected to average less than 29 percent of the total program cost through FY 2001 with a projected downward trend.

As discussed earlier in the narrative, the Office of Defense Programs ran the majority of the Savannah River Site until FY 1995. Because they were the largest program at the site, they paid for a large portion of site-wide activities (e.g., providing utilities, maintaining grounds and roads) that benefit all programs. As facilities are transferring from Defense Programs to the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program, the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program is also taking responsibility for a large portion of the above mentioned support activities. These support costs are reflected in the estimated costs for landlord activities, as well as Direct Program Management/Support costs for the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization program (the current landlord at the Savannah River Site).

Environmental Restoration Section