MANAGEING THE RETRIEVAL RISK OF BURIED TRANSURANIC (TRU) WASTE WITH UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS

WOJTASEK, R.D. ; GREENWELL, R.D.

Hanford Site (Wash.)

关键词: Criticality;    Alpha-Bearing Wastes;    Pressurization;    Personnel;    Plutonium Oxides;   

DOI  :  10.2172/860882
RP-ID  :  HNF-27217-FP Rev 0
RP-ID  :  DE-AC06-96RL13200
RP-ID  :  860882

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

United States-Department of Energy (DOE) sites that store transuranic (TRU) waste are almost certain to encounter waste packages with characteristics that are so unique as to warrant special precautions for retrieval. At the Hanford Site, a subgroup of stored TRU waste (12 drums) had special considerations due to the radioactive source content of plutonium oxide (PuO{sub 2}), and the potential for high heat generation, pressurization, criticality, and high radiation. These characteristics bear on the approach to safely retrieve, overpack, vent, store, and transport the waste package. Because of the potential risk to personnel, contingency planning for unexpected conditions played an effective roll in work planning and in preparing workers for the field inspection activity. As a result, the integrity inspections successfully confirmed waste package configuration and waste confinement without experiencing any perturbations due to unanticipated packaging conditions. This paper discusses the engineering and field approach to managing the risk of retrieving TRU waste with unique characteristics.