DOE-Idaho Operations Summary
Issued May 24, 2007
DOE-ID Bi-Weekly Summary
For the Period May 1-15, 2007
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a bi-weekly summary of operations at Idaho National Laboratory. It has been compiled in response to a request from stakeholders for more information on health, safety and environmental incidents at INL. It also includes a brief summary of accomplishments at the laboratory. The report is broken down by contractor: Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This summary will be sent to everyone on INL’s regular news release distribution list every other week. To be added to this distribution list, please call Brad Bugger at (208) 526-0833.
Environmental Management
Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project
(Note: Date below indicates when notification was made of the incident)
May 2: Operators discovered a stack of boxes tipped over in the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Facility’s Transuranic Storage Area. Operations were suspended and the area was evacuated. Surveys found no volatile organic compounds or radiological contamination. (EM-ID-BBWI-AMWTF-2007-0006).
May 8: A waste drum at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project was found to be leaking an oily substance. Sampling of the spilled material detected no radiological contamination, volatile organics or PCBs. The drum was overpacked and the spill cleaned up. (EM-ID-BBWI-AMWTF-2007-0007).
May 10: Personnel at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project discovered that the potential impacts of used hydraulic oil in storage at the facility had not been analyzed in the event there was a fire in the storage area. Restrictions were placed on operations in the affected storage area while the potential impacts of the stored oil could be analyzed. (EM-ID-BBWI-AMWTF-2007-0009).
May 10: During a vendor delivery of compressed gases at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project, two unsecured cylinders fell from the lift gate of the delivery truck. The protective cap on one was damaged. There was no other damage and no release of gases. The cylinders were returned to the vendor. (EM-ID-AMWTF-2007-0008).
Operational Status
Waste Shipments: Through May 5, 2007, a total of 16,665 cubic meters of stored, contact-handled transuranic waste has been shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico for disposal. The Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project made 15 shipments during the week ending May 19. Through May 12, a total of 7.19 cubic meters of stored, remote-handled transuranic waste has been shipped to WIPP.
Idaho Cleanup Project
Summary of Occurrence Reports
May 14: It was determined that the safety analysis for a spent fuel cask in use at the Idaho Nuclear Engineering and Technology Center required more analysis for different potential drop angles. The cask was removed from use while the analysis is conducted. (EM-ID-CWI-FUELRCSTER-2007-0002).
Operational Status
Cleanup: A record of decision for cleaning up contaminated soils and ground water near the Idaho Nuclear Engineering and Technology Center waste tank farm was signed by the Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. The agencies selected a remedy that includes a barrier on top of the soil to prevent migration of water and contaminants. The site will be monitored to determine if the barrier is preventing the migration of water and contaminants to the groundwater beneath the site.
Nuclear Energy
Idaho National Laboratory
Summary of Occurrence Reports
May 17: A worker who had a small particle of radioactive material on his shoe set off a radiation monitor alarm as he was surveying out of the Advanced Test Reactor main floor. The particle was removed from his shoe, and appropriately disposed of. Follow-up surveys of the reactor main floor and related areas found no further contamination. (NE-ID-BEA-ATR-2007-0008).
Operations Summary
Future of Energy Discussions: The INL’s Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project team hosted officials from ExxonMobil Corporation to hear the company’s outlook on the global energy future, and to provide to ExxonMobil a briefing on the NGNP project and the potential for nuclear process heat applications in the petroleum industry. Also in attendance were representatives of other key energy companies.