DOE-Idaho Bi-Weekly Operations Summary
For the Period of September 4 to September 17, 2006
Summary of Occurrence Reports
(Note: Date below indicates when notification was made of the incident)
No new reportable items.
Operational Status
Through September 9, 2006, a cumulative total of 12,263 cubic meters of transuranic waste has been shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. AMWTP made 13 waste shipments during the week ending September 9, 2006.
Environmental Management
Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP)
Environmental Management
Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP)
Summary of Occurrence Reports
(Note: Date below indicates when notification was made of the incident)
September 6: A Potential Inadequacy in the Safety Analysis was identified in the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) and Technical Safety Requirements for thermal loading of fuel storage canisters. The SAR does not require thermal loading to be re-evaluated when additional fuel is loaded to a partially loaded canister. Management was notified, restrictions were placed on the movement of loaded
fuel storage canisters, and an Unreviewed Safety Question Determination was initiated.
(EM-ID–CWI-FUELRCSTR-2006-0015)
September 14: While unloading Jersey barriers from a flatbed trailer, one of the barriers fell from the trailer. No one was injured. The job supervisor suspended the unloading operation pending a review of work activities. (EM-ID–CWI- WASTEMNGT-2006-0006)
Operational Status
Demolition work at the Loss of Fluid Test (LOFT) Reactor Facility was completed on September 13, 2006. This is the second out of seven high-risk facilities completed with the planned cleanup period through 2012. Debris cleanup and placement of an earthen cap over the LOFT facility area will be completed by November 2006, weather permitting. Demolition of the LOFT Reactor facility was accomplished one year ahead of schedule.
Nuclear Energy
Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
Summary of Occurrence Reports
(
Note: Date below indicates when notification was made of the incident)
September 6: A records review identified a potential Technical Safety Requirement violation at the Fuel Conditioning Facility. Routine maintenance was performed without entering the required Limited Condition for Operations, indicating that systems were not operable. Appropriate notifications were made and a critique was held. (NE-ID–BEA-FCF-2006-0003)
September 7: A smoke detector sounded an automatic fire alarm in response to oil vapor from a vacuum pump’s exhaust at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) Fuels and Applied Sciences Building (FASB). The facility was immediately evacuated and INL Fire Department Station responded. The Fire Department determined the cause and that there was no emergency. Normal
operations were resumed. An oil mist separator has been installed, and the exhaust routed by air duct into the ventilation system. (NE-ID–BEA-FASB- 2006-0002)
September 12: During scheduled maintenance, a craftsman entered a posted locked high radiation area (LHRA) without the required support of a radiological controls technician (RCT). An RCT discovered the inappropriate entry and notified management. A critique was held and a temporary control limiting access of keys for LHRA was established pending further analysis of the event and
development of corrective actions. The employee complied with other relevant radiation and contamination control practices and no elevated exposure occurred.
(NE-ID–BEA-ATR-2006-0016)
September 14: Work was performed at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) on a 120-volt electrical panel outlet without zero energy checks being performed as required by the Lockout/Tagout (LO/TO) instruction. The panel is maintained exclusively by vendor personnel. An ATR electrician stopped the work after discovering that the zero energy checks had not been performed. Notifications were made and a critique was held. (NE-ID–BEA-ATR-2006-0017)
September 14: SMC Quality Assurance personnel, while performing an assessment of suspect/counterfeit items, discovered suspect fasteners and bolts. A work order will be generated to replace all suspect/counterfeit bolts, and fasteners. (NE-ID–BEA-SMC-2006-0006)
Operational Status
DOE-ID awarded two cooperative agreements for conducting feasibility studies on producing hydrogen using existing nuclear power plants and small-scale equipment. The award recipients are Electric Transportation Applications (ETA), Phoenix, Arizona, and GE Global Research, Niskayuna, New York. Idaho National Laboratory is a member of the ETA team, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is part of the GE Global Research team. These efforts will help accomplish Section 634 (b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in which Congress requires DOE to “determine whether the use of existing nuclear power plants is a cost-effective means of producing hydrogen.”