Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Mnuchin says U.S. to consider waivers on Iran sanctions | Reuters
Mnuchin says U.S. to consider waivers on Iran sanctions | Reuters: The United States in certain cases will consider waivers for countries that need more time to wind down imports of oil from Iran as it seeks to avoid disrupting global oil markets while reimposing sanctions against Tehran, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.
How Russia, China Use Nuclear Reactors To Win Global Influence - Defense One
How Russia, China Use Nuclear Reactors To Win Global Influence - Defense One: It starts when state-sponsored nuclear-power companies underbid Western competitors.
GEH receives federal funds for BWRX-300 development
GEH receives federal funds for BWRX-300 development: GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is to receive USD1.9 million in funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to lead research into ways to efficiently building a power plant based on GE Hitachi's BWRX-300 small modular reactor. The research team includes Bechtel, Exelon, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy (HGNE) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Investment in new nuclear declines to five-year low
Investment in new nuclear declines to five-year low: Global energy investment fell for the third consecutive year in 2017, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Investment in nuclear power declined by nearly 45% last year to USD17 billion. Although spending on new reactors reached the lowest level in five years, investment on upgrades of existing units increased.
DOE Releases Request for Information/Sources Sought for the SPRU F-Yard Cleanup Services project | Department of Energy
DOE Releases Request for Information/Sources Sought for the SPRU F-Yard Cleanup Services project | Department of Energy: DOE Releases Request for Information/Sources Sought for the SPRU F-Yard Cleanup Services project
Iran Sues U.S. At World Court For Leaving Nuclear Deal
Iran Sues U.S. At World Court For Leaving Nuclear Deal
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sues-us-at-world-court-for-leaving-nuclear-deal/29372398.htmlTwo Government Employees Had Weapons-Grade Plutonium Stolen From Their Rental Car - Motherboard
Two Government Employees Had Weapons-Grade Plutonium Stolen From Their Rental Car - Motherboard: Dude, where’s my weapons-grade fissile material?
Dominion gets incremental approval to merge with SC utility - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports
Dominion gets incremental approval to merge with SC utility - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports: Federal regulators have given the first of several levels of approval to a Virginia-based power company's proposed merger with an embattled South Carolina utility after the failure of a...
Entergy Seeks Exemption from Emergency Planning Zone for Pilgrim Plant
Entergy Seeks Exemption from Emergency Planning Zone for Pilgrim Plant: PLYMOUTH – Once the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station closes next year, its owner Entergy is looking to be exempt from emergency planning requirements, including the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zo…
Mock emergency planned to test procedures at nuclear plant - The Washington Post
Mock emergency planned to test procedures at nuclear plant - The Washington Post: Safety officials are planning to stage a mock emergency at Dominion Energy’s Louisa County nuclear power plant to test emergency procedures onsite and in surrounding communities.
Mock emergency planned to test procedures at nuclear plant - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports
Mock emergency planned to test procedures at nuclear plant - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports: Safety officials are planning to stage a mock emergency at Dominion Energy's Louisa County nuclear power plant to test emergency procedures onsite and in surrounding communities.
Hanford Subcontract Awarded for New Tank Waste Pretreatment Capability
Hanford Subcontract Awarded for New Tank Waste Pretreatment Capability
The Tank-Side Cesium Removal system conceptual drawing.
RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Office of River Protection
(ORP) contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has
awarded a subcontract to design and build a new tank waste pretreatment
capability at the Hanford Site.
The Tank-Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) demonstration project, awarded to
AVANTech, Inc. of Columbia, South Carolina will separate both cesium and
solid materials from tank waste, providing a low-level radioactive
waste (LLW) stream that will be sent to the Waste Treatment and
Immobilization Plant’s Low Activity Waste (LAW) Facility for
vitrification. The system supports EM’s plans to begin treating tank
waste through its Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) vitrification
approach.
The TSCR project relies on a technology successfully deployed at
several locations worldwide, including EM’s Oak Ridge Site and the
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station nuclear cleanup in Japan. It
also uses a design concept similar to that of a unit built for the
Savannah River Site.
TSCR will filter waste from a Hanford double-shell tank to remove
solids and then process the waste through a series of ion-exchange
columns that will remove cesium. The resulting LLW solution will be
pumped to a different double-shell tank for storage until it can be sent
to the LAW Facility.
The project is expected to pretreat approximately 5 million gallons of
waste to support the initial operation of the LAW Facility. The
ion-exchange columns will be replaced periodically, and the used columns
will be safely stored at a nearby interim storage facility.
“This efficient and cost-effective technology is a key step toward
enabling ORP to begin pretreating Hanford’s tank waste as soon as
possible,” said Glyn Trenchard, ORP assistant manager for tank farms.
The DFLAW approach is expected to allow treatment of LLW to begin by the court-ordered milestone date of 2023.
-Contributor: Jerry Holloway
Hanford Crews Prepare to Remove Radioactive Soil Under 324 Building
Hanford Crews Prepare to Remove Radioactive Soil Under 324 Building
Workers
on Hanford’s 324 Building Disposition Project are training on equipment
to be used to transfer highly contaminated debris and soil.
RICHLAND, Wash. – Hanford Site workers continue to prepare
to remove highly radioactive soil under a former engineering laboratory
located about 300 yards from the Columbia River and less than a mile
from Richland.
EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) recently removed debris from the 324 Building’s airlock, which allows workers to access the building’s hot cells.
Workers also finished removing debris from two of the four hot cells
where operators once handled radioactive materials using remote-handling
equipment. Removing the contaminated debris paves the way for
installing equipment to dig up contaminated soil under the hot cells,
which is too radiologically contaminated for workers to handle directly.
An
upcoming phase of work at the 324 Building mockup includes installation
of a remote excavator arm to be used to remove the concrete floor to
allow access for removing the contaminated soil below the building.
“Removing large pieces of debris from the hot cells is the next step
in accessing the floor and installing excavation equipment,” said Ben
Vannah, RL project engineer. “This work is very hazardous, and to
protect the workers, DOE funded the construction of a simulated hot cell
where workers can train and work out procedures for tackling these
hazards.”
Workers train at a non-radiological mockup that includes a replica of
the hot cell located directly above the highly-contaminated underground
waste. Soil remediation plans call for creating a hole in the floor of
the hot cell, excavating contaminated soil using remote-controlled
equipment, and mixing the soil with other materials prior to disposal.
“Our 324 mockup is an essential training location for our team to
practice using remote equipment in a non-radiological area and apply
lessons learned,” said Tammy Hobbes, CHPRC vice president of the 324
Building Disposition Project. “Our team includes dedicated and
well-trained personnel who continue to demonstrate they are ready for
the challenge.”
-Contributor: Jennifer Copeland
SRS Grouts Four Underground Storage Tanks Ahead of Schedule
SRS Grouts Four Underground Storage Tanks Ahead of Schedule
 |
An extended boom reaches over the tank farm to pour concrete into the underground storage tanks.
AIKEN, S.C. – A team of federal and contractor employees at the Savannah River Site (SRS) recently grouted four 30,000-gallon underground solvent storage tanks about five weeks ahead of schedule.
Located near the site’s H Canyon chemical
separation facility, the tanks once held hazardous and radioactive
waste. Unlike the liquid waste tanks at SRS, these contained a solvent
used to dissolve a solute and make a solution. This solvent can only be
managed and stored in a permitted facility.
Workers used a specialized camera designed by EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to verify the vessels were empty, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control approved the tanks for grouting.
“Grouting the tanks gets us closer to our goal of tank closure,” said
Wyatt Clark, senior vice president of Environmental Management
Operations for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s
management and operations contractor. “Benefits of closing the tanks
include lessening the risk to the environment and public, meeting the
RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) requirements, cost savings
related to manpower hours for daily inspections and required
maintenance, along with reducing the footprint of SRS facilities.”
Prior to filling the tanks with grout, a structural mechanical engineer
ensured the material would not cause a structural failure due to weight
and pressure.
SRNS used a specifically formulated grout developed by SRNL to fill the
tanks. The grout has been used in decommissioning of other nuclear and
radiological facilities at the site.
“I appreciate the collaboration between SRNS and SRNL and the work of
our employees to finish the grouting of these tanks quickly and safely,”
Clark said.
-Contributor: Lindsey MonBarren
Idaho Site Crews Find New Uses for Former Spent Nuclear Fuel Hot Cells
Idaho Site Crews Find New Uses for Former Spent Nuclear Fuel Hot Cells
 |
A
view of radioactively contaminated concrete debris found inside one of
27 containers being processed at the former spent nuclear fuel hot cells
at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – EM and its cleanup contractor at DOE’s Idaho Site
have repurposed former spent nuclear fuel hot cells to characterize and
segregate waste, eliminating the need to construct new buildings or
purchase equipment.
Fluor Idaho crews identified 27 containers with waste requiring
shielding and remote-handling equipment as they retrieved waste at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project
(AMWTP). They transferred those containers to the Idaho Nuclear
Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) hot cells for processing. The
hot cells had been used for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing until 1992.
“Using our existing hot cells with proven remote handled waste
characterization, treatment, and repackaging capabilities is a
tremendous benefit to the Department versus setting up a new process at
the AMWTP and dealing with the potential unknowns of this legacy waste,”
Fluor Idaho Operations Manager Steve Poling said.
To date, 16 of the containers — ranging in size from 55- and 85-gallon
drums to large boxes containing internal drums — have been processed.
Crews move the separated remote-handled waste to temporary storage at
INTEC and return the contact handled waste, which has lower
radioactivity than the remote handled waste, to AMWTP for processing,
certification, and eventual shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
Using the INTEC hot cells supports the Department’s commitment to the
state of Idaho to ship 65,000 cubic meters of above-ground waste at the
AMWTP to WIPP and other off-site disposal facilities.
-Contributor: Erik Simpson
West Valley Site Completes Second Phase of Vitrification Facility Demolition
West Valley Site Completes Second Phase of Vitrification Facility Demolition
Crews take the “first bite” of the Vitrification Facility during the second phase of demolition.
WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM
and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) recently
finished demolishing a heavily reinforced process cell and removed
thousands of pieces of equipment in the Vitrification Facility at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP).
“The CHBWV team continues to perform well in the safe execution of
this high hazard work evolution,” WVDP Director Bryan Bower said. “This
accomplishment allows the workforce to continue with the demolition of
the Vitrification Facility, another step forward in the ultimate closure
of the site.”
This latest work — the project’s second phase — began in November
2017. The process cell contained higher levels of radiological
contamination than the building exterior and aisle areas demolished in
the first phase.
“The CHBWV team is making great progress with the safe completion of
the second phase of this facility’s demolition,” CHBWV President and
General Manager Jeff Bradford said. “The Vitrification Facility
demolition is one of the project areas we were able to accelerate using
this year’s additional funding. This helps pave the way for Phase 3 work
activities and the eventual completion of this major milestone.”
Workers tear down a portion of the Vitrification Facility containing a process cell.
With
the second phase of the Vitrification Facility demolition project
complete, all that remains for removal is the south wall, shield doors,
small cranes, and minor equipment.
Using a variety of heavy equipment and specialized tools, workers
safely removed, processed, and shipped for disposal four 7,188 pound
in-cell coolers, six shield windows, and a 38,000-pound process crane.
In the third and final phase, crews will remove the 100-ton crane
maintenance room shield door, 60-ton transfer tunnel shield door, cranes
and equipment, and south wall. Completion of the Vitrification Facility
demolition is planned for later this year.
The facility was used to solidify 600,000 gallons of high-level liquid
radioactive waste from 1996 to 2002. This waste was generated from 1966
to 1972 during the reprocessing of spent fuel by Nuclear Fuel Services,
the former operator of the site.
-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere
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