Engineering topics

Miller, Michele

Publications and source records attributed to Miller, Michele.

10 records

DOE OSTI2019

Unforeseen Events Alter Stewardship Strategies at the Decommissioned BONUS Reactor in Puerto Rico - 19572

The decommissioned Boiling Nuclear Superheater (BONUS) reactor northwest of Rincon, Puerto Rico, was developed as a prototype nuclear power plant to investigate the feasibility of the integral boiling superheating concept. Through a combined effort of the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority (PRWRA), the reactor first achieved a controlled nuclear chain reaction in 1964 and remained operational until June 1968. It was the eighth nuclear reactor constructed in the world and one of only two boiling-water superheater reactors ever developed in the United States. Following its decommissioning in 1970, AEC, the predecessor to the US Department of Energy (DOE), and PRWRA, the predecessor to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), worked together post-closure to address the remaining residual contamination and safely open the facility to the public for science educational outreach. Presently, the DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) has long-term stewardship responsibilities for the reactor entombment, which includes periodic site inspections of the entombment system and oversight of the Radiological Protection Program (RPP) implemented by PREPA. PREPA has responsibility for conducting radiological measurements in accordance with the approved RPP for the facility, recordkeeping and reporting, and facility control and maintenance. The entombment system has a design life of 140 years; DOE has an obligation to ensure long-term protectiveness at the site for the next 90 years until the contact dose of the entombment system reaches background conditions. As part of the long-term protectiveness strategy, in September 2000, the BONUS reactor facility was renamed the Dr. Modesto Iriarte Technology Museum, and then in 2007, the facility was listed under the National Register of Historical Places. The museum contains numerous displays that recount the history of the BONUS site, as well as the development of electric power and nuclear energy, and receives approximately 100 visitor requests each year. The best long-term strategies need to be flexible and are subject to change. As such, the long-term maintenance responsibilities at the BONUS reactor facility were formerly documented in the 2010 Letter of Agreement between LM and PREPA to reaffirm the joint commitment of long-term protectiveness. This commitment did not waiver despite two devastating hurricanes in 2017, Irma and Maria, and the recent bankruptcy filing by the territory of Puerto Rico. To address the financial uncertainties facing PREPA, secure LM's commitment to long-term stewardship liabilities in the future, and offer a level of care similar to that at other LM sites, LM has offered several strategic opportunities to ensure the long-term sustainability of the site. Both LM and PREPA share a common and long-term stewardship commitment at the BONUS reactor facility, which includes ensuring protectiveness of the entombed radiological waste material. Protection of human health and the environment is at the forefront of the DOE mission, and the beneficial reuse of legacy sites continues to be a goal of the agency. The collaborative ability of both organizations to transform a Cold War-era facility such as a former nuclear reactor to an educational center embodies a unique ability to present local history while educating future generations on LM's mission to protect human health and the environment across the 92 sites it manages. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

Long-Term Stewardship Challenges at the Piqua, Ohio, Decommissioned Reactor Site - 19578

This paper describes the site history following the decommissioning of the Piqua, Ohio, Nuclear Power Facility to include key features of the 1968 contract and 1969 lease agreement with the City of Piqua still in effect today. Long-term stewardship challenges facing the US Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (LM) and the path to find long-term solutions that are in the best interest of all parties are described. Lastly, the applications of lessons learned to other LM legacy sites are also presented. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

Long-Term Stewardship Optimization for a Decommissioned Nuclear Reactor - 19579

The decommissioned Hallam Nuclear Power Facility (Hallam), located in Lancaster County, Nebraska, approximately 19 miles south of Lincoln, was developed as a prototype to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of a sodium-cooled, graphite-moderated nuclear reactor. As part of its Power Demonstration Program, the US Atomic Energy Commission (US AEC), a predecessor agency of the US Department of Energy (US DOE), operated the Hallam reactor from 1962 to 1964. The radiological surveillance of the Hallam site was established when the operating agreement between AEC and the Nebraska Public Power District was terminated. The US DOE Chicago Operations Office and the Nebraska Department of Health (NDH) agreed to install a shallow groundwater monitoring system as part of the environmental surveillance program. Surveillance at the site was scheduled to end in fiscal year 2005, with no further activities planned after that. At that time, the plan was to transition the site to the Nebraska Public Power District with future use of the facility to remain restricted. US DOE has title to and responsibility for the entombed radioactive materials. A surveillance and monitoring program was initiated in 1970 by NDH and was funded by US AEC. It included the analysis of samples from deep production wells (groundwater from the regional aquifer at depths greater than 55 meters [180 feet]) at the Sheldon Station. NDH was concerned in 1990 about the possibility of shallow groundwater coming in contact with the buried radiological materials along the buried walls of the reactor. Subsequently, DOE and NDH agreed to further characterize hydrologic conditions and establish a monitoring program in the shallow, perched groundwater zones. The current monitoring program focuses on the shallow, perched groundwater. Today, decades since facility decommissioning, site inspections and groundwater monitoring continue at this Cold War-era legacy site. The US DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) monitors groundwater as a best management practice in response to a request from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In 2006, LM recommended discontinuing groundwater monitoring because analytical results since 1970 demonstrated there had been no impact to shallow, perched groundwater and no current or anticipated unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. The State of Nebraska did not concur with the recommendation to stop monitoring but did agree to a reduction in sampling and analysis from once a year to once every 2 years--a schedule that began in 2008. An updated assessment of the groundwater monitoring effort was issued in 2016. The entire body of water-quality data continues to demonstrate that there have been no negative impacts to the shallow, perched groundwater from radioactive materials entombed at the site 46 years ago. LM, with concurrence from Nebraska DHHS, changed the sampling frequency, effective in 2018, as follows: once every 5 years from 2021 to 2041 and once every 10 years from 2041 to 2071. In summary, LM remains committed to its primary mission to protect human health and the environment at each of its 92 legacy sites. With results from groundwater sampling events demonstrating compliance for 48 years, the Hallam site was able to set an LM benchmark to optimize long-term stewardship and define an end-state strategy for other decommissioned reactor facilities across the DOE complex. Continued collaboration with local communities, stakeholder, and regulators often leads to outcomes of sound protectiveness without compromise to safety or compliance, as demonstrated by the optimization of the long-term stewardship at the Hallam site. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

Data Validation Package, June 2016 Groundwater Sampling at the Hallam, Nebraska, Decommissioned Reactor Site, August 2016

The 2008 Long-Term Surveillance Plan [LTSP] for the Decommissioned Hallam Nuclear Power Facility, Hallam, Nebraska (http://www.lm.doe.gov/Hallam/Documents.aspx) requires groundwater monitoring once every 2 years. Seventeen monitoring wells at the Hallam site were sampled during this event as specified in the plan. Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. Water levels were measured at all sampled wells and at two additional wells (6A and 6B) prior to the start of sampling. Additionally, water levels of each sampled well were measured at the beginning of sampling. See Attachment 2, Trip Report, for additional details. Sampling and analysis were conducted as specified in Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lm/downloads/sampling-and-analysis-plan-us-department- energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Gross alpha and gross beta are the only parameters that were detected at statistically significant concentrations. Time/concentration graphs of the gross alpha and gross beta data are included in Attachment 3, Data Presentation. The gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations observed are consistent with values previously observed and are attributed to naturally occurring radionuclides (e.g., uranium and uranium decay chain products) in the groundwater.

2016 Groundwater Sampling↗

DOE OSTI2016

2016 Inspection and Annual Site Status Report for the Site A/Plot M, Illinois, Decommissioned Reactor Site July 2016

The Site A/Plot M, Illinois, Decommissioned Reactor Site was inspected on May 17, 2016. The site, located within Cook County forest preserve that is open to the public, was found to be in good condition with one exception. Erosion on top of the grass-covered mound at Plot M continues to be a concern as presented in previous inspections. Ruts form in the soil on top of Plot M as a result of bike traffic using the open field as a pass thru between established bike trails within the forest preserve. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) who is contracted directly from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has filled in the ruts with top soil and reseeding remains an ongoing process. Reseeded areas from 2015 are progressing nicely. No cause for a follow-up inspection was identified. In 2015, ANL plugged and abandoned 8 of 25 monitoring wells (BH41, BH51, BH52, BH54, DH9, DH10, DH13, and DH17). The 17 groundwater monitoring wells remaining at the site were inspected to confirm that they were locked and in good condition. Preliminary environmental monitoring results for 2015 are provided in a draft report titled Surveillance of Site A and Plot M, Report for 2015, prepared by ANL. The report also contains results of an independent analysis conducted by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency on some of the samples collected by ANL in 2015. The draft report states that the results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the impact of radioactivity at Site A/Plot M is very low and does not endanger the health of those living in the area or visiting the site. The ANL monitoring report will be made available to the public on the DOE Office of Legacy Management public website when it is issued as final. A new county forest preserve campsite opened in 2015 at Bull Frog Lake, which is east of Plot M. Hiking trails connect Bull Frog Lake with Site A/Plot M. The site might receive more traffic from forest preserve visitors now that this new campsite is opened.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2016

2016 Annual Inspection and Radiological Survey Results for the Piqua, Ohio, Decommissioned Reactor Site, July 2016

This report presents the findings of the annual inspection and radiological survey of the Piqua, Ohio, Decommissioned Reactor Site (site). The decommissioned nuclear power demonstration facility was inspected and surveyed on April 15, 2016. The site, located on the east bank of the Great Miami River in Piqua, Ohio, was in fair physical condition. There is no requirement for a follow-up inspection, partly because City of Piqua (City) personnel participated in a March 2016 meeting to address reoccurring safety concerns. Radiological survey results from 104 locations revealed no removable contamination. One direct beta activity reading in a floor drain on the 56-foot level (1674 disintegrations per minute [dpm]/100 square centimeters [cm2]) exceeded the minimum detectable activity (MDA). Beta activity has been detected in the past at this floor drain. The reading was well below the action level of 5000 dpm/100 cm2.

2016 Piqua↗

DOE OSTI2016

Lessons Learned from FUSRAP - 16200

The US DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) is the long-term steward for 90 sites remediated under numerous regulatory regimes including the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) sites. In addition, LM holds considerable historical information, gathered in the 1970's, to determine site eligibility for remediation under FUSRAP. To date, 29 FUSRAP sites are in LM's inventory of sites for long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS and M), and 25 are with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for remediation or in the process of being transitioned to LM. It is forecasted that 13 FUSRAP sites will transfer from the USACE to LM over the next 10 years; however, the timing of the transfers is strongly dependent upon federal funding of the ongoing remedial actions. Historically, FUSRAP sites were generally cleaned up for unrestricted industrial use or remediated to the cleanup standards at that time, and their use remained unchanged. Today, these sites as well as the adjacent properties are now changing or envisioned to have changes in land use, typically from industrial to commercial or residential uses. The implication of land-use change affects DOE's LTS and M responsibility for the sites under LM stewardship as well as the planning for the additional sites scheduled to transition in time. Coinciding with land-use changes at or near FUSRAP sites is an increased community awareness of these sites. As property development increases near FUSRAP sites, the general public and interested stakeholders regularly inquire about the sufficiency of cleanups that impact their neighborhoods and communities. LM has used this experience to address a series of lessons learned to improve our program management in light of the changing conditions of our sites. We describe these lessons learned as (1) improved stakeholder relations, (2) enhanced LTS and M requirements for the sites, and (3) greater involvement in the transition process. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

Transition and Transfer of Remediated FUSRAP Sites from USACE to US DOE for Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance - 16209

The US Department of Energy (DOE) expects to receive the transfer of 10 FUSRAP Sites from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) over the next 10 years; however, the timing of the transfers is highly dependent upon federal funding of the ongoing remedial actions. When remediation for each site is complete and the 2-year operations and maintenance period has concluded, each site will transfer from USACE to DOE for long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS and M). US DOE's Office of Legacy Management (LM) will accept program responsibility for these sites and conduct LTS and M activities required to maintain protectiveness, preserve site-specific knowledge, and retain the cleanup and stewardship records while keeping stakeholders informed. Since the last FUSRAP site transfer occurred in 2007, LM in coordination with USACE intends to establish a transition process to promote the seamless transfer of sites from the time when the first record of decision is signed to the completion of FUSRAP activities. The approach to transfer active FUSRAP sites to completed sites status has been historically outlined in foundational documents such as the 1999 Memorandum of Understanding and supporting letters of agreement between the two agencies. As more complex FUSRAP sites are completed, this transition process will provide a model between the two agencies to communicate future long-term care liabilities. Ultimately, the FUSRAP transition process is structured to acquire and preserve site knowledge and information necessary for protecting the environment and public health. As of 2015, LM has transitioned and accepted programmatic responsibility for over 90 sites. From LM's perspective, successful transition of any site includes understanding the long-term environmental liabilities. LM uses site transition framework requirements from past transitions to develop site-specific transition plans. Site-specific transition plans are developed by LM in coordination with USACE and executed during the 2-year operations and maintenance period. An integrated project team of subject matter experts is assembled to address the conditions of the transitioning site; acquire a site records collection; evaluate site operations and final site conditions and associated risks; identify and contact stakeholders; and document the basis for site LTS and M requirements. While the majority of the transition activities are completed by LM, close coordination between US DOE LM and USACE throughout this process is essential for an effective and seamless transfer to assure that there is no lapse in site protectiveness. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

Lessons Learned from FUSRAP

The US DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) is the long-term steward for 90 sites remediated under numerous regulatory regimes including the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) sites. In addition, LM holds considerable historical information, gathered in the 1970s, to determine site eligibility for remediation under FUSRAP. To date, 29 FUSRAP sites are in LM’s inventory of sites for long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS&M), and 25 are with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for remediation or in the process of being transitioned to LM. It is forecasted that 13 FUSRAP sites will transfer from the USACE to LM over the next 10 years; however, the timing of the transfers is strongly dependent upon federal funding of the ongoing remedial actions. Historically, FUSRAP sites were generally cleaned up for “unrestricted” industrial use or remediated to the “cleanup standards” at that time, and their use remained unchanged. Today, these sites as well as the adjacent properties are now changing or envisioned to have changes in land use, typically from industrial to commercial or residential uses. The implication of land-use change affects DOE’s LTS&M responsibility for the sites under LM stewardship as well as the planning for the additional sites scheduled to transition in time. Coinciding with land-use changes at or near FUSRAP sites is an increased community awareness of these sites. As property development increases near FUSRAP sites, the general public and interested stakeholders regularly inquire about the sufficiency of cleanups that impact their neighborhoods and communities. LM has used this experience to address a series of lessons learned to improve our program management in light of the changing conditions of our sites. We describe these lessons learned as (1) improved stakeholder relations, (2) enhanced LTS&M requirements for the sites, and (3) greater involvement in the transition process.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

Transition and Transfer of Remediated Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Sites from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

The US Department of Energy (DOE) expects to receive the transfer of 10 FUSRAP Sites from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) over the next 10 years; however, the timing of the transfers is highly dependent upon federal funding of the ongoing remedial actions. When remediation for each site is complete and the 2-year operations and maintenance period has concluded, each site will transfer from USACE to DOE for long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS&M). US DOE’s Office of Legacy Management (LM) will accept program responsibility for these sites and conduct LTS&M activities required to maintain protectiveness, preserve site-specific knowledge, and retain the cleanup and stewardship records while keeping stakeholders informed. Since the last FUSRAP site transfer occurred in 2007, LM in coordination with USACE intends to establish a transition process to promote the seamless transfer of sites from the time when the first record of decision is signed to the completion of FUSRAP activities. The approach to transfer active FUSRAP sites to completed sites status has been historically outlined in foundational documents such as the 1999 Memorandum of Understanding and supporting letters of agreement between the two agencies. As more complex FUSRAP sites are completed, this transition process will provide a model between the two agencies to communicate future long-term care liabilities. Ultimately, the FUSRAP transition process is structured to acquire and preserve site knowledge and information necessary for protecting the environment and public health. As of 2015, LM has transitioned and accepted programmatic responsibility for over 90 sites. From LM’s perspective, successful transition of any site includes understanding the long-term environmental liabilities. LM uses site transition framework requirements from past transitions to develop site-specific transition plans. Site-specific transition plans are developed by LM in coordination with USACE and executed during the 2-year operations and maintenance period. An integrated project team of subject matter experts is assembled to address the conditions of the transitioning site; acquire a site records collection; evaluate site operations and final site conditions and associated risks; identify and contact stakeholders; and document the basis for site LTS&M requirements. While the majority of the transition activities are completed by LM, close coordination between US DOE LM and USACE throughout this process is essential for an effective and seamless transfer to assure that there is no lapse in site protectiveness.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗