Safety Basis Development for the Tank Closure Cesium Removal (TCCR) Demonstration - 19596
The Tank Closure Cesium Removal (TCCR) system has been installed at Savannah River Site (SRS) to supplement the existing salt waste treatment facilities. The TCCR system is intended to demonstrate the capability of ion exchange (IX) technology to remove Cs-137 from high level liquid waste. Separation is performed by Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST) IX media. The media is stored in shielded columns within a small enclosure. Following processing in the TCCR system, decontaminated waste can receive further treatment and be dispositioned at other SRS facilities. The Cesium-laden columns will instead be removed from the enclosure and transported to another location on site for interim storage. Developing the safety basis for the TCCR system and integrating it into the documented safety analysis for existing facilities presented a unique challenge. Most notably, utilizing new methodologies to analyze new hazards resulted in unexpectedly high consequences. The TCCR system therefore required more rigorous controls than had initially been anticipated. However, the integrated control set developed for the TCCR system should have little impact on its operating capabilities and will allow it to begin operating in 2019. This may lay the foundations for future utilization of similar systems at SRS and across the Department of Energy complex. (author)