RECOVERY OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM FROM THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO

In May of 2004, the Secretary of Energy announced plans for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI). The GTRI program was conceived to reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism by identifying, securing, removing, and/or facilitating disposition of vulnerable, high-risk nuclear and radiological materials that posed a threat to the security of the United States and the world. Although much of the focus has been on international facilities, there are several domestic locations that warrant attention. This paper will discuss the approach to identifying and resolving the technical challenges associated with the recovery of Special Nuclear Material from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY). The technical challenges included Nuclear Material Control and Accountability (NMC&A), Nuclear Criticality Safety, and Material Consolidation considerations, as well as the selection of an appropriate shipping container. Project management principles were utilized to clearly identify the project scope and to identify actions needed to reduce project risk. The project proved significant because there was no certified shipping container for the size and material type associated with a slightly activated fission plate at the facility. The options included: (1) request a regulatory exception on another shipping container in which the plate would fit; which would prove to be costly, timely and not a guaranteed outcome; or (2) cut the plate into several pieces so that it would fit into a certified shipping container. The successful conclusion of this project, with no radiological or safety incidents, was largely due to the excellent cooperation between the Federal Government, the University, and the BWXT Y-12 project team. This process could be used as a model for other one-of-a-kind special nuclear material recovery operations.