AUTOMATED DATA REVIEW AND REPORTING TO ACCELERATE TRU WASTE SHIPMENTS TO WIPP

Shipments of TRU waste from DOE sites to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) are determined by regulatory milestones (e.g., Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) Clean-up Agreement and Idaho Settlement Agreement) and contractual agreements with DOE. In trying to “re-engineer the pipeline” to accelerate shipments to WIPP, the Department of Energy, Carlsbad Field Office (DOE-CBFO) Characterization Team recognized that one of the primary reasons for the shortfall is the lack of comprehensive and timely data review and reporting. Recommendations, including standardized reporting formats, identification of minimum data management requirements, and data automation were proposed to reduce cost and accelerate data reporting while maintaining a high level of quality. To turn these recommendations into action, Canberra proposed a three prong approach: 1) expand the design functionality of the electronic Quality Assurance (QA) program, 2) expand the functionality of the Automatic Independent Technical Review (AITR) software and 3) create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to support the enhanced electronic QA Program (e-QA) and AITR. This solution for data automation via a secure VPN will: § standardize reporting to provide consistency for waste characterization and reporting throughout the DOE Complex, § decrease manpower requirements and improve reporting time through efficient automation, § improve the quality of the data, § provide a modular design for easier system modifications and/or add-ons, § maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, and § provide a secure operating network. This paper will outline the project, discuss the achievement of improved data quality, cost reductions and accelerated data management, and provide a description of the final system design.