Legacy Uranium Material Disposition Methods and Challenges at Y-12

The Y-12 National Security Complex is working to disposition legacy uranium materials which have been stored at Y-12 for over 25 years. The uranium materials have been stored in a Type B shipping container of which the certification expired in the early 1990’s and was not extended. In order to disposition the material, Y-12 has reviewed several alternatives to determine which was the most cost effective and prudent method for handling, processing, and re-packaging the legacy uranium materials. Three proposed options presented challenges for moving, processing, and re- packaging the uranium materials for future off-site shipment to the end user. The three options for the disposition of the materials consisted of (1) Shipping the materials in the previously certified shipping container to the off-site end user by requesting a one-time exemption for shipping; (2) Designing and installing equipment at Y-12 in the storage facility for handling, processing, and re-packaging the uranium materials in a currently approved shipping container for off-site shipment to the end user; and (3) transporting the materials to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for processing and re-packaging in an existing approved facility at ORNL. In the summer of 2013, after extensive reviews the selected option was chosen based on cost savings, less implementation issues, and better opportunity for meeting completion milestone dates in FY2015. The disposition and future off-site shipment of the legacy uranium materials will provide closure to a long term storage issue in the current storage facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex.