The Department of Energy is downblending surplus plutonium for disposal as transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, with a process also known as “dilute and dispose”. After selected materials were previously disposed from Rocky Flats and Hanford, a modified form of this process was selected as the preferred alternative for disposition, in the K-Area Complex, of up to 6 metric tons of plutonium materials at, or to be received by, Savannah River Site. Additional surplus plutonium is likely to be added to the plan. Mitigation of dose to operators is a significant factor in equipment design (including selected automation) and operations and impacts can vary for different locations in the storage, processing, and disposal program. Radiation measurements were made for all primary and secondary storage containers at the time when the contents were stabilized and packaged, therefore dose potential can be estimated for both typical and unusual feed containers. For the disposition plutonium, dose potential depends heavily on the presence of beryllium or elevated levels of americium, but has less dependence on other impurities or on process history categories. Fewer than 5 percent of other containers show significantly higher dose potential, and these containers can be managed effectively because radiation data identify which items are of concern.
Year
2020
Abstract