Current DOE Efforts in Nuclear Materials Management

Patrice M. Bubar

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary,

Office of Integration and Disposition (EM-20)

National Governors Association

April 2001

Topics

• “At-risk” nuclear materials

• EM efforts to identify and plan for disposition of surplus nuclear materials

• DOE corporate nuclear materials stewardship initiatives

• Current EM nuclear materials stewardship efforts

“At-Risk” Nuclear Materials

• DNFSB Recommendation 00-1/94-1, Remediation of Nuclear Materials at the Defense Nuclear Facilities Complex

• DNFSB Recommendation 97-1, Safe Storage of Uranium-233

Materials Stabilization Status• All plutonium in contact with plastic has been

repackaged; solution and residue drums have been vented pending stabilization or repackaging Mitigated risk of hydrogen explosion

• Over 90% of all plutonium solutions have been stabilized to a solid form

• Over 50% of plutonium residues have been stabilized and repackaged

• All highly-enriched uranium solids have been stabilized

• All SNF at Idaho is in the process of being moved to improved storage

• Scope of Recommendation 97-1 (issued 05/97) concerns safe storage of Department’s 233U inventory

• Inventory is primarily at ORNL and INEEL (~400kg each) with minor amounts at other sites

• 233U is a legacy material from past nuclear development programs and presence of certain decay isotopes in the inventory creates a radiological hazard which makes handling difficult

• It is weapons usable but its promise was primarily as a reactor fuel

DNFSB Recommendation 97-1

DNFSB Recommendation 97-1Implementation Status

• Department completed all commitments at LANL, INEEL and in process of consolidate small holdings

• Major issue concerns integrity of 233U packages in storage at ORNL

• Department’s plan is to begin package sample inspection program in late summer of FY01; remote handling system for packages to be used

• Department considering making 233U inventory available for commercial processing of beneficial isotopes– would disposition inventory and resolve storage problems at ORNL

– provide greater supply of much needed isotopes to medical community for cancer research an potential treatment

NUCLEAR MATERIALS DISPOSITION

National Security Materials

Non-National SecurityProgrammatic Materials

Nuclear Materials Inventory Assessment

Surplus Materials

Nuclear Materials

StewardshipProgram

NationalTRU

Program

LLWProgram

NSNFP

MD(NN-60)

WIPP

LLWDisposal Sites

Geologic Repository

Characterization/Inventory/Disposition Planning

Disposition/InterfaceManagement

Disposal

NationalResource

EM Nuclear MaterialDisposition Path Analysis

Materials # of Paths Green TBD Yellow Red Not Assessed

• Am-241 13 4 7 2 0 0• Np-237/Pu-238 43 2 29 4 8 0• Pu-239 101 9 21 14 56 1• Pu-242 13 6 3 0 4 0• HEU 157 129 1 20 2 5• U-233 29 0 29 0 0 0• Th-232 37 1 35 0 0 1• emitters * 47 20 24 3 0 0• Sealed Sources 222 100 55 67 0 0• DU 139 5 130 0 0 4• LEU 113 7 103 2 0 1• NU 70 4 66 0 0 0• Heavy Isotopes 27 5 12 _ 0 10 0

1011 292 515 112 80 12

* Includes Cs/Sr

NMI PROJECT (1998) IDENTIFIED AND ASSESSED 1011 DISPOSITION PATHS

Rocky Flats Nuclear Materials Disposition Map - Page 4 of 5

INEEL OR Fernald RFETS SNL SRS NTS Hanford WIPPKEY: Unknown IntersiteInterface:

EM WasteTransfer:

Material Category

ProgrammaticInterface:

Commercial LANL West Valley Other Rev. 03/15/99

PREDECISIONAL DRAFT - DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

PREDECISIONAL DRAFTThis map is conceptual and in many cases does not represent clean up for transfer decisions; this map does not preclude the ongoing regulatory and stakeholder decision-making processes.

DispositionProcessing

Samples, Standards,and Technical

Materials

Pu-238

Samples, Standardsand Technical

Materials

Np-237

RF-TRU-16B

RF-TRU-16A

StorageInactive

Np237 and Pu238

Scrub AlloyRF-TRU-12

RF-TRU-10 Metal

Packageto 3013 Std

RF-TRU-11a-c

Oxide

StabilizeF-Area

RF-TRU-10A Low Assay Metal

Packageto ship

RF-TRU-10B Pu/Eu Metal

RF-TRU-13 PitsInspect

Repackage

RF-TRU-07Sand, Slag & Crucible

& PuF4Stabilize

(as required)

LANL

SRS

StorageK-Area

LANL

RF-TRU-08 Rich SolutionsStabilize

Calcine

Ship to Pantex

SRSRF-TRU-10C Classified Metal Stabilize

Size Reduce

RF-TRU-01DCHP Salts

(IDC-417)

StabilizePyro-oxidize(as required) Stablize

AqueousProcess

StabilizeHydride/

Dehydride

MD

LLNLProgrammatic

Use, MD Demo

MD

69 items116 kg

101 items

103 items

1091 items

389 items

2762 items

276 items

1370 items3825 kg

Packageto ship

94-1

94-1

94-1

94-1

94-1

94-1

94-1

94-1

94-1

94-1

Packageto ship

RF-TRU-11d IAEA Oxide 585 items Packageto 3013 Std

94-1

Pu239

TBD

StorageAPSF

SRS

515TBD

112 Yellow

80Red

292Green

Highlights of Activities to Focus on Identifying Disposition Paths for Nuclear Materials

• Performed Options Analysis and Trade Studies for High Return

Nuclear Materials

• Assisting Individual Sites with Analysis of “TBD” Material Streams

• Made Decisions on 3 Major Categories of Materials– 233U oxides, metals, and fluorides at Oak Ridge

– Mark 18 A Targets at Savannah River

– Am/Cm tank solutions at Savannah River

3 Recent Decisions on Nuclear Materials - 233U, Mark 18A targets, and Am/Cm solutions -

all considered as potential “National Resources”

• 233U at OR - decision was made to make available to private sector, via a current draft Request-for-Proposals, to extract 229Th decay daughter for use in medical research/cancer therapy

• Mark 18A Targets at SR contain 244Pu and other heavy isotopes - decision was made keep for several years while DOE programs (esp. Office of Security and Emergency Operations & Office of Nonproliferation and National Security) seek $ to extract 244Pu

• 241Am/244Cm in tank 17.1 solutions at SR - recovery for reuse/commercial sales not deemed economical; will proceed to vitrify and dispose unless a viable use is identified in near term

Tackle High-Return Nuclear Materials

Perform Options Analysis:• Pu Storage Study (11/00)

• SRS Canyon Materials Identification Study (2/01)

• Off-Spec HEU Study

• Classified Parts Disposition *

• “Special Item” Disposition

• DU/NU/LEU Trade Study *

• Cs-137/Sr-90 Trade Study

* = discussed next in greater detail

Classified Parts Disposition

• Complex-wide Inventory of Classified Parts Completed

• Disposition Options Identified. Options Include– Sanitization with Disposal as TRU waste

– Disposal as Classified TRU waste

• Rocky Flats has a Critical Need to Disposition their Classified Waste. No centralized or on-site sanitization capability exists.

• DOE is Exploring Disposal of Rocky Flats Classified Waste at WIPP

DU/NU/LEU Trade Study

• Complex-wide Assessment of Inventory shows ~300 TBDs

• Study Considers Disposition Options:– Relatively Pure Material can be kept for future blending/reuse

– Contaminated Material is too costly to process and cheaper to dispose of

• Study Considers Relative Costs for Storage, Reuse, or Direct Discard

• Likely Result is a set of “Threshold for Discard” Criteria– based on future uses

– to be used by programmatic owners to make informed decisions about disposition pathways for their materials

• Draft Trade Study is being finalized

“TBD” Analysis and Support

• Provide recommendations to Fernald and Rocky Flats on disposition paths for “TBDs”

• Providing assistance to Richland and INEEL in FY01 on TBDs

• Performed analysis with recommendation for off-site storage location for uranium from Fernald & Hanford to Portsmouth

• Assisted Mound with de-inventorying all surplus nuclear materials

Continued Activities in FY01

• Consider use of Nuclear Materials Management Groups– Pu

– U

– Heavy (i.e., transplutonium) Isotopes

– Nonactinide Isotopes and Sealed Sources

• Ensure Packaging and Transportation Infrastructure Exists to Transport Nuclear Materials

• Continue Interfaces with other DOE Programs

Backup Slides

Assisted Mound to COMPLETELY de-inventory major holdings of surplus nuclear material in October 2000

Assistance to Fernald includes – technology development automation to facilitate U repackaging, and– consolidation of some U to Portsmouth for storage– recommendations to resolve remaining TBD’s

Assistance to Rocky Flats includes:– classified parts disposition– disposition of sealed sources– recommendations to resolve remaining TBD’s

Deinventory of Closure Sites (Mound, Fernald, Rocky Flats)

Uranium from Fernald in safe storage at Portsmouth

Chemically reactive plutonium scrap/residues in PFP gloveboxes at Hanford are hazardous

to workers and must be inspected daily.

(SRS) Can containing plutonium metal button showing oxide produced during storage; Metal remaining after removal from can

Plastic bottles with plutonium solutions in Building 771 gloveboxes at Rocky

Flats

Corroding MK-31 targetsat Savannah River, stabilizedunder DNFSB 94-1 in 1997.

3013 Container

U Materials at FernaldUp to 1000 metric tons of uranium at Fernald will

require processing to dispose as low level waste.

Tubes

Flat BilletsCrucible Charge

Slag

Fines

Large Rods

Thin Rods

Billet In Water

Hanford Material ProjectT-Hoppers• ~ 700 MTU

• Average enrichment 0.84%

• UO3 Powder

Uranium Billets• ~ 200 MTU

• Enrichment 0.20 - 1.25%

• Metal

Fuel Assemblies• ~ 800 MTU

• Enrichment 0.71 - 1.25%

• Finished/Unfinished/Clad Metal

Stable materials being moved from Hanford to Portsmouth by the Uranium Management Group with coordination

from EM-20.

Integrated Nuclear Materials Management Plan Action Categories

1 Nuclear Materials Stewardship Infrastructure. Sustain Nuclear Materials Stewardship processes, capabilities, and decision-making infrastructure.

2 Integrated Planning for Facilities and Infrastructure. Develop integrated strategy and plan for modernizing nuclear materials complex.

3 Budgeting and Financial Accounting. Build a budget and financial accounting system to facilitate corporate nuclear materials management budgeting and decision making

Integrated Nuclear Materials Management Plan Action Categories

4 Excess Nuclear Materials Disposition. Complete disposition decisions for excess nuclear materials.

5 Research and Development Coordination. Identify and implement opportunities for nuclear materials technology information exchanges and R&D coordination.

6 Information Management System Reengineering. Undertake corporate nuclear materials information management system reengineering and process improvements.

7 Transportation and Packaging Process Improvements. Secure transportation and packaging integration and process improvement opportunities.

Recommendation 2000-1• Board’s Recommendation issued January 14, 2000

• Re-emphasized the remaining 94-1 stabilization actions

• Department’s Implementation Plan issued June 8, 2000; addressed the nine technical sub-recommendations from 2000-1 related to stabilization

• Revision 1 of 2000-1 Implementation Plan issued January 19, 2001; incorporated several individual milestone changes as well as a new baseline for LANL stabilization

DNFSB Recommendation 97-1Recent Developments

• Secretarial public commitment to ensure availability of 233U material for cancer treatment clinical trials (6/00)

• ORNL EOI (6/00)

• DOE Decision to issue RFP at ORNL(9/00)

• Draft RFP issued for ORNL Inventory (1/01); comments are being evaluated

• INEEL began trade studies to examine and validate potential beneficial uses of 233U and infrastructure to support prospective uses

EM•Policy

•Cross-ProgramIssues

AL

•Technology

•Transportation

•NISS MG

SR

•Facility

•Data

•Pu MG

ID

•Integration

Support

OR

•U MG

•HI MG

EM Nuclear Materials Stewardship Program

Participants:

Phases of Surplus Nuclear Materials Disposition

Define ProblemIdentify Issues

Inventory Nuclear Materials

Resolve Policy Issues

Develop Tools to Assist Sites

Tackle High-Return Nuclear Materials

Implementation

Achievements of the 1997-99 “Nuclear Materials Initiative” Project

• “Material Evaluation Teams” were formed to identify inventories and develop disposition plans for ...– transuranics (plutonium and heavy isotopes)– uranium– non-actinide isotopes and sealed sources

These teams canvassed DOE sites

• Products :– Draft “Material Management Plans” = summary reports of teams– Inventory of Nuclear Materials by Sites– >1,000 Disposition Maps for Surplus Nuclear Materials Streams

• These maps are (unclassified) HQ rep’n of disposition plans

• & a major decision support tool - example shown next

– Identified some ways to resolve “TBDs” shown on maps

Motivation for Corporate Action

• 8 programs with divergent objectives manage nuclear materials at or through 36 locations

• Deinventory and close high mortgage, low value facilities to facilitate infrastructure modernization

• Improve reporting accuracy and completeness of nuclear materials inventory data

• Avoid premature shutdown of facilities required to disposition excess nuclear materials

• Need to save valuable or unique materials or dispose of surplus materials that are expensive to maintain

• Improve cross-program cooperation• Be responsive to external oversight [e.g., DNFSB 94-1 &

97-1; Congress]

FY00 Accomplishments

• Developed two DOE Storage Standards – DOE-STD-3013 - for surplus Pu materials packaged and stored

in a “3013” can - this standard jointly developed and owned by DP/MD/EM

– DOE-STD-3028 - long-term storage standard for 233U

• Assistance to Closure Sites (Mound, Fernald, Rocky Flats) on specific TBD issues.

• Report on Consolidated Storage Options for Surplus Non-Pit 239Pu – which sites ship just-in-time to MD/SR, which ship in advance

• Contributions to other corporate (NMSI) and EM initiatives – NMSI-SIM business case for data

Planned Plutonium Flow

CanisterDWPF

K AreaStorage

3000

MOXFacility

PANTEX CommercialReactors

RFETS

OTHER

LANL

LLNL Immobilization

Facility

3013Storage

306

235-FStoragePuSPS

664

Pit DisassemblyPu Conversion

PITStor.1000

OxideStor.1000

OxideStorage

2000

High-LevelWaste

RepositorySRS

PantexUpgradedStorage

HANFORD

staging of residues&classified metal

[result of Plutonium Storage Study]

Major Challenges with Sites and Other Programs

• Improve coordination with EM program offices and sites to plan and facilitate implementation of nuclear material disposition

• Interface with NN for disposition of weapons-usable nuclear materials

• Interface with RW to dispose of DOE spent fuel/ “orphans”, decide on transport system, and integrate repository receipt schedule

• Interface with DP on transfer of surplus nuclear materials and responding to DNFSB Recommendations (00-1/94-1, 97-1 & 97-2)

• Interface with NE on 233U procurement at ORNL (97-1), National Resource related issues

• Support corporate level “Nuclear Materials Stewardship Initiatives”– Determine cost/benefit of Nuclear Material Management Groups

– Decide on discard criteria for DU/NU & LEU

• Integrate site SNF stabilization activities to share lessons learned, improve efficiency, and prepare DOE SNF for repository

Pu Dispositioning via Can-In-Canister Immobilization

Can of Pu-Ceramic Pucks

• ~ 20 in. high by 3 in. OD

• 20 pucks per can

• 1.02 kg Pu per can

Glass

• “17” MT case: 635 (77 extra)

• “50” MT case: 1744 (210 extra)

No. of Pu Can-in-Cansiter Forms

Ceramic Form

• Titanate mineral phases

• Fraction of key elements:10 wt% Pu (~ 50 g)

20 wt% U

Pu/Hf ~ 1; Pu/Gd ~ 1

Puck Dimensions:~2.6 in D x 1 in H

• Primary phase is pyrochlor: A B (Ti2O7) where

A = Ca & Gd; B = Pu, U, & Hf