EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a regular summary
of operations at DOE’s Idaho Site. It has been compiled
in response to a request from stakeholders for more
information on health, safety and environmental
incidents at DOE facilities in Idaho. It also includes a
brief summary of accomplishments at the laboratory. The
report is broken down by contractor:
Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP),
Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP)
and
Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This summary will
be sent to everyone on INL’s regular news release
distribution list every other week. To be added to this
distribution list, please call Brad Bugger at (208)
526-0833.
Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project
May 12: A review of electronic sample results showed that
subcontractor employees and one AMWTP employee exceeded the
AMWTP occupational exposure limit for respirable quartz.
The exposure occurred during jack hammering a concrete floor
as part of construction activities at an AMWTP facility.
Notifications were made to the subcontractor and the AMWTP
employee, and a corrective action plan is being developed to
prevent a reoccurrence. (EM-ID-BBWI-AMWTF-2009-0007).
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Transuranic waste is retrieved from storage
prior to shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot
Plant in New Mexico for disposal. |
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Operational Summary
Waste Shipments: Through May 23, 2009, a total of 27,967 cubic
meters of stored transuranic waste, 85.37 cubic meters of
remote-handled transuranic waste, and 832 cubic meters of
previously-buried transuranic waste have been shipped from
Idaho to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico for disposal.
Idaho Cleanup Project
No incidents to report.
Operational Summary
Soil Cleanup: The Department of Energy has released for
public review and comment its plan for a small-scale soil
cleanup at the Test Area North complex. The cleanup was moved
forward as the result of the availability of stimulus funding.
The preferred alternative is to dig up “hot spots” containing
radiological and chemical contamination, and implementing institutional
controls until the remaining contamination decays to background levels.
Public comment will be taken through June 21, 2009.
Idaho National Laboratory
No incidents to report.
Operational Summary
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Highly-enriched fuel is loaded into a
cask in Kazakhstan prior to being
shipped back to Russia as part of
non-proliferation efforts. |
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Non-Proliferation Success: The Idaho National Laboratory
played a key role in the successful removal of almost 74 kilograms
of Russian-origin highly enriched uranium spent nuclear fuel from
Kazakhstan and its return to a secure Russian facility. An INL
employee assigned to the Office of Global Threat Reduction coordinated
the necessary government agreements and contracts to support the
shipments. The return of the fuel ensures the highly-enriched uranium
will not be diverted for use in weapons programs.
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