The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Facility (Figure A-1) is comprised of several buildings and is located in the 200 West Area. It occupies approximately 23 hectares (58 acres). The Facility is separated from the rest of the 200 West Area by a double-fenced security enclosure. Personnel having duties and responsibilities associated with the operation of the PFP Facility have security clearances for access to the protected area.
Historically, the PFP Facility was used to conduct diversified plutonium processing, storage, and support operations. Those operations included:
All operations related to the recovery and conversion of plutonium for national defense needs were stopped in 1989.
This appendix provides summary information on the PFP Facility, buildings, operation, design features, and waste management. All information, unless otherwise indicated, was taken from the PFP Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR)(WHC, 1995). Recent changes in the PFP Facility are not reflected in this FSAR. These changes would not affect impact analyses.
The following subsections contain brief descriptions of the principal buildings comprising the PFP Facility. The focus of the descriptions is on those buildings that contain plutonium to be stabilized under the proposed alternatives. The descriptions also cover the facilities that are to be used for various stabilization options as well as any auxiliary facilities. Table A-1 lists the major facilities and provides a brief description of each.
The 234-5Z Building (also referred to as the Dash 5 Building) houses the Remote Mechanical A (RMA) and Remote Mechanical C (RMC) plutonium processing lines, an engineering laboratory, development laboratory, and major service and support facilities. The 234-5Z Building also contains plutonium storage and staging areas. These areas were used for interim storage of plutonium pending processing.
|
Building# |
Description |
|
232-Z |
Contaminated waste recovery process (Incinerator) |
|
234-5Z |
Plutonium Conversion Facility contains RMC and RMA Lines |
|
236-Z |
Plutonium Reclamation Facility |
|
241-Z |
Liquid waste collection tanks in underground vault(s) |
|
242-Z |
Waste Treatment and Americium Facility |
|
291-Z |
Exhaust Fan House, Exhaust Air Stack Building, and Compressor and Fan House |
|
291-Z-1 |
A stack 61 m high, 5 m inside diameter at the bottom, and 4 m inside diameter at the top |
|
296-Z-3 |
A stack 7.6 m high, which ventilates the 241-Z Building |
|
296-Z-5 |
An 86-cm diameter, stainless steel stack at 8.4 m above grade, that ventilates the 2736-Z Building |
|
296-Z-6 |
A 91 cm diameter, stainless steel stack at 4.5 m above grade, that ventilates the 2736-Z Building |
|
2736-Z |
Vault for storage of special nuclear material |
|
2736-ZA |
Houses an emergency diesel generator to power exhaust ventilation equipment and houses the exhaust fans and filters |
|
2736-ZB |
Shipping and receiving operations |
Source: WHC, 1995
The 234-5Z Building was constructed with noncombustible materials and contains a first floor, duct level, second floor, and roof level. The 234-5Z basement consists mostly of pipe tunnels carrying drain piping to sumps.
The first floor houses the two plutonium processing lines (RMA and RMC Lines) and their control rooms; plutonium scrap stabilization gloveboxes; plutonium storage vaults; the plutonium nitrate feed, blending and storage facilities; the engineering laboratory and development laboratory; the instrument maintenance shops; the building maintenance shops; locker rooms with change facilities and restrooms; and office spaces. The duct level contains most of the service piping, ventilation ducts, and some filterboxes.
The lunchroom, conference room, materials storage room, chemical feed preparation and aqueous make-up rooms, locker rooms with change facilities and restrooms, and office spaces are on the second floor. Also located on the second floor are exhaust air ductwork, including filterboxes and filter rooms, and the fan room. The fan room, located on the northwestern corner of the second floor, houses the ventilation supply fans, the steam inlet and distribution system, air dryers, the distilled water still, air chilling units, and the Vent and Balance Control Room.
The RMC Line was used to produce metallic plutonium from purified plutonium nitrate solution produced at the Plutonium Reclamation Facility (PRF) or from the Plutonium Uranium Extraction Facility (PUREX). It comprises 20 gloveboxes and a control room. Processing equipment is contained in gloveboxes constructed of stainless steel frames and floors, and clear plastic panels on the sides and top. The large, transparent panels provide good visibility for personnel working at the gloveboxes and for viewing from the control room. Spotlights and closed circuit television are provided to aid in viewing. The panels are penetrated by gloveports, entry ports, entry seals, solution transfer lines, and instrument and electrical connectors. Thick panels, water walls, lead-glass, and lead-filled gloves provide neutron- and gamma-ray shielding from the gloveboxes. The control room is shielded by concrete, steel water walls, and water-filled viewing windows.
The shutdown RMA Line, which produced plutonium oxide powder, is located to the north of the RMC Line. The equipment in the RMA Line is similar to that for the RMC Line.
Two annexes were built off the main 234-5Z Building. The West Annex is a concrete structure with sheet metal covering. This annex was built to store special nuclear material. The South Annex is a concrete structure that was added to 234-5Z to provide development laboratory office space.
The 236-Z Building houses the PRF. The building is a four-story structure, surmounted by a two-story penthouse. Its outstanding internal structural feature is a single process equipment cell located near the center of the building.
The PRF was capable of producing a high-purity plutonium nitrate solution from a variety of feed sources, including scrap, by means of continuous solvent extraction process equipment located in the process cell. The product was used as feed to the 234-5Z Building process lines for conversion to plutonium metal. PRF processes, equipment, and services include miscellaneous treatment, slag and crucible dissolution, filtrate concentration, feed preparation, plutonium solvent extraction, product concentration, and waste treatment processes. Central control activities were carried out by operating personnel located on the fourth floor.
The process cell has a 0.60 meter (m) (2 feet [ft]) thick concrete wall between the cell and "access" gloveboxes. "Access" gloveboxes are stainless steel paneled gloveboxes containing glass viewing windows and Hypalon hood gloves. The gloveboxes are located on both sides of the cell on the first two floors and contain process piping, pumps, valves, flowmeters, and other equipment that most frequently require maintenance.
The cell floor is covered with a stainless steel liner extending 45 centimeters (cm) (18 inches [in]) up the side wall. The remaining cell wall and ceiling surfaces are covered with chemical-resistant coatings. Water-filled viewing windows on the third floor have adjacent remote control stations for the cell crane.
A remotely operated overhead crane in the process cell can be used to remove or replace process equipment. Process equipment is fabricated as part of an assembly. The assembly contains supporting equipment, safety bars, and tapered plugs. The plugs fit into the 0.60 m (2 ft) thick concrete wall; the safety bars prevent accidental moving of the tanks. All piping (process, electrical, and instrument) is routed through the plugs. Disconnecting all necessary fittings in the gloved hoods permits removal of equipment. Equipment can be moved by the crane to a special maintenance station at the north end of the process cell. This maintenance area is shielded from the rest of the cell by a 25 cm (10 in) concrete wall. The maintenance station is equipped with a lead-covered stainless steel hood panel and leaded glass windows.
A cluster of five gloveboxes contain the miscellaneous treatment process. The miscellaneous treatment process serves as a small-scale process for recovering plutonium from scrap. Primary equipment includes dissolver pots, hot plates, centrifuges, condensers, and furnaces. Capabilities include receiving and inspection, acid leaching and dissolution, electrolytic dissolution, and distillation and burning of plutonium-bearing organics. Nonleachable solids are also separated and cemented.
Maintenance shop facilities are located on the service (east) side of the building on the ground floor. The second floor of the service side was used as a maintenance glovebox and for ventilation exhaust filters. Building service equipment and electrical switch gear are on the third floor of the service area. The fourth floor was used for chemical preparation and the miscellaneous treatment processes and contains an operating control room, slag and crucible dissolver equipment, and a column room. The column room contains vertical sections of two liquid-liquid extraction columns penetrating the room from above and below. These columns are housed in a glovebox.
The 241-Z Building is designated as the Waste Treatment Facility. The Facility is used for intermediate storage and neutralization of aqueous wastes. After neutralization, the wastes are pumped to the 200 Area Tank Farms. The building is a buried structure (vault) built of reinforced concrete, with a sheet metal enclosure over the top housing a hoist for removing cell covers.
The building has five separate enclosures or ventilated cells, each containing a tank with a 16,000 liters (l) (4,200 gallons [gal]) working volume used to collect radioactive liquid wastes.
At the southwest corner of the 241-Z vault deck is the equipment for the 241-Z vessel vent and vault ventilation system. The stainless steel 296-Z-3 stack and its associated fans, filters, and controls are also located here on a 4 m (14 ft) by 5 m (18 ft) concrete pad. The stack is a 36 cm (14 in) diameter stainless steel stack standing 7.6 m (25 ft) above grade.
The 291-Z Building contains equipment for the main exhaust ventilation system at the PFP Facility. The building is also known as the Exhaust Fan House, Exhaust Air Stack Building, and the Compressor and Fan House. The 291-Z Building contains seven electric exhaust fans and two steam turbine fans which service Buildings 234-5Z, 236-Z, and 242-Z. The building also contains compressors for process air, instrument air, and breathing air, the process vacuum system, and the air sampling vacuum system vacuum, plus a separate exhaust system for removing heat from the 291-Z Building itself.
The PFP main stack (291-Z-1) exhausts filtered process and ventilation air from gloveboxes and hoods in Buildings 234-5Z, 236-Z, and 242-Z, and those rooms which have a potential for contamination.
The 2736-Z Building consists of four vaults for the storage of special nuclear material, divided by a corridor running the width of the building. Each storage vault is approximately 8.5 by 8.5 m (28 by 28 ft) in size. Vaults 1, 3, and 4 contain storage cubicles while Vault 2 has steel shelves and open floor storage.
Vault 1 cubicles are constructed of precast concrete panels, 20 cm (8 in) thick. Each cubicle has a cross-sectional area 0.3 by 0.6 m (1 by 2 ft) and is approximately 2.4 m (8 ft) tall. There are 68 of these cubicles. The doors of each cubicle are flush with the top of the cubicles and have a 1.3 cm (0.5 in) gap from the bottom of the doors to the floor. A ventilation duct, attached to the top of each cubicle, provides a continuous downward airflow through each cubicle. Thermocouples located in the top of each cubicle permit air temperature monitoring.
Vault 2 contains shelved storage space for 700 items of special nuclear material. Each shelf measures 23 by 23 cm (9 by 9 in) and approximately 30 cm (12 in) deep. Containers are maintained on the shelf by means of a can restraining chain on the front (to load and unload) and a 5 cm (2 in) lip at the bottom of each shelf. In addition, there are 296 spaces in this vault for the storage of fissile material in shipping and storage containers up to the limit allowed by the specifications (approximately 500 grams [g] or 1.1 pounds [lbs]). Ventilation for this vault is provided by supply and exhaust ducts mounted near the ceiling on the east and west walls, respectively.
The cubicles in Vaults 3 and 4 are constructed of precast concrete panels, 20 cm (8 in) thick. Each cubicle has a cross-sectional area 0.3 by 0.6 m (1 by 2 ft) and is approximately 2.4 m (8 ft) tall. There are 68 of these cubicles per vault. Each cubicle has two doors constructed of precast concrete, 23 cm (8 in) thick at the thickest part. The doors, when closed, leave a gap between them to allow for air circulation via natural convection. A 15 cm (6 in) gap between the bottom of each door and the floor also aids ventilation for these vaults, which is provided by supply and exhaust ducts mounted near the ceiling on the east and west walls, respectively.
The 2736-ZA Building stands adjacent to the 2736-Z Building, and houses a backup diesel generator used to power exhaust ventilation equipment. Building 2736-ZA also houses the exhaust fans and filters.
The 2736-ZB Building houses shipping and receiving areas, each providing approximately 93 square meters (m2) (1,000 square feet [ft2]) of space. Adequate spacing is provided between containers to meet criticality prevention and personnel exposure specifications. Sufficient space is also provided to allow corridor access to the staging areas.
This subsection provides information on the following components of the PFP Facility:
The principal structural design criteria for the construction of the PFP Facility met applicable criteria at the time of construction. The structural specifications establish the basis and engineering design required to maintain the confinement integrity of the major buildings in the PFP Facility.
The natural phenomena hazards that could affect the PFP Facility are earthquake, extreme wind and wind projectiles, and snow loading. Evaluation for the natural phenomena hazard from ashfall is only required for new Safety Class I facilities as described in SDC 4.1, Rev. 11 (DOE, 1989). Therefore, the ashfall loading is not applicable to these facilities. In the structural evaluation, analysis of the roof was performed to verify design adequacy due to live loads, dead loads, and snow loads, which are the normal roof loads.
Based on various studies cited on the PFP FSAR, Buildings 234-5Z, 236-Z, 291-Z, 2736-Z and 2736-ZA, as well as stack 291-Z-1, can withstand a design basis earthquake, extreme wind and wind projectiles, and snow loads. Building 2736-ZB can withstand a design basis earthquake, extreme winds, and snow loads. The cover blocks for Building 241-Z can withstand a design basis earthquake (WHC, 1995).
Most of the seismic qualification analyses for the PFP Facility were performed in accordance with HPS SDC 4.1, Rev. 10 (DOE, 1987), which used a zero period acceleration of 0.25 gravity. Analyses to determine the adequacy of current day design conditions of the PFP Facility buildings and process equipment conclude that all PFP Facility buildings, with the exception of 232-Z, are not expected to structurally fail in the event of a design basis earthquake.
The wind load analyses used the maximum velocity of 40 meters per second (m/sec) (90 miles per hour [mi/hr]) based on the guidelines of SDC 4.1, Rev. 11 (DOE, 1989) (Kennedy, et al.,1990). The structures were all designed to withstand 98 kg/m2 (20 lb/ft2) of normal wind load. The 2736-ZB and 2736-Z Buildings, in addition to the normal wind load, also were designed to withstand tornado wind conditions having a resultant wind speed of 78 m/sec (175 mi/hr) and other associated tornado-generated missiles identified in SDC 4.1, Rev. 7 (DOE, 1974).
The roof loading requirements of the major buildings were based on the Uniform Building Code guidelines at the time of the design. The roofs of all aboveground structures were designed for static vertical live and dead loads, including snow loads.
Several features were included in the construction of the PFP Facility to ensure confinement of the radioactive materials in the processing areas. Construction features of the process areas in the 234-5Z Building, such as arrangement and piping, ensure the confinement of radioactive materials and reduce personnel exposure.
The arrangement of the areas provide the following features:
In all cases practicable, piping for radioactive materials is within an encasement that can be monitored for leaks. Also, wherever the fluid transfer pressure will allow, vacuum transfers are used.
Facility Ventilation SystemsThe PFP Facility ventilation system includes the following major Facility confinement features:
Ventilation for the PFP Facility is provided by five separate systems. The largest system provides ventilation for the 236-Z, 242-Z, and 234-5Z Buildings. The second system provides ventilation for the 241-Z Waste Retention Building. The remaining three systems provide ventilation for the 2736-Z, 2736-ZB, and the 232-Z Buildings. Ventilation is on a "once through" basis except for small-volume recycling of room air to supply laboratory refrigeration air-conditioning systems and for the 2736-ZB Building, which recycles air from the administration area and from the nondestructive analysis laboratory.
Buildings served by the ventilation systems are zoned as a means of control to ensure confinement of radioactive materials. These zones are identified as Zones 1, 3, and 4. In the 234-5Z, 232-Z, 236-Z, and 241-Z Buildings, Zone 1 is designated as those areas where plutonium contamination would not normally be present. No contaminated materials or personnel wearing protective clothing are allowed in Zone 1 areas.
Zone 3 consists of areas in which radioactive material is stored or handled in contained form, and where there is the potential for contamination to occur.
Zone 4 consists of the inside of hoods, gloveboxes, and process cells, directly exposed to plutonium, and which may be grossly contaminated. Differential pressures are maintained between the zones to ensure that airflow is from the lowest potential contamination areas, to intermediate potential contamination areas, to highest potential contamination areas.
In the 2736-Z complex, zone designations are reversed. Zone 1 is designated as having the highest potential for contamination, and Zone 4 is the clean zone.
Radioactive materials in process areas are confined as close to the point of origin as practicable through the use of HEPA filters installed on the exhaust ducts of hoods and on both the supply and exhaust ducts of gloveboxes. Exhaust ventilation air from Zone 3 areas is filtered via one stage of testable HEPA filtration before discharge to the atmosphere via a stack. Exhaust ventilation air from Zone 4 areas is filtered via two stages of testable HEPA filtration before discharge to the atmosphere via a stack. The HEPA filters (except exhaust filters on gloveboxes) are tested annually with dioctyl phthalate according to specifications. Installed HEPA filters must meet a minimum criterion of 99.95 percent efficiency.
The design of the 234-5Z Building ventilation system combines all the ventilation into one large system. The advantages are considered to be that walls between equal pressure zones in the building do not have to be sealed absolutely tightly and do not require airlocks for access. With one large exhaust system, pressures in different areas in the building remain the same relative to each other if the supply is cut off, which provides a satisfactory emergency condition for the entire building.
Redundant capacity is provided for key features of the ventilation systems (e.g., supply and exhaust fans, HEPA filtration rooms). Two independent 13.8 kilovolt lines supply normal electric power to the PFP Facility. Four supply fans (234-5Z) and four exhaust fans (291-Z) are supplied (through appropriate transformers) from one circuit and four supply fans (234-5Z) and three exhaust fans (291-Z) are supplied from another circuit. Failure of either circuit would therefore not result in failure of the ventilation system. Should one circuit fail, manual switching can be done to power all supply and exhaust fans from the remaining circuit. Two additional ventilation exhaust fans, powered by steam turbines, are installed to provide backup exhaust ventilation on loss of normal electric power.
Glovebox VentilationThe ventilation of process areas provides ambient air pressures that are lower than any adjoining space so that incidental leakage will flow into the areas. The lowest pressures of all are in the processing gloveboxes.
Filters are provided on the ventilation exhaust outlet from all gloveboxes so that, to the degree practicable, the radioactive particulates can be kept out of the ventilation ductwork and thereby prolong the life of the final filters. Also, all gloveboxes that are supplied air from the room around the glovebox are equipped with HEPA filters on the inlet to the glovebox to reduce the amount of particulate matter that would be carried out of the glovebox to the room in case of a pressure reversal.
The most extensive treatment given to offgases in the 234-5Z Building is the particulate removal from the ventilation system exhaust. This includes exhaust from contaminated hoods, gloveboxes, and process vessels (E-4 exhaust system) and the exhaust from potentially contaminated rooms around the gloveboxes (E-3 exhaust system). System offgases are treated for physical elimination of fumes, moisture, and particles before discharging to the 291-Z-1 stack.
The process vacuum system provides high capacity vacuum service to the PFP Facility for vacuum transfers of liquids and other high vacuum requirements. It is commonly referred to as the 26-in vacuum because it provides approximately 660 millimeters (mm) of mercury (26 in of mercury) vacuum service. A 10-cm (4-in) diameter stainless steel piping header is routed throughout the first-floor duct level of the 234-5Z Building, with branches serving process areas and the 242-Z and 236-Z Buildings.
The air pulled into this system, in many cases, comes from inside contaminated enclosures and is usually moist from its use as the source of a vacuum transfer of contaminated liquid. Thus, each major branch is equipped with demisters. Seal water is recirculated through coolers and is replaced periodically with fresh water. Liquid effluents, which may contain trace amounts of contamination, are routed to the 241-Z Building waste tanks for disposal.
The vacuum pump inlet air is filtered through two stages of HEPA filters. The exhaust air is discharged into the 234-5Z Building ventilation system ahead of the final HEPA filter bank.
Air sampling vacuum systems provide the motive force for continuous air monitor units, fixed filter air samplers, and select stack effluent samplers and monitors. These systems provide approximately 430 mm of mercury (17 in of mercury) vacuum service. The source of this vacuum is two vacuum pumps located in the 291-Z machinery room. Piping is provided throughout the 234-5Z, 2736-Z, and 232-Z Buildings. The air is collected and filtered by one stage of HEPA filters before entering the vacuum pumps and discharging via a moisture separator and two outlet HEPA filters to the 291-Z exhaust fan inlet plenum.
The fire protection system for the PFP Facility consists of many individual communication and operating systems that inform or provide some action in regard to fires and firefighting. The system also includes compartmentalization and placement of fire barriers to protect against exposure hazard and provide for fire isolation to limit damage and allow personnel departure. The system comprises the following:
In addition, the PFP Facility buildings are equipped with manual fire alarm pull boxes located strategically throughout the Facility, with the exception of the tunnels.
A criticality safety program is in place to minimize risk of a criticality incident. Criticality is a state in which a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction is achieved. The criticality safety program applies to all processing, transfer operations, transport, and storage activities involving fissionable material. The PFP Facility is classified as a fissile material facility and subject to all of the elements of the criticality safety program.
The PFP Facility employs the double contingency principle of criticality safety. That is, criticality prevention shall be based on the double contingency principle that at least two unlikely, independent, and concurrent changes or contingencies must occur before criticality is possible.
The following types of Criticality Safety Control are incorporated into the design, operation, and administration of the PFP Facility, as required, based on criticality safety evaluations:
Shielding is provided to reduce radiation intensities in occupied spaces during all phases of PFP Facility operation. The activities inside the PFP Facility are designed and controlled to limit personnel radiation exposure.
Minimally and potentially contaminated areas in the Facility are well-defined and appropriately marked. Administrative controls for entrance into the PFP Facility and potentially contaminated areas are enforced by operations supervision. Entrances into zones where high radiation levels or severe contamination levels exist are locked or guarded at all times. Radiation detection instrumentation is provided in all regulated areas. Instrument readings are recorded, and audible and visible alarms are provided at the instrument to alert operators and radiological protection personnel of abnormally high radiation/contamination levels.
Radiation survey instruments are provided at strategic locations throughout the Facility.
The role of safety communications and alarm systems in the PFP Facility is to provide audible and/or visual information concerning abnormal conditions. The communication systems provide standard and emergency communication exchanges. Alarm signals are used at the PFP Facility, such as horns, sirens, and gongs, to provide notifications of specific abnormal conditions. All PFP Facility Safety Class systems interface with specific communication and alarm systems.
Safety Class 1 stack alarms are associated with stack continuous air monitor systems. Safety Class 2 alarms are associated with other environmental monitoring, criticality alarm system, and liquid effluent monitoring systems. The Safety Class 3 alarms are for personnel notification in response to fire, evacuation, warning, or radiation protection.
The major components of the system are the fire alarm system, the warning and evacuation alarm system, and the radiation protection alarm system. These systems, are briefly described below:
Fire Alarm SystemThe master fire alarm system for the PFP Facility consists of a reliable system that notifies the Fire Department at the 200 Area Fire Station of an alarm at any one of the master fire alarm boxes. Fire alarms are triggered by activation of a sprinkler system, signals from smoke or heat detectors, and by manual activation of auxiliary alarm boxes (pullboxes) in the building or at master alarm boxes. Any fire alarm activates all fire alarm gongs and notifies the 200 Area Fire Station.
Warning and Evacuation Alarm SystemsBoth audible and visual evacuation warning systems are provided in the major buildings. These respond to criticality events, signals from various types of radiation monitors, and other off-standard conditions. They may be activated manually for certain conditions. The warnings provide for evacuation or taking cover as the situation warrants. The "all clear" signal for any evacuation/take cover alarms or signals is passed by voice. This is accomplished via the intercom system or crash alarm phones.
Radiation Protection Alarm SystemA variety of radiation protection instrumentation is used throughout the Facility including: portable alpha continuous air monitors, fixed alpha and beta continuous air monitors, portable monitors, and hand/foot monitors. These instruments have alarms which may report locally, centrally, or both. The radiation alarms that are remotely annunciated on the alarm consoles are in Room 221-A of the 234-5Z Building and in Room 631 of the 2736-ZB Building.
Backup electrical power is available for the PFP Facility emergency systems. These emergency systems include monitoring systems, evacuation systems, fire alarm systems, criticality alarm system, security systems, emergency lighting, and building ventilation.
The following backup electrical power sources are available to the PFP Facility:
Air supply systems are provided for process, instrument, and breathing. These systems are discussed below.
Process AirThis is a general purpose air supply for use throughout the PFP Facility for air cylinders, aspirators, air tools, etc., and as a backup for the instrument air system.
Instrument AirAir is distributed at less than 2.1 kilogram per square centimeter (kg/cm2) (30 pounds per square inch [lb/in2]) for use in instruments controlling ventilation and process equipment and any place that non-oily, clean, and dry air is required.
Dry AirDry air was supplied to various process gloveboxes by blowers to maintain low moisture content in plutonium products that corrode in moist air or are hygroscopic. Two dry-air generating systems, one electric, one steam, are located in Room 321 of the 234-5Z Building. Flow can be regulated by control valves at each glovebox serviced by the header.
Breathing AirBreathing air is provided for use in contaminated or toxic areas where respiratory protection is required. The PFP Facility uses a Portable Cascade Bottle System breathing air system. The Portable Cascade Bottle System utilizes a cart with two compressed air tanks, five outlets, and a pressure demand mask, with the type of mask depending on the nature and location of the work.
Nonradioactive gases are supplied from bottle storage facilities located adjacent to the buildings. Gases supplied include a calibration gas for radiation monitors, oxygen, nitrogen, and argon to the laboratories; carbon dioxide for sludge stabilization; and argon to the 2736-ZB repackaging glovebox.
Nonradioactive chemical systems consist of storage, transfer, and makeup of chemical solutions used in plutonium processing and laboratory functions. The majority of chemical storage for the PFP Facility is located outside. Inside storage in Building 234-5Z is limited to potassium hydroxide drums, dry and wet chemical storage, and chemical makeup areas. Chemical makeup involves mixing chemicals with other chemicals and/or water to provide solutions or chemical reaction products necessary to run various processes supporting plutonium operations at the PFP Facility.
Waste streams from the PFP Facility are categorized as gaseous, liquid, or solid wastes.
Gaseous waste discharges include both nonradiological and radiological discharges. These systems are discussed below.
Nonradiological WastesSome chemical constituents are contained in the airborne releases from the PFP Facility. While this discharge is primarily ventilation air, other nonradiological effluents are exhausted via the stack. Nonradioactive gaseous releases at the PFP Facility result from the routine use of commercially available products. These products include aerosol, paints and thinners, laboratory chemicals, and products supporting maintenance activities.
Radiological WastesGaseous effluent streams from the PFP Facility that contain low levels of radioactivity during operations include the following:
The PFP main stack (291-Z-1) exhausts filtered process and ventilation air from gloveboxes and hoods in Building 234-5Z, 236-Z, 232-Z, and 242-Z Buildings, and those rooms which have a potential for contamination.
The 291-Z-1 stack is equipped with an air sampling probe feeding a record sampler and an alpha continuous air monitor with an alarm. The continuous air monitor alarms are connected to annunciator boards that are located in regularly manned areas.
The 296-Z-3 stack exhausts filtered air from the sumps and vessels of the 241-Z Building, the PFP Waste Treatment Facility. An air sampling probe feeding a record sampler and an alpha continuous air monitor with alarm are located downstream of the exhaust fans.
The 296-Z-5 stack exhausts filtered air from the 2736-ZB Building. The stack is equipped with a sampling probe feeding a record sampler and an alpha continuous air monitor with alarm.
The 296-Z-6 stack exhausts filtered air from the 2736-Z Building (the plutonium storage vaults). The stack has two identical contributing streams. Each stream consists of a filter bank and an exhaust fan. The two streams join at the base of the 296-Z-6 stack. The stack is equipped with a record sampler and two alpha continuous air monitors with alarms (one for each contributing stream).
Liquid waste discharge includes sanitary, non-contact, and contact process effluent waste streams.
Sanitary EffluentsThe PFP Facility sanitary sewer systems take liquid waste from bathroom facilities and kitchen sinks and dispose of it through septic tanks to tile fields where it is percolated into the soil. The sanitary sewer system effluents are chemically nonhazardous and are nonradioactive.
Non-contact Process EffluentsThe PFP Facility is one of several Hanford Site facilities permitted by the state of Washington to discharge non-contact treated effluents to the 200 Area Treated Effluent Disposal Facility under State Waste Discharge Permit No. ST-4502 (Ecology, 1995a). The Fact Sheet for the permit identifies for discharge to the Treated Effluent Disposal Facility the following sources of effluent generated by the PFP Facility:
Prior to discharge, the sources noted above would be treated at the PFP Facility by applying all known, available, and reasonable methods of prevention, control, and treatment prior to its discharge to the environment (Ecology, 1995a). In addition, all known, available, and reasonable methods are required to be applied to reduce the volume of the effluent. The Tri-Party Agreement further requires that the Best Available Technology that is economically achievable be applied to the effluent.
Source controls and end-of-pipe treatment were implemented as Best Available Technology/all known, available, and reasonable treatment methods for the effluent from the PFP Facility (Ecology, 1995a). A closed loop cooling system for three buildings and the replacement of vacuum pumps with waterless pumps has reduced water usage. End-of-pipe treatment includes: an equalization tank, microfiltration to remove suspended solids, carbon absorption to remove organics, bone-char absorption to remove radionuclides, ion exchange to remove cations and anions, and a system of monitoring and sampling effluent water quality before effluents are discharged to the disposal/infiltration ponds of the Treated Effluent Disposal Facility (Ecology, 1995a).
Contact Process EffluentsContact effluents are not permitted to be discharged to the Treated Effluent Disposal Facility. The Fact Sheet for State Waste Discharge Permit No. ST-4502 specifies that low-level process wastes produced by stabilizing reactive plutonium scrap mixtures would be transferred to the double-shell tanks for storage (Ecology, 1995a).
The PFP Facility routes all contact effluents to the 241-Z sump tanks for treatment. In the treatment tanks, chemicals are added to adjust the pH of the waste to meet the corrosion protection requirements of the double-shell tank system and to ensure aluminum compounds remain in solution and provide the appropriate percentage of stable solids. Following treatment, the waste is pumped to a collection tank and transferred to the double-shell tank system in the 200 Area Tank Farms for storage. Contact effluents could be routed from tank farms through the 242-A Evaporator for treatment, to the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility for interim storage, to the Effluent Treatment Facility for final treatment, and ultimately to the state-approved land disposal site for disposal. The Effluent Treatment Facility is permitted under State Waste Discharge Permit No. ST-4500 (Ecology, 1995b).
Solid wastes are briefly defined as any discarded material, which may be abandoned, recycled, or considered inherently waste-like.
Nonradiological WastesNonradiological, nonhazardous solid waste trash is routed to the city of Richland permitted landfill for disposal. Hazardous (non-polychlorinated biphenyl [non-PCB]) solid waste packaged in 55-gallon drums is routed within 90 days of generation to facilities for storage and transfer for disposal, destruction, or recycling. The PCB waste is routed to the Hanford PCB Storage Facility.
Radiological WastesTransuranic wastes are transported to the Transuranic Waste Storage and Assay Facility for storage. Low-level radioactive solid wastes and PCB/absorbed organic wastes are temporarily stored at the PFP Facility for eventual transfer in burial boxes or 55-gallon drums.
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Certifiable WastesThe Waste Isolation Pilot Plant certifiable wastes are transferred from the PFP Facility to the Transuranic Waste Storage and Assay Facility for assay and radiography. Waste that meets the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant requirements is moved to temporary storage for eventual transfer to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Waste that does not meet Waste Isolation Pilot Plant requirements is returned to the PFP Facility for repackaging.
Non-Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Certifiable WasteThe transuranic waste that is known not to meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant requirements is temporarily stored at the Central Waste Complex for transfer to 20-year retrievable storage and potential future processing. This waste includes:
Low-level radioactive nonhazardous waste is transferred to Low-Level Burial Grounds for disposal. Low-level radioactive mixed waste is transferred to storage. Waste is stored and transferred in 55-gallon drums or burial boxes.
References:DOE, 1974, Standard Architectural - Civil Design Criteria, "Design Loads for Facilities, Hanford Plant Standard SDC 4.1, Rev. 7, U.S. Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office, Richland, Washington.
DOE, 1987, Standard Architectural - Civil Design Criteria, "Design Loads for Facilities, Hanford Plant Standard SDC 4.1, Rev. 10, U.S. Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office, Richland, Washington.
DOE, 1989, Standard Architectural - Civil Design Criteria, Design Load for Structures, HPS-SDC-4.1, Rev. 11, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Richland, Washington.
Ecology, 1995a, State Waste Discharge Permit No. ST4502 for the 200 Area Treated Effluent Disposal Facility (W049-H), Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington.
Ecology, 1995b, State Waste Discharge Permit No. ST 4500 for the 200 Area Effluent Treatment Facility (C-018H), Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington.
Kennedy, R. P., S. A. Short, J. R. McDonald, M. W. McCann, Jr., R. C. Murray, J. R. Hill, 1990, Design and Evaluation Guidelines for Department of Energy Facilities Subjected to Natural Phenomena Hazards, UCRL-15910, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California.
WHC, 1995, Plutonium Finishing Plant Final Safety Analysis Report, WHC-SD-CP-SAR-021, Rev. 0, Volumes 1 and 2, Westinghouse Hanford Company, Richland, Washington.
