Changing the Landscape
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Reducing the Footprint: Demolition activities are underway at Test Area North. These photos show a storage pad before and after cleanup. |
As one of the original facilities located at the INEEL, Test Area North has a rich history of nuclear research and development. Many of the projects that took place at this facility were instrumental to the nation's nuclear energy program. Some of the key Test Area North projects include the development of nuclear-powered aircraft engines, analysis of spent nuclear fuel and core debris from the Three Mile Island reactor accident, design of test reactors, and implementation of new groundwater remediation technologies.
Tearing Down Facilities
The Idaho Completion Project is aggressively working to change the skyline at Test Area North. To date, approximately 68,000 square feet of buildings and structures have been removed and work continues to demolish more facilities. Some of these buildings may be decontaminated and used to support new missions at the INEEL. Money saved from not managing those facilities will be reinvested into additional cleanup work.
Recently, Idaho Completion Project workers have implemented new technologies that make it safer and faster to tear down facilities. Implementing two new technologies has saved Idaho Completion Project workers hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars from previous methods.
First, a vacuum excavation system more efficiently removes complex, criss-crossing, underground piping. The vacuum system can pull up several cubic feet of soil and small rocks from a dig site in a matter of minutes. Using the vacuum system makes the job much less physically demanding and safer as it removes the soil automatically with no damage to surrounding tanks or piping. The second technology is a lightweight trenching support system. The trenching system adds safety for Idaho Completion Project workers as it keeps the sides of an excavation area from collapsing. The shoring device uses high-strength laminated panels that are easily transported and moved.
V-Tanks ROD Amendment
After consulting with interested stakeholders and members of the public in the fall of 2002 and public meetings in April 2003, a new remedy for the V-Tanks at Test Area North will be described in detail in an upcoming CERCLA Record of Decision Amendment. The original cleanup remedy chosen in 1999 had to be changed because it involved treatment for the tank waste at an out-of-state facility that is no longer available.
The term V-Tanks refers to four underground tanks at Test Area North that once received contaminated liquid waste resulting from various operations at the facility over the years. The V-Tank cleanup work includes three 10,000-gallon tanks, one 900-gallon tank, and the surrounding piping and contaminated soil.
The new treatment remedy for the V-Tanks, ex-situ chemical oxidation and stabilization, was chosen by the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Idaho after considering public comments on the seven alternatives presented to the public in a proposed plan earlier this year.
The Record of Decision Amendment for the V-Tanks will be released to the public as early as December 2003.
Spent Nuclear Fuel Removed from Underwater Storage
Located at Test Area North is TAN-607, a large storage, handling and testing facility for spent nuclear fuel that is currently being decontaminated and decommissioned. For more than 40 years, TAN-607 safely stored spent nuclear fuel generated from the INEEL as well as other DOE and commercial sites. Test Area North was the facility selected to research and store spent nuclear fuel and core debris from the Three Mile Island accident in 1979.
To date, all of the spent nuclear fuel has been removed from underwater storage at TAN-607 and has been placed in dry storage. Most of the spent nuclear fuel from the TAN-607 storage pool has been transferred to dry storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. However, a small amount of spent nuclear fuel remains in dry storage at Test Area North. As part of future cleanup work, this spent nuclear fuel will be consolidated into dry storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.
As part of the activities to remove unneeded buildings, the spent nuclear fuel storage pool is being closed. To date, 60 storage racks and other debris has been removed from the canal and disposed of. The next step involves removing the remaining water and final closure of the pool.