The Idaho National Laboratory has been in the news lately…and it’s not been good news. Here’s what the Alliance knows about two recent accidents at the Site and a little background on how we get information.

Issued Sept. 14, 2011

DOE-ID Bi-Weekly Summary

For the Period Aug. 24-Sept. 12, 2011                  

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 site. 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 on a periodic basis.  To be added to this distribution list, please call Brad Bugger at (208) 526-0833.

Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project

Nothing to report.

Operations Summary

Waste Shipments: As of Sept. 3, 2011, a total of 36,320 cubic meters of contact-handled transuranic waste, 106.72 cubic meters of remote-handled transuranic waste, and 4,772 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

Nothing to report.

Operations Summary

Pit 9 Cleanup Completed: Cleanup crews with CH2M-WG Idaho (CWI), the main cleanup contractor at the Department of Energy's Idaho Site, have completed targeted waste removal from Pit 9 several months ahead of schedule and millions of dollars under budget. About $12 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act savings from other cleanup projects, in addition to about $22 million in dedicated funds, were used to finance the Pit 9 project.

Idaho National Laboratory

Aug. 24: During inspection of incoming empty containers at the Specific Manufacturing Capability project, a potentially counterfeit/suspect bolt was discovered. The bolt was removed from the container and bonded for disposal.

Aug. 25: The Idaho National Laboratory responded to a brush fire that began approximately 7 miles east of the Naval Reactor Facility. It eventually burned 50,000 acres before it was contained by INL and Bureau of Land Management firefighters.

Aug. 29: During maintenance on a laser at the Specific Manufacturing Capability project, a technician received second degree burns on two fingers. The power was immediately shut off, the laser placed in a safe configuration and the employee was taken to the Central Facilities Area medical center for treatment. An investigation was launched into the incident. (NE-ID—BEA-HFEF-2011-0003).

Sept. 6: During fuel transfer cask loading at the Advanced Test Reactor, operators mistakenly isolated the wrong valves of the canal parapet, causing back-up systems to initiate. The correct air valves were positioned and air was restored to the correct portion of the canal. Canal work was stopped. (NE-ID—BEA-ATR-2011-0014).

Sept. 7: During a reactor shutdown at the Advanced Test Reactor, a valve failure occurred on the primary coolant pump discharge check valve. The valve was declared out of service and a repair package prepared. (NE-ID—BEA-ATR-2011-0015).

Operations Summary

Idaho National Laboratory has been working since the summer of 2006 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to bring the technology for a Fission Surface Power System to a state of readiness for space exploration missions or outposts on the moon or Mars. The project was the focus recently of an address to the 242nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Denver presented by James Werner, INL staff nuclear engineer in the Space Nuclear Systems and Technology Division.

Issued Aug. 29, 2011

DOE-ID Bi-Weekly Summary

For the Period Aug. 9 – Aug. 23, 2011                  

EDITOR’S NOTE:  The following is a regular summaryof operations at DOE’s Idaho Site. It has been compiled in response to arequest from stakeholders for more information on health, safety andenvironmental incidents at DOE facilities in Idaho.  It also includes a brief summary of accomplishments at thesite. The report is broken down by contractor:  Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), IdahoCleanup Project (ICP) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL).  This summary will be sent to everyoneon INL’s regular news release distribution list on a periodic basis.  To be added to this distribution list,please call Brad Bugger at (208) 526-0833.

Advanced Mixed WasteTreatment Project

Aug. 16: A required survey detected radioactivecontamination on three support pallets during waste loading processes at theAdvanced Mixed Waste Treatment Facility. No contamination has been found on anyof the waste containers in the area. A contamination area and buffer area wasestablished and other surveys taken of the area. (EM-ID—BBWI-AMWTF-2011-0010).

Aug. 18: During routine surveillance on the Real TimeRadiography machine at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Unit, an unacceptablyhigh radiation rate was identified during testing. The machine was placed insuspension until additional shielding can be installed.(EM-ID—BBWI-AMWTF-2011-0011).

Operations Summary

WasteShipments: As of Aug. 20, 2011, a total of 36,254 cubic meters ofcontact-handled transuranic waste, 106.72 cubic meters of remote-handledtransuranic waste, and 4,669 cubic meters of previously-buried transuranicwaste have been shipped from Idaho to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in NewMexico for disposal.

Idaho Cleanup Project 

Aug. 9: It was determined that spent nuclear fuelconfiguration stored at INTEC 603did not comply with a revised safety document,although it was in full safety compliance when it was received in 2004. Acriticality safety engineer determined that no criticality safety limits hadbeen challenged by the configuration, however, and no relocation of the fuel isnecessary. (EM-ID—CWI-FUELRCSTER-2011-0001).

Aug. 11: A forklift vendor representative performed work onthe forklift batteries and charging station located at the Integrated WasteTreatment Unit without authorization. The vendor was asked to visually inspectthe batteries and determine if work was to be performed. Instead, the vendorrep found the batteries to be nearly empty and filled them up with tap water.The battery charger was taken out of service and notifications were made tomanagement. (EM-ID—CWI-IWTU-2011-0011).

Aug. 13: A worker punctured the middle knuckle on his lefthand while using an electric shear to size a 50-gallon stainless steel drum atthe Materials and Fuels Complex. The worker was taken to a local hospital formedical evaluation, and all work on stainless steel drums was suspended pendingfurther evaluation. (EM-ID—CWI-BIC-2011-0006).

Aug. 18: Workers failed to follow proper procedures incarrying out two work orders at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit. In oneinstance, a hosting and rigging inspector inspected a cable without the workorder being signed off, and without the necessary briefing and lockout-tag-outs in place. In the other instance, a work crew carried out a workorder without the required pre-job briefing and lock-out/tag-out evaluation.Both work orders were placed on hold and the associated systems put in a safeconfiguration. (EM-ID—CWI-IWTU-2011-0012).

Aug. 22: A quality control inspector found indications thata circuit breaker designed for use on a high pressure breathing air system atthe Radioactive Waste Management Complex may be counterfeit or suspect. Thepart was removed from the field for further inspection.(EM-ID—CWI-RWMC-2011-0001).

Operations Summary

Mass Detonation Bunker Remediation Competed: The IdahoCleanup Project recently completed remediation of the Mass Detonation Areabunker.  A total of 16 cans of1940s smokeless powder were found and will be disposed by detonation after itsnows enough to reduce the range fire danger.  Visual survey of the 796 acre area will continue for about fourweeks.

Idaho NationalLaboratory

Aug. 11: New information was developed in an analysis of theuncertainty of the Water Power Calculator (WPC) system at the Advanced TestReactor when thermal quadrant powers are greater than 47 megawatts. This iscaused by potential mixing of flow between quadrants that may introduce moreuncertainty into the WPC quadrant power calculation. Quadrant thermal power isan important parameter because it is used as a check to verify that the LobePower Calculation and Indication System are indicating within an acceptablerange of the true lobe power. Lobe Power is the parameter by which the reactoroperators adjust the power of the reactor to ensure that the effective platepower limits are not exceeded. At the time of the discovery the reactor wasshut down. (NE-ID-BEA-ATR-2011-0012)

Aug. 18: The Advanced Test Reactor documented safety analysis classifiesdiesel generator 674-M-6 as Seismic Category I, safety-related equipment. Theaccident analysis credits 674-M-6 as supplying power to safety related loads toensure a complete loss of coolant flow is a beyond design basis event.Surveillance activities are required to ensure that safety related equipment isoperable to ensure safe operation. Operability and surveillance requirements,however, are not documented in the safety basis documents. Operability of674-M-6 was being properly confirmed. (NE-ID-BEA-ATR-2011-0013). 

Aug. 23: A wildland fire occurred along Highway 33 thatburned on both Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Bureau of Land Management(BLM) land on Aug. 22. INL, BLM and Butte County firefighters responded and thefire was declared out in approximately 3.5 hours. (NE-ID—CFA-2011-0003).

Aug. 23: The Neutron Radiography Reactor had an unplannedshutdown due to an improver valve lineup. A critique was held and furtherreactor operations were put on hold pending closure of corrective actions andapproval by the Operational Safety Board. (NE-ID—BEA-NRAD-2011-0002). 

Operations Summary

New Reactor Shuttle System Used for First Time: A new shuttle system ischanging the way experiment specimens are handled at the Advanced Test Reactor(ATR). The newly-installed hydraulic shuttle irradiation system (HSIS) wassuccessfully used for the first time for an ATR National Scientific UserFacility irradiation experiment for University of Illinoisresearchers. The hydraulic shuttle system (or “rabbit”) adds another capabilityto ATR and allows for flexible irradiation test periods.

Issued July 5, 2011

DOE-ID Bi-Weekly Summary
For the Period June 7-June 27, 2011                  

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 site. 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 on a periodic basis.  To be added to this distribution list, please call Brad Bugger at (208) 526-0833.

DOE-ID Bi-Weekly Summary

For the Period Nov. 2-Nov. 14, 2010