Production Reactors at Savannah River

Question: What is the status of the production reactors at Savannah River?

Answer: Five reactors

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R, P, L, K, and C, were constructed at the Savannah River Plant and placed in operation beginning in December 1953. R Reactor was shut down in June 1964 and placed in an inactive status. L Reactor was shut down in February 1968 at a time when there was insufficient demand for nuclear materials to justify operation of four reactors. Following extensive renovations, it was restarted in October 1985, when the projected demand for nuclear materials showed an additional reactor would be needed. P, K, and C Reactors have operated continuously since startup in the mid-1950's. At this time, C Reactor is undergoing extensive repairs, but it should be operational in a few months.

Environmental Problems of Production Reactors

Question: Please describe the environmental problems associated with the operation of the production reactors.

Answer: The major environmental problem due to the Savannah River Plant, SRP, reactor operation is the direct discharge of reactor cooling water to onsite creeks. Under the Federal and State of South Carolina implementing regulations for the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, as amended, the reactor cooling water, which is 160°F, would have to be cooled to 90°F prior to discharge to surface waters. The Department of Energy, DOE, entered into a Consent Order with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, SCDHEC, to comply with conditions specified in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for SRP. Engineering studies identified several options to cool the reactor thermal discharges. Based on topographic and cost considerations, DOE has recommended, and SCDHEC has indicated concurrence with, the construction of once-through cooling towers for C and K Reactors. On March 28, 1986, DOE issued a draft environmental impact statement on alternative cooling water systems at the Savannah River Plant for public comment.

Another potential environmental problem associated with production reactor operation is the use of seepage basins to dispose of slightly radioactively contaminated process waste water. Although direct release of this water to the site streams would be acceptable, the seepage basins are used to delay the transport of radionuclides to surface water, thus allowing radioactive decay and a reduction in the quantity of radionuclides reaching the surface water. DOE is analyzing the continued usage of the seepage basins together with other treatment alternatives for the production reactors and is obtaining public inputs on this proposal through the public involvement process for the environmental impact statement on waste management activities for groundwater protection at the Savannah River Plant, draft document expected by the end of 1986.

Construction of Cooling Lake at Savannah River

Question: What is the status of the construction of the cooling lake at Savannah River?

Answer: Construction of L Pond was completed in October 1985, and it was immediately placed in operation with the restart of

L Reactor. Temperature probes to monitor the ability of the pond to cool the reactor effluent are in operation with further refinements planned.

Question:

Cooling Towers at Savannah River

Describe the need and cost of additional cooling

towers at the Savannah River site.

Answer: Since the early 1950's, the C, K, and L production reactors at the Savannah River Plant, SRP, have used onsite streams and the Savannah River swamp for cooling of reactor thermal effluents. Provisions of early National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, NPDES, permits for SRP under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act designated the point of thermal compliance at the Savannah River, thus allowing this type of operation. It should be noted that P Reactor utilizes an existing onsite cooling lake which we believe the State of South Carolina will find acceptable, based on studies we recently completed. In November 1982, during negotiations on a new NPDES permit, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control determined that, to conform to existing laws and regulations, the point of technical compliance would be changed to the point where the reactors discharge into the onsite streams which are near the reactor buildings. Consequently, a cooling lake was constructed for L Reactor prior to restart of the reactor. In a Consent Order associated with the new NPDES permit, the Department of Energy committed to evaluate and recommend to the State, methods of thermal mitigation for the C and K Reactors, and, subsequently support implementation of the selected alternative. Changes in Environmental Protection Agency regulations on stream reclassification in late 1983 prevented DOE from considering potential partial mitigation options for these reactors, thus once-through cooling towers were the lowest cost option evaluated and were recommended to the State by the Savannah River Operations Office. If funding is approved by Congress, $109 million is required to complete construction of the cooling towers and $7 million annually to operate them.

Thermal Discharge Off Savannah River Site

Question: What is the thermal discharge off the Savannah River site, with and without the cooling lake?

Answer: Based on 30-year average values for meteorological conditions, the temperature of the L Reactor effluent at the site boundary, which is the Savannah River, would range from 29 degrees Celsius, C, in the summer to 13 degrees C in the winter with L Pond. Without L Pond, the temperature at the same location would range

from 33 degrees C in the summer to 21 degrees C in the winter. it is a requirement of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit that the temperature not exceed 32.2 degrees C and that the change in temperature due to operations not exceed 2.8 degrees C.

Question: What is the thermal discharge off the Savannah River site, with and without the additional cooling towers?

Answer: The thermal discharges from the C- and K-Reactors flow into the Savannah River mainly through Four Mile Creek and Steel Creek. With the installation of once through cooling towers, the temperature at the mouth of the creeks during reactor operation should be approximately the same as the ambient temperature. The calculated average creek mouth temperature is as follows:

Question: What damage to the environment is being done on and off the Savannah River site as a result of the operation of the production site?

Answer: The most observed environmental impact of Savannah River Plant operations is the denuded creek beds, which are Four Mile Creek and Pen Branch, and associated deltas in the Savannah River swamp from cooling water discharged from the production reactors. There is virtually no biological life in the hot portion of these creeks and the affected Savannah River swamp system. However, these hot water discharges have no detectable environmental effects on the overall health of the Savannah River. The Department of Energy is proposing the construction of once-through cooling towers to bring the production reactor thermal discharges into compliance with applicable Federal and State of South Carolina requirements.

The other major environmental effect of SRP operations is the contamination of groundwater due to past operating and disposal practice. DOE is aggressively pursuing construction and operation of treatment systems to reduce discharges of pollutants to the environment, operation of a groundwater cleanup system, and assessments of the extent of groundwater contamination so as to control and minimize potential environmental effects. DOE is preparing an environmental impact statement which will provide an opportunity for public inputs on the proposed modifications to the SRP waste management activities to protect groundwater.

There are other environmental effects resulting from SRP operations; for example, releases of radionuclides to the atmosphere and surface water. However, these environmental effects are minor and well within all applicable requirements.

Cleanup Work at Fernald

Question: Please describe the clean up work that is being conducted at the Fernald site.

Answer: Currently, and in the near future, the cleanup efforts at the Feed Materials Production Center will concentrate primarily on characterization of waste pits, silo residue, waste streams, groundwater contamination, soil contamination, and buried and aboveground rubble. As completion of characterization activities permit, plans will be developed and implemented to stabilize, as required, and subsequently dispose of waste materials in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Ongoing cleanup efforts include shipment of low-level wastes to the Nevada Test Site for disposal and improvements in the general housekeeping practices of facility operations.

Fernald Environmental Funding

Question: What funding is being directed at the cleanup of the Fernald site in FY 1985, FY 1986, and FY 1987?

Answer: Funding for environmental protection and compliance at Fernald for the years requested follows. Please note that we have a new contractor on board at Fernald who is now reviewing the FY 1986 and FY 1987 funding allocation. The funding allocated to environmental matters is likely to increase as a result of this review.

Question: Describe the budget authorization and appropriation for Fernald clean up in FY 1986.

Answer: Within the Nuclear Materials Production program, $11.8 million is included for continuing efforts. The budget authorization and appropriation for Fernald clean up in FY 1986 is $11.8 million, and includes continued funding to comply with applicable environmental requirements, including groundwater, soil sampling, health physics, and outside analytical services. Included in the above amount is $3.9 million in capital equipment for items such as dust collectors, high efficiency particulate air filters, surface decontamination equipment, and an atmospheric dispersion model.

The Defense Waste and Byproducts Management efforts are directed at management of the low-level waste stored at the site. Some of the waste which can be disposed of with minimal processing is being shipped to the Nevada Test Site for disposal. Project 86-D-174 has been initiated in FY 1986 to provide a permanent facility to allow all newly generated low-level waste to be shipped offsite for disposal beginning in FY 1988. Activities also underway in FY 1986 include characterization of the waste stored in pits and silos at the site and development of options for final disposal of this waste.

Research Programs to Improve Production

Question: Describe the status of research programs designed to improve the production at existing reactors.

Answer: Research programs at both the Savannah River Plant and the Hanford site are being conducted to assure continued production. At the SRP, studies of potential long-term life-limiting mechanisms and their mitigating actions are currently underway, with a final report expected in June, FY 1989. The ongoing restoration and productivity retention programs will assure the continued reliability of the SRP reactors. A recently completed study of the N Reactor concludes that this facility can be reliably operated through the mid-1990's and that several cost-effective alternatives are available to refurbish N Reactor and extend its useful life well into the next century. Further study and research on these alternatives will take place over the next several years, and decisions will not be required until the late 1980's and can be phased so that the refurbishment program is tailored to material needs and budgetary constraints. Development of a higher productivity plutonium charge, the Mark 22S-25, has been underway at SRP for several years, with operation of a demonstration charge currently scheduled for FY 1989. Since utilization of this charge will significantly impact uranium feed material requirements, the implementation decision will be based on an analysis of material supply and budget requirements.