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Fuel Pool Services
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Cleanup of spent fuel pools is a regular occurrence at most BWR’s and a periodic need at PWR’s. Since
1985, WMG has been providing technical support for these types of projects ranging from turnkey on-site
services to characterization of activated metals and other wastes. Hundreds of projects, involving
thousands of irradiated components, have been successfully completed by WMG.
Unlike times past where projects were performed when the wastes began to interfere with fuel movement,
it is increasingly more important to identify and characterize waste so that expensive clean out projects can
be planned and budgeted in advance. Most activated metals are highly activated Class C waste and their
proper disposition is accompanied by relatively high regulatory and financial risk. Thus, experienced
professionals, using proven methods and practices, must perform activated metals characterization,
classification, packaging, and transport for disposal. Scheduled closure of Barnwell in 2008 necessitates
identification of waste liabilities in the fuel pool today.
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Large Component Disposal
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WMG has supported every large commercial reactor decommissioning project performed in the United States since
1990. This work began with the Shoreham BWR project and continues today. The scope of WMG’s activities on
most of these projects span several years, beginning with the initial evaluations of how to proceed, and
continuing through packaging and disposition of D&D waste. Our primary expertise lies in planning,
packaging and disposition of the relatively high activity radioactive materials such as reactor vessels and
internals, large components and spent fuel. Many of the routine approaches and practices employed by others
are based on precedents set by WMG. These precedents include intact disposition of reactor vessels with and
without internals, shipment of intact reactor vessels under DOT exemptions, packaging of GTCC waste for
shipment to DOE, and the first intact reactor vessel shipment to the Barnwell disposal facility.
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Davis Besse Reactor Head Disposal
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The Davis Besse Reactor Head disposal project is a prime example of how WMG’s experience rapidly addressed and
resolved FirstEnergy’s difficult waste disposal issues. Based upon our detailed waste characterization we were
able to:
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• Analyze and design a strong tight container
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• Select a fabricator
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• Spent filter characterization
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• Develop a transportation and disposal plan
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• Deliver to the site a reactor head containment package that was both transportable by rail plus fully compliant with DOT/NRC regulations.
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This was a "FIRST-OF-A-KIND" effort and WMG pulled it off without a hitch while supporting an extremely
aggressive project schedule. In the words of the FirstEnergy project manager, the WMG design “fit like a glove!”.
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North Anna Unit 2 Reactor Head Replacement and Disposal
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North Anna Unit 2 was the first operating plant to replace their reactor head and complete the transport and disposal
of their old head at Envirocare. Dominion turned to WMG to manage the characterization, packaging and transportation
of the old head. The lessons learned from WMG’s previous projects at Davis Besse and Maine Yankee helped ensure that
North Anna would be able to meet their demanding refuel outage schedule. Based upon our success in these endeavors, WMG
was also awarded the North Anna Unit 1 & Surry projects.
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Decommissioning and Decontamination
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The costs of radioactive waste management are a significant element to the overall
expense of the Decommissioning and Decontamination of nuclear facilities and, in some cases,
depending upon how residual spent fuel was managed, may have a dominant presence in the budget.
It has been estimated that about 60% of the costs of D&D are attributable to the costs of waste management. This fact alone indicates the importance of an
accurate radiological characterization of materials.
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Strategic Planning
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Our D&D planning work was initiated during the Shoreham project and continues today. Project scopes have
ranged from defining a sites’ overall waste management plan to evaluating intact reactor vessel removal scenarios
at BWRs, PWRs and government reactors. We also prepare bid specifications, evaluate alternatives and provide
cost and ALARA estimates during each critical phase of a D&D project.
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Activation Analysis
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WMG has performed the activation analysis related to all commercial D&D projects completed to date including the
re-performance of calculations performed by other firms. We have also completed this type of analysis for several
government and institutional facilities. In several cases, these efforts supported initial planning, but in most
cases they supported disposition. Our analytical and benchmarking methods were developed in 1991 and were reviewed
by the NRC during the Trojan project. Today, we are the recognized experts in the activation analysis field.
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Waste Characterization
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Our characterization work at both commercial and government facilities has involved just about every waste form encountered
during a D&D project as well as multiple disposition or storage scenarios. These projects also typically involve definition
of packaging and transport requirements consistent with either commercial or government disposal site criteria.
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Disposition of GTCC Waste
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Most D&D projects generate GTCC waste, and this is particularly true for PWR projects where some internals components are always GTCC
waste. Through WMG’s involvement with the NRC during development of the NRC guidelines for metals concentration averaging, our experience
and methods have enabled us to minimize the quantities of GTCC waste generated during any project. Specific projects have included the
evaluation of alternatives for GTCC waste packaging through the design and supply of GTCC waste storage containers. This work has also
involved preparation of documentation for NRC review and presentations to the NRC in support of a client’s approach to GTCC disposition.
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Internals Segmentation Support
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Some internals segmentSome internals segmentation was performed for Shoreham, but Yankee Rowe was the project that defined what could and could not be done with
reactor internals segmentation. WMG’s site presence during the Rowe project enabled our staff to realize the difficulties involved in metals
segmentation as well as post segmentation cavity cleanup. Since then methods have been improved but most projects, as a minimum, require
partial segmentation and removal of the GTCC internals. At Connecticut, Maine and SONGS, our scope has ranged from preparation of preliminary
segmentation plans with our activation analysis, through review of vendor segmentation plans and preparation of packaging plans. At other
plants, we have also reviewed segmentation requirements during the planning stages after activation analysis is completed.
Most recently we completed the activation analysis and performed initial
segmentation plans for the Chooz-A plant in France and Zion Units 1 & 2. |
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Intact Vessel and and Internals Packaging
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The Trojan project established the practicality of intact vessel and internals disposal and while it was a Type B package with GTCC waste shipped to
Hanford, it remains the preferred method of disposition. Since then, intact reactor vessels with partial internals (GTCC waste removed) have been the
standard method of disposition. WMG provided licensing and permitting for the Saxton project which was the first intact vessel internals package
permitted by the DOT and sent to the Barnwell disposal site. The Saxton permit application also set the standards for DOT permitting of these large
packages. WMG also designed and permitted the packages for Connecticut Yankee and SONGS and has patents on many of the features incorporated in these
package designs.
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The radioactive waste characterization services performed in support of Decommissioning and Fuel Pool projects
are a result of our engineering expertise. WMG's detailed analyses employ tested and respected methodologies
that have in many cases, set the standard for the industry. All work is performed under our Part 50 Quality
Assurance Program using recognized tools such as the SCALE suite, our own proprietary software, or other
commercial software such as AutoCAD®. We are proud of our reputation for providing accurate, timely solutions.