Review of the Department of Energy's Plans for Disposal of Surplus Plutonium in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (2020) / Chapter Skim
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4 Implementation Challenges
4 Implementation Challenges
Pages 70-80
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From page 70... ...
Many of the highest assessed cost and schedule risks are related to equipment failure or lack of qualified personnel. As stated previously, the committee did not independently verify the stated frequency of realized cost and schedule risks such as unplanned process excursions, equipment breakdowns, or accidents that were used by DOE-NNSA to determine programmatic risks to cost and schedule.
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From page 71... ...
System vulnerabilities, discussed in Chapter 5, consider DOE-NNSA's plan in the context of broader system issues across the DOE complex and question its approach, assumptions, and motivation which could ultimately threaten the successful, full completion of the program. 4.1 EARLY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES DOE-NNSA's dilute and dispose plan for operations makes use of existing facilities and previously developed processes which reduces technical risk to and cost of the program.
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From page 72... ...
Also shown are the proposed scaling-up rates for specific process steps. NOTE: FTE = full-time equivalent, HB-Line = a chemical processing facility at SRS, IAEA = International Atomic Energy Agency, LANL = Los Alamos National Laboratory, MOX = mixed oxide, OST = Office of Secure Transportation, POC = pipe overpack container, SRS = Savannah River Site, TRU = transuranic, WIPP = Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
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From page 73... ...
This is true for the dilute and dispose programs, but extended schedules have additional risks: the availability and operational capability of WIPP past 2050 and aging infrastructure at SRS and LANL. DOE-NNSA estimates completion of the plan to dilute and dispose of 34 MT of surplus plutonium by FY 2049.
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From page 74... ...
Major issues identified by DOE-NNSA are oxidation rate, process shutdowns, and storage space sufficient to equalize material flow to SRS and thence to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) when backups occur at SRS and WIPP (SRNS, 2018e)
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From page 75... ...
ES-1. An extension of the dilute and dispose program timeline, which USACE calculates to be 7 years or more, has serious implications for the availability of WIPP and maintenance of the other infrastructure required.
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From page 76... ...
, clarified priority for the dilute and dispose program within the Department of Energy, and sufficient, steady funding from Congress. However, such straightforward approaches may not be adequate for some challenges, for example, the ability to hire and qualify sufficient staff, resilience of the nuclear facilities such as the Savannah River Site and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, or the availability of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
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From page 77... ...
One important aspect of both transportation programs, OST and TRU Waste Transportation, is its coordination with the states. Close coordination and communication along with emergency response training and exercises will need to be conducted and practiced throughout the dilute and dispose duration of at least 30 years and with the expected increased number of transports containing the surplus plutonium material and the DSP-TRU waste.
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From page 78... ...
7 FINDING 4-4: The number of shipments of diluted surplus plutonium transuranic (DSP TRU) waste from the Savannah River Site to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant over the proposed schedule will be far greater than for any other TRU waste stream.
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From page 79... ...
4.2.3 Workforce Development Across the Dilute and Dispose Program DOE-NNSA's and DOE-EM's plans to oxidize surplus plutonium material and dilute the plutonium oxide require the use of gloveboxes, and glovebox operations are largely manual. DOE-NNSA's plans show significant scaling up of the workforce (a plan from DOE-EM was not available)
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From page 80... ...
RECOMMENDATION 4-4: Workforce hiring and retention challenges for the dilute and dispose programs for both the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Management and DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration will require a focused and sustained effort.
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