Development Of The Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility Decontamination Room

For several years the Health Protection Group attempted to remedy the problem of a facility to adequately handle personnel plutonium contamination incidents. Through the efforts of our Quality Circle a presentation was made to management, which immediately appropriated space and funds for the construction of a complete decontamination facility. 9 refs.

The DP West Plutonium Facility operated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, was decontaminated between April 1978 and April 1981. The facility was constructed in 1944 to 1945 to produce plutonium metal and fabricate parts for nuclear weapons. It was continually used as a plutonium processing and research facility until mid-1978. Decontamination operations included dismantling and removing gloveboxes and conveyor tunnels; removing process systems, utilities, and exhaust ducts; and decontaminating all remaining surfaces. This report describes glovebox and conveyor tunnel separations, decontamination techniques, health and safety considerations, waste management procedures, and costs of the operation.

For the past two years the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory has been engaged in decontaminating its former plutonium facility. The facility was in use for over 30 years for plutonium operations varying from dry metallurgical processes to wet (solution) recovery processes. To date approximately 3400 square meters of floor surface have been decontaminated to permit re-use for nonplutonium work. Approximately 330 square meters of concrete surfaces required scarifying the contamination after all other attempts such as detergents and acid solutions had proven ineffective. The uses of hand-held and floor type pneumatic scarifiers are described as well as an inexpensive but effective contamination containment chamber built at Los Alamos for use with the hand-held model. Contamination control, waste handling, manpower requirements, and cost are documented for the techniques used at LASL.

The DP West Plutonium Facility operated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico was decontaminated between April 1978 and April 1981. The facility was constructed in 1944 to 1945 to produce plutonium metal and fabricate parts for nuclear weapons. It was continually used as a plutonium processing and research facility until mid-1978. Decontamination operations included dismantling and removing gloveboxes and conveyor tunnels; removing process systems, utilities, and exhaust ducts; and decontaminating all remaining surfaces. This report describes glovebox and conveyor tunnel separations, decontamination techniques, health and safety considerations, waste management procedures, and costs of the operation.

The DP West Plutonium Facility operated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico was decontaminated between April 1978 and April 1981. The facility was constructed in 1944 to 1945 to produce plutonium metal and fabricate parts for nuclear weapons. It was continually used as a plutonium processing and research facility until mid-1978. Decontamination operations included dismantling and removing gloveboxes and conveyor tunnels; removing process systems, utilities, and exhaust ducts; and decontaminating all remaining surfaces. This report describes glovebox and conveyor tunnel separations, decontamination techniques, health and safety considerations, waste management procedures, and costs of the operation.

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a research and development facility in northern New Mexico, owned by the federal government and operated for the US Department of Energy (DOE) by the University of California (UC). LANL conducts research and experiments in many arenas including plutonium. Its plutonium facilities are required to meet the facility design and safety criteria of applicable DOE orders as specified in the UC contract. Although DOE 420.1, Facility Safety, superseded DOE 6430.1A, General Design Criteria, the UC contract requires LANL to adhere to DOE 6430.1A, Division 13 in its special nuclear facilities. A comparison of costs and savings relative to installation of double-wall piping at two LANL plutonium facilities is demonstrated. DOE 6430.1A is prescriptive in its design criteria whereas DOE 420.1 is a performance-based directive. The differences in these orders impact time and design costs in nuclear construction projects. LANL's approach to integrated quality and conduct of operations for design, needs to be re-evaluated. In conclusion, there is a need for highly-technical, knowledgeable people and an integrated, quality/conduct of operations-based approach to assure that nuclear facilities are designed and constructed in a safe and cost-effective manner.

" Plutonium-a man-made element produced by irradiating uranium in nuclear reactors-is vital to the nuclear weapons stockpile. Much of the nation's current plutonium research capabilities are housed in aging facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. These facilities pose safety hazards. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has decided to construct a multibillion dollar Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility (CMRR) to modernize the laboratory's capabilities to analyze and store plutonium. GAO was asked to examine (1) the cost and schedule estimates to construct CMRR and the extent to which its most recent estimates reflect best practices, (2) options NNSA considered to ensure that needed plutonium research activities could continue, and (3) the extent to which NNSA's plans reflected changes in stockpile requirements and other plutonium research needs. GAO reviewed NNSA and contractor project design documents and visited Los Alamos and another plutonium facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. "