The 12th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events

Abstracts Session 7-8
Brief descriptions are provided about the background and the need for a document like EURSSEM, about key issues like
stakeholder involvement and archiving for future referencing including the follow-up of the further development of EURSSEM.
4) IAEA - ENVIRONET: THE NETWORK ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND REMEDIATION - 16421
Horst Monken-Fernandee, IAEA (AUSTRIA, Decommissioning Authority, (UK)
Over the past decade, a number of remediation methods have been developed worldwide to deal with the environmental cleanup
of radiologically contaminated sites. <strong>The</strong>y vary in terms of sophistication and costs and must be selected on a case-by-case basis.
However, the development of a successful remediation programme does not only rely on the availability of technology and expertise.
Good management plans are needed. Ultimately, planning is an essential component of the overall business and all the steps
need to be articulated in a reasonable way to avoid waste of time and resources. Countries that had to deal with extensive remediation
work have been able to test various approaches resulting in the selection of adequate strategies for remediation. As a consequence,
they are holders of expertise and know-how which may be useful and applicable to other countries that need to implement
remediation programmes. However, quite often, the implementation of a safe and economic approach consistent with good international
practice may be hindered by constrained human and financial resources and scarce expertise in environmental remediation.
Developing countries face specific challenges to implement remediation projects, not only because of the lack of resources
but also because of the lack of appropriate technology and expertise and these things can end-up constituting important barriers for
project implementation. Experience has shown that with appropriate planning and assistance remedial actions are more likely to be
implemented. As such the interaction of inexperienced with experienced countries facilitated by the IAEA may lead to better conditions
for real implementation of projects and lessons learned with this relationship may inspire countries to reproduce (after necessary
adaptation to local conditions and constraints) the experience gained by others. However, the benefits of networking may
not be restricted to the support of developing Member States. More developed Member States can also benefit from networking as
they will have an open and flexible environment to exchange experience and build up partnerships.
SESSION 8 - EXPERIENCES IN ER CLEAN-UP ACTIONS
1) SAFE AND COMPLIANT MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION
OF THE HANFORD SITE CENTRAL PLATEAU - 16025
John Lehew, CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (USA)
CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) is the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) contractor responsible for
the safe, environmental cleanup of the Hanford Sites Central Plateau.
<strong>The</strong> 586-square-mile Hanford Site is located along the Columbia River in southeastern Washington State, U.S.A. A plutonium
production complex, housing the largest volume of radioactive and contaminated waste in the nation, with nine nuclear reactors and
associated processing facilities, Hanford played a pivotal role in the nation’s defense for more than 40 years, beginning in the 1940s
with the Manhattan Project. Today, under the direction of the DOE, Hanford is engaged in the world’s largest environmental cleanup
project.
<strong>The</strong> Plateau Remediation Contract is a 10-year project paving the way for closure of the Hanford Site through remediation of
over 700 waste sites, burial grounds, and groundwater systems; deactivation, decommission, decontamination, and demolition (D4)
activities of over 400 site buildings; treatment of sludge; and disposition of transuranic waste (TRU), spent nuclear material containers,
spent nuclear fuel, and reactors.
<strong>The</strong> $4.5 billion project, funded through the U.S. DOE Office of Environmental Management, focuses equally on reducing
risks to workers, the public, and the environment and on protecting the Columbia River. Specifically, CHPRCs scope includes:
• 100K Area remediation, sludge treatment, and reactor interim safe storage
• Plutonium Finishing Plant Closure
• Groundwater/vadose zone remediation
• Groundwater, soil, and facility regulatory decision/other documents
• Facility, waste site, and canyon remediation
• Waste retrieval, treatment and disposal, and fuels management
• Fast Flux Test Facility near-term shutdown activities
• Facility and waste site minimum-safe/surveillance and maintenance (S&M).
2) REMEDIATION OF THE SITE OF A FORMER ACTIVE HANDLING BUILDING
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM - 16041
Limited (UK); Andy Staples, United Kingdom Atomic EnergyAuthority (UK)
In 2000, Nuvia Limited was contracted to carry out the decommissioning of a former Active Handling Building A59 on the
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) site at Winfrith. This is in support of UKAEA’s mission, which is to carry
out environmental restoration of its nuclear sites and to put them to alternative uses wherever possible. Recently UKAEA has been
reorganised and responsibility for the site lies with Research Sites Restoration Limited (RSRL) with funding provided by the
National Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
Following major decommissioning operations the main containment building structure and the two suites of concrete shielded
caves were demolished between June 2006 and March 2007 leaving just the base slab for final removal and the site remediation
operations undertaken. <strong>The</strong> base slab contained a quantity of encast, internally contaminated items including more than 100 steel
mortuary tubes set up to 6.6m deep into the slab. At the outset it was suspected that some leakage of radioactive contamination had
occurred into the ground although the precise location/s of the leakage was unknown. As a result the scope of the work required
the underlying soil to be carefully monitored for the presence of radioactive contamination and, if detected, its remediation to an
end state suitable for un-restricted use without planning or nuclear regulatory controls.
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