TRANSMITTED TO M. WHITAKER 8/14/95
 
DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD

                                             May 22, 1995

MEMORANDUM FOR:     G. W. Cunningham, Technical Director

COPIES:             Board Members

FROM:               H. W. Massie, Jr.

SUBJECT:            Rocky Flats - Status of Plutonium Residue Processing


1.   Purpose:  This memorandum provides a report of a trip by the Defense Nuclear Facilities
     Safety Board (Board) staff, Massie and Von Holle, and outside experts Leary and Clark, on
     May 2-3, 1995 to review the Rocky Flats plans and preparations for processing plutonium
     residues in order to meet Board Recommendation 94-1.  The staff also reviewed the technical
     scope of Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL's) work in direct support of Rocky Flats
     residue processing.

2.   Summary:  Based on this review the Board staff notes the following:

     a.   Implementation of pyrochemical oxidation of salt residues is proceeding well.  LANL
          has developed the process parameters for the salt oxidation which will be utilized by
          the architect engineer (Stone and Webster) to complete conceptual and Title I & II
          designs in an expedited fashion.  Building 779 will be utilized for this effort.  It
          appears that the schedule requirements of Recommendation 94-1 can be met for the
          salt residues.
               
     b.   The schedule for chemical processing of the combustible residues is uncertain. 
          Department of Energy Rocky Flats Field Office (DOE RFFO) stated at the meeting
          that incineration will not meet the schedule in the 94-1 Implementation Plan (IP) and
          proposed using a wet oxidation process in Building 371.  The staff is not confident
          that the wet oxidation process under consideration is sufficiently developed to support
          Recommendation 94-1 commitments.  

     c.   Processing of the wet category residues is being proposed to be conducted in Building
          371.  At this time, the Building 371 mission statement does not include residue
          processing.  Any change in mission for Building 371 will have to be formally
          addressed by DOE RFFO, particularly as they implement Recommendation 94-3. 
     d.   Processing of the ash and the  inorganic residues is planned to be conducted in
          Building 707.   At this time, the staff believes that the requirements of
          Recommendation 94-1 can be met for these residues.

     e.   LANL's support to EG&G has been effective in helping to accelerate the schedule for
          residue stabilization at Rocky Flats.   LANL's involvement in the new Kaiser-Hill
          organization is not clear.

3.   Background:  Board Recommendation 94-1 requires "that preparation be expedited to
     process the containers of possibly unstable residues at Rocky Flats Plant and to convert
     constituent plutonium to a form suitable for safe interim storage [within 3 years]."  The DOE
     in its IP to Recommendation 94-1  committed to process higher risk residues within three
     years; except for the higher risk combustible residues which are to be processed within four
     and one half years.  EG&G has completed its Integrated Program Plan (IPP) which provides
     details regarding the processing of residues.

4.   Discussion/Observations:

     Rocky Flats has a total of 106 metric tons of plutonium bearing residues which are subdivided
     into five major categories:  1) salts, 2) combustibles, 3) ash, 4) wet/miscellaneous, and 5)
     inorganics. These residues contain about 3 weight percent of plutonium and  approximately
     one-half of the total residues are classified as high risk.  The residue project organization is
     provided in Attachment 1.  The status of each of these residue categories (called "buckets"
     by EG&G) are presented below.

     a.   Salt Residues:  Building 779 was chosen as the location to process salt residues with
          pyrochemical oxidation; the oxidation agent will be calcium carbonate or sodium
          carbonate. An architect engineer (Stone & Webster) has been selected to finalize Title
          I and II design.  In order to met the requirements of Recommendation 94-1, EG&G
          (Kaiser-Hill after 6/30/95) will utilize the four existing furnaces in room 160 of
          Building 779 to initiate  processing of higher-risk salt residues by October 1996.  In
          parallel, EG&G will procure, design and install six additional furnaces.  LANL is
          providing direct support to EG&G for the development of the process parameters
          (temperature, pressure, carbonate amounts, etc.),  preliminary  procedures, and  the
          training of Rocky Flats process operators.  LANL has completed 25 successful salt
          oxidation runs utilizing LANL's salt residues, which are similar to Rocky Flat's salt
          residues.  The operations requirements have been established by EG&G and were
          provided to Stone and Webster.

          The manager of Residue Stabilization stated that additional funding($3.5M) is  needed
          in order to maintain the schedule for processing of salt residues.  The budget request
          is under review by DOE RFFO.

          The staff notes that the new Rocky Flats integrating contractor, Kaiser-Hill, has a
          performance goal to complete their operational readiness review for salt processing
          by the end of the third quarter of FY96.  DOE RFFO stated that the salt residue effort
          is planned to be a model for the rest of the residues.

     b.   Combustibles:  Since the staff visit of April 19, 1995, EG&G has selected wet
          oxidation as the primary option for processing of combustible residues.  In the past,
          combustible residues were incinerated, but the old incinerator is no longer operable.
          DOE RFFO stated that preparing a new incinerator for  combustible residues could
          not be accomplished in time to meet the requirements in Recommendation 94-1; this
          is primarily due to time required to conduct an environmental impact statement and
          to obtain environmental permits required by  the Clear Air Act in order to operate an
          incinerator.

          EG&G presented a preliminary plan to initiate a "treatability" or pilot project utilizing
          a wet oxidation process on the higher risk residues.  EG&G is proposing to process
          the combustible residues in Building 371 over a total period of 8 years.  The staff
          notes that the proposed wet oxidation process has not been demonstrated on 
          plutonium bearing residues and also has not been scaled up to a size adequate to
          process salt residues to meet the Recommendation 94-1 commitment.  At this time,
          the mission of Building 371 does not include residue processing.    The staff notes that
          all of the combustible residue drums have been vented; this should alleviate drum
          pressurization hazards. 

     c.   Ash:  EG&G has prepared a draft conceptual design report for calcination of
          incinerator ash residues in Building 707, modules E and F.  Existing ovens may be
          utilized to calcine the higher risk residues at a temperature of  800C, similar to the
          calcination of the brushed metal oxides.  A capital project is being proposed to obtain
          additional furnaces to allow calcining of  remaining residues at 1000C.  A draft
          conceptual design report has been prepared and an architect engineer will be selected
          soon to finalize Title I & II design.  EG&G will consolidate Title I & II design in 
          order to meet the requirements of Recommendation 94-1.  The staff believes that
          progress on this project is satisfactory.   

     d.   Wet/Miscellaneous:  This category of residues is comprised of 26 different types of
          residues and will likely require several types of processes from washing and repacking
          to calcination.  EG&G stated that Building 371 is the likely location for treating the
          wet residues.  Acid-contaminated leaded gloves  require the most immediate attention
          and could be washed and dried along with transuranic waste.  No commitment has
          been made yet for the early processing of the leaded rubber gloves, but DOE RFFO
          expects that this issue can be resolved soon.  The wet residues will likely be processed
          in Building 371 over 8 years.

     e.   Inorganics:  This group of residues are generally low risk and are a lesser  concern. 
          EG&G plans to repack these residues in Building 707 over 8 years.  EG&G
          repackaged 2 LECO crucible (which are small containers used for laboratory testing
          of plutonium)  drums, a low risk residue, in FY94 and has reinitated this work.  This
          work is being conducted in Module A of Building 707.  EG&G stated that a primary
          mission of the LECO crucible work is to keep the residue workforce trained.  It will
          be at least one year before the other residue categories are ready for processing (e.g.,
          completion of operational readiness reviews and establishing an authorization basis). 
          
     f.   LANL Support:   LANL is involved in all aspects of the residues work including
          development of residue storage standards, conducting salt oxidation tests on LANL
          residues, developing salt oxidation process parameters for Rocky Flats salt residue
          processing, conducting tests of pyrolysis methods, and developing non-destructive
          assay methods.  A LANL process engineer has been assigned to each of the five
          residue categories.  The staff believes that the cooperative EG&G and LANL effort
          has been effective in  accelerating the plutonium stabilization schedules at Rocky
          Flats.  However, it is not yet clear how LANL will interact with the new integrating
          contractor, Kaiser-Hill.

5.   Future Actions:  The Board staff will continue to review the implementation of
     Recommendation 94-1 regarding the residues, particularly  options for processing of
     combustible residues.  The next review meeting is planned for late June 1995.  The staff will
     also discuss with DOE RFFO the need  to address residue processing in the mission of
     Building 371 with regard to Recommendation 94-3.