DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD

March 8, 2024

TO: Timothy J. Dwyer, Technical Director

FROM: B. Caleca, P. Fox, N. Huntington, and P. Meyer, Resident Inspectors

SUBJECT: Hanford Activity Report for the Week Ending March 8, 2024

242-A Evaporator: DOE, with WRPS support, met with the Board and provided the status of 

ongoing work related to resolving the Board’s concerns regarding 242-A evaporator hazard 

controls for fire and seismic events, as detailed in the Board’s July 19, 2022, letter.

WRPS is conducting a management self-assessment (MSA) to evaluate their readiness to restart 

the evaporator, which has been shut down since 2019. The MSA team is performing their review

using an approach similar to a readiness assessment but is also providing feedback and coaching 

to facility personnel. The resident inspectors observed the MSA kickoff, interviews, team

meetings, and an operational drill, which required response to a pump vibration alarm. WRPS 

intends to conduct a contractor readiness assessment near the end of April.

WRPS Nuclear Safety held a control decision meeting to discuss and select the required safety 

integrity level (SIL) for a seismic detector that they will use as the input for a new safety 

instrumented system (SIS) that will place the evaporator in a safe condition in the event of a 

seismic event. The control decision team determined that, based on the hazard parameters, SIL 1 

provides an adequate level of performance. The decision also noted that the method will use two 

detectors and the SIS action will require detection and input by both detectors. 

Building 324: A resident inspector observed an emergency preparedness drill at Building 324. 

The drill scenario simulated the detonation of a suspicious package, which ruptured a radioactive 

waste package. Facility response was prompt, though the resident inspector noted poor

contamination control during the doffing of the firefighter’s personal protective equipment. The 

drill controllers also noted the contamination control deficiency and injected a further spread of 

contamination to multiple individuals wearing personal protective equipment and to the personal 

clothing of a firefighter.

Waste Treatment Plant (WTP): A resident inspector observed a “Path to Green” meeting. 

The meeting is designed to leverage system health monitoring and reporting, performed by 

system engineers, to support facility operations. This was the third meeting held under recently 

established processes. System engineers provided valuable information, and most had a good 

awareness of the impact their systems have on plant performance. However, better attendance 

by the maintenance and planning organizations would have made the meeting more useful. The 

resident inspector also noted that the system engineers would benefit from a better understanding 

of plant procedures for recording and managing system/equipment deficiencies through 

resolution. Lastly, the discussion mostly focused on repair or resolution of existing equipment 

issues. This focus is appropriate for the current plant status. However, to gain maximum benefit 

from the system engineering approach, facility management should consider eventually

transitioning to a more forward-looking methodology that also includes review of operational 

data, analysis of equipment and system operational performance, and the identification of 

approaches/changes that are designed to provide overall operational and safety improvement.