The Department of Energy and its contractor for the work say the delay would mean missing a Tri-Party Agreement deadline for finishing the work by March 31. DOE is seeking the extension because it has found more contaminants than expected in the reactor's spent nuclear fuel basin. The state agency does not believe DOE and Bechtel Hanford Inc. have adequately documented the need for the extension, and they haven't included guarantees that a revised timetable can be met, said ecology department spokeswoman Sheryl Hutchinson. Talks are continuing. Bechtel is in charge of deactivating the 100N Area, which includes N Reactor and 90 to 100 auxiliary buildings and facilities.
Deactivation consists of cleaning up most of the radioactive contamination and closing buildings.
Then outlying buildings would be demolished and the main reactor building demolished and sealed off. Most of the work on outlying buildings is complete, said Bechtel and DOE officials. The remaining hurdle is N Basin - which is two connecting indoor pools that once held spent nuclear fuel until it was transferred elsewhere. The N Basin holds about 1 million gallons of water that is about 24 feet deep. Much of its bottom consists of deep cubicles, giving its floor a waffled appearance.