Changes to H-Canyon at Savannah River Site expected to reduce waste, costs Changes coming to a unique processing facility at Savannah River Site are expected to minimize amounts of highly radioactive waste produced there. The H-Canyon facility – the nation’s sole remaining chemical separations facility where certain types of plutonium, highly enriched uranium and aluminum-clad spent fuels can be processed for disposal – is being modified to reduce the amount of waste transferred to storage tanks, according to a news release from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the primary operations contractor for the site. The waste is created when highly enriched uranium is converted into low enriched uranium, some of which is transferred to the Tennessee Valley Authority to produce electricity. The waste minimization plan designed by SRNS supports continued use of H-Canyon. Among changes planned are fewer sump flushes of the H-Canyon floor, which is sloped to collect any leaks during processing activities. More precise measurements of H-Canyon activities will be done so the floor is not flushed prematurely. Also, an acid recovery unit which recycles nitric acid for reuse in H-Canyon will be repaired; and procedures for a system that captures ammonium vapors will be changed to decrease liquid waste. According to SRNS, the modifications save tax dollars and reduce the [...] geogianews/changes-to-h-canyon-at-savannah-river-site-expected-to-reduce-waste-costs/
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 06:15:30 +0000
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