Lessons learned from commercial experience with nuclear plant deactivation for safe storage

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Defense Complex consists of numerous sites and facilities located in 32 states. With the end of the Cold War, many of these facilities have been permanently closed, others are targeted for closure over the next two decades. Many of the facilities have been engaged in hazardous materials processing or testing since the 1940s and 1950s, resulting in a technical and economic challenge for environmental cleanup. Congress has given the DOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) the responsibility to address the environmental challenges posed by the shutdown of numerous DOE facilities. The objectives of the EM effort are to: (1) reduce, to acceptable levels, the likelihood of undesirable releases of radioactive and other hazardous materials and residual radioactive and hazardous contamination; (2) restore, where feasible, the lands, structures, and facilities to usable and safe conditions; (3) place radioactive and hazardous residues in controlled storage and/or permanent disposal sites; and (4) assist, where appropriate, in the revitalization of affected areas in a timely and cost-effective manner.