U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clear Air Act notice of construction for the spent nuclear fuel project - Cold Vaccum Drying Facility, project W-441

Abstract

This document provides information regarding the source and the estimated quantity of potential airborne radionuclide emissions resulting from the operation of the Cold Vacuum Drying (CVD) Facility. The construction of the CVD Facility is scheduled to commence on or about December 1996, and will be completed when the process begins operation. This document serves as a Notice of Construction (NOC) pursuant to the requirements of 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61 for the CVD Facility. About 80 percent of the U.S. Department of Energy`s spent nuclear fuel (SNF) inventory is stored under water in the Hanford Site K Basins. Spent nuclear fuel in the K West Basin is contained in closed canisters, while the SNF in the K East Basin is in open canisters, which allow release of corrosion products to the K East Basin water. Storage of the current inventory in the K Basins was originally intended to be on an as-needed basis to sustain operation of the N Reactor while the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant was refurbished and restarted. The decision in December 1992 to deactivate the PURF-X Plant left approximately 2,100 MT (2,300 tons) of uranium as part of the N Reactor SNF in the K Basins with no means for near-term removal and processing. The CVD Facility will be constructed in the 100 Area northwest of the 190 K West Building, which is in close proximity to the K East and K West Basins (Figures 1 and 08572). The CVD Facility will consist of five processing bays, with four of the bays fully equipped with processing equipment and the fifth bay configured as an open spare bay. The CVD Facility will have a support area consisting of a control room, change rooms, and other functions required to support operations.