Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Progress Update

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(No Transcript)
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Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Progress Update
Western Governors Association WIPP
Transportation Advisory Group Meeting Denver,
CO September 28, 2004
Herb Cruickshank Carlsbad Field Office TRU Waste
Planning Manager
Casey Gadbury Carlsbad Field Office TRU Waste
Logistics Work Coordinator
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WIPP summary
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Panel 2 utilization
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Shipping corridors
121
Hanford
634
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental
Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory - East
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1,704
Nevada Test Site
Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site
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71
Los Alamos National Laboratory
445
Savannah River Site
3,000
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Transuranic waste removed
Total shipments as of 9/23/04
Rail
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Accomplishments - fiscal year 2004

• Safety
• Achieved 2 million safe work hours
• Received New Mexicos Mine Operator of the Year
  for 17th consecutive year
• Achieved DOEs highest safety rating for 9th
  consecutive year
• Transportation
• Received 3,000th shipment September 2004
• Completed removal of legacy CH-TRU waste from
  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory May 2004
• Restarted shipments from Nevada Test Site
  August 2004
• Regulatory
• Submitted Compliance Recertification Application
  to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) March
  2004
• Obtained New Mexico Environment Department
  approval to dispose of LANL sealed sources
  March 2004
• Received approval from EPA on remote-handled
  waste characterization procedures March 2004

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Accomplishments - fiscal year 2004 (continued)

• Operations (through September 10, 2004)
• Completed 5.5 safe years of operations
• Disposed of 8,297.66 cubic meters of TRU waste
  most in any fiscal year
• Completed mining of Panel 3
• Processed a record of 77 TRUPACT-IIs in a week
• Certified 7,745 drums with mobile
  characterization at 3 facilities

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Objectives - fiscal year 2005

• Transportation
• Removal of legacy CH-TRU waste that meets WIPPs
  Waste Acceptance Criteria from
• Nevada Test Site
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory mid-year
• Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site mid
  year
• Begin fabrication of TRUPACT-III test articles
• Operations
• Begin mining in Panel 4
• Closure of Panel 2 mid-year
• Process 87 TRUPACT-IIs per week
• Resume removal of high-wattage waste from Los
  Alamos National Laboratory
• Regulatory
• Receive approval of Compliance Recertification
  Application from Environmental Protection Agency
• Complete hearing before New Mexico Environment
  Department on remote-handled permit modification
  request

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WIPP recertification status

• WIPP submitted the Compliance Recertification
  Application (CRA) to Environmental Protection
  Agency (EPA) on March 26, 2004
• EPA must evaluate the completeness of the CRA
  pursuant to 40 CFR 194.11 before processing the
  application
• EPA sent letters to DOE asking for additional
  information and DOE is responding to these
  requests
• EPA held public meetings in Carlsbad,
  Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, New Mexico the week of
  July 26th
• EPA indicates it may determine completeness of
  application by the end of calendar year 2004
• Recertification of WIPP is expected 12 to 15
  months after CRA submittal to the EPA

Determine completeness Determine continued
compliance Recertify
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TRUPACT-III status

• Packaging Technology (Pac-Tec) submitted safety
  analysis report to Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  (NRC) March 2004
• NRC raised questions during meeting July 2004
• Pac-Tec to submit a recovery plan

External measurements 82 x 88 x 1910.5
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Transportation recent events

• Two route deviations in Idaho
• Two shipments turned around en route
• Savannah River Site
• Idaho National Engineering and Environmental
  Laboratory
• Minor accident in Roswell, NM
• Avoidance of accident in Wyoming

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Route deviations in Idaho

• First Route Deviation
• Hanford shipment RL040013 deviated onto I-86 in
  Idaho on April 6, 2004 at approximately 1030
  p.m.
• Driver not notified until the shipment was 55
  miles off-route
• Shipment back on approved route at 1225 a.m.,
  April 7th
• Lessons learned and actions
• Disciplinary actions - driver and WIPP operator
• Required Reading for WIPP operators
• Evaluation of TRANSCOM false alarms and
  implemented corrective actions
• Evaluation of GPS mapping system with route
  deviation alert in cab
• Quicker notification from CBFO to WGA and States

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Route deviations in Idaho

• Second Route Deviation
• Hanford shipment RL040013 deviated onto I-86 in
  Idaho for 8 miles on June 3, 2004
• Driver turned around at emergency turn-around
• Investigation identified HRCQ procedural
  violation
• Immediate action to replace driver resulted in
  minor shipment delay at Fort Collins, CO
• CBFO notified WGA and affected States quickly
• Lessons learned and actions
• Disciplinary actions driver
• Mandatory procedural reviews and training
  required for drivers

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En route SRS shipment returned

• Shipment summary
• June 9th - SRS shipment turned around near Pecos,
  Texas
• Possible prohibited item
• Upon receipt, shipment was evaluated
• No prohibited item was discovered
• Lessons learned and actions
• Administrative controls in place to ensure all
  characterization questions are adequately
  answered prior to shipment departure

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En route INEEL shipment returned

• Shipment summary
• INEEL shipment IN04029 turned around in southern
  Colorado on July 14, 2004
• Discovery of certification authorization
  non-compliance as required by WIPPs Hazardous
  Waste Facility Permit
• Certification authorization non-compliance
  involved random sampling of waste drums added
  to lot after random selection of drums sampling
• CBFO identified the issue and made notifications
  to WGA, affected states, INEEL, and New Mexico
  Environment Department
• INEEL corrected the deficiency through procedure
  and process revisions
• INEEL was authorized by NMED and CBFO to resume
  shipments in September 2004

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INEEL shipment returned (continued)

• Follow-up activities
• Working with New Mexico Environment Department on
  resolution of compliance order
• Working with shipping sites to ensure procedures
  are followed
• Public risk and impacts
• Never any risk to workers, public or the
  environment
• No risk from waste already emplaced or negative
  impact on future repository performance

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Accident in Roswell, New Mexico

• Event summary
• WIPP truck was stuck by a passenger vehicle on
  Roswell relief route on July 23, 2004 at 1100
  p.m.
• Rocky Flats shipment received minor damage to
  right front fender and wheel hub
• No injuries
• No damage to trailer or payload
• Driver of passenger vehicle received citation
• State police conducted CVSA Level VI inspection
• Shipment released at 120 a.m. on July 24th
• Lessons learned and actions
• Good notifications from CMRO and CBFO to state
  contacts

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Avoidance of accident in Wyoming

• Accident summary
• Multi-vehicle accident, August 19th, at 145 p.m.
  
• Sudden dense fog pocket on I-80 between Laramie
  and Cheyenne
• Driver of RL040053 went on road shoulder to avoid
  collisions
• Driver pulled an injured driver from burning
  tractor-trailer
• Drivers inspected shipment before leaving scene
• Escorted by Wyoming Highway Patrol to safe
  parking at Warren Air Force Base overnight
• Shipment left Warren Air Force Base about 8 a.m.
  on August 20th
• Excellent performance by drivers, including
  actions above and beyond the call of duty

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Future scheduling

• Projected near-term schedule
• RFETS to ship about 15 shipments per week and
  scheduled to complete shipments at end of April
  2005
• INEEL to ship 6 - 7 shipments per week from
  October 2004 through February 2005 then ramp up
  to 15 - 19 shipments per week from May 2005
  through December 2005
• NTS scheduled to complete about 31 shipments by
  end of December 2004
• LLNL scheduled to complete about 20 shipments by
  end of January 2005
• SRS and Hanford to ship approximately 2 4
  shipments per week throughout federal FY 2005
• LANL scheduled to commence shipments Spring 2005
  and ramp up to about 4 shipments per week
• Three weeks of WIPP shutdown scheduled during
  Thanksgiving and December holidays in 2004

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Future scheduling needs

• In order to meet commitments to remove TRU waste
  
• WIPP program needs flexibility in scheduling
• If a site is unable to ship as scheduled, CBFO
  will determine if another site can ship
• Two-week shipping request approval from DOE-HQ
• Will notify WGA prior to rescheduling

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Comments / Questions?