2011 Annual Summary Report for the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites at the Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada PDF Download

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Book Description
The Maintenance Plan for the Performance Assessments and Composite Analyses for the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites at the Nevada Test Site (National Security Technologies, LLC, 2007a) requires an annual review to assess the adequacy of the Performance Assessments (PAs) and Composite Analyses (CAs), with the results submitted annually to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management. The Disposal Authorization Statements for the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites (RWMSs) also require that such reviews be made and that secondary or minor unresolved issues be tracked and addressed as part of the maintenance plan (DOE, 1999a; 2000). The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office performed an annual review of the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMS PAs and CAs for fiscal year (FY) 2011. This annual summary report presents data and conclusions from the FY 2011 review, and determines the adequacy of the PAs and CAs. Operational factors (e.g., waste forms and containers, facility design, and waste receipts), closure plans, monitoring results, and research and development (R and D) activities were reviewed to determine the adequacy of the PAs. Likewise, the environmental restoration activities at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) (formerly the Nevada Test Site) relevant to the sources of residual radioactive material that are considered in the CAs, the land-use planning, and the results of the environmental monitoring and R and D activities were reviewed to determine the adequacy of the CAs. Important developments in FY 2011 include the following: (1) Operation of a new shallow land disposal unit and a new Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)-compliant lined disposal unit at the Area 5 RWMS; (2) Development of new closure inventory estimates based on disposals through FY 2011; (3) Evaluation of new or revised waste streams by special analysis; (4) Development of version 2.102 of the Area 3 RWMS GoldSim PA model; and (5) Development of version 4.113 of the Area 5 RWMS GoldSim PA model. Analysis of the latest available data using the Area 5 RWMS v4.113 GoldSim PA model indicates that all performance objectives can be met. The results and conclusions of the Area 5 RWMS PA are judged valid, and there is no need to the revise the PA. The Area 3 RWMS has been in inactive status since July 1, 2006, with the last shipment received in April 2006. In FY 2011, there were no operational changes, monitoring results, or R and D results for the Area 3 RWMS that would impact PA validity. Despite the increase in waste volume and inventory at the Area 3 RWMS since 1996 when the PA was approved, the facility performance evaluated with the Area 3 RWMS PA GoldSim model, version 2.0 (with the final closure inventory), remains well below the performance objectives set forth in U.S. Department of Energy Order DOE O 435.1, 'Radioactive Waste Management' (DOE, 2001). The conclusions of the Area 3 RWMS PA remain valid. A special analysis was prepared to update the PA and CA results for the Area 3 RWMS in FY 2011. Release of the special analysis is planned for FY 2012. The continuing adequacy of the CAs was evaluated with the new models, and no significant changes that would alter CA results or conclusions were found. Inclusion of the Frenchman Flat Underground Test Area (UGTA) results in the Area 5 RWMS CA is scheduled for FY 2016, pending the completion of the closure report for the Frenchman Flat UGTA corrective action unit (CAU) in FY 2015. An industrial site, CAU 547, with corrective action sites near the Area 3 RWMS was found to have a significant plutonium inventory in 2009. CAU 547 will be evaluated for inclusion of future revisions or updates of the Area 3 RWMS CA. The revision of the Area 3 RWMS CA, which will include the UGTA source terms, is expected in FY 2024, following the completion of the Yucca Flat CAU Corrective Action Decision Document, scheduled for FY 2023. Near-term R and D efforts will focus on continuing development of the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMS GoldSim PA/CA and inventory models.