The Laboratory last week resumed operations at its Waste Characterization, Reduction and Repackaging (WCRR, pronounced "wicker") facility after obtaining certification from the National Nuclear Security Administration to operate WCRR as a "Category II" nuclear facility. WCRR formerly was certified as a Category III facility, where transuranic waste drums were opened and repackaged in order to meet strict waste-acceptance criteria required by WIPP.
Under the new Category II designation, the Laboratory is now able to repackage "high-activity waste," a designation for waste containers with greater than 56 plutonium-equivalent curies of material inside. The Laboratory has about 325 containers of high-activity transuranic waste in its current population of 20,000 transuranic-waste containers stored above grade at Area G, the Laboratory's radioactive waste storage and disposal area.
Of the 325 high-activity waste containers, 235 are scheduled for near-term shipment to WIPP and contain roughly 30 percent of the total plutonium-equivalent curies of radioactive material contained within the 20,000 transuranic-waste drums stored above grade at Area G. By shipping the drums to WIPP, the Laboratory will remove a significant fraction of its transuranic waste inventory from the site in a relatively short period of time.
The remaining 90 high-activity containers hold waste materials such as sludges that must undergo rigorous characterization methods currently unavailable at the Laboratory. Those containers will remain in safe storage at the Laboratory until an appropriate disposal strategy is established.
At Los Alamos, the WCRR facility is necessary because nearly two-thirds of the 235 containers selected for near-term shipment contain items prohibited by WIPP, such as aerosol cans or bottles of liquids. At WCRR, crews of highly trained employees will open high-activity waste containers within a glove box, process WIPP-prohibited items and repackage the waste for shipment in accordance with WIPP's robust specifications.
In order to obtain the Category II facility certification necessary for handling high-activity waste containers, the Laboratory modified WCRR substantially. Upgrades included structural improvements to the building, enhancements to fire-protection systems, creation of a new operations control center, and refurbishment of waste-storage areas.
In addition, facility personnel must follow new procedures and adhere to rigorous safety requirements. WCRR facility personnel underwent more than 80 hours of classroom training in addition to on-the-job training in order to pass a comprehensive written examination for compliance with enhanced facility requirements.
Moreover, as part of the certification process, Laboratory emergency management personnel and the Los Alamos Fire Department conducted emergency preparedness drills at the facility.
WCRR received its first shipment of high-activity waste containers on Wednesday, September 12, 2007, and the first container was repackaged the next day.
"The successful restart of the WCRR facility represents a major milestone in reducing the Laboratory's waste inventory and associated environmental risk," said Sue Stiger, Associate Laboratory Director for Environmental Programs. "I value the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in obtaining Category II certification for WCRR. This is a proud day for the Laboratory."
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and the Washington Division of URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.