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The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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BWXT will scout potential TRISO fuel production sites in Wyoming
BWX Technologies Inc. announced today that its Advanced Technologies subsidiary has signed a cooperation agreement with the state of Wyoming to evaluate locations and requirements for siting a potential new TRISO nuclear fuel fabrication facility in the state.
L. E. Bruns
Nuclear Technology | Volume 58 | Number 2 | August 1982 | Pages 154-169
Environmental Transport Mechanism | Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT82-A32927
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The key to control of radionuclides in the environment is the ability to measure at least the lower guideline concentrations set by good environmental control practices. Rockwell Hanford Operations has developed and proposed field instrumentation systems that can give immediate, inexpensive, yet accurate, assays of guideline radionuclide concentrations in the environment. Field instrumentation is divided into two categories: (a) samples brought to a detector in the field (sa-de) and (b) a detector measuring activity in place (in situ). Guideline concentrations are established that field instruments should be able to detect to meet acceptable environmental standards. The guideline values cover environmental surface, subsurface, air, water, and decommissioning and decontamination (D&D). Plutonium is selected as an example: surface—0.060 nCi/g (0.010 nCi/cm2); subsurface—0.03 nCi/g at a 1- to 15-cm depth to 10 nCi/g at a >180-cm depth; airborne—2 × 10−12 μCi/cm3; water—5 × 10−6 μCi/cm3; D&D—surface of 150 nCi/cm2 nonsmearable. To meet the guidelines with in-field equipment, a helicopter survey, surface van, subsurface van, neutron activation, passive activation, and various portable (man-carried) systems have been used or tested at Hanford. The subsurface van was a first of its kind and is capable of obtaining 137Cs at pCi/g levels, plutonium at nCi/g, and many others at environmental level concentrations. Innovations have been added to most of the systems to improve practicability, accuracy, and sensitivity. New systems are being developed; others are planned.