The contract operator of the Savannah River Site has halted a range of nuclear and non-nuclear operations following a breach of safety protocols in management of plutonium used in the facility’s HB Line. The HB Line is a chemical processing system that works with plutonium in tasks including the production of feedstock for the planned Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility. Procedures on the spacing and mass of the material are in place to prevent any nuclear criticality – an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction – while plutonium is being moved within the facility, according to James Giusti, Department of Energy spokesman at the Savannah River Site. “On September 3, a violation in procedural controls on material spacing occurred (mass controls were not violated), thus reducing margins of safety and violating technical safety requirements for operation of the facility,” Giusti said in a message Monday to Tom Clements, director of the nongovernmental Savannah River Site Watch. “This violation came to light on September 8, when HB-Line operations personnel noted the plutonium samples had been temporarily stored in a storage vault in an unapproved container.”
In a memo issued Friday to Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) employees, company President and CEO Carol Johnson characterized the incident as a “singular event” involving several employees that followed several other matters of concern in operations at the site. “Consequently, I am directing an operational pause for all non-essential work. This includes the execution of operational procedures, technical work documents, etc.,” Johnson stated. The suspension specifically covers nonessential nuclear and non-nuclear environmental management activities at the site, Giusti indicated. Exceptions to the pause will include standard surveillance and maintenance to ensure facility safety and security and emergency and medical services, the message states.
The HB Line spent much of this year to date on a safety pause after workers in February found that agitators in one nuclear waste holding tank had not come back online following a brief power outage in January. Operations resumed in August. Johnson outlined several steps that would have to be taken before nonessential operations could resume, including development and execution of a plan addressing personnel behavior “to ensure understanding of our expectations, particularly with respect to procedural adherence and understanding.”
Partner Content
Jobs