Leak Source Identified at ORNL Research Reactor Pool
WC Monitor
11/7/2014
A month-long investigation has pinpointed the apparent source of leaking water from an old reactor pool at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and discussions are now under way about how to best deal with the problem. Mike Koentop, the executive director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management in Oak Ridge, said URS-CH2M Oak Ridge, LLC,–the agency’s cleanup manager in Oak Ridge — has identified two main options: Repair the source of the leak or remove and dispose of the irradiated metals in the pool, which would allow workers to drain the 125,000 gallons that has served as shielding. “We are currently evaluating those options and are looking closely at the risks associated with each option, as well as cost estimates,” he said.
UCOR has headed the investigation into the leak at the Oak Ridge Research Reactor – which has been shut down since the late 1980s — and made it the top priority of its current work scope. According to Koentop, “We believe we have identified the source of the seep. Using a remote camera, we identified a severed, small-diameter aluminum line at the bottom of the reactor pool.” He added: “We believe that is allowing water from the reactor pool to enter the annulus of the bottom plug in the reactor pool and into the surrounding concrete.” The leak rate has remained consistent at about 100 drops per minute, Koentop said. The slightly radioactive leaking water is being captured and processed through the laboratory’s Liquid Gaseous Waste Operations facility. Koentop said the situation does not pose a threat to worker safety and health or the environment.
