Chris Schneidmiller
WC Monitor
9/18/2015
The contract operator of the Savannah River Site (SRS) has instituted a company-wide suspension of nonessential 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 unique chemical processing system that works with plutonium in tasks including the production of feedstock for the planned Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility at SRS. 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.”
A fact-finding inquiry on Sept. 10 found that there had been multiple failures in “disciplined conduct of operations” a week earlier at HB Line, Giusti stated. These included personnel not following specific procedures and continuing the operation after it became apparent “the procedure was unworkable,” according to the spokesman.
Site management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) said the failure to follow procedure constituted a violation of the facility’s Technical Safety Requirement, but did not provide additional details of the event. “At no time was the facility unsafe as other controls remained in place,” SRNS spokeswoman Barbara Smoak said by email.
In a memo issued last Friday to SRNS employees, company President and CEO Carol Johnson characterized the incident as a “singular event” involving multiple employees who “made a conscious choice to deviate from established procedures created to ensure the safety of the people within and near the facility.
“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 told Clements. Exceptions to the pause will include standard surveillance and maintenance to ensure facility safety and security and emergency and medical services, his message states.
The HB Line spent much of this year 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 on Aug. 3. Given the issues with the facility and the age of H Canyon, the chemical separations plant that encompasses HB Line and recently observed its 60th year in operation, “I have very low confidence that they will be able to operate effectively in the future,” Clements said in a telephone interview.
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.” There was no immediate word from SRNS on how long the review process might last.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions is a joint operation of Fluor Corp., Newport News Nuclear (itself a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries), and Honeywell International. Its work at the Savannah River Site encompasses operation of H Canyon, storage of spent nuclear fuel from the U.S. and other nations, extraction of tritium for use in nuclear weapons, and site cleanup.
