Hanford may use divers in cleanup

RICHLAND – A contractor at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is considering using divers to help clean up two heavily contaminated basins that once held spent nuclear fuel.

Commercial nuclear reactors and, more recently, nuclear sites operated by the U.S. Department of Energy have used divers who specialize in radioactive environments to perform underwater jobs such as cleaning and welding.

Hanford contractor Fluor Hanford finished removing 2,300 tons of spent nuclear fuel from the so-called K East and K West basins in October. The two water-filled basins, which measure 150 by 80 feet, were built in the 1950s to hold irradiated fuel from the site’s nuclear reactors.

But the fuel was highly corroded, creating 65 cubic yards of radioactive sludge on the bottom of the basins.

Using divers could get the cleanup done faster and more cheaply, Fluor says.

Hanford workers currently stand on top of a steel grating 3 feet above the water. They use long-handled tools to reach beneath the grating and perform tasks in the 17 feet of water that shield them from radiation in the pools.

The work is slow and difficult. The water can be cloudy, and the workers are bundled in bulky protective clothing.

Divers might be able to more easily cut up and remove some of the equipment that remains in the basins, such as racks that once held spent fuel. They also might be able to vacuum up some of the sludge.

Pete Knollmeyer, vice president for Fluor Hanford, said officials are researching to determine if the dive project is feasible and safe.

“This is certainly not a done deal,” Knollmeyer told the Tri-City Herald for a story Wednesday. But he said the potential benefits make it worth investigating.

Fluor is facing aggressive Energy Department deadlines for cleaning up the K Basins, but has fallen behind schedule. The company expects to miss a Dec. 31 deadline for corralling sludge in the K East Basin in underwater containers.

The basins are to be emptied and removed by April 2009.

The Energy Department supports looking at innovative ways to do the work, said Matt McCormick, the agency’s assistant manager for Hanford’s central plateau.

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory used trained divers to clean four spent-nuclear-fuel storage basins there.

Divers at commercial nuclear plants also have entered water where the radiation levels were much higher. They use equipment called “sleds” as physical barriers to protect them from sources of radiation in the pools. In addition, dosimeters attached to their feet, hands and helmets can warn divers if they are getting too close to a radiation source.

Fluor expects to decide within two weeks whether to drop the idea or pursue it, with a possible dive as early as January.