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DOE News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2002

NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
Stacey Francis, 208-526-0075, syf@inel.gov

INEEL demonstrates commitment to risk reduction

Spent nuclear fuel moved from wet to dry storage, removes special nuclear material from Idaho

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory continues to demonstrate its commitment to reducing risk and accelerating cleanup by moving spent nuclear fuel from wet to dry storage and shipping special nuclear material off-site to other DOE facilities.

The last of 42 transfers of spent nuclear fuel and fuel remnants stored in the canal of the Materials Test Reactor has been made to the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center, three months ahead of schedule.

Some of the material had been in canal storage for more than 30 years after testing on it was completed. The fuel and fuel remnants primarily came from the Power Burst Facility reactor. The transfers were performed with a specialized cask designed for moving fuel. The Materials Test Reactor canal will now undergo decontamination and decommissioning.

Crews completed moving the last of the spent nuclear fuel in wet storage pools at Test Area North into three dry storage casks sitting on a concrete pad. These include fuel from the Loss-of-Fluid Test reactor and various commercial facilities. The commercial fuel was received at INEEL for testing between 1975 and 1987. The casks will eventually be transferred to dry storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.

Under the INEEL’s Accelerated Cleanup Plan, all spent nuclear fuel will be consolidated and transferred into dry storage at INTEC by 2005. At INTEC, it will be packaged and prepared by 2012 for shipment to the national repository. Dry storage of spent nuclear fuel reduces the risk of corrosion and leakage into the environment.

Additionally, some unirradiated nuclear fuel (special nuclear material) managed by the INEEL was shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory this year. This material is being consolidated from around the complex to reduce the risk of storing it at a number of different locations. Under the INEEL’s Accelerated Cleanup Plan special nuclear material managed by the Environmental Management Program at the INEEL will be shipped off-site by 2009, 35 years ahead of the old plan.

The INEEL is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s missions in environment, energy, science and national security.

—INEEL—

02-091

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