Reactor Long Term Surveillance & Maintenance
 

High Flux Beam Reactor Long Term Surveillance & Maintenance

The High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) underwent deactivation and stabilization to prepare the HFBR confinement for long-term safe storage during radioactive decay.  BNL has implemented a long term surveillance and maintenance (S&M) program to manage the inventory of radioisotopes remaining at the HFBR complex and to ensure that the complex is maintained in a safe condition.  The complex includes the HFBR confinement building, ancillary rooms, and associated systems.

Residual radioactive contamination at the HFBR is being maintained in a safe condition under the S&M program so that current and future human exposure pathways are prevented.  The program covers 65 years as specified by the cleanup alternative selected under the HFBR Proposed Remedial Action Plan and detailed in the Record of Decision (ROD). Final decommissioning of the HFBR will be performed at the completion of the decay period.

Routine S&M activities include:

  • Continued groundwater monitoring and response actions in accordance with the Operable Unit (OU) III ROD.
  • Continued air effluent monitoring
  • Routine inspections of the reactor complex, including the maintenance and periodic refurbishment of structures, systems, and components throughout the period of radioactive decay
  • Routine inspections and maintenance of the yard area, including periodic refurbishment of ground cover to prevent soil erosion
  • HFBR building water infiltration monitoring
  • Periodic reporting to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)
Surveillance activities are the responsibility of the Groundwater Protection Group.  The activities are scheduled and tracked.  In addition to the routine S&M activities outlined above, there are also operations and maintenance activities performed at the HFBR, which are limited to those necessary to support the S&M activities.  Housekeeping is limited to pick-up and deliveries, garbage collection, and vacuuming and mopping of floors outside the reactor confinement.  Grounds keeping activities include debris removal, lawn mowing, weed whacking, and removal of leaves, snow and ice.  Preventive maintenance is also performed to minimize the potential failure of systems and components such as the building ventilation exhaust system.

Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor Long Term Surveillance & Maintenance

The Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor (BGRR) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) underwent decontamination and decommissioning during which the graphite pile and the surrounding biological shield were removed and disposed.  The BGRR building and ancillary structures remain in a safe configuration.  BNL has implemented a long term S&M program to manage the inventory of radioisotopes remaining at the BGRR complex and to ensure that the complex is maintained in a safe condition.  The complex includes the BGRR Building 701 structure, ancillary structures, and associated systems.

Residual radioactive contamination at the BGRR is being maintained in a safe condition under the S&M program so that current and future human exposure pathways are prevented.  The program covers the requirements specified by the cleanup alternative selected under the BGRR Proposed Remedial Action Plan and detailed in the ROD.

Routine S&M activities include:

  • Continued groundwater monitoring and response actions in accordance with the OU III ROD.
  • Routine inspections of the reactor complex, including the maintenance and periodic refurbishment of structures, systems, and components throughout the period of radioactive decay
  • Routine inspections and maintenance of the yard area, including periodic refurbishment of ground cover to prevent soil erosion
  • Routine inspections and maintenance of the engineered cap and below ground duct covers to prevent water infiltration
  • Water infiltration monitoring in the BGRR building (including the deep drain pit) and supporting structures
  • Periodic reporting to the U.S. EPA and the NYSDEC

Surveillance activities are the responsibility of the Groundwater Protection Group.  The activities are scheduled and tracked.  In addition to the routine S&M activities outlined above, there are also operations and maintenance activities performed at the BGRR, which are limited to those necessary to support the S&M activities.  Housekeeping is limited to pick-up and deliveries.  Grounds keeping activities include debris removal, lawn mowing, weed whacking, and removal of leaves, snow and ice.  Preventive maintenance is also performed to minimize the potential failure of systems and components such as the engineered cap.

 

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Last Modified: March 25, 2013
Please forward all questions about this site to: John Burke


DOE, Office of Science One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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