Nuclear Decommissioning Report NDR April 2012 : Page 4

INDUSTRY NEWS OLDBURY POWER STATION SHUTS DOWN AFTER FOUR DECADES OF SAFE GENERATION After 44 years of safe operation, Magnox’s Oldbury power station—the world’s oldest operating nuclear power station—ceased gen-eration at 11:00am on February 29, 2012. To date, the site has generated over 137.5TWh of electricity—enough to power one million homes for over 20 years. In November 2011, the proactive decision to shut down Reactor One was made after careful consideration by operators Magnox, EnergySolutions -the owners of Magnox Ltd, and the site owners the Nuclear Decommis-sioning Authority (NDA). The decision was made on the grounds that further operation of one of the world’s oldest nuclear reactors was no longer economically viable. Originally, Oldbury was due to shut down in 2008. Since the scheduled closure date, the plant has generated an additional 7.4TWhrs of electricity, worth an estimated £350 mil-lion to the taxpayer and saving around 3.5M tonnes of carbon from being released into the atmosphere. Phil Sprague, Oldbury Site Director, said, “Oldbury has been a terrific success story for the UK nuclear industry. We have gener-ated safe, carbon-free electricity for 44 years, which is a remarkable achievement when you consider that the original plant design life was just 25 years. “Our main focus for the coming months is to prepare our staff and the plant for the defueling of the reactors, whilst continuing to maintain the very high standards for safety that we have created here. Ongoing support for our staff as we make these changes will be key for the rest of this year.” Brian Burnett, NDA Head of Programmes said, “Oldbury has a long and proud history of safely generating electricity. Our thanks go to the Magnox workforce, who have been ex-tremely committed to maximising the plant’s generating life, ensuring it was able to safely continue past its original planned closure date. Its income has been extremely valuable in supporting our mission to decommission the UK’s first generation of civil nuclear sites.” The NDA’s other operational nuclear site, Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales, is look-ing to extend generation beyond its current shutdown date of December 2012, through to 2014. Richard Waite, President, UK and Europe, at EnergySolutions, said, “My congratulations go to all staff at Oldbury, past and present, who have contributed to the site’s amazing achievements over the past 44 years. Ener-gySolutions [is] proud to have been part of that journey—including the site’s recent life extensions—and we look forward to working with all at Magnox in the coming years as the focus shifts to safe defueling, decommission-ing and cleanup.” In 2011, Oldbury was recognized for its excellent safety culture by being one of 54 organizations who were awarded the British Safety Council’s Sword of Honour. The win-ners were recognized as having exemplary health and safety systems that are among the best in the world. For more information, visit www.magnoxsites.co.uk. EM RENEWS INFORMATION-SHARING AGREEMENT WITH UK’S NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING AUTHORITY An agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) that expands the scope of their information sharing was recently renewed by Environ-mental Management’s (EM) top official. “EM highly values international cooperation and we are eager to continue working with organizations in the UK to ensure this relation-ship is fruitful for both sides,” DOE Senior Advisor for Environmental Management David Huizenga said following the signing ceremony where he renewed the Statement of Intent (SOI). The agreement enables DOE and NDA to share lessons learned and the development and application of new technologies and approaches to improve the safety, cost effectiveness and schedule of EM’s nuclear cleanup program. The SOI was originally signed in 2007. The renewal expands the SOI’s scope of information exchange to include DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). “We are very pleased to extend the term of this agreement and look forward to working with our colleagues in both EM and NE in the coming months,” said Peter Lyons, DOE assistant secretary for NE. DOE Senior Advisor for Environmental Management David Huizenga (left) and Mark Lesinski, U.K.'s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Executive Director for Delivery, renewed the Statement of Intent between DOE and NDA in a signing ceremony. The SOI has resulted in information exchange and collaboration in several areas, including thermal treatment technologies, plutonium manage-ment, aging facilities management and decontamination technologies. The signing ceremony occurred at the 2012 Waste Management Symposia in Phoenix, Arizona, an international conference and trade show in radioactive material and nuclear waste management. Huizenga was a plenary speaker at the event. For more information, visit www.em.doe.gov and www.nda.gov.uk. 4 NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING REPORT

Industry News

Oldbury Power Station Shuts Down After Four Decades Of Safe Generation After 44 years of safe operation, Magnox’s Oldbury power station—the world’s oldest operating nuclear power station—ceased generation at 11:00am on February 29, 2012. To date, the site has generated over 137. 5TWh of electricity—enough to power one million homes for over 20 years. In November 2011, the proactive decision to shut down Reactor One was made after careful consideration by operators Magnox, EnergySolutions - the owners of Magnox Ltd, and the site owners the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The decision was made on the grounds that further operation of one of the world’s oldest nuclear reactors was no longer economically viable. Originally, Oldbury was due to shut down in 2008. Since the scheduled closure date, the plant has generated an additional 7.4TWhrs of electricity, worth an estimated £350 million to the taxpayer and saving around 3.5M tonnes of carbon from being released into the atmosphere. Phil Sprague, Oldbury Site Director, said, “Oldbury has been a terrific success story for the UK nuclear industry. We have generated safe, carbon-free electricity for 44 years, which is a remarkable achievement when you consider that the original plant design life was just 25 years. “Our main focus for the coming months is to prepare our staff and the plant for the defueling of the reactors, whilst continuing to maintain the very high standards for safety that we have created here. Ongoing support for our staff as we make these changes will be key for the rest of this year.” Brian Burnett, NDA Head of Programmes said, “Oldbury has a long and proud history of safely generating electricity. Our thanks go to the Magnox workforce, who have been extremely committed to maximising the plant’s generating life, ensuring it was able to safely continue past its original planned closure date. Its income has been extremely valuable in supporting our mission to decommission the UK’s first generation of civil nuclear sites.” The NDA’s other operational nuclear site, Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales, is looking to extend generation beyond its current shutdown date of December 2012, through to 2014. Richard Waite, President, UK and Europe, at EnergySolutions, said, “My congratulations go to all staff at Oldbury, past and present, who have contributed to the site’s amazing achievements over the past 44 years. EnergySolutions [is] proud to have been part of that journey—including the site’s recent life extensions—and we look forward to working with all at Magnox in the coming years as the focus shifts to safe defueling, decommissioning and cleanup.” In 2011, Oldbury was recognized for its excellent safety culture by being one of 54 organizations who were awarded the British Safety Council’s Sword of Honour. The winners were recognized as having exemplary health and safety systems that are among the best in the world. For more information, visit www.magnoxsites.co.uk. Em Renews Information-Sharing Agreement With Uk's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority An agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) that expands the scope of their information sharing was recently renewed by Environmental Management’s (EM) top official. “EM highly values international cooperation and we are eager to continue working with organizations in the UK to ensure this relationship is fruitful for both sides,” DOE Senior Advisor for Environmental Management David Huizenga said following the signing ceremony where he renewed the Statement of Intent (SOI). The agreement enables DOE and NDA to share lessons learned and the development and application of new technologies and approaches to improve the safety, cost effectiveness and schedule of EM’s nuclear cleanup program. The SOI was originally signed in 2007. The renewal expands the SOI’s scope of information exchange to include DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). “We are very pleased to extend the term of this agreement and look forward to working with our colleagues in both EM and NE in the coming months,” said Peter Lyons, DOE assistant secretary for NE. The SOI has resulted in information exchange and collaboration in several areas, including thermal treatment technologies, plutonium management, aging facilities management and decontamination technologies. The signing ceremony occurred at the 2012 Waste Management Symposia in Phoenix, Arizona, an international conference and trade show in radioactive material and nuclear waste management. Huizenga was a plenary speaker at the event. For more information, visit www.em.doe.gov and www.nda.gov.uk. Bartlett Services Enters Into Exclusive Distribution Agreement For Warren Environmental Epoxy Coatings Bartlett Services, Inc. (BSI) has entered into an exclusive agreement with Warren Environmental, Inc.for the distribution and sales of its epoxy systems. These solvent-free, ultra high-build, 100% solids epoxy coatings are fast curing and applied in a single coat by spraying, hand troweling or rolling on horizontal, vertical or overhead surfaces, providing an impermeable protective liner. Designed to protect or restore a variety of infrastructures, the coating can be applied to steel, metal, fiberglass, masonry or concrete surfaces with likely exposure to corrosive and erosive environments. Advantages of the epoxies include zero VOC application for confined space safety, while delivering exceptional adhesion, flame resistance, corrosion resistance and structural strength. This agreement furthers BSI’s growth in specialty technology markets by expanding and strengthening its line of products that have applications within the Department of Energy and commercial nuclear power markets. BSI’s commitment to their decontamination product line includes offering a broad product selection, competitive pricing, timely delivery and technical support. For more information, visit www.warrenenviro.com and www.bartlettservices.com. Nda Overview Of Higher Activity Waste Published The NDA has published an overview of all its higher activity waste (HAW), providing details of where the material arises and how it is being dealt with. The Overview of NDA Higher Activity Waste looks at radioactive waste from NDA sites only and is based on information from the 2010 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory. Aimed at all organizations and individuals with an interest in HAW, the report will be updated periodically to reflect any changes taking place in waste management plans. The aim of the report is to provide clarity about the whole lifecycle of the various kinds of radioactive waste, including current methods of treatment, packaging, storage and ultimate disposal. A glossary outlines the characteristics of each type of waste, how it has arisen, and at which site. NDA Head of Integrated Waste Management James McKinney said, “The NDA publishes a wide range of documents on options of dealing with radioactive waste, but this is the first overview of estate-wide HAW that gives detailed information across the whole lifecycle, including future arisings, and how it is being treated. We believe it is a valuable summary for stakeholders seeking to understand the nature and quantity of this material, which is extremely diverse and differs from site to site." Reader Poll We’d like to get your input on important matters in the industry. Please take a moment to respond to our poll below by either logging on to www.r.ndreport.com/poll to submit your answer, or emailing it to info@ndreport.com. We will publish the results in next month’s issue and on our site. If you have a question you’d like to poll the industry on, let us know. We may include it in an upcoming issue. Supply Chain Given Chance To Strengthen Links With Sellafield Sellafield Ltd has hosted another successful supplier forum event, providing an opportunity for supply chain members to meet the company’s executive and commercial teams as well as network with each other. One of the main topics for discussion was the new £1.5bn 15-year Design Service’s Alliance, which had been announced the previous day. Representatives from the winning consortia, AXIOM and Progressive Alliance, were on hand to speak to the supply chain and Sellafield Ltd’s Keith Case explained how Sellafield Ltd was changing its approach to procuring goods, with the focus shifting to longer-term collaborative agreements. The event was held for the first time at Energus, which also presented those present with the chance to take a look at the first-class apprentice training facilities on offer at the center. Over 350 delegates were in attendance with 25 exhibitors from the supply chain joining Sellafield Ltd representatives. Supply chain ombudsman Stuart Wilson said, “It was a very successful event with the speakers well received and, as always, the opportunity to network seen by many as one of the most useful functions. “We were also able to talk about upcoming commercial opportunities at Sellafield as well as share information about some of the work that is going on at the moment on the site, such as the Journey to Excellence.” Visit www.sellafieldsites.com/suppliers, for more information. Voice Of The Supply Chain Questionnaire Sellafield Ltd is constantly striving to improve its business model and considers Supply Chain feedback to be a key factor in learning from experience. The Voice of the Supply Chain questionnaire is intended to reach out to firms who are currently providing products and/or services, either directly or indirectly, to Sellafield Ltd and are therefore part of Sellafield Ltd’s Supply Chain. Srs Partnering Leads Toward Deployment Of New Chemical Extraction Solvent A recent partnering initiative between Savannah River Site (SRS) contractors, national laboratories and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is expected to lead to a more effective solvent used to extract radionuclides from radioactive salt waste, currently inside the Site's underground waste tanks. The new solvent, developed primarily by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is called the Next Generation Solvent (NGS). NGS was designed to be similar to the solvent currently used, but laboratory testing at ORNL and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) indicate it is more effective in extracting cesium from the salt waste. The extraction of cesium is necessary before the waste can be dispositioned. In 2012, the improved performance characteristics of NGS are to be evaluated in full-scale equipment at the Parsons Test Facility, for its potential to increase the rate at which the waste can be decontaminated through the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). If the solvent proves its effectiveness during these tests, further development will continue toward evaluating its future use in the SWPF and compatibility with downstream facilities. SWPF, which is currently under construction, will begin operations with the current generation of solvent. Savannah River Remediation, LLC (SRR) has worked in conjunction with SRNL, ORNL and Parsons, the SWPF contractor, to prepare the solvent for testing, a partnership that is proving its worth, according to Keith Harp, SRR's SWPF Interface Program Manager. "Our partnership with DOE, SRNL and Parsons has resulted in the solvent being delivered and stationed for testing," Harp said. "It has taken considerable interaction among all partners to get to this stage." Through the partnership, DOE requested the NGS makeup and delivery from SRR. Working with vendors and SRNL, SRR was able to procure and prepare the solvent, which was delivered to the Parsons Technology Center in Aiken on December 5, 2011. Parsons was scheduled to begin testing the NGS in February 2012 to evaluate increased throughput in its Large Scale Test Facility. Testing is targeted for completion in December 2012. Terrel Spears, assistant manager for Waste Disposition Project, DOE Savannah River Operations, and Tony Polk, SWPF federal project director, agree the initiative was the latest example of contractors and DOE working together for the benefit of SRS and taxpayers. "When SRS contractors work together, taxpayers benefit," Spears said. "Planned test conditions could reach the equivalent of a 20 percent increase in the SWPF facility's throughput." Once operational, the SWPF will replace SRR's Interim Salt Disposition Process, which has been processing salt waste since startup in April 2008. Rfits System Viable Concept For Doe The RFITS (Radio Frequency Identification Transportation System) Project has supported over 60,000 waste shipments, as well as over 10,000 clean-fill shipments from the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) to the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) since becoming operational in March 2009. The ETTP RFITS system has demonstrated that the concept for electronically tracked shipments of hazardous materials is a viable concept in supporting the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) waste operations on the Oak Ridge Reservation. In addition to ETTP, RFITS was implemented for shipments to EMWMF from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in October 2009, and from the Y-12 National Security Complex in March 2010. Implementing the RFITS Program involved creating a reusable and sustainable technology to collect key information about each shipment and display it on an interactive dashboard enabling EMWMF to manage inbound shipments in real-time. Trucks hauling waste along the haul road to EMWMF are tagged electronically before leaving the site. These electronic tags contain information about the truck and its load, replacing paper shipping manifests and other crucial information that would normally be on paper. Once tagged, the truck is tracked to its destination by strategically placed monitoring stations along the haul road that read the tag to monitor its progress. RFITS has been recognized by DOE as a “Best-in-Class” system and has recently won awards from the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Department of Energy. In addition to increased performance and paper reduction associated with shipments to EMWMF, RFITS has enabled multiple eco-friendly benefits and contributed to reductions in CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. Advantages include: Elimination of physical shipping documents Centralized viewing at EMWMF of all incoming shipments Increased awareness in physical security Increased visibility and access to data Increased Truck Utilization Increased performance Increased accountability Reduction of bottlenecks Reduction of errors For more information, visit www.oakridge.doe.gov. International Summer School The first generation of nuclear power plants are approaching the end of their operational life. To ensure public acceptance of nuclear power as a sustainable technology, it is vital to have an effective nuclear decommissioning process with management of the radioactive waste produced. The development of a safe and secure nuclear program requires not only a precise legal and regulatory framework, but also the sharing of best working practices and experience from the past. The European Commission Joint Research Centre at Ispra in Northern Italy is in the early stages of its decommissioning and waste management program, and the International Summer School, being held June 25-29, 2012, in JRC Ispra, Italy, is an opportunity to bring together international expertise to discuss issues and share approaches and experiences. This is the fourth year that the summer school has been held and it brings together many international experts in radioactive waste management and nuclear decommissioning. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss issues with experts and other delegates, and learn from the experiences others have had in various countries. This year, the course will include the following sessions: Facility characterization and fuel removal Plant decontamination & dismantling techniques, issues and operational solutions Operational decommissioning experience in Europe Radiation protection issues and practices Waste management facilities needed in a decommissioning and waste management programme Hands-on visit to JRC waste management facilities Stakeholders' involvement in waste management and decommissioning Final radiological survey The summer school will be held at the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra and limited to a total of 100 delegates (the first 60 are guaranteed access to the visits to the waste management facilities). There is no registration fee. For further information, please contact Phil Cake, Radiation Protection Sector, Joint Research Centre, at philip.cake@ec.europa.eu. Portage And Brokk Announce Alliance Brokk Inc. and Portage Inc. are pleased to announce that they have entered into an alliance to combine their respective Equipment and Operations capabilities to offer an integrated onsite Operations service to customers for work in high-hazard environments. Until now, the supply of sophisticated remotely operated equipment and the onsite operations work by qualified and experienced personnel have typically been provided by separate entities. By working closely together, Brokk and Portage will fully combine their capabilities and expertise to offer an integrated and seamless full service solution. This approach offers many benefits to customers by ensuring that the overall project requirements are effectively addressed from the outset and are then fully completed in a safe, prompt and cost-effective manner. Brokk and Portage have established a successful working relationship on nuclear D&D projects over the past six years and look forward to further developing this. For more information, visit www.brokkinc.com and www.portageinc.com.

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