UCOR’s Transuranic Waste Processing Center (TWPC) has officially begun processing legacy oxide materials from past research and defense activities at ORNL. This milestone follows the successful completion of a DOE Federal Readiness Assessment, which verified the implementation of required safety controls to support oxide processing operations.
The legacy oxides are being safely repackaged into vented overpack containers before being placed into waste containers for shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. Processing of contact-handled waste is currently underway in a glovebox, while remote-handled waste will be processed in a hot cell.
A DOE assessment team issued its final report in August after a comprehensive 10-day review of TWPC’s preparations, including training, systems, processes, and overall readiness to conduct oxide processing activities.
TWPC Area Manager Patrick Rapp noted that federal approval represents the culmination of a long-term effort, with TWPC working since 2018 to implement the necessary controls to support safe and compliant oxide processing.
