UCOR’s Transuranic Waste Processing Center (TWPC) has successfully completed a federal readiness assessment of controls needed to support oxide processing at the facility.
A DOE team issued its final report last week following a briefing for TWPC management in July. The report was based on a 10-day review of the facility’s preparations, training, systems, processes, and overall readiness to conduct oxide processing activities.
UCOR crews will repackage legacy oxides from ORNL into a vented overpack before packaging them into a container for shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. The team conducts processing in a Hot Cell for remote-handled waste and in a glovebox for contact-handled waste.
“In its final report, the DOE assessment team concluded that we are ready to begin processing,” Patrick Rapp, TWPC Area Project Manager said. “This is an important step forward that reflects well on the UCOR workforce and our ability to manage this waste and advance the TWPC mission.”
Rapp said federal approval is the culmination of a long-term effort. TWPC has been working on implementing controls to support oxide processing since 2018. Earlier readiness assessments were conducted by an internal management team and a second team composed of contractor subject matter experts from other DOE sites.
