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1SM-1 DEACTIVATED NUCLEARPOWER PLANTDECOMMISSIONING PROJECTFORT BELVOIR, enda Barber, P.E.Hans Honerlah, CHMMU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore DistrictJanuary 28, 2019“The views, opinions and findings contained in this report are those of the authors(s) and should not beconstrued as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision, unless so designated by otherofficial documentation.”621021301025648130120111

TOPICS U.S. Army Nuclear Power Program Deactivated Nuclear Power Plant Program Regulatory Framework for the Deactivated Nuclear Power Plant Program History of the SM-1 Deactivated Nuclear Power Plant Final Decommissioning of the SM-1 Questions and How to Learn More

U.S. ARMY NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM 1952 Department of Defense (DoD) studyto determine the feasibility of developingreactor plants to serve military powerneeds on land. Joint program between DoD and theAtomic Energy Commission. Each service participated in the Armymanaged program.

U.S. ARMY NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM Six DOD power reactors fielded between 1957-1976Four Army:One Air Force:One Navy: Three at National Reactor Testing Station, Idaho

ARMY DEACTIVATED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PROGRAM PM2A at Camp Century Greenland was fullydecommissioned, the three others were placed intoSAFSTOR and are controlled under Army issuedPermits, and still require decommissioning For the three Army deactivated (fuel removed) reactorsplaced into safe storage, USACE: Ensures the security of the residual radioactive materialspresent in the reactors Ensures structural integrity of the facilities and performsrequired maintenance Performs environmental monitoring to ensure exposure tothe public is below limits and ‘As Low As ReasonablyAchievable’ Plans and performs final decommissioning within 60 yearspost-shutdown

CURRENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND OVERSIGHT Defense Utilization Facilities Authorized by Section 91.b. of the Atomic EnergyAct of 1954 Section 110.b. of the AEA Excludes DOD Utilization Facilities from AEC/NRCLicensing Army Reactor Program (AR 50-7) Compliance With Federal Standards Required Army Radiation Safety Program (DA PAM 385-24) USACE Developed Radiation Protection Programs Army Reactor Permits Issued to USACE by U.S. Army Nuclear and CounteringWMD Agency (USANCA) in G-3/5/7 Army Reactor Council Provides Oversight

HISTORY OF THE SM-1 DEACTIVATED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

SM-1 TIMELINE: DETAILS 1952 : DoD studies development ofreactor plants 1955: SM-1 Construction Begins April 8, 1957: SM-1 Reactor Startup March 1973: SM-1 Deactivated 1973-1974: Partial Decommissioning Remaining low-level radioactivity placed in safestorage (SAFSTOR) with majority of remainingradioactivity allowed to decay over the years 2014: Army Corps awards decommissioningplanning contract for SM-1 Planning is ongoing

1956ConstructionPhotos

HISTORIC USE SM-1 provided partial power to FortBelvoir, but was primarily used to trainnuclear operators/technicians from allbranches of the military from 1957 to1973 SM-1 also served as the prototype for therest of the reactors designed by the Army After being deactivated, the SM-1 facilityoperated as a museum highlighting theArmy Nuclear Power Program into the1980’s before being closed for goodService members from the Army, Air Force and Navy are picturedin the control room of the SM-1, which was used as for trainingnuclear technicians from all branches.

1973-74 PARTIAL DECOMMISSIONING ACTIVITIES AND SAFSTOR Removal of the nuclear fuel Shipment of the radioactive waste Minor decontamination Sealing of the reactor containment vessel (which includes the Reactor Pressure Vessel,Steam Generator, Pressurizer, Reactor Coolant Pumps and primary system piping) Installing appropriate security, warning signs and monitoring devices Remaining radioactivity was contained and has been sealed in safe storage (SAFSTOR)mode for the past 40-plus years Safe storage is a radiological industry practice where radioactive materials are safelystored to allow the shorter-lived radionuclides to decayThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts quarterly environmental monitoring to ensurethe site does not pose any hazards to the surrounding installation tenants, the communityor the environment

SAFSTOR ALLOWS FOR RADIOACTIVE DECAYParent isotope(orange) Half life is the time it takes for 1/2 ofthe atoms to decay.Daughterisotope (grey) The half-life of Co-60 is 5.27 yrs. The half-life of Ni-63 is 100.1 yrs.100908070605040302010001234Number of half-lives56

13SM-1 PRIMARY RADIONUCLIDESRadiation isemittedNeutronsemitted Primary radionuclides are activation products Co-60 - emits beta and gamma radiationNi-63 - emits low-energy beta radiationMaterials becomeradioactive(e.g. Ni-63 & Co-60) Most of the activity is in the form of radioactive metal in thereactor pressure vessel and the primary shield tank Small amounts of activity is present in the form ofcontamination on or within debris and soils (primarily Cs-137and Sr-90)NeutronsourceMaterials become stableCo-60 Ni-60Ni-63 Cu-63

14RADIOACTIVE DECAY SINCE 987199219972002200720122017Co-60 gamma emitting isotopeNi-63 low energy beta emitting isotopeand has a 5.27 year half-lifeand has a 100.1 year half-life20222027

BASIC TYPES OF IONIZING RADIATION4 α 2 Paper Plastic LeadAlphaβ Beta-0-10γGamma andX-rays0nNeutron01Water/Concrete

PRIOR CHARACTERIZATION EFFORTS TO SUPPORTDECOMMISSIONING PLANNING 1975 – Army Deactivation and Partial Decommissioning Report1997 - Army Environmental Hygiene Agency SurveysUSACE - Gamma walkover surveys inside the fenced area USACE - Biased and systematic soil sampling Completed in 2009; additional small area surveyed in 2016Executed in 2010 and 2016USACE - Characterization surveys of buildings/sites associated with SM-1 Completed in 2010

PRIOR CHARACTERIZATION EFFORTS TO SUPPORTDECOMMISSIONING PLANNING Survey of Gunston Cove sediment 1999 and 2010 Sampling Reports Underground pipes All waste pipes and outfall pipes to be removed Geophysical surveys to verify pipes present in 2010 and 2016 Investigation of sewer pipes still to be planned/executed Soil under and adjacent to SM-1 A small amount of soil is assumed to be impacted requiring removal

FINAL DECOMMISSIONING OF THE SM-1

FINAL DECOMMISSIONING PLANNING Final Decommissioning Planning Contract Awarded in 2014 Planning efforts underway, including development and finalization of plans,environmental compliance and public engagement Environmental Compliance A draft Environmental Assessment is being prepared, evaluating potential ecological,cultural, water, public health and safety, and waste management effects associatedwith the decommissioning of the SM-1 facility at Fort Belvoir» The Army will seek public input regarding this while development is in progress in January2019 and will seek public comment on the completed draft EA later in the year Section 106 Compliance (Historic Preservation) The Army is seeking consultation from the state, historic groups and members of thepublic to determine the cultural impacts of the project and to mitigate any adverse effectsidentified in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act» The Army is committed to preserving the history of the SM-1facility and making information regarding its legacy availableto the public

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT The Army is committed to transparently sharing accurate information ina timely manner throughout this project and among all relevant parties,making sure information is coordinated and concerns from stakeholdersare quickly addressed Multiple opportunities for public engagement are being incorporated intothe decommissioning planning, including public information sessionslike this one to inform the community of our ongoing planning, andagain once the draft Environmental Assessment is available for publicreview Members of the public are invited to sign up for the SM-1 project updatee-mail list by sending a request to [email protected]

DECOMMISSIONING RISKS AND HOW WE REDUCE THEM Safety is the Army’s number one priority - The safety and health of thecommunity and our workers are paramount to the success of our project Trained professionals will use proven techniques and precautions toensure the safety of the workers and the public Work will be completed within containment and all wastes will beproperly packaged in compliance with Department of TransportationGuidance

SM-1 DECOMMISSIONING IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES The selected contractor will prepare plans that will support the decommissioning of theSM-1 in accordance with contract PWS and the Decommissioning Permit issued to theUSACE; Decommission/dispose of materials in accordance with final plans, decommissioningpermits, and relevant Federal and State requirements; and Project management (cost controls, scheduling, manpower resourcing, etc.) Prepare work plans, safety and radiological plans, and prepare complex engineeringassessments Removal of all reactor components and radiologically contaminated materials Prepare all radiological waste for proper shipment; then transport and dispose of the waste Perform radiological surveys Perform demolition of non-contaminated equipment and building components Excavate contaminated soils Final site restorationAdherence to NRC and Army, as well as other Federal standardsand guidance where relevant and as required by the Army ReactorOffice and USACE.

SM-1 DECOMMISSIONING PATH FORWARD Decommissioning planning is underway Next major milestone will be the draft Environmental Assessment, which willbe made available for public review and comment later this year (2019) Decommissioning Contract Draft Request for Proposals for industry feedback anticipated to be issued inearly 2019 Formal Request for Proposals later in 2019 Anticipate Decommissioning Contract award scheduled for 2020 This timeline means decommissioning work on site will likely not beginuntil late 2020 or in 2021 at the earliest

TIMELINE/SCHEDULE20182017JF M A M JJA S O N DData Gap Analysis and AdditionalSite Characterization - Winter 2016/2017Geotechnical and TransportationEvaluations – Spring 2017JF M A M JJ20202019A S O N DJF M A M JJA S O N DJF M A M JJA S O N DDecommissioning Cost Estimate –Spring 2018Draft Decommissioning Plan – Fall 2018D&D Requests for Proposal – Summer 2019Decommissioning Plan Approval –Late Fall 2019Final EA/FNSI – February 2020Overall project completion - 2025Decommissioning PermitIssued –Spring 2020D&D ContractAward –May/June 2020