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RE: NASA eyes nuclear step for rocket science
Hey, that is three months away. Will you keep posted of any changes in the
schedule?
-- John
-----Original Message-----
From: Estabrooks, Bates (IHK) [mailto:IHK@y12.doe.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 1:54 PM
To: Jacobus, John (OD/ORS); Estabrooks, Bates (IHK) ;
'radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu'
Subject: RE: NASA eyes nuclear step for rocket science
Voila:
Landfill for nuclear waste due to open on May 1
Facility's cost expected to exceed $100 million
By Frank Munger, News-Sentinel senior writer
OAK RIDGE - A nuclear landfill scheduled to open this spring on the
government's Oak Ridge reservation may ultimately receive 2 million cubic
yards of waste and cost more than $100 million.
"That's what we anticipate our long-term needs will be," said Bill Cahill,
the project manger for the U.S. Department of Energy.
It's the first waste facility of this type to be built here in at least 20
years, Cahill said.
The project's first phase, which is nearing completion, will have two
disposal cells capable of holding about 400,000 cubic yards of low-level
radioactive and hazardous waste.
The design includes several layers of clay, rock and various synthetic
liners to prevent waste from contaminating the area's groundwater. It also
has a system to collect and treat liquids that leach from the waste
operations.
The new landfill is located in Bear Creek Valley about a mile west of the
Y-12 nuclear weapons plant. It will receive wastes generated by cleanup
activities at each of DOE's Oak Ridge facilities - Y-12, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and the East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly called the K-25
site).
There will be a high volume of waste, but the levels of radioactivity and
chemical contamination will be relatively low, Cahill said. The wastes will
include construction rubble, concrete, soils and general debris, he said.
The landfill, slated to begin operation on May 1, will be capable of taking
a truck load of waste every five minutes, said Joe Williams, the project
chief for Bechtel Jacobs Co., DOE's environmental contractor.
Although operating the landfill will be expensive, DOE officials said they
will save many millions of dollars by disposing of waste locally rather than
shipping it to commercial landfills or other federal sites.
Citizens who attended public meetings on the DOE waste program several years
ago overwhelming favored treating and disposing of waste on the government's
Oak Ridge reservation rather than transporting it to other parts of the
country.
Based on the total cost of building and operating the landfill, DOE
estimates the cost of disposal will be $160 per cubic yard of waste. Cahill
said the cost of sending the waste to other sites was projected to be $800
per cubic yard.
He also said the agency saved money by "privatizing" the project.
Duratek Federal Services won the contract to design, build and operate the
facility for up to five years. The company is required to fund the project
up until the time the landfill becomes operational.
At that time, Duratek is expected to recover the projects $25 million
capital cost. After that, Duratek will be paid a certain amount for each ton
of waste sent to the landfill and should fully amortize its investment after
about six months of operation, officials said.
Duratek is working under a $42.5 million subcontract from Bechtel Jacobs.
The next phase of landfill construction and operation will be put up for
contract bids later this year.
Cahill said three or four additional disposal cells of varying sizes may be
constructed at the 65-acre site. The landfill is supposed to be capped and
closed in about 10 years, he said.
Under an agreement negotiated with the state of Tennessee, DOE is required
to make annual payments to a special fund set up for long-term surveillance
of the landfill after it is closed. The interest from the $12 million fund
is expected to pay for the monitoring costs.
Knoxville News-Sentinel February 4, 2002
Bates Estabrooks
-----Original Message-----
From: Jacobus, John (OD/ORS) [SMTP:jacobusj@ors.od.nih.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 1:31 PM
To: Estabrooks, Bates (IHK) ; 'radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu'
Subject: RE: NASA eyes nuclear step for rocket science
I would put this under "utility to consider construction of new
nuclear
power plant," or "state considers opening new nuclear waste
facility." Of
course, I could just be cynical.
-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
3050 Traymore Lane
Bowie, MD 20715-2024
E-mail: jenday1@email.msn.com (H)
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