August 2012

Review of Hanford K Basin and Cold Vacuum Drying Facility Found Fuel Multi-Canister Overpack Operations

This report provides the results of an independent oversight review of operations associated with processing a Multi-Canister Overpack of “found fuel” (small quantities of spent fuel discovered during cleanup of the reactor burial grounds) at the Hanford Site's Cold Vacuum Drying Facility (CDVF).  The review was performed April 16 to 18, 2012, by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Safety and Emergency Management Evaluations, which is within the DOE Office of Health, Safety and Security.  The review examined the ability of CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company to safely and effectively process the overpack of found fuel at the CDVF.  The primary goal of the review was to determine the effectiveness of the contractor's procedures and operational conduct with respect to DOE requirements.