Radiological Incident at the WIPP Analytical Challenges

Radiological Incident at the WIPPAnalytical Challenges

Mansour Akbarzadeh, ManagerScience & Development/WIPP Labs

Nuclear Waste Partnership, LLC

2016 APHL Annual MeetingJune 6-9, 2016

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

26 miles southwest of Carlsbad, NM

2150 feet below the surface

Why salt?Impermeable, easily mineable, free of water,

geologically stable, self sealing

Disposing of TRU waste for 15 years

WIPP Laboratories’ Facility

WIPP Laboratories is located in the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center (CEMRC), which is a division of the New Mexico State University (NMSU) College of Engineering

WIPP Labs and CEMRC share the state-of-the-art laboratory facilities with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) scientific team in Carlsbad

In addition, WIPP Laboratories still maintains a counting room at the site to perform all gross alpha/beta measurements of air filters, and monitoring of emergency samples in an expedited manner


The laboratory continues to provide radiochemistry analysis in support of Radiological Control, Dosimetry, Radiological Technology, Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Compliance at the WIPP site.

As an independent laboratory, WIPP Labs can accept samples from other DOE and non-DOE clients

WIPP Laboratories (WIPP Labs)

The current staff of WIPP Laboratories have extensive experience in radiochemistry and analytical procedures.

1 Laboratory Manager 1 QA Manager 2 Scientist - V 1 Scientist - III 1 Scientist - II1 Engineering Tech - I 1 LIMS Administrator1 Open Position

WIPP Laboratories’ Staff

Alpha Spectroscopy, multi-chamber: 88 detectorsIntrinsic HPGe Gamma Detectors: 7 unitsGas Flow Proportional Counters: 3 unitsUltra low background beryllium/

germanium oxide Shielded Liquid Scintillation Analyzer: 1 unit

ICP-MS: 1 unit

Instrumentation



WIPP Laboratories strives to report all results within 21 days from sample receipt.

Turnaround time is driven by the clients and typically falls within the following categories:

Emergency: 8-16 hoursExpedite: 3-5 daysRegular: 21-30 days

Sample Turn-Around-Time (T.A.T.)

February 5, 2014 Salt Truck Fire

February 14, 2014 Radiological Incident

WIPP Site Incident Overview

February 14, 2014

CAM AlarmDampers Close

Filtration mode initiated

WIPP Site Incident Overview

February 14 Incident

Station A filter showed ~4,000,000 dpm alpha, ~1,000,000 dpm beta

Station B Filters (after HEPA) showed ~28,000 dpm alpha, 6,000 dpm beta

Showed that the system functioned as designed

WIPP Site Incident Response


Initial request for analysis was for normal analytes of interestAlpha

238Pu, 239/240Pu, 241Am, 234U, 235U, 238UBeta

90SrGamma

40K, 60Co, 137Cs



Initial gamma screen of station A and B filters241Am identified at elevated activities

Pu isotopes present, but not quantifiable in low

energy range



Destructive analysis requested by the client

Alpha 238Pu, 239/240Pu, 241Am confirmed

Beta Pu micro-precipitate filters show beta activity by LSA,

confirming 241Pu



All subsequent analyses related to incident were analyzed only for Pu and AmThe most prominent analytes had been identifiedQuicker TAT for Pu and Am analyses requested


WIPP Laboratories Primary mission becameBioassay monitoring of site workers

Environmental monitoring

Upon request, samples known to have elevated

activities from the underground were quantified,

but kept to a minimum to avoid any possibility of

cross contamination


Samples received in one week following incident

Matrix Samples Received

Fecal 33

Urine 27

Air Filter 40

Soil/Sediment 33

Water 11

Vegetation 7

Total 151


Rapid Digestions

Vacuum box separation

Extended hours of operation

2 shift system

Cross train all employees


Vacuum Box Technology


Matrix Samples ReportedFecal 34

Urine 166

Air Filter 288

Soil/Sediment 89

Water 44

Vegetation 39

Total 660

Samples Specific to February 14, 2014, Incident up to June 15, 2014


Vacuum Box Technology


High Activity samples in low level lab Sensitive Bioassay samples in house Cross contamination risks Time spent on decontamination increases

Sample Analysis Too many samples, not enough people, not enough space Shortage of Supplies Waste backlog

Employees 30 days with no days off Typographical/transcription errors Re-define employees’ roles / cross training Split shifts (increase length of day without adding too many extra hours

to individual employee day)

WIPP Site Incident ResponseInitial Challenges

EM Low Volume Air Filter Samples

19 individual glass fiber filters weekly

Increased from original 8


EM Low Volume Air Filter Samples

19 individual glass fiber filters weekly15 consecutive weeks10 day TATActivities above background for “Location 1” for 2

weeks following incidentActivities above background for “Locations 2, 3,

and 5” in the week following incident


Bioassay Samples

34 expedite Fecal samples analyzed 22 workers notified of low level exposure (<10mrem)

166 expedite Urine samples analyzed144 routine Urine samples analyzed concurrently

CDC confirmed the results of WIPP Laboratories by performing independent bioassay analysis


Vegetation Samples

32 large area un-prepped samples arrived in one day while over 200 samples were in house

4 weeks TAT met

Sample analysis was quoted by an outside lab at $100k with 4-6 weeks TAT


EM Soil and Vegetation

Sampling Sites


Soil/Sediment Samples32 un-prepped samples arrived with the vegetation

samplesHomogenization neededRapid leach utilized as the target was surface

contamination2 positive for Pu-239 not Am-241, determined to likely

be Gnome Project r4 weeks TAT met


Samples of OpportunitySamples collected from various points around the

site after each rainfall (>100 extra samples)Samples collected from March 2 and March 26

show low levels of Am-241 activitySamples of opportunity were collected after rain

events from WIPP site building roof top and roadway drainage. Highest concentration is ~3% of the EPA drinking water standard for alpha radioactivity.

Road kill near the site collected when opportunity arose


February 15, 2014 – June 15, 2014 WIPP Laboratories Summary

1 lab with 3 fume hoods 4 fully trained prep lab staff (including NWP Project Manger),

2 fully trained count room staff, 2 data reviewers, 1 QA officer

Nearly 700 Emergency Response Samples Analyzed for Pu and Am

Routine samples from the WIPP Site and outside clients continued to be analyzed during the same time frame for Pu, U, Am, Sr, Np, Th, and gamma emitters

No contamination as evidenced by clean laboratory blanksMAPEP analyses completed on time NRIP 8 hour TAT samples analyzed


Throughout 2014 and most of 2015 WIPP Facility went through a comprehensive recovery plan.

Restart plan has been initiated and continues the progress achieved on a daily basis.

Expected re-opening of WIPP is: 2016

Recovery Progress Has WIPP Poised to Resume Operations in 2016

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Carlsbad Field

Office (CBFO) and Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP),

the management and operations contractor for the Waste

Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) have made significant

progress in recovery efforts at WIPP following the 2014

salt haul truck fire and radiological release.

Additional Underground Ventilation

Presenter

Presentation Notes

To provide sufficient air flow necessary to allow WIPP to return to waste disposal operations, two new ventilation units were procured and are being installed in 2016. One of the units is a surface fan and filter unit known as the Interim Ventilation System (IVS). The other is an additional fan unit, the supplemental ventilation system (SVS), which has been placed in the underground.�

Underground Stability Improved

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Maintenance (rock bolting) is normally performed on a daily basis; so after a 9-month hiatus where no ground control could be performed, catch up bolting was one of the highest priorities of the recovery. To date, catch-up bolting in the underground is approximately 90 percent complete. To accelerate this work, WIPP recently added a hybrid bolting machine. The hybrid bolting machine runs on either diesel or electric power.

Respiratory Requirements Reduced

Presenter

Presentation Notes

As a result of radiological risk mitigation efforts by WIPP Radiological Control teams, requirements for respiratory protection were lifted for a significant portion of the WIPP underground.

Radiological Risk Reduced

Presenter

Presentation Notes

In May of 2015, initial panel closures, using chain link, brattice cloth, run of mine salt material and steel bulkheads, were installed on Panel 6 and Panel 7 in Room 7, the location of the 2014 radiological release. In addition, continuous air monitors were installed outside the bulkheads on the intake and exhaust sides. These closures physically isolated the waste stream that caused the radiological release, providing additional protection for the underground workers and fulfilling one of the requirements in a New Mexico Environment Department administrative compliance order. DOE and NWP also completed radiological risk reduction activities in the WIPP underground. mitigation activities included the application of a fine water mist to the walls and floor. As the mist evaporates, the salt recrystallizes, encapsulating the contamination that was on the surface. In addition, brattice cloth and a layer of previously-mined salt were laid along contaminated portions of the floor to trap any contamination and to provide a durable surface for vehicle traffic. These radiological risk mitigation techniques help prevent the resuspension of surface contamination and allow for a reduction in the level of radiological controls necessary to protect workers.

Emergency Response Capabilities Bolstered

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Improvements were also made to the WIPP’s emergency response capabilities. In 2015, construction was completed on a 4,000 square foot, state of the art Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Fire Corrective Actions Completed

Fire Corrective Actions Completed

• Installation of automatic fire suppression systems has been completed

• Combustion control program has been implemented• Additional egress strobes and reflectors to make

underground exiting easier• Dozens of drills have been conducted for exiting the

underground• New underground personnel accountability system

has been implemented

Re-Start Preparations

With only a handful of recovery activities remaining, DOE and NWP will begin to focus efforts on a series of re-start activities that are intended to develop proficiencies and test capabilities for site workers, equipment and procedures that will be necessary for resumption of waste emplacement operations.

Integrated Cold Operations

Over an eight week period, workers will practice using new equipment, procedures and processes that will now be used for receipt, downloading and placement of waste. Workers will use empty waste containers and conduct drills and exercises on a variety of scenarios designed to test knowledge and develop proficiency at the various waste handling operations.

Questions?

Thank you!

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Radiological Incident at the WIPP Analytical Challenges

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