Decontamination and Decommissioning Program Requirements

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

10.3 DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The basic requirements for a D&D program at a DOE facility are found in Section 5 of

DOE Order 5820.2A, Radioactive Waste Management (DOE, 1988b). Planning for facility

decommissioning should be initiated during the design phase for new facilities and before

termination of operations for existing operational facilities (see Section 5,3.a.(2), of DOE

Order 5820.2A). DOE Order 5820.2A divides the discussion of requirements into several time

periods: pre-operational and operational activities, post-operational activities, D&D activities, and

post-decommissioning activities. To assist in D&D activity planning the Office of Environmental

Management distributed the "Decommissioning Resource Manual." Refer to that document for

guidance.

Requirements relating to occupational radiological protection include (this is not an all inclusive

list, facilities must determine the applicable set of requirement):

DOE Order 430.1A, Lifecycle Asset Management (DOE, 1998d), contains the requirements by

which all DOE projects must be managed; It requires that a project management plan be developed

for major system acquisitions and major projects and states that environment, safety, and health

technical requirements for project design and implementation should be included in the work-plan

section of the project management plan.

Safety analysis reports (SARs) typically do not need to be written to cover D&D activities for those

facilities that are currently shut down or will be shut down in the near future [see DOE

Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports (DOE, 1992d)]. Only a decommissioning plan

would be required. (However, a "Bases" for Interim Operations is required for facilities not yet

shut down to continue operations.) The requirement for a decommissioning plan will apply for a

large number of the plutonium-contaminated facilities that are awaiting decommissioning. For new

or operating facilities, provisions for D&D need to be included in the new or updated SAR.

10.4 DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING TECHNIQUES

This section concentrates on decontamination techniques to be used in the final decommissioning of

a plutonium-contaminated facility for unrestricted release. Some of these techniques are similar to

those used during routine operations (e.g., some equipment and building surface decontamination).

Contamination detection methods are similar for routine and D&D operations and are discussed in

Chapter 4.

10.4.1 Equipment and Surface Decontamination

Decontamination of surface areas may be as simple as hosing off the floors with water,

washing surfaces with detergent and water, or wiping with household dust cloths. Waste

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