Sandia National Laboratories - doe-std-1128-98

DOE-STD-1128-98

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SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

The Sandia National Laboratories engages in the following activities:

nuclear weapons research, development, and testing;

explosives testing involving radioactive materials;

accelerator-based nuclear physics research, materials testing, and applied technologies;

reactor-based nuclear physics research and materials testing;

hot cell work to support analysis of fuel and material components;

use of X-ray devices, neutron generators, and sealed sources;

decontamination and decommissioning of radiological facilities;

environmental restoration;

radioactive and mixed waste treatment and storage; and

proposed thermal battery and medical radioisotope production.

The Tonapah Test Range was established in 1957 for testing nuclear weapons ballistics,

parachutes, and other non-nuclear functions for Sandia National Laboratories. Fourteen

potential release areas in need of characterization have been identified.

This site has been used for various tests for which a remote site was needed for safety or

security reasons. These tests have involved beryllium, uranium, and plutonium. Plutonium

is the greatest concern, with three areas fenced due to plutonium contamination from

dispersal tests.

B.13 SAVANNAH RIVER SITE

The Savannah River Site has extensive operations involving plutonium. Both F and B

Areas contain facilities that process irradiated fuel and recover plutonium. Additional

facilities provide analytical and measurement capabilities. Both 238Pu and 239Pu have been

handled and stored at the site.

B.14 VALLICITOS NUCLEAR CENTER

The Vallicitos Nuclear Center is a commercially owned research site near San Francisco

which is no longer active. From 1962 through 1979, the site was used for mixed oxide fuel

fabrication for the DOE. A hot cell onsite was used to examine uranium fuel and reactor

components and was later converted to study mixed oxide (uranium and plutonium) fuel

cell rods. Decontamination is scheduled to begin in 1997.

B.15 WEST VALLEY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OFFICE

The West Valley Demonstration Project is on the site of the only commercial nuclear fuel

reprocessing plant to operate in the United States. Most of the material processed was

irradiated metallic uranium fuel from the Hanford N-Reactor although commercial fuel was

stored and processed as well. The facility reclaimed uranium and plutonium from the spent

fuel using a process similar to the PUREX process used at Hanford. The decontamination

and decommissioning of the plutonium-contaminated facilities is in progress.

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