Expression of Interest
Technology for Retrieval of Waste Materials
from Vertical Pipe Units at the 618-10 Burial Ground
Introduction
Washington Closure Hanford, LLC (WCH) manages the River Corridor Closure Contract at the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE)’s Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. This Expression of
Interest is to support further evaluation by WCH of means and methods for retrieval of materials
disposed into the vertical pipe units at the 618-10 Burial Ground.
Objective
The objective of this task is to develop a conceptual design for removing radioactive gravel and
debris from processed vertical pipe units (VPUs) at the 618-10 Burial Ground. The conceptual
design will be sufficiently detailed to ensure that the system can be fully designed and built in a
manner largely consistent with the conceptual design. A design/build approach is being used to
ensure technical continuity and to maximize the probability that the final system meets all
performance objectives and functions as expected.
Background
The 618-10 Burial Ground was used to dispose of radioactive materials left over from laboratory
processes to support the production of nuclear material for the U.S. weapon program. Lower activity
radioactive material and shielded drums were disposed to trenches. Laboratory wastes with higher
levels of radiation were disposed to vertical pipe units (VPUs)—pipes approximately 15 feet long
installed vertically in trenches and backfilled. Laboratory waste disposed to the VPUs were
typically fillings or small slices of former fuel elements, suspended inside small cans in a gelatin
matrix. These cans were loaded into a shielded cask mounted to a special trailer, driven to the burial
ground and dropped into a VPU. Dirt or concrete were occasionally dumped down the VPUs to
reduce the radiation emitted up the pipe. Over time, many of the VPUs were filled with a variety of
waste and fill material.
The VPUs were a series of pipes installed vertically, spaced approximately 10-feet apart in seven (7)
rows. The VPUs were installed over several years and are thought to consist of three (3) different
types of pipes: 1) 55-gallon drums, bottoms removed, welded together; 2) corrugated metal pipe
(CMP) approximately 15” diameter; and, 3) standard steel pipe, approximately 12” diameter.
Lengths of the VPUs could vary, but are thought to be approximately 15 feet long. The VPUs have
been capped with concreted and covered with fill—the tops of the VPUs are approximately two (2)
to four (4) feet below ground surface.
A process has been established to destroy the contents of the VPUs by advancing a 48” steel pipe
around the VPU and then grinding up the material within that steel pipe (VPU and surrounding soil)
with a rock-drilling auger. The resulting material is crushed rock with pieces of metal debris of
various sizes.
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Expression of Interest
Technology for Retrieval of Waste Materials
from Vertical Pipe Units at the 618-10 Burial Ground
A proof-of-concept demonstration was performed by a subcontractor in 2010-11 on drum-style
VPUs confirming that the contents of the VPU would be sufficiently destroyed using a rock auger in
a steel casing. However, similar demonstrations have not been conducted for the CMP and steel
pipe VPUs, Preliminary information indicates that the planned approach may be effective for the
CMP VPUs, but the corrugated metal pipe is expected to form a wide range of irregular debris. The
pipe-style VPUs will probably require stabilization with cementitious or epoxy grout prior to
augering.
Material Retrieval System: Current Status
Based on the positive results of concept testing, a system was developed to remove the processed
VPU material from the steel casing and deposit it into drums for disposal. This system was based on
using a drill rig to mount a cylindrical grab tool (with necessary modifications to both). The
cylindrical grab tool, a commonly used method for removing material from a casing, is lowered into
the casing, dropped into the material to be removed, and the retractable jaws are closed to “grab” the
material. The tool is then lifted out of the casing, the material is released, and the process is repeated.
Because some of the VPU material will be highly radioactive, the process of removing and
drumming material must be done in a closed environment. A retrieval enclosure (RE) was designed
to house the drill-mounted grab tool for removing material from the VPU. Roughly the size of a
conex-box shipping container, the RE is a custom enclosure designed to contain all retrieval and
drumming operations.
Briefly, the RE is built around four (4) operations: 1) material removal, 2) dose monitoring, 3)
material transfer, and 4) drum handling. The core operational element of the current RE design is a
hopper/conveyor system that was initially designed based on expected requirements for visual
examination of material (to meet Waste Isolation Pilot Plant [WIPP] waste acceptance criteria) and
the capability to deposit small quantities of material into a drum (to minimize total dose from any
given drum).
Recent developments have resulted in the elimination of both visual examination and dose
minimization, so the project is exploring the potential for an alternative retrieval system. Potential
alternatives include but are not limited to: 1) modifying the material handling system to eliminate the
conveyor belt, 2) replacing the modified drill rig and grab tool with a conventional crane-mounted
grab tool, and, 3) vacuum extraction—or some combination of those alternatives.
A preliminary basis of design is provided below. It is anticipated that additions and revisions to this
basis of design will be made during the course of executing the Project Work and that the
Subcontractor will contribute to and make adjustments for those additions and revisions.
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Expression of Interest
Technology for Retrieval of Waste Materials
from Vertical Pipe Units at the 618-10 Burial Ground
Site Description & Background
The 618-10 Burial Ground is located approximately 4.3 miles northwest of the Hanford Site 300
Area and approximately 2.2 miles south of the Hanford Site boundary. The burial ground includes
12 trenches and 94 vertical pipe units (VPUs). Trench remediation is currently underway; this
Expression of Interest covers work under the VPU remediation.
Remediation Approach
The planned approach for remediation of VPUs at the 618-10 Burial Grounds includes the following
steps:
1. Install a 48-in diameter, 0.5-in thick steel over-casing around a VPU, surrounding the VPU
and incorporating an annulus of native material.
2. Auger material within the casing using a 42-in auger advanced slowly down through the
material in the over-casing in order to size-reduce and stabilize material.
3. Characterize for radiological determination of the waste; that is, characterize to determine if
material meets the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) Waste Acceptance
Criteria (WAC); else, is suspect transuranic (TRU) waste.
4. For over-casing contents that are not determined to meet the ERDF WAC (i.e., suspect TRU
waste):
a. Move a Retrieval Enclosure (RE) into place above the VPU.
b. Extract material from the over-casing.
c. Transfer material into a receiving drum.
d. Close and transfer drums to a drum staging area for further evaluation.
e. Assay drums to determine if they meet ERDF WAC
f. Drums that meet ERDF WAC will be grouted and disposed to ERDF.
g. Drums that do not meet the ERDF WAC (i.e., suspect TRU waste) will be transferred
to an offsite facility for further evaluation.
Preliminary Basis of Design
The planned approach for remediation of VPUs at the 618-10 Burial Grounds, and the conceptual
design for retrieval of contaminated material, is based on the following assumptions, requirements,
and constraints:
Activity
1. Total inventory in VPUs: approximately 1,000 Ci of Cs-137
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Expression of Interest
Technology for Retrieval of Waste Materials
from Vertical Pipe Units at the 618-10 Burial Ground
2. Maximum potential inventory in a single drum: approximately 60 Ci of Cs-137
3. Probable maximum inventory in single drum: approximately 7 Ci of Cs-137
4. Processed VPU material will have significant activity stratification
o Smaller volume of high-activity material
o Larger volume of low-activity material
Contamination & Dose Control
1. A negative-pressure enclosure will be required for all retrieval of material from all VPUs
a. 1,000 cfm exhauster and HEPA filtration will be provided by WCH
2. 2” Pb will shield maximum design-basis activity (60 Ci of Cs-137 in one drum)
3. A range of shielding material is expected to be used for over-packs, including solid lead, lead
shot, solid steel, steel shot, and sand.
4. WCH will supply shielded over-pack containers
Particle Size, Distribution, & Material
1. < 1” ~90%
2. <3” ~95%
3. Maximum expected debris size:
a. 60” strand of torn CMP
b. 50 lb, irregularly-shaped wad of CMP
4. Metal (ferrous) is dominant debris material
Waste Material, Packaging & Shipping
1. There is no material-at-risk limit for the 618-10 VPUs
2. Minimize number of TRU containers to maximum extent practicable
3. Drum handling system shall be based on placing bare, 55-gallon drum in appropriate overpack prior to the retrieval system (shielding to be determined by dose measurements from
holding cell).
4. Drum and over-pack lids shall be placed and secured manually.
5. Soil to be held in a holding cell before transfer to drum:
o Ensure appropriate volume is transferred to drum
o Measure dose to determine appropriate shielding for drum
6. Drums shall be filled to maximum allowable level
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Expression of Interest
Technology for Retrieval of Waste Materials
from Vertical Pipe Units at the 618-10 Burial Ground
7. Vertical mixing during retrieval shall be minimized.
8. High-dose drums shall be filled to approximately 80% capacity with hot material and topped
off with lower-dose soil.
9. Central Waste Complex (CWC) will make final determination on TRU designation
10. Containers delivered to CWC must be contact-handled (CH)
11. Contaminated material must be deposited in non-shielded drum; drums will be shielded by
appropriate over-pack
12. Over-pack type (shielding material, thickness) will be determined for each drum
13. Project will prepare most over-packs (e.g., adding shielding pellets)
Waste Treatment
1. Material disposed of at ERDF must be treated for lead (cement grout)
2. Treatment will be performed at project
3. CH waste will be treated (presumed at this point to meet ERDF WAC)
Summary of Work Scope
This ultimate scope of work under this procurement, if followed to completion, will be to design and
construct a system employing any combination of mechanical or vacuum extraction and material
transfer for retrieval of waste materials from the VPUs at the 618-10 Burial Ground. This work will
proceed in three phases: 1) Conceptual Design, 2) Final Design, and 3) Fabrication and
Commissioning.
Phase 1-- Conceptual Design, will include preparing a conceptual plan and system design with
sufficient detail to provide a basis for evaluating the planned system against one or more other
alternatives (for example, mechanical removal). Phase 1 will include developing formalized Design
Criteria and Design Basis.
This procurement is for Phase 1 only.
Phase 2--Final Design, and Phase 3-- Fabrication and Commissioning, are not part of this
procurement
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Expression of Interest
Technology for Retrieval of Waste Materials
from Vertical Pipe Units at the 618-10 Burial Ground
Procurement Approach
1. Submittals from this Expression of Interest will be evaluated to determine individual
organizations or teaming arrangements that appear to have the technical and administrative
skills and experience to perform this work.
2. WCH will issue a Request for Proposals to bidders identified from this Expression of
Interest.
3. Bidders will be requested to submit a technical and cost proposal for Phase 1-- Conceptual
Design and an estimated cost for a complete, fully-functional system.
4. WCH will select one or more of the proposals and proceed with a Phase 1-- Conceptual
Design. The selected team(s) will have access to, and will be expected to interact with, WCH
project staff to refine baseline assumptions, requirements, and constraints and to ensure that
the proposed system meets WCH performance expectations.
5. Each selected team will submit their Conceptual Design and any changes to their estimated
cost for the final, fully-operational system.
6. WCH will evaluate the Conceptual Design(s) and determine whether to continue with Phase
2 work.
Expression of Interest
If your organization has demonstrated the capability to provide design, fabrication, and related
services similar to what is described above, please forward your contact information and an
expression of interest that includes the following:
1. Statement of Qualifications: why you believe your organization or team is qualified to do
this work, including meeting stringent NQA-1 requirements and working within the rules and
guidelines of a federal procurement.
2. Experience with similar or related design and construction work.
3. Organization/Team Composition: demonstrate that your team has the technical breadth and
depth required for this project.
Your response is to be directed to Douglas C. Ordal, [email protected]. Responses must be
received by WCH no later than Monday, April 1, 2014.
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