Nuclear
Materials Management (NMM) operations provide an interim storage
location for much of the United States’ excess plutonium.
In the
coming decade, new plutonium disposition facilities are slated
to be built at SRS, under a Record of Decision issued by the
Department of Energy in 2000. This makes SRS the nation’s
cornerstone of excess plutonium disposition.
As these
new facilities await approval for construction, NMM has provided
the opportunity to the DOE Complex to save millions of taxpayer
dollars during the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site
De-inventory program by receiving and providing safe and secure
storage of its plutonium material. Millions more will be saved
as Flour Hanford and other sites are eventually permitted
to ship their inventories to SRS.
 |
Using an A-Frame lifting hoist to safely relocate 9975s
in the K Area Material Storage Facility. |
Nuclear
Materials Management has two facilities designated for extended
safe storage of plutonium at SRS; the K Area Material Storage
(KAMS) facility, located in 105-K, and the 235-F facility.
The 105-K building formerly housed K Reactor, which produced
nuclear materials to support the United States during the
Cold War for nearly four decades. It was the United States’
last operating production reactor, shutting down for the last
time in 1992. The 105-K facility was chosen as the most recent
DOE Complex plutonium storage facility for several reasons:
- The
facility underwent stringent, well-documented earthquake
and structural upgrades during the restart campaign of the
early 1990s.
- It
is a robust building, constructed of concrete walls many
feet thick.
- Much
of the security infrastructure was already in place.
- Necessary
modifications were relatively minor, compared to the cost
benefit.
|
 |
105-K building, formerly K Reactor |
The plutonium
shipped to KAMS is sealed inside a safety-class welded 3013
container that is nested in robust, state-of-the-art, 9975
shipping containers. Prior to being packaged at the other
sites, the plutonium is stabilized in accordance with established
standards for safe storage. The plutonium will remain sealed
inside the nested package as long as it is in KAMS.
The material
being shipped to KAMS is sealed inside special containers
that will be nested in robust, state-of-the-art, shipping
containers. In its history of service, 235-F, built in the
mid-1950s, housed various Special Nuclear Materials missions
including plutonium storage, shipping and handling; billet
production for reactor target fabrication and Pu-238 fuel
cell production for space missions.
Facility
infrastructure and security upgrade projects are underway
in both facilities to ensure safe plutonium storage until
a final disposition path for the material is determined.
 |
A shipment of low enriched uranium (LEU) departs
SRS. |
RETURN TO TOP |