Page 7 - SRS Overview Book 2021

Nuclear Materials Management

Spent Fuel Operations

2,460 spent nuclear fuel 3.4 million gallons
of water in
casks received
L Basin
at SRS since 1964
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a
nuclear reactor. SNF from the Site’s former production reactors and
from foreign and domestic research reactor programs is currently safely
stored in an underwater storage facility in L Area, called a disassembly
basin. L Basin has concrete walls two and a half to seven feet thick and
holds approximately 3.4 million gallons of water, with pool depths of
17 to 50 feet. The basin water provides shielding to protect workers
A cask receipt in L Basin
from radiation. Since 1964, SRS has received more than 2,460 casks
containing over 47,500 SNF assemblies.

K Area Complex

In 2017, the KAC initiated plutonium (Pu) downblend operations, a
nonproliferation initiative that mixes surplus Pu oxide with an adulterant
mixture. The material is then packaged in preparation for safe and
permanent disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad,
N.M. The downblend process continues to be pursued as part of the Dilute
and Dispose strategy for disposition of much of the surplus SNM inventory
for the DOE complex. In 2020, SRS optimized the current downblend
process to improve efficiency and began constructing a large, weather-
Activities in the K Area Complex
sheltered concrete pad that will be used for characterization operations
that ensure acceptability for WIPP disposal. Site preparation has also
begun on a capital project to expand the existing downblending capability
by installing three new gloveboxes and support systems.

5