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September 2009 www.epri.com

Decommissioning Technology Update

The EPRI Decommissioning Technology Program captures lessons learned from plant decommissioning experience around the world. EPRI technical support in 2009 has included site characterization and the development of site release limits with Barsebäck in Sweden and the evaluation of various new reactor vessel and internal segmentation technologies with Enresa (Spain).

We’ve noticed greater engagement and sharing of experiences between our members this year, reinforcing the value of the EPRI collaborative approach. For example, Enresa participated in the Barsebäck workshop and shared their experiences related to site characterization and site release limits. EDF participated in the Enresa workshop, sharing their experiences with the evaluation and selection of reactor vessel and internals segmentation processes. This newsletter includes several such examples of knowledge transfer between members.

Another facet of the EPRI Decommissioning Program is the scientific research, development, demonstration, and evaluations of decommissioning technologies. Over the past few years EPRI has been investigating a variety of technical issues related to the

Contents2009–2010 Reports and Research ...........................2

New Research Funded Through 2010 ........................4

Site-Specific Research Opportunities ..........................6

2008–2009 Research and Reports – Now Available ...7

2009–2010 Meetings ............................................10

Decommissioning Staff ............................................11

2009–2010 International Members ...........................11

Contact Us ............................................................11

Introduction

Barsebäck Nuclear Power Plant in Sweden

management of graphite waste from gas-cooled reactors through the EPRI Graphite Initiative. This work continues in 2009-2010, with the investigation of the source of Carbon-14 in graphite wastes and an evaluation of an alternative graphite removal tool. Such technologies will provide the industry with more tools with which to optimize graphite waste management strategies.

EPRI continues to hold industry workshops on a variety of decommissioning related topics to facilitate the sharing of experiences and technologies. The annual EPRI International Decommissioning Workshop, for example, enables members from Europe, Asia, and North America to share their technical experiences. The 2009 workshop will be held in Hamburg, Germany on October 6-7, in collaboration with E.ON Energie, and will include a site tour of the decommissioning Stade Nuclear Power Plant. Past workshops have been held in Vienna (in cooperation with the IAEA), Lyon, Madrid, Dounreay, Bristol, and Cumbria.

For more information, contact Karen Kim at 650.855.2190 or [email protected].

Decommissioning Technology Update 2 September 2009

2009–2010 Reports and Research

Decommissioning

Characterization, Dose Modeling, and

Remediation of Contaminated Soil and

Bedrock

Technical Report, December 2009

Addressing radionuclide contamination in concrete, soil and bedrock at nuclear power plants can be a very expensive and time consuming task. To minimize this cost and maintain decommissioning project schedules, effective characterization of the depth and area of the contamination is needed. This should be followed by realistic modeling of the dose pathways from the residual radioactivity remaining in the concrete, soil and bedrock. As a follow-on to the report on contaminated concrete (Technical Report 1015502, March 2008), this report will provide useful information and lessons learned related to the characterization and dose modeling of contaminated soil and bedrock for decommissioning.

Proceedings: 7th EPRI International

Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste

Workshop (in collaboration with EDF-

CIDEN)

Technical Report, September 2009

EPRI held its 7th Annual EPRI International Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management Workshop in cooperation with Electricite de France (EDF) in Lyon, France on October 28-30, 2008. A parallel session with EU CARBOWASTE focused on technologies and methodologies for management of graphite wastes. The Workshop also featured a visit EDF’s Bugey plant near Lyon, where participants were able to tour the shutdown gas graphite reactor.

Management of the Change of Nuclear

Power Plant Programs During

Decommissioning


The decommissioning of a nuclear plant involves various stages from reactor shutdown, operating system isolation and removal, spent fuel transfer, major decontaminations and demolition, and final status surveys and finally license termination. At the beginning of the decommissioning project, the licensing regulations for the facility reflect an operating nuclear plant where the various programs and technical specifications govern system operation and worker activities. These requirements are tied to the operational design basis accidents which form the basis for many of the site programs. As the decommissioning proceeds, these bases begin to change (e.g. reactor shutdown, removal of fuel, removal of radioactive material, etc.) and various programs and technical specifications can retired. The timely recognition and retirement of unnecessary programs and technical specifications can results in a more optimized decommissioning. This document will provide a roadmap on the process of regulatory relief and the subsequent modification of the various programs impacted by these changes.

Jose Cabrera Decontamination Experience

Report


The Jose Cabrera Nuclear Power Plant, a pressurized water reactor (PWR) located in Spain, was decontaminated using the NITROX and EPRI Decontamination For Decommissioning (DfDTM) processes in 2006-07. The objective of this decontamination

project was to prepare the system for decommissioning. The decontamination would lower worker exposure during the dismantling process, facilitate the dismantling and segmentation of the plant by lowering contamination levels, and also reduce the overall cost of dismantling. This report documents the results, describes the plant experiences and outlines lessons learned throughout this process. EPRI, ENRESA, Union Fenosa, and Westinghouse are collaborating on this first-of-a-kind international decommissioning experience report.

U.S. Nuclear Plant Decommissioning

Lessons Learned


With eight large decommissioning projects completed in the United States, EPRI is compiling a lessons learned report to document project experience. The report will capture lessons learned from a broader prospective than used in previous reports by answering questions such as, “What changes would you make in the decommissioning of a specific plant, if it was to be done again?” and “What should be avoided at future decommissioning plant projects?” The expected result of this project is to identify activities and decisions that resulted in significant positive or negative impacts on project cost and schedule for a specific decontamination project.

continued on page 3


EPRI Soil Vapor Extraction and

Measurement System Development-Results

of Benchtop and Pilot Test


The EPRI Soil Vapor Extraction and Monitoring System (SVEMS) is a groundwater monitoring system based on the principles of extracting soil vapor for tritium analysis. Soil vapor extraction technology has been successfully applied at Department of Energy sites to monitor tritium plumes. This project explores the enhancement of this technology for implementation at nuclear power plant sites, which have lower concentrations of tritium in soils and groundwater than observed in DOE site investigations. The EPRI SVEMS collects and analyzes soil gas from a large area under plant facilities to monitor the site for early signs of an environmental release of tritiated water. This could enhance the utility’s response time to an unplanned release, reducing the size of the impacted area and reducing cleanup and long-term monitoring costs.

In 2008, EPRI developed the concept and a mathematical model of the SVEMS (1016765). Through 2008–2009, a benchtop test and a pilot test (at a decommissioned nuclear power plant site) were conducted. The results of these tests will be documented and published in this 2009 EPRI Technical Report.

In-Situ Gamma Spectroscopy for

Decommissioning


Fnal status surveys in support of license termination requires surveys of building surfaces and land areas using radiation detection equipment. Decommissioning experience shows that innovative in-situ gamma ray spectroscopy (IGRS) instrumentation such as the “In Situ Object Counting System (ISOCS)” can effectively complement traditional scanning instrumentation. Such tools played an important role in final status surveys at three nuclear power plants in open land areas, in soil excavations, in bedrock excavations (for determining dose from future groundwater contamination) and in areas of elevated radiation levels. They were also useful in characterizing large quantity waste packages for disposal on a real time basis. This report will summarize the extensive use of gamma spectroscopy in the decommissioning of nuclear plants.

Software for the Automatic Estimation

of the Radiological Inventory for the

Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities

Software, 2009-2011

Spain’s decommissioning company, ENRESA, and Spanish engineering company Iberinco have produced a software product for estimating the radiological inventory of the systems and structures of the Jose Cabrera Nuclear Power Plant from the results of sampling campaigns. This software product estimates internal and external surface contamination and specific mass contamination for all components and structures of the plant using the physical inventory and the results of sampling

2009–2010 Reports and Research

continued from page 2

campaigns as input data. The software also estimates the number of containers required for the future decommissioning and demolition wastes streams. EPRI, ENRESA, and Iberinco will collaborate to upgrade the software so that it can be applied at any nuclear power plant site.

Related Research

Technical Progress Report on Options for

Improved LLW Disposal Flexibility Using

10CFR61.58


As a result of previous investigations to better understand the bases of the Branch Technical Position and 10 CFR 61, EPRI identified two regulatory initiatives that can be pursued to enhance low-level waste disposal options. The first is to revise the BTP to allow broader blending of compatible waste types. The second is to use 10 CFR 61.58 to allow for an alternative disposal criterion based on site-specific hydro-geological characteristics and end land use scenarios. The 2009 progress report builds the context for recommending guidance provisions and evaluation criteria to be used in preparing a 61.58 alternative disposal submittal and review.


New Research Funded Through 2010

Technical Justification for the

Development and Application of Derived

Concentration Guidance Levels


This report will discuss the evolution of regulatory guidance concerning numerical site release limits for structures and land areas and their impact on future use of a decommissioned site The experiences and regulatory approaches cover 1996 to the present – the entire period when dose-based standards have been used by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to release power plant sites. U.S. regulatory guidance and the supporting technical justifications have also provided the bases for site release limits for the decommissioning Jose Cabrera Nuclear Power Plant in Spain.

Origins of Carbon-14 in Irradiated

Graphite Waste


Several technical theories exist related to the location, source, and chemical form of carbon-14 atoms in irradiated graphite. Such parameters would impact the storage, disposal, and treatment options for irradiated graphite waste. Some international research results suggest that the source of C-14 may vary based on reactor design and operation. EPRI will collaborate with utility members and researchers from France, Germany, and the UK to resolve the uncertainties related to the source of C-14 in irradiated graphite. The research and development conducted on this topic in these three countries and other sources will be investigated to draw conclusions on source of C-14.

continued on page 5

Alternative Methods for Graphite Removal


This project addresses a technology that would facilitate the application of steam reforming/gasification at a decommissioning nuclear power plant site. The conventional approach for graphite removal is brick by brick, with subsequent crushing for processing. This alternative “nibble-and-vacuum” method would result in a stream of graphite particles that could be fed directly into waste containers for disposal or fed into a processing system for further volume reduction and disposal. This project will evaluate the status of solid nibbling technologies and their potential for application to the removal of irradiated graphite blocks from gas-graphite reactors. Technical feasibility and safety issues related to the deconstruction of the graphite cores will be considered. The results of this evaluation and plans for the next phase demonstration of this technology will also be documented.

Decommissioning Lessons Learned,

Experiences, and Their Impacts on

Decommissioning Costs


This report will discuss U.S. experience with decommissioning cost estimates and the factors that impact the actual cost of decommissioning projects. The report

will also address the measures used to manage costs and reduce the impact of unexpected regulatory developments and site conditions. Detailed cost breakdowns by major projects and other cost categories from actual power plant decommissioning experiences will be presented. Such information will be useful in planning future decommissioning and design of new plants.

Related Research

EPRI MagMolecules Volume Reduction

Process: Phase II Bench Top Process

Performance Evaluation

Technical Report, June 2010

Magmolecules are micron-scale particles consisting of contaminant-specific ligands attached to a magnetic core. Depending on the different ligands, these molecules can pick up specific radionuclides (such as cesium) in a liquid waste stream and can then be removed through a magnetic filter. As a result, the radionuclides that drive up waste classification can be removed and processed separately from the resulting lower level waste stream. To date EPRI


has received one patent and filed a second patent application for the process. The June 2010 report will provide the results of the bench-top test of the Magmolecules Process.

Technical Report on Options for

Improved LLW Disposal Flexibility Using

10CFR61.58


This project focuses on building context for recommending guidance provisions and evaluation criteria to be used in preparing a 61.58 alternative disposal submittal and review. For 2010, a model evaluation will be conducted to determine the feasibility of an alternative disposal model and its impact on plant operating practices. Based on the model evaluation, a report covering the guidance provisions and criteria as it might be used by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will be prepared.

Global Techniques for the Management of

Irradiated Hardware (collaborative with

Fuel Reliability Program)


Boiling water reactors have recently begun to experience a significant increase in the number of warped fuel channels. When removed from the fuel assembly, these warped channels constitute a hollow, large footprint, high-dose rate Class C low level waste stream. This project will evaluate the best techniques for handling this waste stream from a global perspective, and then investigate, design, and develop waste processing equipment that volume reduces fuel channels, conserving fuel pool and dry cask storage space as well as reducing disposal costs.

New Research Funded Through 2010


Global Profile of LLW Generation,

Handling, Processing, and Disposal/

Storage Options for International Members


This project will develop an international profile of how LLW waste is handled, processed, and disposed or stored around the world. Applicable waste management experiences will be shared among countries to drive global implementation of effective techniques and technologies.

Benefit for Application of Very Low Level

Waste as a Separate Waste Category

Technical Report, 2011

To risk-inform regulatory processes such as 10CFR61, this project will develop the basis for recognizing very low level waste as a separate category of waste with separate disposal requirements. This project will draw upon international experience for defining the waste category, characterizing its disposal requirements, and demonstrating that RCRA landfills provide adequate public protection. If adopted during the 10CFR61 revision, the potential benefit to the industry when the existing fleet of nuclear power plants reaches decommissioning is conservatively estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Emerging Issues Project: EPRI Guidelines

for Ground water Remediation at Nuclear

Power Plants


The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering new rulemaking that would require plants to evaluate soil and groundwater remediation during operation to reduce impacts on future decommissioning costs and schedule. This project will provide utilities with guidance for conducting such an evaluation in the event of a leak or spill or contamination detection. A step-by-step process for using groundwater monitoring and modeling to develop cost-benefit analyses and inform groundwater remediation decisions will be developed. EPRI will leverage the experience and lessons learned related to cost of decommissioning and site remediation from the decommissioning program with the groundwater monitoring guidance and remediation technologies from the groundwater monitoring program to develop guidance for the decommissioning planning.


continued on page 7

Site-Specific Research Opportunities

Nuclear Groundwater Character-ization and Protection Program Assessment

Groundwater contamination that occurred during operation can have a significant impact on the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant. The amount of radionuclides that are present in site soils, bedrock, and groundwater can impact the decommissioning project cost and schedule with respect to remediation, extended monitoring, and license termination and site release. At one U.S. plant, groundwater contamination that occurred during the operating life of the plant led to a significant increase in cost to the decommissioning project due to extensive soil and bedrock excavation required to reduce the groundwater contamination to acceptable levels. Decommissioning sites may need to implement long-term monitoring and remediation, as well as monitored natural attenuation, to ensure that the concentrations of radionuclides are decreasing over time to meet acceptable limits

This project assists nuclear power plant sites in developing a technically sound site groundwater monitoring program based on the principles outlined in the

EPRI Groundwater Monitoring Guidelines for Nuclear Power Plants (1015118). EPRI will assist decommissioning nuclear power plant staff to understand potential groundwater contamination at their site, develop a plan for further investigation, and provide programmatic and technological recommendations for implementing a groundwater monitoring or remediation program. These evaluation and recommendations will be specific to the operating history, hydrogeology, and site release limits of the decommissioning plant site. The work will draw from the experience with groundwater inves-tigations conducted at nuclear power reactor sites (both operating and decom-missioning) and an ongoing EPRI project to investigate and develop advanced technologies for groundwater monitoring and remediation.

Two experienced EPRI team members will visit the site for one week to assess the groundwater contamination scenario and status of the host plant site. The team will prepare a guidance report providing prioritized action items and recommendations related to:

Potential sources of groundwater •contaminationPreliminary assessment of hydrological •conditions based on site informationPotential radionuclides and initial •monitoring recommendationsRecommended sampling locations, •protocols, data collection and scheduleRecommended data analysis and •significance in terms of resultant pathway dose and regulations.

In addition to the report, participants gain membership in the

Decommissioning Member Assistance Projects:

EPRI provides direct site assistance to members to quickly integrate EPRI decommissioning knowledge and technology into the member’s decommissioning program. Site-specific support activities can include assessments, workshops or seminars focusing on a range of topics. Previous members have taken advantage of EPRI site assistance to evaluate low and intermediate level waste (LILW), decommissioning planning and licensing support, and decontamination technologies.

For example, in May 2009, EPRI conducted a “Site Release Criteria and Site Characterization Workshop” for the Barsebäck nuclear plant. Participants included EPRI staff, Barsebäck personnel, U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and the Spanish decommissioning organization Enresa, also an EPRI Decommissioning Program member. NEI presentation provided an informative review of the evolution of U.S decommissioning regulations. Enresa presented a series of presentations related to their recent experience in addressing the Spanish regulations pertaining to site characterization and final site release of the Jose Cabrera Nuclear Plant. EPRI addressed such subjects as Site Characterization Program design and experience, Groundwater and Soil Contamination and Dose Modeling. Final discussions in the closing session of the Workshop addressed “The Path Forward in Decommissioning Barsebäck.”


continued on page 8

For Enresa, Spain’s decommissioning organization, EPRI facilitated a “Reactor Vessel and Internals Segmentation Meeting” to share segmentation experience that could inform decision-making for an upcoming segmentation project. Several leading vendors in the segmentation of reactor vessel and internals projects made presentations detailing various segmentation approaches. EPRI detailed U.S. experience in reactor and vessel internals and vessel segmentation projects.Following the meeting, EPRI provided Enresa with a comprehensive technical evaluation and recommendations based on information gathered at the meeting.

Site-Specific Research Opportunities


Low and intermediate level waste site assistance support can be tailored to the specific needs and practices of Decommissioning Program members. Such assistance typically includes 1-2 weeks of on-site program reviews and interviews, exit reviews with site management to discuss results, economic evaluations of existing programs and alternative processing scenarios using the EPRI WasteLogicTM software program, and draft and final reports of the results. To date, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, SOGIN (Italy’s decommissioning authority), Electricite de France, Union Fenosa and ENRESA have funded specific projects under this program.

EPRI also facilitates the exchange of lessons learned and experience with U.S. experts who have conducted decommissioning projects. For example, visitors from Enresa, Barsebäck, and EDF have visited U.S. decommissioning facilities including the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1; Rancho Seco Generating Station; and the Savannah River Site. Topics addressed include large component segmentation, groundwater protection, license termination and site release, decommissioning planning, and more.

2008–2009 Research and Reports – Now AvailableDecommissioning

Graphite Leaching — A Review of

International Aqueous Leaching

Data with Particular Reference to the

Decommissioning of Graphite Moderated

Reactors

Technical Report, 1016772, May 2008

As part of the EPRI Graphite Initiative, this project reviewed the global knowledge on the leaching of radioactive materials from irradiated graphite into aqueous media, in the decommissioning process itself, in storage (surface, sub-surface, and SAFSTOR), and in long-term disposal. This information addressed potential concerns about the release of radioactive materials into the environment and into biological systems. The review of graphite leaching includes identification of all engineering situations where leaching

into aqueous media is a potential issue, target release rates for isotopes of concern, factors determining leaching behavior, and recommendations for future work.


San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

Unit 1 Decommissioning Experience

Report

Technical Report, 1016773, December 2008

This report is the fourth in a series of reports directed at capturing major project data and experience from recent large decommissioning projects. This report extends EPRI’s decommissioning database by documenting the technological details, experiences, and lessons learned of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Unit 1 Decommissioning Project. Information gathered includes cost, schedule, and manpower, as well as technical challenges, worker exposure, and waste generation. The San Onofre report addresses complex and unique project tasks such as reactor internals segmentation, reactor containment demolition, waste processing, and characterization site survey work that were carried out in this project.

Proceedings: 2008 EPRI Groundwater

Protection Workshop (in collaboration

with NEI)

Technical Report 1019408, August 2009

EPRI organized the 2008 EPRI Groundwater Protection Workshop in collaboration with the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the U.S. Department

2008–2009 Research and Reports – Now Available


continued on page 9

of Energy, Savannah River Site. The workshop focused on nuclear plant leak prevention, groundwater monitoring and remediation techniques, and industry experience. This information will assist nuclear plant operators in the development and implementation of technically sound Groundwater Protection Programs (GPPs).

2008-2009 Related Research

Proposed Modifications to the

NRC Branch Technical Position

on Concentration Averaging and

Encapsulation (BTP)

Technical Report, 1016761, November 2008

With the 2008 closure of the Barnwell disposal site to out-of compact waste, the United States has gone from six operating, nationally accessible disposal sites in the 1970s to a single site currently. Because the one available site is restricted to the lowest activity Class A wastes, the majority of plants will be forced to store some of their Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) on-site. As part of a broader set of initiatives to develop management options for Class B and C LLRW, EPRI is investigating potential regulatory changes that will help to more consistently classify LLRW on the basis of understood risks. These include changes to concentration averaging criteria for packaging LLRW from various sources and concentration levels. These changes will provide a more flexible basis for classification, reduce disposal cost, and reduce or eliminate storage requirements on an industry-wide basis while maintaining the level of risk of disposal within currently accepted standards.

Waste Form Strategies for On-Site Storage

Technical Report 1016762, November 2008

This report provides an analysis of waste form options for extended storage of Class BC waste streams and management of irradiated hardware. Evaluation of management options – including a review of waste sources, generation rates, and storage options – is needed prior to committing to a specific waste storage form.

The report addresses the following tasks:Identify benefits, cautions, and •limitations for each major industry waste form storage option.Evaluate current volume reduction •options such as thermal destruction of organic resin and organic, non-metal filter cartridges to identify benefits, cautions, and limitations for waste storage.Develop a decision methodology that can •be used to define optimal site-specific media management strategies.Identify any irradiated hardware storage •and inventory control methods that have not been previously considered in on-site storage guidance.




RadBench Web Database Update to Reflect

Current Industry Practices

Software, 1019533, August 2008

The RadBench website is a tool for collating industry data in a standard format for accurate benchmarking and improvement analysis. RadBench supports a number of industry initiatives to effectively manage low activity waste and help guide public policy decisions regarding radioactive waste disposal. It represents the industry’s best intelligence on generation and disposal volumes of radioactive waste. To better reflect current industry data needs for more accurate benchmarking, this update improves the data capture of important parameters for disposal and B/C waste reduction initiatives.

Proceedings: 2008 EPRI International Low

Level Waste Conference and Exhibit Show


Nuclear utilities are continually evaluating methods to improve operations, minimize cost, and find alternatives for disposal of NRC Class A, B, and C waste. EPRI’s 17th Annual International Low Level Waste (LLW) Conference—coupled with the 31st Annual ASME/EPRI Radwaste Workshop—offered valuable insights into this effort by presenting papers covering new or improved technology developed worldwide for LLW management, processing, shipment, disposal, and regulation. Attendees from several foreign countries and organizations presented papers, including Korea, Brazil, Canada and the International Atomic Energy Agency. continued on page 10

Proceedings: 2008 ASME/EPRI Radwaste

Workshop


Nuclear utilities are continually evaluating methods to improve operations and reduce costs associated with radioactive waste management. The 31st Annual ASME/EPRI Radwaste Workshop facilitates this effort by communicating technology and management improvements throughout the industry. This workshop, restricted to utility radwaste professionals, also serves to communicate practical in-plant improvements with the opportunity to discuss them in detail.

Technical Guidance for Monitored Natural

Attenuation for Nuclear Power Plants

Technical Report, 1016764, September 2008

This report provides guidance on implementing monitored natural attenuation (MNA) at nuclear power plants for the remediation of radiological contaminants in groundwater and soil. MNA is a nonintervention groundwater and soil remediation approach that involves monitoring the dilution, dispersion, and decay of contaminants to meet remediation objectives. MNA has been implemented at national laboratories and decommissioning nuclear power plants and is being considered for implementation at operating nuclear power plants as a remediation method for groundwater contaminated with relatively short-lived radionuclides, such as tritium. Implementing MNA requires an in-depth understanding of the groundwater contamination scenario at the site and a technically sound determination

that the site’s remediation goals can be met. This determination may be based on the hydrogeology of the site, the radionuclide of concern, and the extent of contamination. MNA may need to be implemented with other more aggressive remediation methods to control the source of the contamination. An extensive groundwater monitoring program must be implemented to monitor the progress of MNA.

Advanced Technologies for Groundwater

Monitoring and Remediation at Nuclear

Power Plants

Technical Report, 1016763, December 2008

The report documents a number of groundwater monitoring and remediation technologies applicable to radionuclides:

Passive sampling technologies that may •improve groundwater sample integrity In situ• radionuclide detection technology that plant operators can use within monitoring wells for the early detection of radionuclide contamination in groundwaterTechnologies for separating tritium from •waterThe applicability of bioremediation, •phytoremediation, permeable reactive barriers, and in situ immobilization techniques for radionuclides

These technologies are either in the early phases of development or have been implemented in different industries or at U.S. Department of


Energy sites for both radionuclide and non-radionuclide contaminants. Since nuclear power plant groundwater contamination is relatively low and the radionuclides of concern are different, the nuclear industry will need to enhance or update these technologies for nuclear power plant groundwater monitoring and remediation.



2009–2010 Meetings Event Date Location

2009 EPRI Groundwater Protection Workshop (in Collaboration with NEI) September 15–16, 2009 Charleston, South Carolina

8th EPRI International Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Workshop October 6–8, 2009 Hamburg, Germany

2010 EPRI International LLW Conference and Exhibit Show and ASME/EPRI Radwaste Workshop June 21–24, 2010 Westminster, Colorado

2010 EPRI Groundwater Protection Workshop

(in Collaboration with NEI & RETS-REMP) June 30–July 2, 2010 San Jose, California

9th EPRI International Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Workshop To Be Determined To Be Determined

Please visit the EPRI Nuclear Calendar for registration information:

Go to the EPRI web by typing www.epri.com in your web browser.•

Under the Events menu, click on the subtarget titled All EPRI Events.•

Click on the Nuclear link•

Program on Technology Innovation: EPRI

Soil Vapor Extraction and Monitoring

System Development—Soil Vapor

Predictive Activity Model


The EPRI Soil Vapor Extraction and Monitor-ing System is a groundwater monitoring system based on the principles of extracting soil vapor for tritium analysis. Funded by the EPRI Tech-nology Innovation Program, SVEMS may en-hance the groundwater monitoring capabilities at nuclear power plant sites. This technology has been applied with success at Department of Energy sites to monitor tritium plumes.

This project explored the enhancement of this technology for implementation at nuclear power plant sites that have lower concentra-tions of tritium in soils and groundwater. This document presents the conceptual and math-ematical model behind the SVEMS design and discusses EPRI’s plan for demonstrating the technology for nuclear power plants. Work in 2009 includes a bench-top test and pilot test of the SVEMS technology, which will be docu-mented in a 2009 EPRI Technical Report.


2009–2010 International MembersBarsebäck – Sweden

ENRESA – Spain

Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion (Iberinco) – Spain

Japanese Atomic Power Co., Ltd. (JAPC) – Japan

Sogin S.p.A. – Italy

Taiwan Power Company – Taiwan

UNESA – A.E. Industria Electrica – All Spanish Utilities

Pacific Gas & Electric - U.S.A

Electricite de France (EDF) – France

Contact UsFor Technical Questions regarding this Decommissioning Program, please contact:

Karen Kim, Senior Project Engineer

Phone: 650.855.2190

Email: [email protected]

Decommissioning StaffName Phone E-mail

Sean Bushart, Senior Program Manager 650.855.2978 [email protected]

Karen Kim, Senior Project Engineer 650.855.2190 [email protected]

Rich McGrath, Senior Consultant 707.246.5005 [email protected]

Mike Naughton, Senior Consultant 408.348.3550 [email protected]

Chris Wood, Senior Consultant 650.855.2379 [email protected]

1020246 September 2009

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