PNNL

Abstract

This paper discusses life extension upgrades to an operational nuclear research facility and identifies export control implications. The Department of Energy (DOE) is engaged in a multi-year program of deactivating and decommissioning (D&D) the majority of the Hanford Site 300 Area facilities. In 2006, the DOE decided to retain the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL), which was on the D&D list. As part of the facility life-extension to ensure continued mission capability, the DOE decided to consolidate replacement hot cell capability into the RPL. Physical limitations within the facility dictated that new hot cell design and construction would be modularized—a process that allows for ease of fabrication and introduction into existing space. A review of the fabrication and installation techniques has identified potential export control issues.