Transition of the Rocky Flats Plant to Environmental Restoration and Waste Management

Due to recent changes in the world situation, U.S. weapons production requirements have diminished. This has resulted in the transfer of certain facilities and surplus materials at the Rocky Flats Plant from Defense Programs (DP) to Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) Control. A memorandum of agreement (MOA) effected the transfer of approximately 3.5 metric tons of Plutonium contained in residues having a bulk weight of 100 metric tons and a significant volume of enriched uranyl nitrate. This transfer was effective on January 15,1993. The Office of Site and Facility Transfer (EM-64) will manage the disposition of these surplus materials giving consideration to worker safety, minimizing environmental impact, regulatory concerns, waste minimization, transportation and disposal costs, disposal technical criteria, construction and operating costs as well as storage costs. The options being considered include; shipping as waste to a repository, shipping as residue to an alternate site or treatment on site. In the event that treatment results in the concentration of special nuclear material to a form of higher purity, that material will be returned as a national asset to another user group. This potential result is not a goal, but a coincidental benefit. To ensure that the correct disposition option is chosen, EM- 64 has assembled and chartered a Surplus Materials Peer Panel of complex wide experts who will provide a third party independent review of all critical disposition decisions.