CRPE: Cesium Return Program Experience FY 1995

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has returned 309 leased, cesium capsules from IOTECH, Incorporated (IOTECH), Northglenn, Colorado, and is currently planning the Applied Radiant Energy Corporation (ARECO), Lynchburg, Virginia, capsule removal to the Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF) at the Hanford Site, to ensure the safe management and storage of the capsules pending their final disposition. The preparations for this move included testing and modifying the Beneficial Uses Shipping System (BUSS) Cask, preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA), developing a comprehensive Transportation Plan, coordinating with the Western Governor's Association (WGA) and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), and providing a means of communication among the DOE, the media, and the public. Additional activities in implementing this Program include coordinating with Eastern and Midwestern states to revise the Transportation/Emergency Response Plan in support of the ARECO capsule returns. Wt!stinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) is acting as the designated agent for DOE in returning the Highway Route Controlled Quantity (HRCQ) Cesium-137 Capsules to the Hanford Reservation in southeast Washington State. As a direct result of this role, WHC has researched, developed, implemented, and is currently managing several transportation-related activities to ensure the safe and efficient movement of encapsulated Special Form (SF) Cesium-137 back to the Hanford Reservation.