SHIPMENT OF GAS GENERATING SPENT FUEL ON THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HANFORD SITE

Approximately 2,100 metric tons of unprocessed, irradiated nuclear fuel elements are stored in the two K Basins at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The basin water contains significant quantities of dissolved nuclear isotopes and radioactive fuel corrosion particles. The condition of the spent fuel elements varies from intact to severely damaged, where the cladding is badly split or has peeled, with substantial fuel missing. The K Basins are located within a few hundred meters of the Columbia River and have leaked twice in the past. One of the highest priorities of the DOE is to remove the spent fuel from the K Basins, stabilize it, and move it to a Canister Storage Building (CSB), built well away from the Columbia River, for long-term storage prior to final disposition at a repository.