SRS L-Basin Modified to Receive the TN-7/2

The TN-7/2 cask was historically received into the Savannah River Site (SRS) Receiving Basin for Offsite Fuels (RBOF) and the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) it transported was unloaded and bundled for storage. Due to L-basin’s physical limitations, RBOF continued receiving the TN-7/2 even after L-basin was designated as the primary SRS SNF wet storage basin.[1] Re-bundling the SNF received in RBOF and transferring it to L-basin was counterproductive to the RBOF deinventory effort.[2] Since the TN-7/2 casks are an important part of the ongoing foreign research reactor (FRR) SNF receipt program, Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) developed and implemented an approach for unloading the TN-7/2 in the SRS L-Area basin.[3] Several benefits were achieved with the completion of this effort. Foreign research reactors and shippers benefit from continued receipt of the TN-7/2 cask at SRS and risk for contamination on the cask exterior is reduced since L-basin water has lower contamination levels than RBOF. Benefits to SRS included the reduction in personnel exposure by eliminating double handling of SNF and support of RBOF deinventory efforts. The first TN-7/2 cask was unloaded in L-basin in November of 2000. In January of 2001, the empty casks were received at ANSTO, in Australia, and radiological surveys confirmed non-fixed surface contamination levels were well within IAEA and DOT transportation limits.