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8030 Appendix T2 Activated Water Detection and Management |
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1.0
Introduction
The management of radioactivated water produced in
the accelerator and end station areas is an important program at Jefferson Lab.
High energy photons and neutrons interact with stable atoms in material to
produce tritium and other radioactive isotopes. This activation affects all of
the components within the beam tunnel, the tunnel itself, and the immediate
surrounding environment.
Because this is a significant process that affects
the environment, Jefferson Lab maintains this Activated Water Management
Program as part of the Environmental Radiological Protection Program. This
appendix discusses source locations and the collection and storage of the water
from potentially affected area, including those associated with the accelerator
and end station beam dumps as well as general accelerator and experimental
areas
2.0
Training and Qualifications
Water system operations, maintenance, and repair personnel working
with activated water in any location require special training. The workers
performing tasks shall be trained to the level identified by their supervisor,
which can include:
3.0
Responsibilities
3.1
ESH&Q
Division
·
Maintain hardware,
sampling devices, and radioanalytical services.
·
Ensure areas with
potential sources of activated water have appropriate containment and are
otherwise suitably addressed.
·
Properly handle and dispose
of sampled water.
·
Ensure compliance with
environmental permits, DOE Order 458.1, and other regulatory conditions.
·
Provide discharge data
for ESH&Q Reporting.
·
Track and trend sample
results.
·
Advise and, as
necessary, provide radiological oversight of tasks.
·
Interface with DOE and
any permitting authority.
·
Review monthly and
quarterly permit-required sample data. [??]
· Provide analytical results to permitting agencies and in regular reports.
3.2
Facilities
Management
·
Design, install, and
maintain piping and secondary containment systems.
· Perform inspections on piping and containment systems at appropriate intervals and documents those inspections.
4.0
Activated Water Management Plan
This plan describes the procedures for managing all on-site
activated or potentially activated water discharges. Accelerator tunnel,
experimental hall, and other experimental test area water system discharges,
both routine and non-routine, shall be sampled and controlled to ensure that no
discharge to the environment occurs outside applicable limits. The overall goal is to dispose of activated
water in a manner that prevents the inadvertent contamination of air, surface
water, and/or groundwater.
The potential for release of activated water is managed in
accordance with two permits: Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) Permit
No. 0117 and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality VPDES Permit No.
0089320.
4.1
Indirect Discharge to
HRSD
A small quantity of activated water, which is collected from
various systems, is discharged periodically through the sanitary sewer, in
accordance with the site’s Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) permit. Per DOE Order 458.1, Best Available
Technology is not required, as radionuclide concentrations are far below the
threshold of five times the Derived Concentration Guidance (DCGs).
The HRSD permit specifically addresses the discharges from both
the Counting House Hall Floor Drain (HFD) sump and the Tritium Monitoring and
Disposal Unit (TMDU) in Building 92. Both discharge points are activated manually,
and sampling and analysis results are used to ensure permit conditions will not
be violated.
Counting House Hall Floor Drain (HFD) Sump
Water can become activated in the accelerator and beam switchyard
tunnels, the three experimental halls, and other test areas. The water (which can include condensation,
system leaks, and groundwater) is collected at the Counting House HFD. Approximately 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of
wastewater is discharged from this location each month. Flows and activity are monitored to ensure
that total discharges do not exceed annual limits of 5 Ci
tritium and 1 Ci of total gamma-emitting nuclides.
Tritium Monitoring and Disposal Unit (TMDU)
Low conductivity water (LCW) becomes activated due to its presence
in beam dumps at the High Power Beam Dumps for Hall A (and associated piping in
Building 91) and Hall C (and associated piping in Building 95) The Hall B dump does not use cooling water.
It has layers of metal that absorb and dissipate the beam energy.
It is estimated that approximately 4 Ci/year (2 high power beam
dumps at 2 Ci/year each) of tritium could be produced within the contained
water systems for the Halls A and C high power beam dumps. This figure is based
on the accelerator operating at 800 kW for a ten-month period every year.
High power beam dump cooling water shall be withdrawn at discrete
intervals as summarized below and described in a Health Physics Procedure
(HPP). The water shall be discharged to the sanitary sewer after holdup to
allow for the decay of short-lived radionuclides and careful monitoring for
key, long half-life radionuclides.
Other Sources of Activated Water
Other potentially activated water, such as intermediate power beam
dumps and dehumidification systems, shall be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Water from these sources will be monitored; based upon volume and activity, it
will then be routed to the HFD (low activity water) or added to the TMDU (high
activity) for discharge to the sanitary sewer.
4.2
Groundwater Quality
and Direct Discharge Under VPDES 0089320
Jefferson Lab's goal is to ensure that surface water and groundwater
radioactivity moving offsite from Jefferson Lab is maintained at a level
indistinguishable from natural conditions. A groundwater quality baseline was
established which serves as the basis for our current VPDES permit. See 8030 Appendix T3 for further information.
5.0
Revision Summary
Revision 0.1 – 12/11/12 - Updated to
reflect compliance with DOE Order 458.1
Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment.
Revision 0 – 07/27/05 – Original Content.
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ISSUING AUTHORITY |
TECHNICAL POINT-OF-CONTACT |
APPROVAL DATE |
REVIEW REQUIRED DATE |
REV. |
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ESH&Q Division |
07/27/05 |
07/27/08 |
0.1 |
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