NUCLEAR MATERIALS PROGRAM continued In FY 1974, most of the costs in this activity will be for maintenance and cascade operations, with lesser amounts for the other categories enumerated above. Approximately $1.6 million is for deferred maintenance, which must now be performed on equipment which had been put in standby during the period when operating power levels of the cascades were reduced. This equipment will now be put back on line as the operating power levels are increased. Failure to perform this maintenance prior to putting the equipment back on stream will increase the risk of costly equipment failures and loss of production. The net increase of approximately $1.3 million in FY 1974 results primarily from higher cost of labor and associated fringe benefits; increased costs for utilities, supplies and materials; greater utility usages; and an increase in routine maintenance which is commensurate with the higher power levels and more stages in operation. (4) Recovery of Cascade Scrap FY 1972: $ 206,131 FY 1973: $ 152,000 FY 1974: $ 200,000 Included in this activity are the costs to recover uranium from equipment which has been removed for modification under the PTP and CIP, and conversion of the material to UF for reintroduction to the cascades. Costs are incurred to recover the uranium because it has been enriched in the uranium-233 isotope, and it is far less costly to recover the material than to enrich a like amount of uranium in the gaseous diffusion cascades. Conversion of the recovered material to UF6 and reintroduction into the gaseous diffusion cascades obviates the cost of storage. The levels of cost for this activity are dependent upon the amount of equipment removed from the cascades for modification. .... FY 1972: $ 6,015,049 FY 1973: $ 7,106,000 FY 1974: $ 7,050,000 (5) Other U-235 Operations These activities include costs at Y-12 to blend and convert to enriched uranium metal (for subsequent fabrication into fuel elements at Savannah River) irradiated compounds received from the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant and the Savannah River plant. Also included are costs at Y-12, the gaseous diffusion plants, and the Savannah River plant to recover backlogs of uranium scrap of various enrichments and in some cases subsequent conversion to UF for reintroduction into the gaseous diffusion plants; and 6 costs at Y-12, in commercial facilities and at the LASL to recover enriched uranium scrap which has been generated in nonproduction/weapons programs. The decisions to recover enriched uranium scrap from whatever source are based upon a positive determination that the recovery can be accomplished at less cost than the cost (including cost of raw materials) of providing a similar amount of material of the same enrichment from the gaseous diffusion plants. Costs for conceptual design studies related to new uranium separation plants are also included. Additional details are contained on classified page NM-33. NIK LEAN MATERIALS PROGRAM - continued D. Reactor Products FY 1972: $124,189,094 FY 1973: $127,329,000 FY 1974: $151,400,000 This category reflects the costs of producing a variety of reactor products for the weapons program and for the needs of space, research and development programs, and other peaceful applications of atomic energy. As in past years, to the extent feasible, changing requirements for reactor products will be achieved by varying fuel and target loadings, reallocating reactor space, rescheduling separations operations, and using equipment and minor construction funds to adapt existing facilities to meet current needs at minimum costs. The FY 1974 estimate provides for operating three heavy water production reactors at Savannah River and the dual purpose N reactor FY 1974 costs cover production of Pu-239, Pu-238, Cf-252, tritium, and steam. The cost increase of approximately $24.1 million Preliminary agreement has been reached with the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS) for AEC operation of the N reactor through FY 1975 to produce steam for power generation by WPPSS. The agreement with the WPPSS would provide for a one year extension through FY 1975 and that N reactor be available to provide steam for WPPSS at a rate equivalent to 4 billion kilowatt hours per year. The FY 1974 estimate reflects fuel fabrication and operation of N reactor on a changed mode and extension of operation through FY 1975. The necessary chemical support facilities will also be operated. Due to insufficient aged irradiated fuel for continuous processing, the chemical processing plant at Richland (Purex) will be placed in temporary wet standby most of FY 1973 and FY 1974. A significant portion of Richland's FY 1974 estimate is for waste management operations, including further processing of the current and prior year's radioactive wastes to safer storage forms and initial operation of the cesium and strontium encapsulation facility which will package in solid form for indefinite storage, the long-lived waste isotopes. The Reactor Operations diagram on the following page, graphically portrays the flow of materials through the fuel, reactor and separations systems in the feed chain and reactor sites. Additional details are contained in classified pages NM-33 NM-40. Idaho .... FY 1972: $ FY 1972: $ FY 1973: $ FY 1974: $ 750,000 220,000 220,000 FY 1974: $ 750,000 The current This category provides for the cost of fulfilling the AEC's legal commitment for the guaranteed purchase of U-233 produced in the high temperature gas cooled reactors (HTGR) fuel from the Peach Bottom I reactor and the Ft. St. Vrain reactor. delivery schedule utilizing two casks indicates that shipments will continue by Philadelphia Electric Company (Peach Bottom) during FY 1973 requiring a financial settlement of $220,000 and during FY 1974 the balance of Peach Bottom deliveries and the delivery of a half core of Ft. St. Vrain fuels will require financial settlements totaling $750,000. F. Separations of Irradiated Non-Production Reactor Fuels FY 1972: $ 6,439,340 FY 1973: $ 9,732,000 FY 1973: $ 9,600,000 This category provides for the receipt, storage and/or processing of irradiated non-production reactor fuels (such as those from AEC and private reactors, Army and Navy reactors, etc.). These fuels are processed because the irradiated fuels storage capacity is limited and there is a need for the valuable nuclear materials in the production chain. Costs in FY 1973 and FY 1974 will be incurred at Savannah River and Idaho only. Savannah River FY 1972: $ 3,003,462 FY 1973: $ 5,620,000 FY 1974: $ 4,050,000 Processing costs include cost of operating the receiving basins for off-site fuels (RBOF) and an allocation of the operating costs of the 221-H separation canyon when processing non-production fuels for the recovery of enriched uranium. In the RBOF facility, non-production fuels from off-site are received, unloaded, stored, and prepared for processing. FY 1974 costs provide for a smaller quantity of non-production fuels to be processed. Non-production fuels assigned to Savannah River include irradiated material from the Army, Battelle, Carolinas-Virginia Tube Reactor, High Flux Isotope Reactor, Piqua, NS Savannah, various university reactors, etc. Idaho FY 1972: $ 3,184,838 FY 1973: $ 4,112,000 FY 1974: $ 5,550,000 Costs provide for the operation of the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP), a facility for processing multiple types of irradiated enriched uranium fuels from Navy propulsion reactors and research reactors operated by the AEC, universities, private industry, and foreign governments. Through FY 1973, the ICPP is scheduled to operate sequentially with the Waste Calcining Facility (WCF) which reduces highly radioactive waste from the ICPP operations to solids suitable for interim storage. The total operating costs include the cost of maintaining the ICPP in temporary standby between processing campaigns. The FY 1974 increase of about $1.4 million over FY 1973 is due to a further increase in the number of processing days required to process the increasing loads of fuels returned to ICPP, which requires the addition of about 25 new employees to enable concurrent ICPP-WCF operations, increased maintenance and additional processing materials. Richland FY 1972: $ 251,040 FY 1973: $ 0 FY 1974: $ 0 The FY 1972 costs are an allocation of Purex costs for a processing campaign to recover nuclear material from irradiated fuel from the Navy's AlW-1 reactor and the Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor. There is no non-production fuel scheduled for processing in FY 1973 or FY 1974. G. Reduction of Liquid Wastes to Solids FY 1972: $ 2,485,565 FY 1973: $ 2,200,000 FY 1974: $ 3,000,000 This category provides for operation of the Waste Calcining Facility (WCF) at Idaho, which reduces radioactive liquid wastes from the ICPP to a solid calcined product suitable for interim storage. As a result of increased fuel loads processed by the ICPP, concurrent operations of the chemical processing plant and the WCF are scheduled for FY 1974 resulting in approximately a 100% increase in calciner operating days. H. Startup, Shutdown and Standby FY 1972: $5,692,687 FY 1973: $ 8,519,000 FY 1974: $ 5,000,000 This activity provides for startup of new or existing facilities and shutting down and maintaining facilities which need not be operated to meet current production requirements but which are being kept in standby status. Following is a breakdown by operations offices: Startup FY 1972: $ 1,048,811 FY 1972: $ 13,610 FY 1973: $ 3,185,000 FY 1974: $ 330,000 FY 1973: $ 0 FY 1974: $ Oak Ridge 0 Costs in FY 1972 were for startup of the Cross transfermatic machine at Fernald for use in manufacturing depleted target elements for Savannah River reactors. Richland ... FY 1972: $ 0 0 FY 1973: $ 2,310,000 FY 1974: $ FY 1973 costs are for startup of the 242-S evaporator crystallizer ($586,000) which evaporates liquid radioactive waste for intank solidification; and the waste encapsulation storage facility ($1,724,000) which converts strontium-90 and cesium-137 nitrate solutions to strontium fluoride and cesium chloride with subsequent encapsulation for interim storage. Savannah River FY 1972: $ 892,112 FY 1973: $ 850,000 FY 1974: $ 230,000 The FY 1973 costs are for startup preparation of the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility (MPPF) which is utilized for processing transplutonium materials. This facility is to be operational in January 1974; the FY 1974 costs provide for completion of the MPPF startup. Idaho .... FY 1972: $ 143,089 FY 1973: $ 25,000 FY 1974: $ 100,000 The startup cost for FY 1973 is for preoperational testing of the electrolytic dissolver which is used for dissolving stainless steel fuels in the ICPP. Costs in FY 1974 are for startup of the replacement dissolver which is used for dissolving zirconium fuels in the ICPP. FY 1972: $ 4,643,876 FY 1973: $ 5,334,000 FY 1974: $ 4,670,000 FY 1972: $ 1,538,467 FY 1973: $ 1,552,000 FY 1974: $ 1,540,000 Costs are included for maintaining in standby gaseous diffusion stages and associated facilities at the three gaseous diffusion sites; the Alpha 4 lithium cascade and conversion and reduction areas at Y-12; miscellaneous equipment at the FMPC; and the nickel powder plant at Huntington, West Virginia. Shutdown and Standby Oak Ridge |