Dounreay Bulletin - Issue 8

8th August 2006

UKAEA APPLIES FOR PLANNING PERMISSION FOR NEXT DECOMMISSIONING PHASE
UKAEA is seeking planning permission to commence the construction of new facilities at Dounreay with a combined value in excess of £127 million. A planning application has been submitted to the Highland Council for the construction of three facilities as outlined in phase one of the Highland Council's Dounreay Planning Framework, which was the subject of public consultation during 2005.

The largest project included in the application is for the construction of the biggest single nuclear decommissioning facility yet at Dounreay, the plant needed to treat certain liquid and solid radioactive wastes that are a legacy of reprocessing fuel at Dounreay. The overall project for the provision of this new plant is estimated to cost £100 million to design and construct. See: http://www.ukaea.org.uk/news/2006/27_07_06.html

SHIELDS TO ROTATE AGAIN FOR REMOVAL OF BREEDER FROM DOME
A key phase in decommissioning the Dounreay Fast Reactor involves removal of the breeder elements that are still within the reactor. To allow access to these elements, the reactor rotating shields will operate for the first time in almost 30 years.

Prior inspection of the two rotating shield mechanisms confirmed their functionality and the need to replace the two roller assemblies. The rotating shields are formed by inner and outer circular shielded plates and run on centralised tapered roller assemblies. Due to the presence of mercury vapour from the reactor seals this was safely performed by operators wearing airline suits.

Inspections had shown that many support roller assemblies were damaged beyond economical repair and a project for their replacement was developed. Replacement roller assemblies were manufactured, built and set in accordance with the original drawings from 1958. More: http://www.ukaea.org.uk/sites/dounreay_project_updates.htm#July0603

NEW CONTROL ROOM FOR FCA PLANT
The team in the high active liquor storage and treatment plant have recently completed the installation of a new state-of-the-art control room in the facility. The old redundant control room at the facility is now in the process of being dismantled to make way for future decommissioning work to the above ground storage tank on which it sits. More: www.ukaea.org.uk/sites/dounreay_project_updates.htm#July0604

UPDATE ON SEPA AUTHORISATION FOR DOUNREAY
The disposal of gaseous and liquid radioactive wastes at Dounreay is carried out under the terms of authorisations granted by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The existing authorisations need to be updated and modernised, and SEPA is proposing to do this during 2006 using a process known as a variation.

At the same time, UKAEA will be setting up a site licence company which will eventually hold the nuclear site licence and environmental authorisation and permits.

Once the modern standards authorisation is in place, UKAEA and the site licence company will be able to jointly apply to SEPA to transfer the authorisation from UKAEA to the company. Once the authorisation has been transferred to the site licence company, it is then free to apply to SEPA for a new authorisation appropriate to its decommissioning activities. NDA's competition process will not interfere with the process of determining the application.

DOUNREAY WINS HEALTH AWARD
UKAEA Dounreay has successfully achieved a bronze award from Scotland's Health at Work, a national award programme which is supported by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The award recognises the work done by the site to promote the health of its workforce.

As part of the award, Dounreay had to demonstrate a good record of raising awareness of health issues among the staff over a period of three years, and that the site has a stated policy on issues such as smoking. Kirsty Windsor, occupational health department manager, says that the award shows that the site's health initiatives are on the right track. More: www.ukaea.org.uk/news/2006/01_08_06.html

WORLDWIDE SEARCH SHORT-LISTS FOUR COMPANIES FOR BEACH MONITORING
A worldwide search for technology capable of improving UKAEA's detection of radioactive particles on beaches near Dounreay has resulted in four companies being short-listed for the award of a contract to undertake the work. Four different systems, including an enhanced version of the system currently in use, were selected by a panel of experts after a series of trials to test their performance against the current system. The companies will now be invited to tender for the contract to monitor local beaches when it comes up for renewal next year. See: http://www.ukaea.org.uk/news/2006/02_08_06.html

ASSESSMENT OF THE OPTIONS FOR DEALING WITH PARTICLES MOVES FORWARD
Technical assessments of the options for dealing with radioactive particles in the marine environment took place last week. The scoring panel, which consisted of independent members representing a wide range of expertise, met and over a three-day period screened out options which were not feasible or illegal, scored the options left against a full range of criteria, combined the options and re-scored the combined options. This has resulted in 11 combined options which will be taken forward for full public consultation early in 2007. Phil Cartwright, who was recently appointed to take forward the particles project, said: "Overall, the meeting was a great success. We achieved the objective in a clear and transparent way with a range of suitably qualified and experienced people. The meeting was well balanced and good natured throughout and has helped us take another step forward in determining the best practical environmental option."

Prof Iain Baikie, who attended the meeting as an observer for the particles external consultation steering group, said "I was impressed with the thoroughness with which the scoring panel reviewed all the options presented. The scoring method was clearly not prejudiced by any group or individual. The panel considered over 30 relevant topics for each individual on-shore and off-shore option which was a considerable task. They filtered these options down to a manageable number and then reviewed combinations of on-shore and off-shore options. Each step in this process was very transparent. I would hope that all the scored data would be published in the near future together with additional explanatory text which also described the relevant boundary conditions or assumptions made (geographical extent, particle activity, depth, project duration etc) of each option or combination option."


ROUTINE SAMPLES INVESTIGATED
Dounreay is investigating routine biological samples taken from two workers involved in decommissioning, following identification that their samples warranted further investigation. Assessment of any doses which may have been received will not be fully completed until follow-up biological samples are analysed. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of the HSE has been informed.

DISCHARGE COMPLIANCE MANAGER GAINS MASTERS DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Dounreay's discharge authorisation compliance manager John Disbury has graduated with a Master of Laws in Environmental Law at De Montfort University, Leicester. The course, sponsored by UKAEA, was carried out by distance learning.

He said: "Environmental law is a complex area that involves legislation at European, UK and devolved administration levels, and this degree means that I, and UKAEA, have a better understanding of how these laws are interpreted and how they affect the work we are doing to decommission the site."

John joined UKAEA at Dounreay in 1969 as a scientific trainee and has been involved in environmental programmes for the past decade. He is also a site rep for the Prospect trade union.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE
The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management published its final recommendations for the long-term management of the UK's radioactive waste on July 31 and called for immediate action to begin their implementation. After an exhaustive two and a half year programme of engagement with the public, stakeholders and the scientific community, the independent committee has produced a set of 15 recommendations for consideration by DEFRA and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. More: http://www.corwm.org.uk/content-1091
Scottish Executive response:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2006/07/31105344
NDA response: http://www.nda.gov.uk/News--News_(1763).aspx?pg=1763

SAMARITANS LIGHT UP THE DOME
Dounreay's Fast Reactor was lit up again this year to promote the Samaritans. The sphere was used to project the Samaritans' 24/7 message on the evening of Friday 21st July as part of their campaign to promote their support service and also encourage new volunteers. Samaritans provide a support service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all those experiencing emotional stress. 24/7 has thus been chosen as the annual Samaritans Day as a means of raising the profile of Samaritans throughout the country and as a help to ensuring that we reach those who need us. More: http://www.ukaea.org.uk/sites/dounreay_local_sponsorship.html

DOUNREAY SUPPORTS LOCAL ART SOCIETY
The Society of Caithness Artists is holding its 71st annual exhibition this summer. But with the closure of the Thurso Town Hall for renovation work, they were faced with the task of finding another venue in the town to display their paintings. A lack of wall space at their temporary venue meant that new screens and hooks were required. Rolls Royce at Vulcan supplied the additional screens and UKAEA Dounreay donated £200 to fund the purchase of specialist hooks and rods to allow the paintings to be displayed.

The art exhibition runs from 1-10 August at Thurso High School. Over 250 works of art created by local artists are displayed, and many are for sale. This year HRH Prince Charles the Duke of Rothesay is exhibiting two of his own watercolours.

AT A GLANCE
Number of days since a lost time accident - 47 days
(No. of man-hours since a lost time accident - 647,942 hours)

Liquid metal destroyed in decommissioning Prototype Fast Reactor

Volume - 1136 tonnes
Percentage complete - 75 %
NB Plant currently shut down while major reactor components are jacked up out of their seal.
Employment levels
UKAEA - Full Time Equivalents May 1173 June 1160 July 1136
Sub-contractors - number of personal passes 1220 1206 1185
Sub-contractors - number of gate-held passes 232 179 184

Research reactor reprocessing liquor conditioned as solid intermediate-level waste
Total no. of drums to date - 1879
Percentage complete to date - 37.6%
Conditioned in current financial year - 0
NB Plant currently shut down while spillage is cleaned up.

Solid Low Level Waste processed for disposal
Total so far this financial year - 2101 drums