Environmental Remediation, Excavation, Hazardous Material Handling
Built in 1948, this uranium hexafluoride conversion facility feeds yellowcake received from uranium mines and produces uranium hexafluoride gas for enrichment at one of the primary enrichment sites around the world. After being enriched, the product is fabricated into nuclear fuel which is used for power generation.
*Photos unavailable for this project due to security restrictions*
Health & Environmental Risks
Radioactive Material
Facility operations generate calcium fluoride material (pH of 11-13) that historically was deposited in lined surface impoundments (ponds)
The remaining four ponds are no longer utilized and contain 120,000 tons of material.
Ponds are constructed in an elevated position less than 2,000 LF from the banks of the Ohio River and must be closed in accordance with the Plant’s RCRA permit and the NRC License by end of year 2020
Our Solution
Solidification of 125,000 tons of low-level radioactive calcium fluoride from four sediment ponds by addition and mixing of Portland cement.
Installation and management of a 100 gallons per minute (gpm) water treatment system, to adjust the pH levels from 11 to 13 to within discharge limits of 7 to 9 and remove the total suspended solid.
Load solidified material into 9 cubic yards (yd3) bulk storage bags and transport for processing via modified off-road flat bed rock trucks; to be weighed and scanned for radiation and put into recipes for railcar loading.
Positioned empty gondola railcars in the security restricted rail/lock area using a TracMobile unit and loaded with 11 to 12 super sacks to achieve the desired 110 ton capacity.
Railcars were loaded, covered, and secured and pushed out of the secured rail/lock and across the weigh-in-motion scale where they were weighed and relocated to the outbound spur.
Removed pond liners and under-drain system, followed by the excavation of impacted soils.
Upon approval of post-excavation sampling results, OSC excavated and graded the pond berms and site to allow for proper drainage and constructed permanent stormwater management features.
Performed extensive decontamination of equipment and performed site cleanup and demobilization.
