Fiscal year 1992 photographic inspection of corrosion of waste drums contained in the Z-9 storage module

摘要

Transuranic (TRU) waste has been stored at the Hanford Site since the beginning of the defense materials production mission. In 1970, the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) issued ''Immediate Action Directive 0511-211'' directing AEC sites to package and store TRU wastes to be readily retrievable as contamination-free packages for a minimum of 20 yr. The Hanford Site implemented this directive and placed TRU wastes in packages and storage configurations intended to be retrievable 20 yr after emplacement. The TRU waste packages consisted primarily of steel drums or boxes made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester, metal, plywood, or concrete. A program within the Solid/Liquid Waste Remediation Division has been initiated to assess the scope of retrieval of the retrievable stored TRU waste. This characterization program is described in WHC-EP-0223, Stored, Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Characterization at the Hanford Site. In 1988 a series of photographs were taken to determine the condition of the drums. The purpose of that investigation was to determine the changes of the drums in the Z-9 storage module since 1983 and to determine the ability of the drums to meet the 20-yr storage lifetime. The results of this investigation were, except in a few locations, that little degradation had occurred between 1981 and 1988. It was recommended that in five years another investigation take place. This report is written to fulfill that recommendation.