ETTP – UCOR, History, Learning and Approaches to Nuclear Clean up
Amentum is proud to successfully have led the Historic Cleanup of the Uranium Enrichment Complex at East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, US.
Our UK Chief Project Director, Mark Steele, shares his view of this achievement and its importance in relation to the clean-up mission across the UK. ‘The successful completion of the ETTP clean up at Oak Ridge points to learning and approach Amentum brings in addressing complex nuclear legacy issues. First, it is important to recognise the historical significance and importance of the facilities and the connection these plants have with people who have operated and maintained them. The completion of the delivery lifecycle through post operations clean out (POCO), deplanting, demolition and potential reuse successfully closes this circle.
A key tenant of nuclear operations is the drive to maintain steady state, however quiescent states and extended periods of delay post shut down can exacerbate conditions as plant can continue to deteriorate and develop new and unexpected hazards. As UCOR has demonstrated the process of clean up starts with understanding the facility, the operational regime, events and status of POCO which will inform the approach to charaterisation and development of hazard, environmental and waste management planning.
Seeking out innovate approaches and applying them to novel challenges or indeed standard approaches or COTS application can be equally effective. As the team demonstrated, effective decommissioning and waste management transition from a project to an operations and lean manufacturing approach, seeking out efficiencies, removing non added value steps and removing processing delays to maximise productivity. Amentum uses modeling techniques to bring these developments into application, reducing waste, schedules and costs to our customers.
As demonstrated over the timeline of ETTP clean up, long term relationships, behaviours and effective communications are a key attribute to successful clean up, decommissioning and programme delivery.’
