Nuclear Health and Safety: DOE Has Not Demonstrated That Restarting PUREX Is a Sound Decision
RCED-90-207
Published: Jun 29, 1990. Publicly Released: Jul 20, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the shutdown and planned restart of the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction plant (PUREX) at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site in Washington.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should determine at this time whether PUREX should be restarted at all. |
The Secretary of Energy determined in December, 1992 that PUREX would not be started. A January 1993 memorandum from the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management informed the Manager of the Richland Operations Office of the decision not to restart PUREX. The program management plan to deactivate PUREX is in the process of being formalized.
|
| Department of Energy | If the Secretary of Energy decides to continue with plans to restart PUREX, a supplemental environmental impact statement should be prepared before restart. As part of this process, DOE should demonstrate that PUREX is the best alternative for disposition of spent fuel as waste. Detailed technical, engineering, and cost analyses should accompany DOE final decisions. |
The issue is mute, since PUREX will not be restarted.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should prohibit restart of PUREX until all of the identified safety- and training-related concerns have been corrected or adequately addressed. This would include making corrections to the PUREX final safety analysis report so that it is in full compliance with DOE orders. |
This issue is mute, since PUREX will not be restarted.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should prohibit restart of PUREX until all of the identified safety- and training-related concerns have been corrected or adequately addressed. This would include requiring the PUREX contractor to demonstrate how it plans to maintain technical and operation staff skills intact until the plant is restarted. |
This issue is mute, since PUREX will not be restarted.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should prohibit restart of PUREX until all of the identified safety- and training-related concerns have been corrected or adequately addressed. This would include making implementation of an additional shift requirement so that adequate time for needed training can be better ensured. |
This issue is mute, since PUREX will not be restarted.
|
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