DOCUMENT RESUME ED 299 107 SE 049 603 TITLE Safety Issues at the DOE Test and Research Reactors. A Report to the U.S. Department of Energy. INSTITUTION National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources. SPONS AGENCY Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 88 CONTRACT DE-FG01-86ER35012 NOTE 151p.; Contains drawings and colored photographs which may not reproduce well. AVAILABLE FROMNational Research Council, Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20418 (free while supply lasts). PUB TYPE Reports - Evaluative/Feasibility (142) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Accident Prevention; Engineering; Higher Education; *Mechanics (Process); Nuclear Energy; *Nuclear Physics; Nuclear Power Plants; *Nuclear Power Plant Technicians; *Nuclear Technology; Radiation Effects; Safety; Science Education; *Scientific Research IDENTIFIERS Department of Energy; National Academy of Sciences; *Nuclear Engineering; Nuclear Reactors; Nuclear Wastes ABSTRACT This report provides an assessment of safety issues at the Department if Energy (DOE) test and research reactors. Part A identifies six safety issues of the reactors. These issues include the safety design philosophy, the conduct of safety reviews, the performance of probabilistic risk assessments, the reliance on reactor operators, the fragmented character of the DOE management structure, and the safety implications of the current budgetary climate. Part B provides an assessment of technical issues to each of five reactors, such as (1) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR); (2) Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBRII); (3) Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF); (4) High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR); and (5) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). Each section includes the recent operating history and conclusions and recommendations on the technical issues. Over 400 documents are listed in the bibliography grouped by kind of reactor. Appendices include a "Statement of Task" by DOE and National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council and "Biographical Sketches of the Members." (YP) )00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000(M30000000000000000E * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * )0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000( Safety Issues at the DOE Test and Research Reactors A Report to the U.S. Department of Energy Committee to Assess Safety and Technical Issues at DOE Reactors Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources and Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems National Research Council NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. 1988 3 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competence. and with regard for appropriate balance. This report has been reviewed by s group other than the authors according to procedures approved by s Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Frank Press is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, u s parallel organisation of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in Its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The Nstionsl Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting the national needs, encourages education and research, and recognises the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White s president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the Nstionsl Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate />fessions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the publi... The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the Nstionsl Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Samuel 0. Thier is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organised by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the Nstionsl Academy of Sciences and the Nstionsl Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Frank Press and Dr. Robert M. White are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council. Support for this project was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract number DE-FG01-86ER35012. front cover: Removal of an irradiated target assembly from the High Flux Isotope Reactor. back cover:The serpentine core of the Advanced Test Reactor. Available in limited supply from Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20418 Printed in the United States of America 4-- COMMITTEE TO ASSESS SAFETY AND TECHNICALISSUES AT DOE REACTORS RICHARD A. MESERVE, Covington St Burling,Chairman DAVID C. ALDRICH, Science Applications International Corporation GEORGE APOSTOLAKIS, University of Californiaat Los Angeles RICHARD DENNING, Battelle, Columbus Laboratories RONALD GAUSDEN, U.K. Nuclear InstallationsInspectorate (retired), West Sussex, England DAVID HETRICK, University of Arizona WILLIAM KASTENBERG, University of Californiaat Los Angeles HERBERT KOUTS, Brookhaven National Laboratory DAVID D. LANNING, Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology KAI N. LEE, University of Washington SALOMON LEVY,' S. Levy Incorporated DANA A. POWERS, Sandia National Laboratories HENRY STONE, General Electric Company (retired) THEO THEOFANOUS, University of California,Santa Barbara NEIL TODREAS, Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology WILLIAM WEGNER, Basic Energy TechnologyAssociates Liaison JOSEPH HENDRIE, Energy Engineering Board Staff STEVEN M. BLUSH, Commissionon Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources, Study Director PATRICK RAPP, Commissionon Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources, Principal Staff Officer JAROSLAVA P. KUSHNIR, Commissionon Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources, Staff Assistant DELPHINIA WRIGHT, Commissionon Physical Science, Mathematics, and Resources, Senior Secretary 'Because of other commitments, Dr. Levy didnot participate in the committee's study of the DOE test and research reactors. ili I 5 COMMISSION ON PHYSICAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS, AND RESOURCES NORMAN HACKERM A N, Robert A. Welch Foundation, Chairman GEORGE F. CARRIER, Harvard University DEAN E. EASTMAN, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center MARYE ANNE FOX, University of Texas GERHART FRIEDLANDER, Brookhaven National Laboratory LAWRENCE W. FUNKHOUSER, Chevron Corporation (retired) PHILLIP A. GRIFFITHS, Duke University J. ROSS MACDONALD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill CHARLES J. MANKIN, Oklahoma Geological Survey PERRY L. McCARTY, Stanford University JACK E. OLIVER, Cornell University JEREMIAH P. OSTRIKER, Princeton University Observatory WILLIAM D. PHILLIPS, Mallinckrodt, Inc. DENIS J. PRAGER, MacArthur Foundation DAVID M. RAUP, University of Chicago RICHARD J. REED, University of Washington ROBERT E. SIEVERS, University of Colorado LARRY L. SMARR, National Center for Supercomputing Applications EDWARD C. STONE, JR., California Institute of Technology KARL K. TUREKIAN, Yale University GEORGE W. WETHERILL, Carnegie Institution of Washington IRVING WLADAWSKY-BERGER, IBM Data Systems Division Staff RAPHAEL G. KASPER, Executive Director LAWRENCE E. McCRAY, Associate Executive Director iv c COMMISSION ON ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SYSTEMS ARDEN L. BEMENT, JR., TRW Inc., Chairman JOHN A. ARMSTRONG, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center NORMAN H. BROOKS, California Institute of Technology DENNIS CHAMOT, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO FLOYD L. CULLER, JR., Electric Power Research Institute DANIEL B. DEBRA, Stanford University DAVID C. EVANS, Evans and Sutherland Computer Corporation ROBERT R. EVERETT, The Mitre Corporation ROBERT R. FOSSUM, Southern Methodist University BEN C. GERWICK, JR., University of California at Berkeley KENT F. HANSEN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology PETER W. LIKINS, Lehigh University RICHARD