Chapter 7 – Decommissioning PIE and Other Facilities

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the decommissioning activities and techniques involved in the remediation of a variety of facilities other than reactor. There are several decommissioning activities used for remediation such as post irradiation examination (PIE), fuel fabrication, fuel reprocessing, waste processing, and Research and Development (R&D) laboratories. PIE facilities are used to dismantle irradiated fuel elements and other highly active components for detailed examination of their physical properties. Such facilities consist of shielded cells with viewing windows, manipulators, and in-cell hoists. Heavy duty cutting and welding equipment may have to be used for decommissioning in conjunction with posting facilities and maintenance areas. The history of usage of such facilities is important when drawing up the likely radioactive inventory to be encountered during the decommissioning phase. They may well have been used for inadequately documented general purposes involving a variety of radiation sources. If the records are scarce, then the decommissioning team should be encouraged to carry out interviews with ex-workers who may remember the types of work carried out at the facility, and use this gathered information in conjunction with remote and intrusive surveys.