Observations of plant decons

The increased utilization of in-situ chemical decontamination of primary coolant systems and associated equipment has raised questions centered around the effectiveness of decontaminations for occupational dose reduction, radioactive waste generation from decontamination efforts, and ease of system decontamination. As a result of these concerns the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) funded a research program to observe the decontamination tasks that are being performed on nuclear power plant primary coolant systems and associated equipment. It also includes where appropriate making confirmatory and/or supplementary measurements. This study is being performed by EG and G Idaho, Inc., the prime contractor at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and has centered around the areas of the effectiveness in reducing occupational dose to plant personnel, the volume of radioactive waste generated as a result of decontamination efforts, and plant information that will assist the NRC in their review process. To date, this evaluation has concentrated on decontamination factors (DFs) obtained, methods used in determining DF's, man-rem savings, waste forms generated, man-rem expended in performing the decontamination, and an evaluation of the overall operation (i.e., problems and lessons learned). 8 refs., 8 tabs.