Planning Document for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Cleanliness Inspection Process (OCRWM)

The Fuel Retrieval System (FRS) Process Validation Procedure (Stegen 2000) requires that a specified quantity of fuel processed through the Primary Cleaning Machine (PCM) be assessed for cleanliness during initial operational and process validation testing. Specifically, these assessments are visual examinations of the fuel, performed to confirm that the PCM adequately cleans the fuel elements of canister sludge. The results of these examinations will be used to demonstrate that residual quantities of canister particulate on fuel elements loaded into Multi-Canister Overpacks (MCOs) are within projected levels used to establish safety basis limits (Sloughter 2000). The fuel assessments, performed as part of the validation process, will be conducted during the Hot Operations portion of the Phased Startup Initiative (PSI) of the Fuel Retrieval and Integrated Water Treatment Systems (Pajunen 2000). Hot Operations testing constitutes Phases 3 and 4 of the PSI. The fuel assemblies in all candidate canisters will be thoroughly examined during these test phases (highly degraded fuel assemblies that qualify as scrap are exempt from evaluation). During subsequent production operation of the FRS, only periodic examinations for cleanliness will be performed and documented. This document describes the specific processes and techniques that will be applied in performing the cleanliness assessments, and the methodology used to verify that the documented assessment results conform to Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) requirements. The procedures and processes presented here are in conformance with the Quality Assurance Program Plan for Implementation of the OCRWM Quality Assurance Requirements and Description (QARD) for the Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project (QAPP-OCRWM-001)