Radiological assessment of the decontamination and decommissioning of a small-scale fuel-reprocessing plant

Decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) of surplus radiological facilities is becoming a major concern as buildings built during the 1940's and 1950's reach the end of their useful lives. Prior to the start of a D and D project, a detailed radiological characterization of the facility is required to determine the nature and extent of residual contamination. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has recently begun such a characterization of Building 3505, originally called the Metal Recovery Facility, which served as a small-scale fuel reprocessing plant during the 1950's. Extensive contamination remains within areas of the facility, including transuranic (TRU) materials. Laboratory analyses were used in conjunction with in situ measurements of dose rate and contamination levels to determine the current status of the building and surrounding area