Application of the MACCS code to DOE production reactor operation

A three-level probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of the special materials production reactor operation at the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Savannah River site (SRS) has been completed. The goals of this analysis were to: (1) analyze existing margins of safety provided by the heavy water reactor (HWR) design challenged by postulated severe accidents; (2) compare measures of risk to the general public and on-site workers to guideline values, as well as to those posed by commercial reactor operation; and (3) develop the methodology and data base necessary to determine the equipment, human actions, and engineering systems that contribute significantly to ensuring overall plant safety. In particular, the third point provides the most tangible benefit of a PRA since the process yields a prioritized approach to increasing safety through design and operating practices. This paper describes key aspects of the consequence analysis portion of the SRS PRA: Given the radiological releases quantified through the level-2 PRA analysis, the consequences to the off-site general public and to the on-site SRS workforce are calculated. This analysis, the third level of the PRA, is conducted primarily with the MACCS 1.5 code. The level-3 PRA yields a probabilistic assessment of health and economic effects based on meteorological conditions sampled from site-specific data