Deactivation of the P, C, and R Reactor Disassembly Basins at the SRS

The Facilities Disposition Division (FDD) at the Savannah River Site is engaged in planning the deactivation/closure of three of the site's five reactor disassembly basins. Activities are currently underway at 105-R Disassembly Basin and will continue with the 105-P and 105-C disassembly basins. The basins still contain the cooling and shielding water that was present when operations ceased. Low concentrations of radionuclides are present, with tritium, Cs-137, and Sr-90 being the major contributors. Although there is no evidence that any of the basins have leaked, the 50-year-old facilities will eventually contaminate the surrounding groundwaters. The FDD is pursuing a pro-active solution to close the basins in-place and prevent a release to the groundwater. In-situ ion-exchange is currently underway at the R-Reactor Disassembly Basin to reduce the Cs and Sr concentrations to levels that would allow release of the treated water to previously used on-site cooling ponds. A NEPA Environm ental Assessment (EA) is being prepared to propose the preferred closure alternative for each of the three basins. The EA will be the primary mechanism to inform the public and gain stakeholder and regulatory approval