DOE 2000. - Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - U.S. Department of Energy

WIPP RH PSAR DOE/WIPP-03-3174 CHAPTER 4
4.3 Process Description
This section describes the RH TRU waste handling process at the WIPP facility. The process begins at
the gate of the WIPP facility where RH TRU waste will arrive by truck. Rail shipments are not
addressed at this time since they are not a current shipping mode. Description of the transportation
system is beyond the scope of the RH PSAR.
This section addresses WIPP facility operation relative to design bases (e.g., 35-year operational life,
design disposal capacity and throughput, etc). Process descriptions in this chapter are independent of the
actual quantity of waste handled. The RH TRU waste handling system, including each function, the
equipment used, and the operations performed, is discussed in this section. A pictorial view of the 72B
RH TRU waste handling process is shown in Figure 4.3-1, while the 10-160B waste handling process is
shown in Figure 4.3-2.
4.3.1 RH TRU Waste Receiving
Upon arrival, each incoming road cask shipment is inspected; which includes verifying the shipment
documentation, performing a security check, and conducting an initial exterior radiological survey of the
shipment. If any levels of radiation, contamination, or significant damage in excess of acceptance criteria
are found, actions will be taken in accordance with approved procedures.
Following turnover of the shipping documentation, the driver transports and parks the trailer, unhooks
the tractor in the parking lot adjacent to the RH waste entrance to the Waste Handling Building (WHB).
The driver is subsequently released. The RH TRU waste outdoor storage area is designed to provide
parking for RH TRU waste trailers. Only two loaded road casks are allowed in the RH bay at a time.
4.3.2 72B Cask Waste Handling Process
4.3.2.1 Cask Preparation
When space becomes available, a trailer with a loaded 72B road cask (Figure 4.3-3) is attached to a
facility tractor and brought into the RH Bay by operations personnel. After the trailer is spotted inside
the RH bay, Operators, using a motorized man lift as a work platform, remove the two impact limiters
from the road cask while still on the trailer. The 140/25-ton overhead crane is used to lift the impact
limiters and place on separate support stands. The cask lifting yoke is connected to the 140/25-ton
overhead bridge crane. The lifting yoke engages the handling trunnions of the road cask. The road cask
is lifted and rotated to the vertical position and placed on the road cask transfer car (Figure 4.2-7). The
A-frame of the road cask transfer car supports the road cask at the transporter trunnions. The 72B road
cask is then moved to the cask preparation station (elevated work platform) in the RH Bay. The work
platform, which straddles the road cask transfer car rails, allows personnel to have access to the head area
of the road cask for conducting radiological surveys, performing physical inspections or minor
maintenance, and decontamination, if necessary.
The outer lid lift fixture is attached to the work platform 2.5-ton jib crane. After radiological surveys for
surface contamination and radiation levels are performed, the space between the inner (IC) and outer
(OC) lid is vented via the OC lid vent fixture. The operators then remove the OC lid bolts using the OC
lid bolts detensioning device. The outer lid lift fixture is attached to the OC lid. The OC lid is lifted by
the jib crane from the road cask and placed on its storage stand. The inner lid vent is opened to equalize
the pressure between the road cask cavity and atmospheric, then the inner lid lift fixture (pintle) is
attached to the inner lid.
4.3-1 January 28, 2003