Radioactive Waste Removal Project
DDES provided onsite support for the identification, consolidation, and packaging of more than 200 radioactive items including Cobalt-60 and Cesium-137 sources at a confidential government site.  Our experienced staff efficiently evaluated both the inherent chemical hazards and current container integrity.  We determined that approximately 25% of the radioactive materials would require repackaging to meet DOT requirements.  While this was not part of the original scope our personnel were able to complete this at no additional cost to the client.  We assembled laboratory over-packs of organic acids, inorganic acids, bases, oxidizers and a source drum.          

Waste Packaging

Ra-226 Warehouse D&D Progress Update
We have successfully completed the survey and removal of 4.5 million pounds of warehouse inventory from a single site and decontaminated 30,000 square feet of the 50,000 square foot facility to meet the established DCGL of 100 dpm/100cm2 for total alpha contamination. Each floor has required extensive decontamination to meet these stringent release criteria. We have employed several waste reduction techniques to reduce LLRW disposal cost. DDES is using a high pressure compactor to reduce waste volumes and surface decontamination equipment to remove only the first ¼ inch of floor surface. Our waste reduction efforts have resulted in a 50% reduction in waste volumes over traditional rip-n-tear techniques employed by our competitors. The project is on budget and scheduled for completion in early 2013.                        

Before

After Decontamination

Regulated Beryllium Regulated Areas D&D DDES staff completed the removal and packaging of production equipment and associated exhaust ventilation systems form a 12,500 square foot beryllium/aluminum casting operation. We packaged more than 50,000 pounds of beryllium impacted materials under negative pressure HEPA controls. A 100% of the remaining building surfaces were HEPA vacuumed, wet wiped and a fixative agent applied to meet the remediation goal of 0.2 µg/100cm2 for removable beryllium contamination. We are one of a handful of contractors with experience cleaning up Beryllium contamination from process areas.

Radium Warehouse Decontamination and Decommissioning Project
The DDES team completes site work for the Decontamination and Decommissioning of a 48,000 square foot warehouse for a confidential client in Central Pennsylvania. An estimated 340,000 pounds of warehouse inventory was surveyed for free release over the course of the project. We demonstrated the superiority of this high throughput survey technologies allowing the materials to be surveyed with increased sensitivity over techniques previously employed at similar sites.

Once the inventory was removed the warehouse was cleared of inventory a comprehensive characterization survey was performed to identify surfaces that required remediation to meet the facilities release criteria. A variety of Radium containing items and contaminated building materials were removed and packaged under this scope of work.

A Final Status Survey of the facility was performed in compliance with NUREG 1757 guidelines to document the remaining building surfaces meet the criteria for unrestricted release. The Final Status Survey Report was submitted and accepted by the regulatory agency within two weeks of completing site work.

H-3 Waste Management Project                                                                      

DDES has successfully completed the H-3 Waste Management Project for a radiochemical manufacture in the New England area.  DDES staff envisioned and executed a project that allowed the 520 Ci of H-3 waste to be disposed for $300,000 less than the previous three year’s disposal pricing.  This has allowed our client to dispose of more radioactive waste for less money while reducing their budget.  DDES has the waste management knowledge to provide unique solutions to complex high activity waste streams.  We are always actively “Preserving Our Clients Best Interest” by coming up with creative waste management options to reduce costs.

Radioactive Material License Termination                                                            

DDES achieves radioactive materials license termination for confidential pharmaceutical client in New England.  DDES staff decontaminated and decommissioned the facility in compliance with NUREG 1757 guidelines.  DDES assembled a comprehensive license termination package which included the final status survey report which was accepted without comment from the regulators and the license was terminated within four weeks of submission.  This milestone for DDES demonstrates our technical expertise and understanding of regulatory requirements for efficiently terminating radioactive material license.

Sr-90 Filter Housing Upgrade Project
DDES was asked to evaluate the feasibility of upgrading an existing HEPA filtration assembly with a Flanders Bag-in/Bag-Out filter housing.  One contractor had previously proposed a scope of work that relocated the filtration unit to the exterior of the building at a proposed cost of more than $150,000.  DDES performed a thorough review of the existing exhaust configuration, performance parameters and space constraints.  We concluded the system could be upgraded to a Flanders Bag-in/Bag-Out filter housing with minimal design changes.  DDES performed the entire retrofit project for a cost of $18,000 saving the client $132,000 over the previous proposal. 

DDES specified the appropriate replacement filter housing; designed the replacement adapters and supports; removed the highly contaminated filter housing and ductwork; and installed the new replacement unit.  We provided a turnkey source for the upgrade with a final project design that resulted in a 5% increase in overall airflow over the original configuration.

The project required the use of negative pressure containment for contamination control during the removal of the old filter housing.  Personnel used elevated levels of PPE including hooded PAPRs with special butyl glove to reduce extremity exposures to the high energy beta radiation.  Contact dose rates on contaminated materials were in excess of 200 mrem/hour.  Analysis of finger dosimetry indicated that the controls implemented were appropriate and effective in reducing extremity exposures.  The old filter housing and contaminated materials were packaged is LLRW and the new system was installed.  Upgrading the filter housing to a bag-in/bag-out system will allow the filters to be changed without the intensive contamination controls required previously and will generate about 75% less LLRW.  This upgrade should pay for itself with three filter changes due to the reduced labor and decreased LLRW disposal costs.

Isotope Van Decommissioning Project                                                                         DDES was asked to decommission an isotope van used as a mobile radioactive materials laboratory used some eight (8) years prior.  The scope of the project was to perform a characterization survey of the associated research equipment (fume hoods, refrigerators), remove any contaminated components for disposal as dry active waste (DAW), and perform a free release survey of the isotope van for unrestricted use.  DDES personnel were able to release the majority of the isotope van and contents to keep disposal costs to a bare minimum for the client.  A final status survey was performed utilizing the guidance listed in NUREG-1757, V.2, “Consolidated Decommissioning Guidance, Characterization, Survey and the Determination of Radiological Criteria and NUREG 1575, “Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual” (MARSSIM).  Based on these results the isotope van was released for unrestricted use.

S-35 Charcoal Filter Change-Out
DDES staff removed eight contaminated charcoal filters from Flanders N-Series bag-in/Bag-out housings servicing S-35 production operations.  Personnel erected a containment system to prevent the potential spread of contamination during the change-out operations.  We performed real-time ambient monitoring for airborne contamination and used helmeted PAPRs to protect workers.  All filters were removed and new filters installed without breaching the system and no contamination was released into the work area.   

Centrifuge Change-Out
DDES was retained to remove a 325 pound centrifuge from a contaminated S-35 plexi-glovebox.  DDES personnel used specialized lifting equipment to gain access to and lift the centrifuge without damaging the fragile plexi-glovebox enclosure.  The clearance distance required to remove the centrifuge were fractions of an inch.  The replacement centrifuge was loaded into the plexi-glovebox without spreading any contamination.  

Iodination Capsule Production Line Relocation Project
We were retained to relocate an existing Iodination Capsule Production Line within a restricted area of a Radiopharmacy.  The production line had to be moved intact with respective supports and associated proprietary equipment intact.  The ½ inch thick lead shielding associated with the production line had to be disassembled, relocated and reassembled to protect adjacent operations.  DDES specified the appropriate lifting mechanisms; designed the supports for relocating the production line; removed the contaminated filter housing and ductwork; and reinstalled the production line.  Airflow rates and sampling ports were reestablished to meet the manufacturer’s specifications.