Safety has been and must continue to be the inviolable modulus by which the operation of a nuclear reactor must be judged. A malfunction in any reactor may well result in a release of fission products which may dissipate over a wide geographical area. Such dissipation may place the health, happiness and even the lives of the people in the region in serious jeopardy. As a result, the property damage and liability cost may reach astronomical values in the order of magnitude of billions of dollars. Reliability of the electrical network is an indispensable factor in attaining a high order of safety assurance. Progress in the peaceful use of atomic energy may take the form of electrical power generation using the nuclear reactor as a source of thermal energy. In view of these factors it seems appropriate and profitable that a critical engineering study be made of the safety and reliability of the Hanford reactors without regard to cost economics. This individual and independent technical engineering analysis was made without regard to Hanford traditional engineering and administration assignments. The main objective has been to focus attention on areas which seem to merit further detailed study on conditions which seem to …

This document details activities of the Hanford Laboratories Operation for the month of August 1960.

Reactor maintenance problems and engineering studies have identified various reactor rear face piping problems at 105-B, D, DR, F, and H. The long-range solutions to these problems are outlined in classified document HW-65269, ``Existing Reactor Rear Face Piping Review.`` These problems, however, must also be considered from the short-range view to minimize their effects on continuity of reactor operation during the interim until the permanent remedy can be accomplished. This is expected to be a minimum period of approximately four years. Flow and bulk outlet temperature up to 90,000 gpm and 95{degrees}C respectively are assumed to prevail in these short-range considerations. The purpose of this report is to review Reactor, Plant Engineering`s efforts on the short-range aspects of this problem.

As set forth in the CPD Waste Management Program (HW-63958), new and improved methods of waste processing are planned to be initiated at Hanford. A major part of this program is concerned with the high-level wastes from the Purex Plant, with major objectives being the control of long-term hazards, the insurance of production continuity, and the attainment of positive waste accountability at reasonable over-all costs. Specific plans for the disposal of Purex wastes are based on the use of high temperature calcination for immobilization and volume reduction of the solvent extraction raffinates (1WW). Four major steps are involved, each of which is of basic importance to the program objectives. These are: (1) interim 1WW storage and removal for calcination, (2) calcination, (3) primary containment of the calcined waste, and (4) long-term storage. Immobilization of coating wastes and organic wash wastes is also planned, either by tank solidification methods or possibly by inclusion in the calcination feed stream. This document was dated September 15, 1960.

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