Radiological Decommissioning Activities with the Canadian Department of National Defence: A 10-Year Perspective

Abstract

In an effort to reduce overall operating costs within the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND), a number of bases, stations, and ships were declared surplus. These facilities were scheduled for closure and disposal. Part of the environmental qualification of closure includes radiological decommissioning. The handling, storage and transport of radioactive material within DND is under the jurisdiction of the Director General Nuclear Safety (DGNS). An independent review of radiological considerations with respect to facility closure is desirable because it removes the DND regulatory body (DGNS) from direct contact with the radiological decommissioning, and thereby removes any potential conflict of interest. This allows the DND regulatory body to make supportive claims to the Federal regulatory body, namely the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The ultimate goal is to ensure that, to the greatest possible extent, no radioactive material is transferred from DND to any subsequent, often civilian, owner. Building on its strengths in nuclear engineering and science, SAIC Canada was awarded in 1994 a major contract (valued at approximately $1.8M) by the Department of National Defence (DND) to provide radiological decommissioning and decontamination services. Radiological surveys are one component of the process of preparing these facilities for disposal. This contract was extended through to 2000. Approximately 100 individual tasks were carried out under this task. Each task generated a detailed decommissioning report, outlining the results of the decommissioning, the radiological status of the facility, and recommendations for further action. Of these 100 tasks, approximately 22 involved the characterization, removal, packaging and/or shipping of radioactive material (either discrete sources or contamination). The balance of the tasks were related to preliminary site investigations, surveying to identify sources or contamination, or tasks in support of the conduct of these operations. This paper outlines some pertinent results obtained from reviewing the past ten years of radiological decommissioning performed by SAIC Canada for DND.