Piqua Nuclear Power Facility

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The Piqua Nuclear Power Facility is located on the bank of the Great Miami River in the town of Piqua, Ohio, approximately 55 kilometers (34 miles) north of Dayton.

FACILITY MISSION

The Piqua Nuclear Power Facility contained a 45.5-megawatt (thermal) organically cooled and moderated reactor built and operated as a demonstration project by the Atomic Energy Commission between 1963 and 1966. The Facility was owned by the Atomic Energy Commission and operated under contract by the City of Piqua. In 1966, the Commission discontinued Facility operations and terminated the contract with the City of Piqua for operation and maintenance of the facility. Between 1967 and 1969 the Piqua Nuclear Power Facility was dismantled and decommissioned. At that time, the reactor fuel coolant and most of the radioactive materials were removed from the site. The reactor vessel and the spaces between the vessel and cavity liner were then filled with dry quartz sand.

The only current activities at the Piqua Nuclear Power Facility are the annual surveillance and monitoring conducted by the Environmental Management program. The minimal landlord activities associated with this facility are the responsibility of the City of Piqua.

FUTURE USE

Environmental management activities at the Piqua Nuclear Power Facility are currently scheduled to end in FY 2018. This report expects that the facility will be transferred to the City of Piqua, Ohio. Because the use of the property carries an absolute prohibition against breaching the barrier that encloses the radioactive source, this report assumes that future use is limited to Controlled Access.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

There is currently no contamination in evidence outside the containment structure at the Piqua Nuclear Power Facility. Radiological contaminants consist of activation products dispersed in the stainless materials that constituted the reactor vessel and its internals. Lesser amounts of activation products are dispersed in the carbon steel thermal shield and guard vessel that surrounds the reactor vessel. The inventory of primary radionuclides remaining in the storage structure includes iron-55, cobalt-60, carbon-14, and beryllium-10.

Although the potential is minimal for transporting radioactive materials stored in the reactor complex to the environment, under the terms of the lease agreement between the U.S. Government and the City of Piqua, the Department of Energy is responsible for the nuclear safety of the land and structures. The Chicago Operations Office is responsible for implementing remedial measures should contamination be detected outside the facility. At this time, the results of annual surveillance and maintenance activities conducted verify that there has been no detectable release to the environment from the decommissioned facility.

Long-Term Surveillance and Monitoring

Long-term surveillance and monitoring activities consist of annual collection and analysis of radiological smears, sump water and sludge samples, facility tap water samples, radiation surveys, radon samples, and visual inspection of the containment structure. These activities are expected to conclude in FY 2018. This estimate assumes No Further Action beyond this date.

Direct Program Management/Support

Program management and support at the Piqua Nuclear Power Facility consists of an annual review of the subcontract for sampling and inspection, and review of the analytical results. These activities are accomplished by the Department's Chicago Operations Office staff on a level-of-effort basis. The cost for these activities is minimal and is based on the planning and implementation activities necessary to conduct once-a-year surveillance and maintenance activities. These activities are included within the estimated long-term surveillance and monitoring cost.

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONNEL

Because only two technicians are required to spend two days per year at this facility, these activities are included within the personnel estimate in the Chicago Operations Office site summary.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following table presents estimated funding information for the Piqua Nuclear Power Facility.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATE

The cost estimates for the Piqua Nuclear Power Facility in the FY 1996 Baseline Environmental Management Report reflect no major changes in scope, technical approach, or major assumptions from information presented in the FY 1995 report. The 106 percent increase in the life-cycle cost estimate is primarily due to an extension of the scheduled completion date of Environmental Restoration program activities from FY 2005 in the FY 1995 report to FY 2018 in this report.