3001 canal radiological characterization and waste removal report, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

An underground steel reinforced concrete transfer and storage canal was built in 1943 and operated as an integral part of the Oak Ridge Graphite Reactor Building (3001) until 1963 when the reactor was shutdown. During operation, the canal was used for under water transfer of irradiated materials and other metals from the reactor in Building 3001 to the Building 3019 hot cell for further processing. After shutdown of the reactor, the canal was used for storage of irradiated materials and fission products until 1990 when the larger materials were removed and stored in the Department of Energy (DOE) approved solid waste management storage facilities. At that time it was discovered that a considerable amount of sludge had accumulated over the intervening years and subsequent analysis showed that the sludge contained Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) materials that violated quantities allowed by the RCRA regulations. It was also recognized in 1990 that the canal was losing water to evaporation and the ground at the rate of approximately 400 gallons per day. To maintain water quality; i.e., radionuclide content at or near DOE derived concentration guidelines (DCG), the water in the canal is constantly demineralized using a demineralizer in the Building 3001 and demineralized make up water is supplied from the Building 3004 demineralizer. This report summarizes the 301 Canal Cleanup Task and the solid waste removed from the 3001 Canal in 1996