H.5 GAS ANALYSIS LABORATORY
H.5.1 Purpose and Need for Action
The Department needs a new Gas Analysis Laboratory because the existing one is outmoded; the building lacks proper temperature controls, has insufficient storage, and the roof leaks. Furthermore, the existing gas laboratory does not have an adequate ventilation system from health, safety, and environmental standpoints. The current use of mercury in the laboratory is a potential health and safety hazard since there is common ventilation between the laboratory area and the analytical bay. If there were a spill, the mercury vapor could affect the entire laboratory. Building 12-21 does not preclude contamination between bays or work areas. The gas laboratory in Building 12-21 produces mercury contaminated waste from the glass racks and the waste is stored in equipment rooms that have no temperature control, no access control, and inadequate ventilation.
H.5.2 Proposed Action
The new Gas Analysis Laboratory would provide new analytical laboratory space with requisite environmental controls for the sophisticated apparatus (highly calibrated electronic apparatus that facilitates the quantitative and qualitative studies) that would be housed in the proposed facility; provide sufficient work area for all gas phase analytical testing, leak detection of sample cylinders, leak detection of weapon components, cryogenic fractionation, gas mixing, gas transfer, and vacuum technology development work at Pantex Plant; and meet all present environmental codes and regulations in compliance with Federal, State, and local waste management and air and water pollution control standards. The work at the new Gas Analysis Laboratory would be performed to support new assembly, retrofit or repair, surveillance, disassembly, stockpile verification, personnel safety, and compliance with environmental protection requirements.
The new Gas Analysis Laboratory would be located in Zone 11 and would replace the functions currently performed in the existing Gas Analysis Laboratory in the east end of Building 12-21. When the project is complete, several Chemistry Department testing efforts would be consolidated and all of the analytical chemistry functions would be sited together. Gas analysis would be performed on the following gas sample types: weapon repairs, modifications, and disassembles; 35 account gases; materials compatibility testing; weapons aging testing; laser sampling project samples; and special design agency samples. Other activities would include determination of volume, leak detection, bottle evacuations, backfilling premix and standard bottles for instrumentation, hydrogen getter uptake testing, and residual gas analyzes (DOE 1995a:I.B 12). The building would provide staging areas for the compressed gases, chemicals, HW, spare parts for instrumentation and vacuum systems, manifolds, moisture and pressure readouts, and other items used in the Gas Analysis Laboratory and its operation areas.
Part of the new Gas Analysis Laboratory would house the Vacuum Technology Group. Group operations include designing and testing vacuum systems, computer systems and software, and providing support for line operations, such as the vacuum chambers, manifold bays, pit reuse, and Cell 8.
The proposed Gas Analysis Laboratory would be a 2,537-square meter (27,304-square foot) single-story building, located on the west side of Zone 11 that would house highly calibrated electronic apparatus to analyze and test the contents of gas sampling containers. It would also house computer and vacuum laboratories. The proposed building would be a steel frame structure with a solid filled masonry wall and concrete roof cap. A staff of 20 people are anticipated to be working at the Gas Analysis Laboratory on a permanent basis. The Gas Analysis Laboratory would be designed to meet all applicable standards for personnel and public safety as well as environmental control (DOE 1995a:I.A 7-9, I.E 20).
The proposed facility would be divided into the following five areas: Gas Sample Testing Area, supporting laboratories, laboratory support areas, container receiving and issue, and administrative area (DOE 1995a:I.B 11, 20).
H.5.2.1 Gas Sample Testing Area
The Gas Sample Testing Area would consist of four rooms that would be used to house gas analysis equipment. Most of this equipment would be relocated from the existing gas laboratory. The Gas Sample Testing Area would contain an analytical glass rack, glass rack bay, mass spectrometer, and a gas chromatography/mass spectrometer, over a net usable area of 390.6 square meters (4,202 square feet). The analytical glass rack room and glass rack bay would house glass racks with associated ventilation systems to perform cryogenic fractionation analysis. The main purpose of an analytical glass rack is to cryogenically separate the components of a gas sample. Cryogenic fractionations are performed on compatibility containers, new disassembly samples desiccants, and any other samples requested by the design agencies. The separation allows for more exact laboratory analysis (e.g., mass spectrometer, gas chromatograph, or gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer) and very accurate determination of the volumes of gas removed from a container. Other functions of the glass rack are to get accurate volumes of samples that are not fractionated and for sample container transfer. An area within the glass rack room would be dedicated for handling hazardous waste generated from the cleaning process. Contained waste would then be moved to the hazardous waste staging sites in the building. The Gas Sample Testing Area would contain up to a maximum of 10 pounds of HE in the glass rack bay (DOE 1995a:I.A 8, I.E 12, 22, 23).
H.5.2.2 Supporting Laboratories
Supporting Laboratories would include a glass fabrication laboratory, general laboratory, computer room, and vacuum laboratory, for a net usable area of 153 square meters (1,646 square feet). The general laboratory would be designed to support any type of testing or analysis that would be required, such as for hydrogen getters, pressure variation checks on manometers, backfilling standards and premixes for instrumentation, and for performing volume determinations on non-high explosive(s) (HE) containers and sample bottles. The vacuum laboratory would be used to test vacuum systems, develop evacuation and leak detection techniques, and support disassembly, reuse, and retrofit operations. HW generated in the supporting laboratories would be moved to the HW staging sites within the building (DOE 1995a:I.A 8, I.E 23).
H.5.2.3 Laboratory Support Area
The Laboratory Support Area would contain a monitor room, inert staging area, 10 corridors, 2 vacuums, a waiting room, compressed gas staging area, sample bottle preparation and storage area, vestibule, training/conference room, chemical staging area, waste staging area, copier/fax machine, restrooms, janitor's closet, electrical room, mechanical room, break room, control data area, shipping/receiving area, and a ramp that would extend from the main entrance of the Gas Analysis Laboratory to the main entrance of the Materials Compatibility Assurance Facility (MCAF). Specific dimensions and detailed descriptions for each of these supporting areas are provided in the Conceptual Design Report for the Gas Analysis Laboratory (DOE 1995a:I.A 8-9; I.E 23-27). The proposed net usable area for laboratory support in the Gas Analysis Laboratory would be 1,431.8 square meters (15,403 square feet).
H.5.2.4 Container Receiving/Issue Area
The Container Receiving/Issue Area has been designed to have a 40.2-square meter (432-square foot) net usable area.
H.5.2.5 Administrative Area
The Administrative Area would consist of two offices and their corresponding office areas for a net usable area of 233.5 square meters (2,512 square feet).
H.5.2.6 Environmental Considerations
The proposed Gas Analysis Laboratory would be a new stand-alone facility designed specifically to meet all present environmental codes and regulations, and its normal operation would not have cumulative or long-term adverse effects on the environment. Normal operation of this facility would be in compliance with Federal, State, and local air and water pollution control standards. Mercury contaminated waste generated in this proposed facility would be collected in appropriate containers. When full, these containers would be moved to a RCRA-permitted hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facility. Operators of the Gas Analysis Laboratory are evaluating possible nonhazardous alternatives to mercury in their processes, but have not yet discovered a viable alternative (DOE 1995a:I.E 30).
The project site would be graded to drain surface water into the existing plant stormwater drainage system. Sanitary waste would be directed and processed through the plant sanitary sewer system. The closed cooling water system blowdown/overflow/drain would also discharge to the sanitary sewer. Construction debris and nonhazardous waste would be taken to the onsite landfill. All other wastes would be managed through appropriate facilities, including offsite disposal.
The glass rack bay would be the only room to contain HE and would be designed to minimize the spread of HE contamination through proper ventilation. The facility ventilation would be designed so that areas of higher potential HE have higher negative pressure and the flow of air would be from uncontaminated to contaminated areas. Facility design would incorporate ALARA concepts. Airborne effluents from process areas would not be treated prior to exhaust to atmosphere (DOE 1995a:I.E 30).
Pollution and soil erosion controls would be implemented during construction activities to mitigate impacts on air, water, and other environmental resources to assure compliance with Federal, State, and local laws and regulations. Construction site refuse and other solid waste would be collected and hauled to the Pantex Plant landfill on a regular basis. No open burning of construction refuse or other Class 2 and Class 3 would be allowed. Temporary facilities for disposal of sanitary wastewater would be provided during construction (DOE 1995a:I.E 30-31).
The design of this facility includes an energy conservation analysis. A reduction goal of 10 percent in the average annual energy requirement per gross square foot has been established. Executive Orders 12003 and 12902 and the Pantex Fuel Policy will be followed. Appendix G, Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization, presents an additional discussion of water and energy conservation (DOE 1995a:I.E 29).
No permits are currently required and no new permits are expected to be needed.
H.5.2.7 Health and Safety
The proposed facility would be designed in accordance with the requirements of DOE Order 5480.7A, Fire Protection. However, the fire water run-off containment requirement would not apply because of the very small quantity of polluting liquids in the building (DOE 1995a:I.B 17, I.E 30).
Under the proposed project, speakers would be installed in the building and connected to the Pantex Plant site-wide public address system. An emergency plan for this facility would be incorporated into the Pantex Site Emergency Preparedness Plan (DOE 1995a:I.B 17, I.E 34).
The proposed Gas Analysis Laboratory would have the capacity to store the waste in a specially designed room with proper ventilation (e.g., ventilation hoods and local exhaust manifolds) and access control, so the waste would not have access to floor drains. The Glass Rack Bay would be designed for Hazard Class 2 activities (DOE 1995a:I.B 17, I.E 33).
H.5.2.8 Safeguards and Security
The proposed Gas Analysis Laboratory would be sited within the inhabited building distance from explosive buildings in Zone 11. Since this facility would serve more than one explosive area (Zones 11 and 12), it would be located within the inhabited building distance to explosive Building 11-45 and would be designed to protect its occupants to a level greater than or equal to that required by DOD 6055.9, Chapter 2, for inhabited building distance. Safety analysis reports for the Gas Analysis Laboratory would be developed and implemented prior to the start of facility operation (DOE 1995a:I.E 33).
The proposed facility would also provide upgrades to security. The proposed Gas Analysis Laboratory would be located within an established Limited-Access Area at Pantex Plant. Classified weapons parts in the bays and classified and sensitive information in the offices of the existing gas laboratory are not subject to security devices, such as motion detectors, to ensure protection during off-shift hours. The design and construction of this project would follow established security practices for Pantex Plant (DOE 1995a:I.B 17, I.E 35).
H.5.3 Relationship to Other Projects
The proposed Gas Analysis Laboratory would be a stand-alone project to replace the existing gas laboratory in Building 12-21. The MCAF would be located in close proximity to the Gas Analysis Laboratory due to sequel process functions and a shared labor force. The relationship between the MCAF and the Gas Analysis Laboratory is important because they share a common funding year and schedule for design and construction. These two facilities are linked by means of a ramp. In addition, the proposed roof height of the Gas Analysis Laboratory also complements that of the MCAF in a further effort to unify the two buildings (DOE 1995a:I.A 7, I.C 18).
The Gas Analysis Laboratory would have a remote monitoring system to provide rapid response to an alarm situation. It would be operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to monitor the environmental chambers located in Buildings 12-94, 12-104, Bay 20, and the MCAF (DOE 1995a:I.B 12).
H.5.4 Environmental Impacts
H.5.4.1 Infrastructure
Electrical usage would remain the same at 548 megawatthours per year. No natural gas would be used at the facility. Steam usage would remain the same at 4.5 million kilograms per year (9.9 million pounds per year). The generation of this steam involves the use of 564,000 liters per year (149,000 gallons per year) of water and 0.3 million cubic meters per year (9.5 million cubic feet per year) of natural gas (PC 1995:Table 3).
H.5.4.2 Land Resources
The building site is located adjacent to the southwestern corner of Zone 11. This facility will be adjacent to the proposed Material Compatibility Assurance Facility, which is surrounded by a buffer zone. The facility is designed to be 2,537 square meters (27,304 square feet). The facility would consolidate and improve operations and increase the safety to the worker, the public, and the environment. There are no expected environmental impacts of the Proposed Action on the surrounding land resources.
H.5.4.3 Geology and Soils
There could be very minor impacts to the soils due to erosion during construction. The area of temporarily disturbed soil would be 5,074 square meters (54,608 square feet) (PC 1995:Table 1). Mitigation measures such as sediment traps, diversion of surface water runoff from the construction area, dikes, silt fences, and covering the disturbed area with rip rap would be used to minimize soil erosion.
H.5.4.4 Water Resources
Water use is not expected to increase from its current usage of 912,000 liters (214,000 gallons). The generation of wastewater is also not expected to increase from its current rate of 912,000 liters per year (241,000 gallons per year) (PC 1995:Table 3). The facility construction site is not located within a known, playa-associated 100-year floodplain (DOE 1995a:I.E 30).
H.5.4.5 Air Quality
Airborne particulate matter (i.e., dirt and equipment emissions) levels would be elevated during the construction period. Air pollution controls would be implemented during construction activities to mitigate air quality impacts (DOE 1995a:I.E.-30). No special nuclear material is expected to be tested in this facility. This facility is expected to generate the same types of air emissions as the existing facility it would replace. Therefore, there would be no change in the impacts from the current level (PC 1995:Table 3).
H.5.4.6 Acoustics
Noise levels would temporarily increase during construction from operation of heavy construction equipment such as air compressors, cement mixers, and construction vehicle traffic. During facility operations, noise would be emanating from air handling equipment (hoods) and analytical equipment. Local worker and transportation traffic would contribute to the ambient noise in the area. The operational areas design will include noise controls pursuant to OSHA standards (29 CFR 1910.95).
H.5.4.7 Biotic Resources
Flora and fauna that currently use the facility construction site would be permanently removed or displaced by construction. The general site area has been disturbed by construction of the existing roads, utilities, and proposed plant activities, including the Materials Compatibility Assurance Facility. In accordance with the FY 1995 Pantex Plant Site Development Plan natural resource management requirements, the building site does not contain any unique, unusual, or critical habitats for known threatened or endangered species, nor does it adversely restrict known or established migratory corridors used by wildlife (DOE 1995c).
H.5.4.8 Cultural Resources
No archaeological sites or historical resources have been identified in or near the proposed construction site and no impacts to cultural resources are expected.
No decisions have been made regarding use of existing facilities which may qualify as historic resources. The decision to reuse, modify, or demolish will be addressed in future NEPA documentation.
H.5.4.9 Socioeconomic Resources
The construction cost of this facility would be approximately $13.3 million. Construction of the facility is expected to employ 36 to 61 short-term employees and would probably result in a small temporary increase in local employment (PC 1995:Table 1). A substantial portion of the material costs would enter the wholesale and retail trade sector of the regional economy. This facility is designed for 20 employees. No new employees are expected since all of them would relocate from the existing facilities at the plant site (PC 1995:Table 3).
H.5.4.10 Transportation
The construction of this facility would result in a temporary increase in onsite and area traffic during a 26-month period. Normal day shift work hours, Monday through Friday, are expected. However, since Zone 11 conducts HE operations, some schedule changes can be expected due to workloads and HE safety issues. Since construction of the facility is in a Limited-Access Area, plant security personnel would accompany construction workers to and from the construction site. Material supplies would be transported through Building 16-15, Central Shipping and Receiving.
H.5.4.11 Waste Management
This facility is expected to generate the same types and quantities of wastes as the existing facility it would replace. Therefore, there would be no changes in the impacts from current levels (PC 1995:Table 3).
H.5.4.12 Human Health Risks
There are no radiation risks during construction, since construction activities would not involve the use of any radioactive materials or waste. Chemical human health risks during construction are mitigated through compliance with OSHA Chapter 1926 regulations and an approved project-specific health and safety plan. The Contractor Safety and Health program requires a written plan for approval by the Fire, Waste Management, Industrial Hygiene, and Safety Departments. The plan establishes permits for safety, excavation, fire department, radiation work, and hot work as necessary (Pantex 1992).
No potential sources of radiological exposures during operations are expected. Potential sources of chemical exposures during operations would be from chemicals and materials used in analysis of materials. Personal protective clothing and equipment (e.g. ventilation hoods) would be used to mitigate the potential health risks.
H.5.5 No Action Alternative
One of the alternatives to the construction of the Gas Analysis Laboratory is to conduct operations in the existing facilities without temperature control. Laboratory operations would continue under crowded conditions with a lack of adequate equipment. Quality assurance and quality control will continue to present operational and administrative problems. Finally, maintenance will most likely increase due to the age and condition of the existing building.
H.5.6 Move to An Existing Facility Alternative
This alternative to the Proposed Action would involve the modification of an existing facility not currently used for this purpose. This facility would likely be newer than Building 12-21, which was built after 1951. If a suitable facility is identified, this facility would meet all present environmental codes, regulations, and pollution control standards. Its normal operation would not have cumulative adverse effects on the environment. This facility would utilize design features and administrative controls to protect employees and the environment. However, modifications of any existing building to suit the needs of the Gas Analysis Laboratory is estimated to cost more than the construction of a new building.
H.5.7 Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Study
Three alternatives were eliminated from detailed study. The use of temporary facilities to conduct gas analysis operations was not considered practical since DOE requires extensive design features for HE safety, emission controls, safety requirements, security, and fire protection. The second alternative requires the use of commercial laboratory facilities. However, no commercial laboratories conduct nuclear weapon analyses. If an offsite laboratory provided the necessary analyses, security and analyses turnaround would be of great concern. The third alternative is the construction of a smaller laboratory. The impacts of a smaller facility would be less than the Proposed Action, but the facility may not meet the anticipated future needs of Pantex Plant.
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