H.6 MATERIALS COMPATIBILITY ASSURANCE FACILITY
H.6.1 Purpose and Need for Action
The Department needs to improve the efficiency, capacity, and safety of its current environmental aging and material compatibility testing for HE, materials used to build weapons components, and weapon components received from other sites in the DOE weapons complex.
H.6.2 Proposed Action
The Department proposes to meet its need by constructing a new MCAF. The proposed facility would consolidate environmental aging and compatibility testing of nonnuclear components. This centralized facility would concentrate assembly, leak detection, internal atmospheric sampling, test container disassembly, and other physical testing. This would provide for safer and more efficient worker conditions.
The proposed facility upgrade would provide a new 2,015-square meter (21,690-square foot) facility for the environmental aging and compatibility testing of non-nuclear weapon components. The proposed facility would consist of four major areas: the HE Material Compatibility Area, Insensitive HE (IHE) Material Compatibility Area, Support Area, and an Administrative Area (DOE 1994b:I.E 20).
The HE Materials Compatibility Area would have a net usable area of 430.8 square meters (4,637 square feet) and would consist of five bays for testing HE materials: the HE Staging Bay, Container Operations Bay, HE Assembly Bay, Leak Detection Bay, and HE Chamber Bay. The HE Staging Bay would be designed to store components of HE, HE powders, and IHE. The HE Staging Bay would have a bay explosive limit of 45 kilograms (100 pounds) of HE. The Container Operations Bay would be designed for assembly of HE or IHE components into containers and would have an explosive limit of 113 kilograms (250 pounds) of HE.
The HE Assembly Bay would be used to assemble pressed HE components; the proposed design calls for an explosive limit of 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of HE. Containerized components would be moved into a Leak Detection Bay, designed for an explosive limit of 23 kilograms (50 pounds) of HE. After a component is containerized, it would be moved to the HE Chamber Bay and placed into an environmental chamber. Designed for an explosive limit of 227 kilograms (500 pounds), the HE Chamber Bay would be monitored periodically, and some of the gases from the containerized components would be removed and analyzed in the proposed Gas Analysis Laboratory (DOE 1994b:I.A 8, I.E 23-24).
The HE Materials Compatibility Area is classified as Class 4 by the DOE Explosive Safety Manual. This portion of the facility would consist of a 172.2-square meter (1,854-square foot) area that is designed to withstand the effects from blast overpressures, structural collapse, and missile (hazardous) fragments from adjacent explosive facilities and bays (DOE 1994b:I.A 8, I.E 25).
Support areas in the MCAF would support the aging activities in the building, and would include a waiting room, monitor, data preparation and filing area, space for a fax and photocopier, corridor, classified material storage room, container cleaning room, shipping and receiving area, hazardous waste storage area, conference room, break room, restrooms, janitor's closet, mechanical systems areas, and mechanical and electrical support areas. The conceptual design calls for a net usable support area of 898.7 square meters (9,674 square feet) (DOE 1994b:I.A 8, I.E 25-26).
The 72-square meter (778-square foot) Administrative Area would provide support to the MCAF's Material Compatibility Assurance Areas and the support activities (DOE 1994b:I.A 8, I.E 25-27).
The proposed facility would be designed as a poured-in-place concrete structure. This system was selected to contain the explosives and the effects from an accidental explosion. The MCAF roof lines were determined by evaluating vertical height requirements in the testing and processing portions of the building and by consideration of adjacent building profiles. The new MCAF building has the functional goal of providing a safe environment for personnel performing materials compatibility testing. This proposed facility design follows the recommendation for decontamination and decommissioning outlined in DOE Order 6430.1A, Section 1300-11, etc. (DOE 1994b:I.A 7, I.E 20).
H.6.2.1 Environmental Considerations
The MCAF is a new stand-alone facility designed specifically to meet all present environmental codes and regulations. 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 HW would be generated at this facility and collected in appropriate containers. Full containers would be taken offsite to a RCRA permitted HW treatment, storage, or disposal facility.
The project would be located on the west side of Zone 11, away from areas subject to flooding (EO 11988). The facility design would provide normal protection from natural phenomena and satisfy the DOE loss limitation criteria (DOE Order 6430.1A, Section 0110-99.0.7; DOE 1994b:I.E 30).
The MCAF 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 sewage system. Cooling tower overflow, drain, and blowdown would be discharged to the sanitary sewer. Nonhazardous construction (Class 3) waste would be taken to the plant sanitary landfill for disposal (DOE 1994b:I.E-30). All other wastes will be managed through appropriate facilities, including offsite disposal.
The MCAF would be designed to minimize the spread of HE contamination. The conceptual design calls for a ventilation system that creates a higher negative pressure in areas of higher potential HE so that air flows from uncontaminated to contaminated areas. Design of the facility and the ventilation of HE and hazardous constituents incorporate ALARA concepts.
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 1994b:I.E 30).
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. The design of the facility includes requirements of 10 CFR 435, Energy Conservation Voluntary Performance Standard for New Buildings; Mandatory for Federal Buildings, as amended. Appendix G, Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization, presents an additional discussion of water and energy conservation (DOE 1995:I.E 28-29).
H.6.2.2 Health and Safety
The MCAF would be sited within the inhabited building distance from explosive Building 11-45. Since this facility would serve more than one explosive area (Zones 11 and 12), it 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 MCAF project would be developed and implemented prior to the start of facility operation (DOE 1994b:I.E 32).
The explosive areas of this facility would be designed for Hazard Class 2 activities. Fire protection would be provided by a wet-pipe automatic sprinkler system throughout the building; the source of water for fire protection would be extended from the existing Pantex Plant distribution main. Fire alarm controls would be connected to the existing plant Fire Alarm System. Public address 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 1994b:I.E 33).
The proposed facility would have hazardous materials and would incorporate measures to limit dispersion and simplify decontamination and decommissioning, disposal, and reuse through specialized finishes on floors, walls, and ceilings. Ventilation hoods and local exhaust manifolds would be used for containment and collection of fumes from hazardous processing equipment (DOE 1994b:I.E 33).
H.6.2.3 Safeguards and Security
The MCAF would also provide upgrades to security; it would be located within an established Limited-Access Area at Pantex Plant. Seal eyelets would be installed on the outside of all exterior doors. The HE Staging Room, Container Operations Room, Leak Detection Room, Isothermal Development Chamber, IHE Chambers, and Classified Material Storage Room would be designated as vault-type rooms for securing classified material. In addition, the facility would be connected to the plant's existing security alarm network (DOE 1994b:I.E 34).
H.6.3 Relationship to Other Projects
The MCAF is 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 would be 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 1994b:I.A 7, I.C 17). Gas test samples, processed in the proposed MCAF would be analyzed in the adjacent Gas Analysis Laboratory. Coordination between the two facility designs would be required (DOE 1994b:I.C 17).
H.6.4 Environmental Impacts
H.6.4.1 Infrastructure
Electrical usage would remain the same at 1,096 megawatthours per year as for the existing facility. No natural gas would be used at the facility. Steam usage would remain the same at 4.4 million kilograms per year (9.6 million pounds per year), involving the use of 564,000 liters per year (149,000 gallons per year) of water and 0.3 million cubic meters per year (9.2 million cubic feet per year) of natural gas (PC 1995:Table 3).
H.6.4.2 Land Resources
The building site is located adjacent to the southwestern corner of Zone 11. This facility will be adjacent to the proposed Gas Analysis Laboratory, which is surrounded by a buffer zone. 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.6.4.3 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 4,030 square meters (43,380 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.6.4.4 Water Resources
Water use is expected to remain at its current level of 8,630,000 liters per year (2,283,000 gallons per year). The generation of wastewater is also expected to remain at its current level of 7,610,000 liters per year (2,013,000 gallons per year). The facility construction site is not located within a known, playa-associated 100-year floodplain (DOE 1994b:I.E 30).
H.6.4.5 Air Quality
Airborne particulate matter (i.e., dirt and equipment emissions) levels would be elevated during the construction period. Air pollution controls will 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.6.4.6 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 the 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.6.4.7 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 and utilities. In accordance with the 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.6.4.8 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 anticipated.
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.6.4.9 Socioeconomic Resources
The construction cost of this facility would be approximately $20.6 million. Construction of the facility is expected to employ 38 to 104 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 an estimated 40 employees; no new employees are expected. Employees working in existing facilities would be relocated to new facilities (PC 1995:Table 3).
H.6.4.10 Transportation
The construction of this facility would result in a temporary increase in onsite and area traffic during a 31-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.6.4.11 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 (PC1995:Table 3).
H.6.4.12 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 operation 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.6.5 No Action Alternative
One of the alternatives to the construction of the MCAF is the continued operation in seven buildings. Environmental chambers would continue to operate at or near capacity with little schedule flexibility. Overcrowding will be managed through administrative and scheduling controls. The DOE Explosive Safety Manual (DOE 1991) exemption would continue for Building 12-19. Operational conflicts with material aging operations and explosive formulation operations would continue. Future weapon program quality assurance and quality control explosive quantity requirements are expected to exceed building design safety limits. Finally, maintenance would likely increase due to the age and condition of the facilities.
H.6.6 Move to an Existing Facility Alternative
This alternative to the Proposed Action involves the modification of an existing facility not currently used for this activity. Buildings 12-19, 12-94, and 12-104 have been identified as possible alternative locations for current operations. These facilities would require installation of a blast shield and missile netting. The construction period is considered minor and no cost analysis has been completed. These facilities will meet all present environmental codes and regulations, pollution control standards, and the normal operations would not have cumulative adverse effects on the environment. Buildings 12-94 and 12-104 utilize design features and administrative controls to protect employees and the environment. Building 12-19 would rely on administrative controls.
H.6.7 Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Study
Two alternatives were eliminated from detailed study. The use of temporary facilities to conduct material compatibility 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 required the use of a design agency laboratory facility. However, material compatibility capacities at current design agencies are considered inadequate.
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