Failure prevention: supporting safe storage of plutonium-bearing materials through science, engineering, and surveillance

Reductions in the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal resulted in the need to store large quantities of plutonium-bearing materials for prolonged periods of time. To assure that the excess plutonium from Department of Energy sites is stored in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, the plutonium bearing materials are stabilized and packaged according to criteria published in the DOE3013 standard. The packaged materials are stored in secure facilities and regular surveillance activities are conducted to assure continuing package integrity. The stabilization, packaging, storage and surveillance requirements were developed through extensive science and engineering activities, including activities related to: plutonium-environment interactions and container pressurization, corrosion and stress corrosion cracking, plutonium-container material interactions, loss of O-ring sealing capability, and changes in heat transfer characteristics. This paper summarizes some of the activities and outlines ongoing science and engineering programs that assure continued safe and secure storage of plutonium-bearing metals and oxides.