Robotic recovery of highly radioactive resin

As the ALARA coordinator at Waterford 3 Nuclear Steam Electric Station, I have seen radiological challenges in many forms. Some are handled as routine with little effort, while others can severely challenge even the finest Health Physics staff. One such event occurred on 26 December 1997, during a routine recirculation of the Spent Resin Tank, when contents of an unknown origin spilled from the tank. Technicians performing initial actions to contain the spill monitored radiation levels of 5-20 rem h21 (50-200 mSv) at waist level. Based on photographs and visual accounts it was estimated that approximately 30-40 ft3 (0.57-1.12 m3) of resin had spilled into the pump room. A sample of the resin indicated that dose rates at the floor would exceed 100 rem h21 (1 Sv h21). It was clear, given the volume of material spilled and dose rates in the room, that robots would be required for any type of recovery effort. This presented another problem in that Waterford 3 did not own a robot, and we had no experience in this area.