Independent Assessment of the U-233 Processing All-Hazards Planning Basis at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - March 2022

March 2022

Independent Assessment of the U-233 Processing All-Hazards Planning Basis at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - March 2022

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) conducted an independent assessment of the all-hazards planning basis for the upcoming uranium-233 (U-233) processing operations at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) from November to December 2021. This assessment evaluated the effectiveness of both the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and its management and operating contractor, Isotek Systems, LLC (Isotek), in developing and maintaining the all-hazards planning basis. The all-hazards planning basis includes development and maintenance of an all-hazards survey and an emergency planning hazards assessment (EPHA). DOE Order 151.1D, Comprehensive Emergency Management System, identifies requirements for the all-hazards planning basis, and the associated emergency management guides provide guidance for implementing the requirements. EA primarily focused on hazards identification and screening and the documented analysis for supporting the development of response plans, emergency action levels, predetermined protective actions, and sizing of the emergency planning zone. Also evaluated was the utility of the EPHA as a reference for a consequence assessment team when conducting dispersion modeling of the analyzed release scenarios.