Categorical Exclusion Determination
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
July 10, 2015
Estimated Read Time min
The international Neutrino Ettore Majorana Observatory (NEMO) collaboration of scientists is studying the process of nuclear double-beta decay to study the properties of the neutrino. Double-beta decay half-lives are the order of 1E20 years, or longer, and very sensitive measurements are conducted underground to shield against cosmic rays and with ultrapure materials, including mass-separated isotopes. Idaho National Laboratory's (INL's) role in the NEMO collaboration is ultrapurification of source material. The source material is first dissolved, then separation chemistry is performed to remove thorium- and uranium-chain natural radioisotopes. Finally, the source material is dried, and if it is an oxide, it is reduced to metal in a hydrogen-atmosphere tube furnace.