Nuclear Energy

Consequences of Explosion of Hanford's Single-Shell Tanks Are Understated Gao ID: RCED-91-34 October 10, 1990

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated the potential for ferrocyanide explosions in underground tanks containing high-level waste at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford site.

GAO found that: (1) DOE lacked sufficient information for judging the probability of a ferrocyanide explosion, and not enough was known to rule out the possibility of a spontaneous explosion; (2) the Hanford environmental impact statement understated the potential consequences of a ferrocyanide explosion; (3) a ferrocyanide explosion could contaminate large areas within and possibly beyond site boundaries and result in high-level radiation exposure at levels with significant radiation-induced cancer consequences; (4) a DOE task force agreed with a GAO assessment that the respirable fraction of radioactive particles produced by an explosion would be higher than originally thought and recommended additional studies; and (5) in response to Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board recommendations, DOE planned to study possible chemical reactions that could cause heat generation in the storage tanks, improve temperature measurements, and test radiation stability of ferrocyanide precipitates and the energetics of ferrocyanide reactions.

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