AIKEN, S.C. — The Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Packaging and Transportation (P&T) Engineering division and Savannah River National Laboratory’s (SRNL) Packaging Technology group recently hosted the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Package Certification Program (PCP), delivering a cutting-edge course in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The weeklong course, “Use of Certified Type B and Fissile Packages,” was held at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and attracted experts from the SRS and SRNL workforce as well as Argonne, Oak Ridge, and Idaho national laboratories, and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Type B and fissile packages are highly engineered shipping containers certified to transport high quantities of radioactive and fissile materials.
Safe packaging and transportation of materials is critical to the success of DOE operations. EM’s Office of Packaging & Transportation manages the Packaging Certification Program.
SRS Transportation Safety Basis Regulatory Authority Andrew Escobar was instrumental in bringing the program to SRS. He discussed the advantages of offering this training locally, addressing key needs for waste packaging users in areas like P&T procedure development, content evaluation and hands-on exercises.
“Since May 2023, I’ve been in talks with Los Alamos to bring this valuable training to SRS personnel, a strategic move to help decentralize expertise and reduce travel costs,” said Escobar. “This course not only advances our technical capabilities at SRS but also reinforces the Site’s commitment to cost effective solutions, employee retention, and collaborative progress within the greater DOE complex.”
By conducting the training at SRS, the course provided attendees with practical experience through exercises at 766-H and the Type B(M)F trainer packaging at SRNL’s Packaging Test Facility.
“The course brought together various stakeholders to plan, deliver and share best practices. This unique integration provides a classroom environment that will improve the development, execution and management of P&T processes,” said Lynh Nguyen, SRNL 9977 Design Authority. “It was great to see SRNS and SRNL work together to bring better solutions to the Site.”
Participants learned about the legal framework for transporting radioactive materials and operations within nuclear facilities. They also learned to systematically characterize radioactive materials, select appropriate and compliant packaging and develop packaging procedures. Moreover, the course emphasized the importance of a safety analysis report for packaging and quality assurance in P&T processes.
“This opportunity would not have been possible without the various organizations at SRNS identifying a need and thinking outside the box on how to continuously improve,” said Rich Zaharek, SRNS Senior Vice President, Chief Engineer and Nuclear Safety Officer. “To meet DOE and NNSA missions, we must continue to engage and educate the next generation of the workforce to become experts in the field.”
Click here for additional course information or email RAMPAC@srs.gov.
Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and militarily effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor Corporation-led company with Newport News Nuclear, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina.
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