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Dounreay

URANIUM LINES ARE CLEANED OUT 15 November 03
UKAEA has completed the post-operational clean-out of a redundant uranium processing facility in preparation for its eventual decommissioning. The Amber Area - an annexe of the D1203 uranium recovery plant - contains solvent extraction and dissolver equipment, storage tanks and glove boxes that were used to process uranium. Work started in 1998 to prepare for the clean-out of these facilities with the design and installation of new ventilation equipment manufactured by local engineering companies. This enabled staff to carry out detailed surveys of the work required to clean out the facility. Over an 18-month period, more than 1400 entries were made by staff wearing protective air-line suits to clean out all the waste residue. This produced approximately 250 drums of solid low-level waste.

The clean-out phase was completed when staff successfully transferred 26 litres of uranium liquor to a tank where it is now being stored pending chemical recovery of the uranium. Contractors who supported UKAEA staff during the £1.5 million clean-out phase included AEA Technology, Nicolson Engineering, D. Gow and Son, JGC Engineering and Technical Solutions and DGP International. The next step in decommissioning the Amber Area will be the removal of the fixed equipment.

UKAEA staff who cleaned out at the Amber Area made more than 1400 entries wearing protective airline suits. Our picture shows Ricky Eunson getting dressed in his airline suit, assisted by Dougie Treasurer (facing) and Iain Cowie.