Decommissioning of the gaseous diffusion plant at BNF plc Capenhurst in the UK

Since 1982, a gaseous diffusion plant located at the British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) site at Capenhurst in the United Kingdom, has been undergoing decontamination, decommissioning, and dismantling. By March 1994, the decontamination and decommissioning activities will be complete with 99% of the materials used to construct the plant recycled to the environment as clean material. This paper describes the history of the decontamination, decommissioning, dismantling, and disposal program. Reference is made to the scale of the project and to the special techniques developed, particularly in the areas of size reduction, decontamination, and protection of personnel and the environment. The quantities of material involved that require decontamination and release levels for recycling materials in the U.K. metals market are discussed.