Exxon Nuclear Fuel Recovery and Recycling Center Facility Description

Exxon Nuclear Company, Inc. has submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a construction permit to build a 1500 MT/yr (expandable to 2100 MT/yr) reprocessing plant on the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee. The proposed plant utilizes the basic Purex solvent extraction process for recovering uranium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuel A basic design objective of the nuclear fuel recovery and recycling center (NFRRC) is to ensure that the plant personnel and the general public are not exposed to excessive radiation. This is accomplished through the application of engineered confinement systems and the incorporation of confinement features in the various facilities and support systems. The design features include those employed (a) to withstand environmental and accident forces and (b) to ensure radiological protection. The NFRRC is comprised of two interconnected principal facilities with their related support facilities. These are the fuel receiving and storage facility and the fuel reprocessing facility.