WILL AMERICAN NUCLEAR SITE CLEANUP METHODS SUCCEED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

This paper examines some aspects of what it may take for US nuclear site cleanup methods to be adapted for use within the United Kingdom’s nuclear site cleanup program. Barriers to success are discussed, as well as other issues. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, charged with leading the nuclear site cleanup program for Her Majesty’s Government is off to a good start. However, most of the world’s nuclear site cleanup expertise was developed in America, where over $6 Billion per year has been spent on cleaning up the former Weapons Complex for most of the last 15 years. How can the US experience be imported into the UK and improved upon? Successful nuclear site cleanup will require sound technical work cast in a setting of the right contract terms and conditions, using modern program management techniques, and supported by an energized workforce. Current site Life Cycle Baselines are felt to be too long, and questions remain regarding what the actual cleanup costs will be. The US experience says that decades can be saved on schedules for site cleanup completion and the cost of doing the work can be materially reduced through finding faster, better, cheaper, and safer ways to get the work done. Let the work begin, and good luck to all!