Erhard W. Koehler Senior Technical Advisor, NS S avannah Maritime Administration

1. N. S. SavannahDecommissioningMid-Atlantic Radiation ConferenceHunt Valley, MD – September 20, 2018 Erhard W. Koehler Senior Technical Advisor, NS Savannah Maritime Administration

2. “The Nuclear Power Plant in Baltimore’s Backyard …”

3. The Nuclear Ship Savannah is: • A National Historic Landmark of the United States (National Park Service, 1991) • An International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1983) • A Nuclear Engineering Landmark (American Nuclear Society, 1991) • Ship of the Year (Steamship Historical Society, 2012)

4. President Dwight Eisenhower addressed the United Nations in 1953; proposing a program for peaceful uses of atomic energy. N.S. Savannah was a signature element of the program that grew from that speech and became known as … “Atoms for Peace”

5. Savannah’s history can be divided into four distinct periods: • Construction and Operation (1956 – 1970) • Defueling and Deactivation (1971 – 1980) • Museum Service (1981 – 1994) • Retention and Decommissioning (to present)

6. The Savannah Project was proposed by President Eisenhower in 1955 as a joint program of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Maritime Administration. It was authorized by an Act of Congress on July 30, 1956. The Savannah is “a practical merchant vessel of combined passenger and cargo design.” PL 848 legislative history. Length Overall 595 ft Beam 78 ft Draft 29 ft Reactor Power 80 MWth Propulsion Power 22,000 SHP Speed 21 kts Passengers 60 Total displacement 22,000 tons Total deadweight 9,570 tons

7. The Savannah in Context Proposed 1955 Authorized 1956 Constructed 1958-1962 Operated 1962-1970 • DOE Manhattan Project Sites at Hanford, Oak Ridge, 1943/44-1970 • First nuclear-powered ship: USS Nautilus, 1955-1980 • First full-scale nuclear generating station: Shippingport, 1957-1982 • First nuclear-powered surface ship: Soviet Icebreaker Lenin, 1959-1989 • First nuclear-powered aircraft carrier: USS Enterprise, 1962-present • Piqua nuclear generating station (AEC Demo), 1963-66

8. The core objectives and accomplishments of the Savannah program were: • to demonstrate to the world the peaceful use of atomic power • to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear-powered merchant ships • to establish international recognition and acceptance of peaceful nuclear power • to establish an infrastructure in the international maritime industry to support operations by nuclear powered merchant ships

9. Overview - Construction and Operations Key Dates in Savannah’s Operating History Maiden Voyage to Savannah, Georgia – August 1962 Demonstration Voyages 1962 – 1964 AEC issued operating license NS-1 in 1965 Experimental Commercial Operations 1965 – 1970 Refueling (Core Shuffle) in October 1968 Savannah steamed in excess of 450,000 nautical miles, called at more than 70 foreign and domestic ports, and was visited by more than 1.5 million persons.

10. NS SAVANNAH Background Overview - Defueling and Deactivation Defueling and Layup: 1970 – 1973 • Final Commercial Voyage ended in July 1970; ship returned to its servicing facility in Galveston TX. • Last two ports prior to layup were Baltimore and Norfolk! • Defueling completed at Galveston Fall 1971; primary systems maintained in wet-layup status (capable of future refueling). Ship towed to Savannah, GA in January 1972 for potential museum retirement. • Many issues prevented establishment of Savannah as a museum; the ship was removed in 1975 with plans for long-term protective storage at a MARAD reserve fleet site.

11. NS SAVANNAH Background Overview - Defueling and Deactivation Mothballing: 1974 – 1976 and Limbo: 1976 - 1980 • After the Savannah, GA effort failed, the ship was moved to North Charleston, SC for initial decommissioning work, and preparation for reserve fleet lay-up. • Initial mothballing was completed in 1975; ship was drydocked in Baltimore; NRC operating license was amended in 1976 to possession-only. • Interest from SC brought the ship back to North Charleston after drydocking while museum-ship legislation was pursued.

12. NS SAVANNAH Background Overview - Museum Service Patriots Point: 1981 – 1994 • Legislation passed in1980 authorized MARAD to bareboat charter the Savannah to the State of SC. The initial charter was signed in 1981 with 5 year term; renewable for 5-year intervals. • MARAD maintained ownership of the vessel and future liability for decommissioning / disposal of the nuclear power plant. SC PPDA had full use of the ship, and managed radiological surveillance, monitoring and protection. • Savannah opened to the public at Patriots Point in late 1981. • Vessel was open for self-guided tours. Plans to use the ship as a hotel, conference center and restaurant were not realized.

13. NS SAVANNAH Background Overview - Museum Service Patriots Point: 1981 – 1994 • Management of license was significantly changed. SC PPDA was added to the NRC license as a “co-licensee” and all radiological and ship-husbandry matters were handled by the state. MARAD involvement with the ship was very limited. • The ship remained under-utilized throughout most of its time at PPDA. After Hurricane Hugo (1989), PPDA sought to return the ship in 1991, but elected to renew the charter instead. • In late 1992 the ship developed a leak in cargo hold 6. This prompted action by MARAD to fund a drydocking, which remained its responsibility under the charter. • PPDA exercised its option to terminate the charter effective with MARAD removal of the ship for drydocking, May 1994.

14. NS SAVANNAH Background Overview - Government Retention James River: 1994 - 2002 • Savannah was drydocked in Baltimore, June-July 1994. Topside repairs were made to seal deck drains and other water leaks. U/W hull was found extensively pitted; weld repairs were made, and hull blanks tested. DH installed. • Ship was towed to the James River fleet and nested with the STURGIS; the US Army Corps nuclear power barge. • License was amended to remove SC; Savannah reverted to sole MARAD control. License management was now vested in few remaining experienced staff, on collateral basis. • The ship was expected to remain in the fleet 30-40 years.

15. NS SAVANNAH Background Overview - Government Retention James River: 1994 – 2002 • 1996; Navy published EIS on submarine / cruiser decommissioning; MARAD explored Savannah decomm. • 1998; last R&D personnel with Savannah experience retired; license management passed to Office of Ship Operations. • 2001; MARAD receives two cited license violations related to management of radiological protection. Commercial interest in decommissioning Savannah is expressed. • Post 9-11 MARAD studied vulnerability of the facility; Feb 2002 Maritime Administrator approved moving forward with decommissioning.

16. What is Decommissioning? • Decommissioning of nuclear facilities is defined and regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. • It involves safely removing a facility from service, reducing residual radioactivity, dismantling and disposing of plant components and equipment, and protecting the public and the environment. • The end result (for Savannah) is termination of the facility license.

17. MARAD’s Decommissioning Objectives • Terminate the NRC license without restrictions or conditions • Free-release the ship • Allow the ship to be disposed • Donation, Reefing, Scrapping

18. N.S. Savannah is a National Historic Landmark • Savannah was listed on the Federal Register in 1982; upgraded by NPS to NHL status in 1991. • Section 110(f) of the NHPA applies, and states in part: • … before approval of any Federal undertaking which may directly and adversely affect any NHL, the head of the responsible Federal agency shall … undertake such planning and actions as may be necessary to minimize harm to such landmark, and shall afford the ACHP a reasonable opportunity to comment … • … the agency should consider all prudent and reasonable alternatives to avoid an adverse effect on the NHL. • Decommissioning is an NHPA undertaking, and we will be opening full consultation under Section 106 in 2018.

19. MARAD’s Decommissioning Philosophy (established 2005) Our preferred outcome after decommissioning and license termination is preservation of the ship; consequently: • Wherever possible, decommissioning activities are undertaken in a manner that fosters future preservation; • All dismantlement activities will use existing ship accesses to minimize impacts to adjacent structure; • Whenever an option is presented or evaluated, the path that promotes preservation is given preferential consideration; and, • Opportunities to improve the ship concurrent with decommissioning are exercised.

20. What needs to be done with Savannah? Remove systems, structures and components as needed to meet license termination: • Control Rod Drive System • Pressurizer • Reactor Pressure Vessel • Neutron Shield Tank • Steam Generators • Primary System piping • Outlying equipment Disposal of items in licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal sites.

21. Decommissioning Approach and Methodology • Three Phase Approach, Up To Seven Years • Phase 1 Planning, Engineering, “Build to Dismantle” • Phase 2 Industrial Dismantlement • Phase 3 Final Status Surveys, License Termination • Employ mature commercial nuclear decommissioning technologies and practices • Maintain Integrity of Licensed Site and Control of Activities

22. Decommissioning Savannah arrived at layberth in Baltimore, MD; May 8, 2008. While at layberth, the STS will continue with pre-decommissioning planning, engineering and licensing actions.

23. Updating Savannah’s status since the 2010 Maritime Heritage Conference • The ship is still in Baltimore, maintained in protective storage (a condition of our NRC license). • Congress appropriated funds in the FY 2017 Omnibus (May 2017) to begin decommissioning of the ship’s nuclear facilities. The President has requested additional funds in his FY 2019 budget request (released 2/13/2018). • MARAD is implementing decommissioning based on its past submittals to the NRC.

24. Savannah is a nuclear power plant surrounded by a ship … • VITAL Areas – all posted Radiologically Controlled Areas (RCAs) • PROTECTED Areas – passageways and compartments adjacent to, or offering access to RCA boundaries / entrances (generally the interior volume of the ship, including holds 4 and 6 and Shaft Alley which have direct access to the ship’s interior) • OWNER-CONTROLLED Areas – those portions of the ship outside the Protected Areas (generally cargo holds 1-3 and 7; forepeak and afterpeak; weather decks). … NOT a ship with a nuclear boiler!

25. Source: Nuclear Energy Institute

26. Facility Improvements to support Dismantlement & Disposal

27. Facility Improvements

28. What is the expected end-state of the nuclear power plant? • Unknown at present – we need to complete a full characterization survey (radiological and environmental sampling & analysis). • “Worst case” – removal of all components and equipment that make up the nuclear power plant. • The actual extent of component removal and remediation efforts will be defined by the characterization data and analysis. • MARAD Budget Request and Project Approach are based on the worst-case scenario; characterization should allow for improvement.

29. What is the expected end-state of the ship? • The NRC license is terminated, and there are no further encumbrances associated with the nuclear power plant. • Ship improvements remain in place • Climate controls, Sanitary spaces, Shore power, Mechanical systems, Mooring and Access/Egress equipment, Alarm and monitoring systems (fire/smoke, intrusion, flooding, security cameras), Restored public spaces, office and admin infrastructure. • DECON-specific infrastructure is removed for reuse elsewhere.

30. How does the end-state compare to preservation needs? • All museum ship efforts face a common set of core challenges. Among these are: • Converting a seagoing vessel into a “building” • Providing fixed infrastructure that is independent of original ship systems • Adapting vessel arrangements for public access, security and safety • Dealing with residual hazardous materials (asbestos, pcbs, lead, etc). • Savannah’s original passenger features, combined with protective storage period and decommissioning infrastructure build-out address all but the last item (however, we’ll have removed a lot of them).

31. How did past preservation efforts fare? • There were two preservation efforts in the past. Neither was successful. • Effort (1) – Establishing the vessel as the “Eisenhower Peace Memorial” in its home port of Savannah, GA, 1972 - 1975. • Effort (2) – the museum ship charter period at Patriots Point, 1981 – 1994.

32. What were the impediments to success? • In both cases it was the preceding list, plus the encumbrances of the NRC license. • The Peace Memorial effort in Savannah predated the establishment of decommissioning requirements by the NRC (and AEC beforehand). • MARAD hoped to convey the ship by title transfer, but there was no mechanism to transfer the license; plus, the state of Georgia was not prepared to assume liability for future disposal of the reactor. • There were not even any AEC regs for protective storage – regs did not appear until 1974. • Gov Carter requested removal of the ship in 1975.

33. What were the impediments to success? • At Patriots Point, the license issue remained. It was not resolved – instead, it was deferred. • MARAD gave up the title xfr idea. We faced a 50-year storage program at a reserve fleet. Instead, we chartered the ship to SC for up to 30 years. The law authorizing the charter stipulated that MARAD annual costs could not exceed NDRF costs. • The NRC license was amended to add the state of SC (acting thru PPDA), with the state (DHEC) managing rad protection, monitoring and surveillance. • The NRC license was specifically modified (with an EIS) to permit unlimited public visitation on the licensed nuclear facility. • MARAD held title and was responsible for u/w hull maintenance. • The co-licensee charter arrangement worked, mostly. In the end, it was the outfitting challenges, coupled with Hugo-related damage that “sunk” Savannah at PPDA.

34. What issues remain for future preservation interest? • Today, Savannah is very “museum-like.” MARAD offers periodic public open house events, and event-based tours and training. • The ship will be close to turnkey … • Future preservation issues will likely include • hazardous materials management, particularly pcbs (there are recent precedents for this) • Financial and Operations Plans – how can (will) the ship be used • Any of the other requirements found in MARAD’s Ship Donation requirements.

35. February 12, 2018

36. It can be done – there are other preserved nuclear facilities in the United States • USS NAUTILUS (NHL) – owned, maintained and managed by the U.S. Navy. • U.S. Department of Energy / National Park Service – Manhattan Project National Historic Park: • X-10 Graphite Reactor (NHL), Oak Ridge, TN • Hanford B Reactor (NHL), Hanford, WA • Extant Los Alamos weapons assembly facilities, NM • Trinity Site (NHL) • US DOE – Public/Private Partnerships sponsoring museums / historical foundations: • Idaho National Lab, Experimental Breeder Reactor No 1 (NHL) • Nevada Test Site / Atomic Testing Museum, Las Vegas, NV • National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, Albuquerque, NM • Brookhaven Nat’l Lab, Sandia Nat’l Lab Museums But nothing (yet) for Atoms for Peace

37. Questions? POC – Erhard W, Koehler, MARAD. (202) 680-2066 erhard.koehler@dot.gov