Savannah River Site

State: South Carolina
Location: Aiken
Time Period: 1950-present
Facility Type: Department of Energy

Facility Description

From 1950 until the late 1980s, the Savannah River Site conducted multiple operations that played a vital role in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex. Of greatest importance were the production of plutonium and tritium. Many facilities were built at SRS to support these production efforts and to address their resulting environmental impacts. They include five nuclear reactors, two chemical separation plants (also known as canyons), a nuclear fuel and target fabrication facility, a heavy water plant, and waste management facilities. In addition, SRS is the location of the Savannah River Technology Center and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. SRS remains a key Department of Energy facility with an important national security mission of maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and ensuring future production capabilities.

Throughout the course of its operations, the potential for beryllium exposure existed at this site, due to beryllium use, residual contamination, and decontamination activities.

CONTRACTORS: Westinghouse Savannah River Company (1989- present); E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company (1950-1989)

History

During the early 1950s, SRS began to produce materials used in nuclear weapons, primarily tritium and plutonium-239. Five reactors were built to produce nuclear materials. Support facilities, including two chemical separations plants, a heavy water extraction plant, a nuclear fuel and target fabrication facility, a tritium extraction facility and waste management facilities were also built.

Irradiated materials were moved from the reactors to one of the two chemical separations plants. In these facilities, known as “canyons,” the irradiated fuel and target assemblies were chemically processed to separate useful products from waste. After refinement, nuclear materials were shipped to other DOE sites for final application. SRS produced about 36 metric tons of plutonium from 1953 to 1988.

Overview

The SRS complex covers 198,344 acres, or 310 square mies, encompassing parts of Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale counties in South Carolina, bordering the Savannah River. Dedicated to maintaining the highest standards, the Savannah River Site (SRS) is a key Department of Energy (DOE) industrial complex responsible for environmental stewardship, environmental cleanup, waste management and disposition of nuclear materials. More specifically, SRS processes and stores nuclear materials in support of national defense and U.S. nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The Site also develops and deploys technologies to improve the environment and treat nuclear and hazardous wastes left from the Cold War. While current missions remain the highest priority, SRS leadership place great importance on developing broader missions for SRS that use its unique capabilities in order to address critical national missions in environmental stewardship, clean energy and national security.

Listing

Savannah River Site is listed as a Department of Energy (DOE) site under the EEOICPA.

Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) Classes

All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and their contractors and subcontractors who worked at the Savannah River Site from January 1, 1953, through September 30, 1972, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees included in the Special Exposure Cohort.

Petitions Qualified for Evaluation

Petition 1

Location: Aiken, South Carolina
Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All workers
Period of Employment: January 1, 1950 through December 31, 2007

Petition 2

Location: Aiken, South Carolina
Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All laborers, foremen, and construction workers
Period of Employment: March 9, 1951 through October 24, 1986

NOTE: The two petitions listed above have been merged into one petition.

Compensation

As of 08/30/2015, the total compensation paid under Parts B and E of the EEOICPA, including medical compensation, for workers suffering from the effects of having worked at the Savannah River Site is $902,047,520.

Attention Savanna River Site Workers

Did you, your spouse, or your parent become ill after working at the Savanna River Site? You may be entitled to up to $400,000 from the United States. For more information, call Attorney Hugh Stephens at (800) 548-4494 whether or not you have already filed a claim and even if your claim has been accepted or denied.

We assist with claims, dose reconstructions, objections, hearings, reopenings, consequential conditions, impairment ratings, wage loss, health care, home care and appeals to Federal Court.
No Recovery-No Fee. 2% contingent fee for initial claims/10% for objections.
2495 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14214.

savannah_river_site_map

Videos

Further information on the Savannah River Site can be seen below:
The demolition of a cooling tower at SRS can be seen here:

DOCUMENTS

NIOSH SEC Petition Evaluation Reports

Petition 103 (Jan 1, 1950 to Dec 30, 2007)
SEC Petition Evaluation Report Petition SEC-00103 Rev #: 0
Report Submittal Date: 11/14/2008

SEC Petition Evaluation Report – Petition SEC-00103 – Rev #: Addendum
Report Submittal Date: April 28, 2010

SEC Petition Evaluation Report – Petition SEC-00103 – Rev #: Addendum 2
Report Submittal Date: August 9, 2011

SEC Petition Evaluation Report – Petition SEC-00103 – Rev #: Addendum 3
Report Submittal Date: November 20, 2012

Office of Compensation Analysis and Support (OCAS) Program Evaluation ReportS(PER)

-Document Number: OCAS-PER-001 – Effective Date: 09/08/2003 – Revision No. 0
Misinterpreted dosimetry records resulting in an underestimate of Page 1 of 4 missed dose in SRS dose reconstructions

-Document Number: OCAS-PER-002 – Effective Date: 12/15/2003 – Revision No. 0
Error in surrogate organ assignment resulting in an underestimateof X-ray dose in SRS dose reconstructions

SC&A

Working Draft ISSUES MATRIX FOR THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE SEC PETITION AND PETITION EVALUATION REPORT – FEBRUARY 2014 UPDATE

Working Draft ISSUES MATRIX FOR THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE SEC PETITION AND PETITION EVALUATION REPORT – DECEMBER 2011 UPDATE

Working Draft ISSUES MATRIX FOR THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE SEC PETITION AND PETITION EVALUATION REPORT – September 2009

Technical Basis Documents

Technical Basis Document for the Savannah River Site to be Used for EEOICPA Dose Reconstructions
ORAU Team Dose Reconstruction Project for NIOSH

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EEOICPA CLAIMS

If you or your parent worked any of the DOE or AWE facilities listed on this website and became ill, you may be entitled to compensation of up to $400K plus medical benefits from the US Department of Labor.

Call EEOICPA Counsel Hugh Stephens at 1-800-548-4494, email hstephens@stephensstephens.com, or fill out the form below whether or not you have already filed a claim and even if your claim has been accepted or denied.

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Address:
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Phone:
(716) 852-7590

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Email Us:
R. William Stephens, Esq.
R. Hugh Stephens, Esq.
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