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.
Videos
Further information on the Savannah River Site can be seen below: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
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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