This system drains and collects, until safe for removal, all drainage
from the reactor system that might be radioactive. Drainage may result
from a leak, or be part of the normal drainage accumulation during
initial fill and testing, normal startup, operation and shutdown, and
decontamination.
The drainage and storage system consists of two pumps, valves, piping,
containment drain tank, and four waste storage tanks. The total capacity
of the tanks is 1,350 cubic feet. This is approximately 80 percent more
than the maximum operational leakage and drainage for a 100-day period.
Provisions are made to take samples from any of the five tanks at any
time.
After sampling indicates sufficiently low level of activity, the fluid
will be pumped to special dock facilities for transfer to inland waste
disposal sites. No waste will be discharged at sea under present
operating plans.
A special 129-foot vessel, the NSV ATOMIC SERVANT, will service the
Savannah’s reactor and handle the radioactive wastes.
The majority of the potentially radioactive gases vent into a central
manifold. Here they are monitored, diluted by fan-driven air and
discharged up the radio mast after passing through a series of filters.
During normal operation, the manifold is vented continuously. However,
if the radiation monitor indicates activity levels too high for
satisfactory dilution, the gases can be diverted into the containment
shell.