ORAU renews agreement with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Oak Ridge Associated Universities has renewed a five-year agreement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to continue providing technical assistance for radiological surveys and assessments.

The $5.4 million agreement will last through 2017, an ORAU press release said.

Under the agreement, ORAU will perform laboratory analyses, document reviews, inspections, and surveys related to the decommissioning of previously contaminated reactor and materials sites.

ORAU will also take part in special projects related to nuclear facility operations, uranium recovery, and other decommissioning activities, the release said.

“As a federal agency serving many different stakeholders across the nation, the NRC clearly values the credibility that independent verification provides to decontamination and decommissioning activities,” said Sarah Roberts, ORAU director for independent environmental assessment and verification. “We’ve helped the NRC achieve this independence for more than 30 years by ensuring that survey results are reported without the influence of commercial interests. Obviously, we are thrilled to continue supporting the agency in this role and feel this extension speaks to the high-quality work we’ve conducted so far.”

The release said ORAU began supporting the NRC in 1981 in evaluations of the radiological status of sites seeking to end their NRC licenses and release sites for restricted use. Since then, the environmental assessment staff has completed more than 800 reports and analyzed thousands of samples at the request of the agency.

Additionally, the environmental assessment team has provided support on a variety of special projects, including reactor tritium leaks and sewer treatment samples, the release said.

In the mid-1990s, ORAU assisted the NRC and three other federal agencies with the development of the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual, or MARSSIM, a standardized approach for planning, implementing, and evaluating environmental and facility radiological surveys, the release said.

In addition to environmental assessment services, ORAU administers the NRC’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Participation Program, which has recently provided both technological and epidemiological training for NRC employees.