As part of its nuclear fuel production process, the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) uses Uranium (U) feedstock provided by customers in the form of Uranium-Hexafluoride (UF6) or Uranyl-Nitrate (UN). Within the feedstock, the component, Technetium (Tc-99), exists in residual quantities and is a nuclear fission product of uranium. While it occurs naturally in tiny amounts within the Earth's crust, it is primarily human-made and produced during nuclear reactor operations where uranium is irradiated with neutrons.
Tc-99 was introduced into the commercial nuclear fuel cycle in 1956 when high-enriched uranium from U.S. Government military reactors was re-processed (e.g., down-blended) into low enriched uranium fuel. Reprocessed uranium was used in the commercial nuclear fuel cycle until 1977; however, due to residual impacts, Tc-99 remains in the nuclear fuel cycle to this day.
Over the years, we have seen an indication of the potential presence of Tc-99 (elevated gross beta) in some groundwater wells near plant operations (more than .6 miles from the nearest site boundary). In 2018, CFFF began direct measurement of Tc-99 in all groundwater wells to fully characterize the impact.
The Tc-99 Source Investigation under CFFF's Consent Agreement (CA) with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) evaluated processes at the plant to determine if current operations are contributing to Tc-99 groundwater contamination. Further study concluded that the impact is not migrating offsite. In addition to existing processes, the investigation examined historical site environmental data, the Conceptual Site Model, and East Lagoon Characterization Data, which supported the conclusion that current site operations do not have the potential to introduce significant quantities of Tc-99 into the environment.
