D.F. Torgerson Discovery Award: Perchlorate Remediation Strategy for Decommissioning in B250

Awarded to Ken Titterington, Khojasteh Dumasia, Murray Hyatt, and Scott Brown

For Developing a Percholorate Remediation Strategy For Decommissioning In Building 250

Historical operational use of perchloric acid in laboratory facilities across CNL has created contamination in areas perchloric acid was used, typically ventilation systems, creating a new complex challenge for decommissioning as these systems need to be remediated and removed. The Building 250 “Blue” Project Team first identified the presence of perchlorates in the ventilation system during characterization sampling in January 2022. At the time, there was no established CNL process for remediating legacy perchlorate systems. Additionally, it was identified that the lack of guidance on perchlorate remediation was not just a CNL gap but also a gap in Canadian standards. To overcome this challenge, the project team engaged with subject matter experts and industry experts for a number of months to develop a CNL Perchloric Acid Management Standard. The standard established clear guidance on sampling methods, action levels and remediation strategies as well as a process for maintenance of perchlorate contaminated systems currently in operation at CNL sites. The safe and timely execution of this first-of-kind work demonstrates that Facilities Decommissioning & Environmental Remediation at CNL can develop and deliver on complex remediation tasks. This work exemplifies the ability of our highly skilled and knowledgeable integrated project teams to develop and deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions.