• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Savannah River Site

Monitors a host of energy and nuclear issues from a public interest perspective

  • Home
  • About Us
  • News
  • SRS Watch News
  • Library
    • Department of Energy
    • General Documents
    • Freedom of Information Act Documents
  • Photos
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Aging H-Canyon Reprocessing Plant at SRS Hits 63-years Old, Still being Pushed to Operate Despite Diminished State

SRS Watch · August 21, 2018 ·

SRS Watch news, August 21, 2018:  SRS report provided to SRS Watch via a Freedom of Information Act request reveals decayed state of H-Canyon reprocessing plant radioactive gas exhaust tunnel

Given operational problems and aging of the facility, the question looms: Is the aging H-Canyon an accident waiting to happen?  Why is the media avoiding covering this issue?

Savannah River National Lab report:

“Characterization of Concrete Exposed to the H-Canyon Exhaust”
January 2018, SRNL-TR-2017-00356, Revision 0

FOIA cover letter to SRS Watch:  https://www.srswatch.org/uploads/2/7/5/8/27584045/foia_response_letter_july_5_2018_on_exhaust_tunnel_document.pdf

Report:  https://www.srswatch.org/uploads/2/7/5/8/27584045/srnl-tr-2017-00356_rev_0.pdf

“The driver for the work is the observation that about 50 mm (2 inches) of wall thickness has been lost (exposed rebar) in the H-Canyon Cross-over Tunnel and the H-Canyon Exhaust Tunnel (CAEX) over more than 60 years of service. Figure ES-1 shows a view into the Cross-over Tunnel as viewed from a core hole in the wall separating the Personnel Tunnel from the Cross-over Tunnel, i.e., north wall. Approximately 2 inches of concrete wall loss has occurred exposing the first layer of the reinforcement bar structure. Thus, it was assumed there is a potential that the remaining concrete wall material may be altered as a function of depth from the surfaces exposed to the nitric acid vapor in the exhaust air stream.”

“Documents on Degraded Status of H-Canyon Exhaust Tunnel” –
SRS  W
atch compilation of recent H-Canyon exhaust tunnel reports, August 21, 2018 – linked here

DOE news of August 25, 2015:  “Savannah River Site’s H Canyon Turns 60 Years Old” – news linked here

Filed Under: SRS Watch News

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Updates via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to updates and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • Talk on SRS, the Nuclear Arms Race & Upcoming Meetings on Plutonium “Pit” Production – May 10, Columbia, SC & livestreamed
  • SRS & Growing Nuclear Weapons Role: Talks April 28 (Aiken, SC) – with linked presentation – and May 10 (Columbia, SC)
  • Excellent article on NNSA’s scheme to make new plutonium pits: “DOGE’s staff firing fiasco at the nuclear weapon agency means everything but efficiency,” April 16, 2025, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
  • Imaginary, Risky Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) have No Place in South Carolina Energy Legislation (H 3309)
  • Plutonium Pit Lawsuit: “Grassroots Victory in the Fight against Nuclear Weapons Proliferation”

Categories

  • Events
  • Latest News
  • SRS Watch News

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014

SAVANNAH RIVER SITE WATCH
1112 Florence Street, COLUMBIA, SC 29201  | 803-834-3084  – srswatch@gmail.com

Footer

The information produced on this website is the sole property of SRS Watch unless otherwise noted and may be reproduced or quoted if credit is given to SRS Watch. Materials published on this website are for non-profit public interest purposes only. SRS Watch is a registered corporation in South Carolina and in December 2014 and has obtained non-profit 501(c)(3) public -interest organization status from the IRS. SRS Watch is responsible for all material published on this website. We strive to be accurate in all material produced. For inquiries, comments or corrections, please contact us at srswatch@gmail.com or 803-834-3084. Donations are most welcome and are tax deductible. Mailing address: Savannah River Site Watch, 1112 Florence Street, Columbia, SC 29201. This site or product includes IP2Location LITE data available from https://lite.ip2location.com.

©SRS Watch 2019  All Rights Reserved in All Media.