Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Energy's -- Copyright -- Acknowledgments -- Preface -- Contents -- Executive Summary -- THE MSRE FACILITY AND CURRENT REMEDIATION PLANS -- PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT -- SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ON THREE MAJOR ISSUES -- MAJOR CONCLUSIONS -- MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS -- 1-Introduction -- CURRENT STATUS OF THE MSRE -- ROLE OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL -- SCOPE AND ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT -- 2-Radiolysis and Nuclear Reactions -- RADIOACTIVE SOURCE TERMS -- RADIATION EFFECTS AND GENERAL COMMENTS -- Radiation-Induced Liberation of Fluorine and Uranium Hexafluoride Gases -- Radiation Decomposition of Solid Uranium Hexafluoride -- Long-Term Effects of Leaving Plutonium in the Salt After Uranium Removal -- EXCESS OF REDUCING SPECIES IN THE SALT AND HAZARDS OF SIMPLE REMELTING -- 3-Fluoride Salt Chemistry, Partitioning, and System Corrosion -- CHEMISTRY RELEVANT TO THE PRESENT STATUS -- Chemical Consequences of Radiolysis -- PARTITIONING OF URANIUM FROM THE SALT -- PLUTONIUM PARTITIONING BY FLUORINATION -- NONFLUORINATION OPTION FOR PLUTONIUM SEPARATION -- SYSTEM CORROSION ISSUES -- Radiation-Induced Corrosion Questions -- 4-Preferred Technical Approach -- COMMENTS ON PROCESS STEPS -- DEVELOPMENT OF A PREFERRED APPROACH -- 5-Comments on Specific Separation Technologies -- FLUORINATION -- Direct Fluorination -- Hydrofluorination -- Alternative Fluorinating Agents -- ELECTROREFINING -- DISTILLATION OF MOLTEN SALT -- AQUEOUS DISSOLUTION AND SEPARATION -- Criticality Concerns in Aqueous Processing -- Fluoride Removal -- Conclusions on Aqueous Processing -- STABILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES -- 6-Nuclear Criticality Considerations -- CRITICALITY ISSUES IN PROCESSING -- CRITICALITY HAZARD OF REMELTING THE FLUORIDE SALTS IN THE DRAIN TANKS -- RATIONALE FOR TECHNICAL INSIGNIFICANCE OF A CRITICALITY EXCURSION -- CONCLUDING COMMENTS.

7-Strategic Alternatives -- PERMANENT DISPOSAL IN THE DRAIN TANKS -- DISPOSAL OF ALL KEY CONTAMINANTS IN THE FEDERAL REPOSITORY -- DISPOSAL OF KEY CONTAMINANTS IN THE SALT RESIDUE IN THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT (WIPP) -- DISPOSAL OF KEY CONTAMINANTS IN SALT RESIDUE IN THE FEDERAL REPOSITORY -- REUSE OF THE SALT -- INTERIM STORAGE -- RATIONALE FOR REJECTING THE FIRST SIX ALTERNATIVES -- INTERIM VERSUS PERMANENT STORAGE AND DISPOSAL -- 8-Management of MSRE Hazards -- CURRENT HAZARDS -- HAZARD MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES -- CRUCIAL ROLE OF FURTHER ACTIVITIES FOR CONDITION AND PROCESS ASSESSMENT -- MAJOR RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING HAZARDS -- DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING HAZARDS -- 9-Summary and Responses to Questions in Statement of Task -- TECHNICAL SUMMARY -- STRATEGY FOR REMEDIATION -- Where Is the Uranium? -- How Can a Condition Assessment Affect Remediation Plans? -- The Panel's Preferred Alternative -- Hazards -- RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS IN STATEMENT OF TASK -- Question 1 -- Question 2 -- The Consequences of Failure to Complete According to Plan -- Cost Estimates -- A Possible Strategy -- Question 3 -- PANEL PERSPECTIVE -- OVERALL CONCLUSION -- References -- Appendixes -- Appendix A-List of Materials Reviewed -- Appendix B-Alternative Fluorinating Agents -- Appendix C-Contamination Concerns Relating to Radon Gas Spread -- Appendix D-Use of a Nuclear Poison to Inhibit Nuclear Criticality -- Appendix E-Hazard Scoping of Major Actions for Remediation -- Appendix F-List of Acronyms and Abbreviations -- Appendix G-Glossary -- Appendix H-Biographical Sketches of Molten Salt Panel Members and Consultants -- Consultants.