The K-770 Scrap Yard stored potentially surface-contaminated scrap metal, the majority of which was generated during the operating life of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Approximately 40,000 tons of scrap metal in five piles and 75,000 cubic feet of miscellaneous metals in B25 boxes were stored at K-770. The primary known radiological contaminants of concern were low-enriched uranium and ⁹⁹Tc.

Under the DOE Oak Ridge accelerated cleanup initiatives, the metal was scheduled for accelerated disposition in 2004, preferably to the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) in Oak Ridge. DOE emphasized innovative characterization approaches that significantly reduce costs and increase characterization flexibility without degrading data quality.

This Technical Paper describes the strategy employed by CANBERRA to meet the challenges of the DOE Oak Ridge accelerated cleanup initiatives.