Prevention of significant deterioration application for approval to construct SP-100 Ground Engineering System Test Site

The following application is being submitted by the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, P.O. Box 550, Richland, Washington 99352, pursuant to WAC 173-403-080, and in compliance with the Department of Ecology Guide to Processin g a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Permit for a new source of airborne radionuclide emissions at the Hanford Site in Washington State. The new source, the SP-100 Ground Engineering System (GES) Test Site, will be located in the 309 Building of the 300 Area. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) have entered into an agreement to jointly develop space nuclear reactor power system technology. The DOE has primary responsibility for developing and ground testing the nuclear subsystem. A ground test of a reactor is necessary to demonstrate technology readiness of this major subsystem before proceeding with the flight system development and demonstration. The SP-100 GES Test Site will provide a location for the operation and testing of a prototype space-based, liquid metal-cooled, fast flux nuclear reactor in an environment closely simulating the vacuum and temperature conditions of space operations. The purpose of the GES is to develop safe, compact, light-weight and durable space reactor power system technology.