(Dr. Nolan Hertel, advisor)

"A Historical Site Assessment of the Georgia Tech Research Reactor"

Abstract

The Georgia Tech Research Reactor (GTRR) began operation in 1964 as a state of the art research facility. However, GTRR has had its share of difficulties. This paper looks at the history of the facility from a technical perspective and a policy perspective. The research provides a case study of stakeholder involvement at research reactors during the decommissioning process. GTRR is too far along to implement the paper's recommendations, but they can serve as case study for other research reactors. Also, from looking at the history, patterns can be found and lessons learned which can be used to improve operations at the Neely Nuclear Research Center.

The research includes the purpose of the historical site assessment, a description of the site and facility, and an analysis of the thermoluminescent detectors (TLD) that surround GTRR and measure the environmental radiation levels. The paper also includes a summary of the literature on stakeholder involvement in environmental decision-making, a history of GTRR, a history of public involvement at GTRR, and information on potentially contaminated sites and environmental concerns. The research ends with conclusions from the interviews with individuals involved with the Georgia Tech Research Reactor and recommendations based on the research and interview results.