Naval Reactors Annual Reports

Known in the “Program” as the “Rainbow Books”

I want to share with you the little bit that I can from the work that I do. I work in the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) or the “Program” as we sometimes refer to ourselves and the entire body of work.

Background — Nuclear Reactors, Civilian vs. Navy

As I suspect almost every person reading this is aware of, nuclear power has a negative connotation associated with it. There have been multiple widely publicized civilian nuclear incidents in the past, some recent and some in the distant past. These incidents include Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima, just to name a few. This does not mean that nuclear power is bad. The industry has its own pitfalls.

There are 94 operating nuclear reactors in the United States with an additional 350 operating nuclear reactors in some 30 countries around the world. The share of U.S. electricity provided from nuclear reactors is around 20%.

U.S. Navy

Work on nuclear marine propulsion started in the 1940s, and the first test reactor started up in USA in 1953. The first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, put to sea in 1955. This marked the transition of submarines from slow underwater vessels to warships capable of sustaining 20–25 knots submerged for weeks on end.

The US Navy has accumulated over 6200 reactor-years of accident-free experience involving 526 nuclear reactor cores over the course of 240 million kilometers, without a single radiological incident, over a period of more than 50 years.

“Rainbow Books”

The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) is thoroughly committed to the protection of the environment and the health and safety of personnel. Each year, the NNPP issues the following reports on the topics of environmental monitoring and radioactive waste disposal, occupational radiation protection, and occupational safety and health.

As nuclear-trained workers, we should take great pride in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program’s long history of safe generation of nuclear power to support a positive naval presence worldwide. As we stand proudly on a great record of serving our four primary customers, the sailors, the workers, the public and the environment, what resource do we have to prove our accomplishments to those outside of the program?

“Blue Book” — ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM U.S. NAVAL NUCLEAR-POWERED SHIPS AND THEIR SUPPORT FACILITIES

Report NT-21–1 gives an accounting of liquid radioactivity released both <12 and >12 NM from land, and solid waste generated by each activity. It contains discussions on how we minimize release of liquid waste, sources of concern and their potential impact, as well as how we monitor for releases.

“Yellow Book” — OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION EXPOSURE FROM U.S. NAVAL NUCLEAR PLANTS AND THEIR SUPPORT FACILITIES

Report NT-21–2 gives an accounting of exposure to fleet and shipyard personnel. It discusses that programs policies to limit exposure to include training standards and medical examinations, sources of radiation, how we monitor for exposure, and reports on skin contaminations and internal radioactivity.

“Teal Book” — OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION EXPOSURE FROM NAVAL REACTORS’ DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FACILITIES

Report NT-21–3 gives an accounting of exposure to personnel at the programs Department of Energy facilities. It includes the same discussions found in NT-XX-2, but specific to DOE facilities.

But Wait, There’s More!

The “Program” also issues the “Gray Book” — THE UNITED STATES NAVAL NUCLEAR PROPULSION PROGRAM, every year. This report gives a history of the “Program”, insight into how we operate and train, and what we do to achieve a great safety record.

These reports can be found online at https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/downloads/naval-reactors-annual-reports, or a Google search of “NNPP Rainbow Books” will lead you to the site.

These reports have been used to support the “Program’s” reputation to the general public, to include official government inquires. They are a great read and highly recommended resource to gain a better understanding of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

I hope that this article and a look into these reports can put your mind at ease about nuclear power in general.