RICHLAND, Wash. - EM Richland Operations Office (RL) and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) recently completed two key steps to get rid of highly radioactive sludge near the Columbia River: testing and validating the equipment to remove the material and beginning final demonstrations in the sludge-removal facility.
Approximately 35 cubic yards of radioactive sludge are stored in a water-filled basin next to the K West Reactor. The sludge is a mixture of sand, dirt, fuel corrosion products, and other materials from decades of operations as a reactor fuel storage basin.
Workers developed the tools and technology to remove the sludge with the use of full-scale mockups simulating basin conditions. This work allowed the project to validate system design, and refine, engineer, and test removal tools and equipment prior to installation in the operating nuclear facility.
“Our highly skilled team has helped overcome challenges with this complex project, throughout the various phases," said Neal Sullivan, director of the sludge removal project.
The team removing the sludge will validate procedures, train, and conduct drills before demonstrating proficiency for two independent operational readiness reviews.
CHPRC expects to begin removing sludge from the basin, packaging it, and transferring it to an interim waste storage facility at the center of the Hanford Site early in 2018. That storage location is the former processing canyon known as T Plant, where crews are preparing workers and equipment to receive and store the sludge.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
