RICHLAND, Wash. - For the first time, EM treated and shipped Hanford tank waste off site to a commercial facility for disposal as low-level waste.
EM’s Office of River Protection (ORP) recently coordinated shipment of approximately 3 gallons of treated, stabilized waste from Perma-Fix Northwest in Richland to the Waste Control Specialists Federal Waste Disposal Facility in Andrews, Texas.
Before its trip to Texas, the waste was pretreated at Hanford’s 222-S Laboratory, which specializes in analysis of nuclear waste samples. The samples were decanted, filtered to remove solids, and processed to remove key radionuclides to the maximum extent practical. Workers then sent the waste to Perma-Fix, where it was treated, stabilized, characterized to verify that it met regulatory requirements, and packaged in a U.S. Department of Transportation-approved container for shipment.
The shipment was in accordance with a 2016 evaluation by EM that concluded test samples of treated, low-level waste from six Hanford storage tanks can be managed and disposed as low-level waste.
“This action is consistent with DOE’s approach of looking for new and innovative ways to perform its cleanup mission while being protective of human health and the environment and to serve as a good steward of taxpayer resources," ORP Test Bed Project Manager Kaylin Burnett said. “This study does not impact or imply a change to DOE’s initial planned treatment option to vitrify low-activity waste."
ORP worked closely with Hanford tank operations contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), to pretreat the waste and prepare it for its journey south.
“A lot of people came together in a concerted effort to do something that has, quite frankly, never been done before," said Kris Colosi, WRPS project manager. “Our environmental team worked hand in hand with our folks at the lab to work through the process. It has truly been a team effort more than 18 months in the making to get us to this point."
The study obtained performance data on an ion-exchange resin considered for use in tank waste pretreatment systems for the removal of key radionuclides and generated waste characterization data that may assist in future secondary waste or low-activity waste treatment options.
EM worked with Washington State Department of Ecology during the course of the treatability study.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
