LOS ALAMOS, N.M. - DOE’s Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) and contractor Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS) collaborated with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to successfully complete treatment of 27 unremediated nitrate salt (UNS) drums at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The drums contained nitrate salt waste that had not previously been treated.
“Multiple organizations shared the commitment of treating the UNS drums safely," EM-LA Manager Doug Hintze said. “By establishing clear communication and expectations from the onset and prioritizing safety throughout each step of the process, we were able to reach our goal."
Treatment, which began in December, involved removing the UNS waste from drums and mixing it with water and zeolite - an inert material - to render the waste non-reactive. The resulting mixture is in solid form and was repackaged in new drums in accordance with EM Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) requirements. The treated nitrate salt drums are being stored at LANL, and will eventually be shipped to WIPP for disposal.
Before treatment, drum liners containing the UNS waste were pulled from the original containers and repacked into new 55-gallon drums to ensure drum integrity for safe transportation from Technical Area 54 to the Waste Characterization, Reduction, and Repackaging Facility. Repackaging the drum liners also ensured the drums were safe to handle and to secure to a glove box.
The process used to treat the UNS waste closely mirrored the process used to successfully treat 60 remediated nitrate salts (RNS) drums at LANL last year. The RNS drums contained an incompatible combination of nitrate salt waste mixed with an organic absorbent. The organic absorbent was improperly added during repackaging to absorb liquids and to reduce the oxidizing potential of the nitrate salts. As a result, the drums needed to be treated to allow safe disposition of the waste at WIPP.
“We wanted to capitalize on the momentum gained from processing of the RNS waste and our team did that by processing the UNS waste safely and effectively. All the credit goes to the personnel who executed this treatment. The waste is now ready for disposal at WIPP," EM-LA Completion of Project Delivery Director Dave Nickless said.
EM-LA and the NNSA Los Alamos Field Office provided federal oversight during the UNS and RNS treatment to ensure operations were performed safely and per procedure.
“Having these back-to-back waste treatment programs is a testament to the successful partnership we have between the federal and contractor teams at LANL," NNSA Los Alamos Field Office Manager Steve Goodrum said. “I look forward to continued progress."
LANL Deputy Director Rick Kacich said the successful completion of the RNS and UNS campaigns is a milestone in the laboratory’s 75-year history.
“The safe and efficient execution of these two campaigns is a testament to the quality of the laboratory’s workforce and the dedicated individuals who made this result possible," Kacich said.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
