A new construction project will deliver additional environmental protections for a Hanford Site tank farm.

EM tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) recently awarded an $8.9 million subcontract to Fowler General Construction, based in Richland, Washington, to construct an interim surface barrier over the U Tank Farm.

A tank farm is a grouping of underground waste storage tanks that contain radiological and chemical waste generated during past plutonium production at the Hanford Site.

“This will be the fifth tank farm on the Hanford Site to receive an interim surface barrier,” said Becky Blackwell, EM Office of River Protection program manager. “The barriers will remain in place until a final closure decision is made for the tank farms and are a critical part of the strategy to help protect groundwater at the site.”

Hanford’s U Tank Farm has 12 underground waste storage tanks with capacities of 530,000 gallons each and four tanks with capacities of 55,000 gallons each. The 144,100-square-foot interim asphalt barrier will help prevent rainwater and snowmelt pushing existing contaminants in the soil closer to groundwater.

This will be the fourth interim surface barrier that Fowler has installed at the Hanford Site.

Construction of the interim surface barrier is expected to be complete in late 2023.

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