The tank operations contractor for the Office of River Protection (ORP) in the Office of Environmental Management of the United States Department of Energy, known as Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), has finished more than 40 upgrades to improve the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) at the Hanford Site.
These upgrades have increased the facility's capability, efficiency, and reliability. According to a news release, the ETF is a component of Hanford's Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) Program. This program is supervised by WRPS, and the vitrification of tank waste for safe onsite disposal is its stated purpose.
The rejuvenation of the plant, which is roughly 30 years old and was started in 2019, comprises the replacement of monitoring and control systems, freeze protection systems, and wastewater filtration systems, in addition to the implementation of a system for the removal of hazardous byproducts.Because of these enhancements, the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) and other facilities are now able to process the liquid waste streams that they deliver to the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF).
According to a press release, Bibek Tamang, the ETF program manager at EM, was quoted as saying, "The ETF is the last step in the DFLAW process, and these upgrades prepare it to play a key role in treating and disposing of contaminated wastewater from the vitrification process." These upgrades were necessary for the ETF in order for the facility to be able to manage waste treatment around the clock.
They also extended a load-in station to allow more rubbish transfers from throughout the plant. Additionally, they constructed equipment to distribute cooling water for the new system. According to the press release, WRPS has expanded the capabilities of the nearby Liquid Effluent Retention Facility by installing a fourth storage basin with a capacity of 7.8 million gallons for the purpose of receiving and holding wastewater until it is treated at ETF.
"The ETF's role in reducing tank waste volume is integral to the overall Hanford Tank Farms mission, since tank waste storage space is limited," Adam Mathews, ETF and LERF manager for WRPS, stated in a news statement. "ETF's role in reducing tank waste volume is integral to the overall mission of the Hanford Tank Farms." The significance of the facility will increase as the DFLAW procedure starts being implemented into practice.
