Hanford Cleanup Summary

Dec. 4, 2007: Ecology issues $500,000 fine for Hanford Tank Waste Spill

The Washington State Department of Ecology Nuclear Waste Program regulates radioactive waste statewide, and is responsible for oversight of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford cleanup activities. This summary outlines the progress on Hanford cleanup in the past five years.

Tank Waste Storage

Safe storage, management and retrieval of all tank wastes

Removed approximately 99 percent of the toxic nuclear waste from three aging, leak-prone underground tanks, as required by the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA).
Upgraded the double-shell tanks (DST) systems as required by the TPA. Upgrades include replacing noncompliant lines and cleaning out pits.
Removed the pumpable liquids from most of the 149 single shell tanks per the Interim Stabilization Consent Decree. A solid form of nuclear waste, called saltcake, remains, as well as some liquids that cannot be pumped.
Characterized soil in four of the seven SST waste management areas. Soil characterization is due for the last three SSTs in January 2007.
Removed the dangers from the remaining tanks on the "Watch List," a list of tanks with urgent safety issues. Those dangers included high heat, high organic contents, and flammability.

Tank Waste Disposal

Safe processing and disposal of tank waste through glass vitrification

Started construction on the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) in 2001. In January 2006, the WTP project was more than 50 percent complete with 64 percent of design completed and 32 percent of the construction completed. The WTP is the largest and most complex treatment facility in the world.
Identified several technologies for treating low activity waste. Pilot studies on bulk vitrification will prove if a second low activity waste plant or a large-scale bulk vitrification plant is the better choice.

Environmental Restoration

(Implement cleanup actions for soil and groundwater that protect human health and the environment)

Groundwater protection and cleanup

Increased the volume of waste that is pumped and treated from about 550 gallons per minute (gpm) to about 750 gpm.
Sped up characterization activities in the tank farms for groundwater and the vadose zone (the soil between the surface and the water table) by integrating with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act's (CERCLA) process of defining the extent of contamination.
Identified innovative technologies to clean up strontium-90, chromium, uranium, and carbon tetrachloride groundwater contamination.
Decommissioned (properly closed) more unused wells during the last 5 years than ever before to stop any further spread of contaminants through these wells.
Decommissioned all leaky pipelines to prevent driving existing contamination deeper.
Stopped additional migration of contaminants in and around the tank farms by removing stormwater collection areas.

Waste management

Treated nearly 4,370 cubic meters, or the equivalent of roughly 209 dump trucks, of mixed low level waste from January 2003 to November 2005.
Retrieved more than 3,200 (approximately 152 dump truck loads in volume) cubic meters of contact-handled retrievably stored waste from the unlined burial grounds between January 2003 and December 2005.
1,322 cubic meters (more than 36,000 gallons) of transuranic waste has been shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant between January 2000 and October 2005.
Stopped the shipment of offsite waste to Hanford.
Constructed a new lined landfill facility in the Central Plateau for mixed and low-level radioactive waste, ending the disposal of waste to unlined trenches at Hanford.

Facility Transition

Decontamination and decommissioning of Hanford buildings and facilities

Placed in Interim Safe Storage five of the nine deactivated reactors (C, D, DR, F, and H) located along the Columbia River. B Reactor is in safe storage and efforts are underway to make it a museum. Decommissioning of the N, KE, and KW Reactors is progressing.
Made significant progress toward deactivating and decommissioning facilities in the 300 Area.
Disposed of the uranium that has not been irradiated in a nuclear reactor (approximately 1,000 metric tons) that was stored on site.
Deactivated and decontaminated four of the five cruise ship-sized canyon buildings and placed them in surveillance and maintenance mode.
Completed the Canyon Disposition Initiative Record of Decision (ROD) for the U-Plant in October 2005. This ROD will allow cleanup to proceed for the first of Hanford's five canyon buildings.
Removed all nuclear fuel rods from the reactor of the Fast Flux Test Facility and placed them into safe, dry storage casks. Drained nearly all of the liquid sodium from the reactor (260,000 gallons, or the equivalent of more than 10 large back-yard swimming pools, drained). The remaining 23,000 gallons will be drained by the end of September 2006.

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	Hanford home > Hanford Cleanup Summary Hanford Cleanup Summary Dec. 4, 2007: Ecology issues $500,000 fine for Hanford Tank Waste Spill The Washington State Department of Ecology Nuclear Waste Program regulates radioactive waste statewide, and is responsible for oversight of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford cleanup activities. This summary outlines the progress on Hanford cleanup in the past five years. Tank Waste Storage Safe storage, management and retrieval of all tank wastes Removed approximately 99 percent of the toxic nuclear waste from three aging, leak-prone underground tanks, as required by the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA). Upgraded the double-shell tanks (DST) systems as required by the TPA. Upgrades include replacing noncompliant lines and cleaning out pits. Removed the pumpable liquids from most of the 149 single shell tanks per the Interim Stabilization Consent Decree. A solid form of nuclear waste, called saltcake, remains, as well as some liquids that cannot be pumped. Characterized soil in four of the seven SST waste management areas. Soil characterization is due for the last three SSTs in January 2007. Removed the dangers from the remaining tanks on the "Watch List," a list of tanks with urgent safety issues. Those dangers included high heat, high organic contents, and flammability. Tank Waste Disposal Safe processing and disposal of tank waste through glass vitrification Started construction on the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) in 2001. In January 2006, the WTP project was more than 50 percent complete with 64 percent of design completed and 32 percent of the construction completed. The WTP is the largest and most complex treatment facility in the world. Identified several technologies for treating low activity waste. Pilot studies on bulk vitrification will prove if a second low activity waste plant or a large-scale bulk vitrification plant is the better choice. Environmental Restoration (Implement cleanup actions for soil and groundwater that protect human health and the environment) Groundwater protection and cleanup Increased the volume of waste that is pumped and treated from about 550 gallons per minute (gpm) to about 750 gpm. Sped up characterization activities in the tank farms for groundwater and the vadose zone (the soil between the surface and the water table) by integrating with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act's (CERCLA) process of defining the extent of contamination. Identified innovative technologies to clean up strontium-90, chromium, uranium, and carbon tetrachloride groundwater contamination. Decommissioned (properly closed) more unused wells during the last 5 years than ever before to stop any further spread of contaminants through these wells. Decommissioned all leaky pipelines to prevent driving existing contamination deeper. Stopped additional migration of contaminants in and around the tank farms by removing stormwater collection areas. Waste management Treated nearly 4,370 cubic meters, or the equivalent of roughly 209 dump trucks, of mixed low level waste from January 2003 to November 2005. Retrieved more than 3,200 (approximately 152 dump truck loads in volume) cubic meters of contact-handled retrievably stored waste from the unlined burial grounds between January 2003 and December 2005. 1,322 cubic meters (more than 36,000 gallons) of transuranic waste has been shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant between January 2000 and October 2005. Stopped the shipment of offsite waste to Hanford. Constructed a new lined landfill facility in the Central Plateau for mixed and low-level radioactive waste, ending the disposal of waste to unlined trenches at Hanford. Facility Transition Decontamination and decommissioning of Hanford buildings and facilities Placed in Interim Safe Storage five of the nine deactivated reactors (C, D, DR, F, and H) located along the Columbia River. B Reactor is in safe storage and efforts are underway to make it a museum. Decommissioning of the N, KE, and KW Reactors is progressing. Made significant progress toward deactivating and decommissioning facilities in the 300 Area. Disposed of the uranium that has not been irradiated in a nuclear reactor (approximately 1,000 metric tons) that was stored on site. Deactivated and decontaminated four of the five cruise ship-sized canyon buildings and placed them in surveillance and maintenance mode. Completed the Canyon Disposition Initiative Record of Decision (ROD) for the U-Plant in October 2005. This ROD will allow cleanup to proceed for the first of Hanford's five canyon buildings. Removed all nuclear fuel rods from the reactor of the Fast Flux Test Facility and placed them into safe, dry storage casks. Drained nearly all of the liquid sodium from the reactor (260,000 gallons, or the equivalent of more than 10 large back-yard swimming pools, drained). The remaining 23,000 gallons will be drained by the end of September 2006.