Retrieval Project
| Project Code: | RL-TW04 |
| Problem Areas: | High Level Waste (Primary) Health / Ecology / Risk Mixed Waste |
| Life-Cycle Cost in 2007+: | $2,986,000,000 |
| DOE Project Manager: | J.E. Kinzer, 509-376-7591, jackson_e_kinzer@rl.gov |
| Contractor Manager: | A.M. Umek, 509-373-5983, anthony_m_tony_umek@rl.gov |
| For More Information: | http://www.em.doe.gov/closure/pbs/rlp795.html |
Maximum Public, Worker, and Environmental Risks in the year 2007 and beyond:
| Public: Low | Worker: High | Environment: High |
Technical Approach Provided by Project Manager:
The end point targets in the Hanford Strategic Plan addressed by this project include: Retrieve tank wastes to the extent needed for tank closure, divide into high level and low activity fractions and immobilize. Transition high cost surplus facilities in the central plateau and south 600 areas to a low cost, stable, deactivated condition. After the waste has been retrieved from the tanks, the tank farms (including the tanks) will be closed. The technical approach and technology initiatives for the Project to accomplish the Hanford Strategic Plan end point targets are identified below. Technical Approach - Retrieval Project: The baseline technical approach for the Waste Retrieval Project during Phase I contains the following key elements: 1. Select supernatants that meet the requirements of three LAW envelopes and transfer them to private contractors to demonstrate radio nuclide removal and immobilization of LAW. 2. Select tank sludges, that when washed with water or caustic in-tank, meet contractual HLW feed requirements. Transfer the washed sludges to private contractors for immobilization into a form that meets the repository waste acceptance criteria. 3. Continue to explore new and innovative methods and emerging technologies that could result in significant cost and schedule savings through a combination of technology transfer from industry; lessons learned from the operations of DWPF, WVDP, and foreign experience; and limited technology development. 4. Participate with the other TWRS projects and TWRS systems engineering on tank retrieval sequence, blending, pretreatment, and vitrification options in a continuing effort to optimize total program costs. The Phase II technical approach is still being defined, but current planning is to perform limited laboratory-scale testing using pretreated radioactive waste to the extent required to confirm the product specifications developed for Phase II vitrification. Proven retrieval technology will be applied as the waste retrieval baseline for SST and DST retrieval. Technology enhancements and alternatives will be implemented to improve performance and reliability and address difficult-to-retrieve and potentially environmentally impacting technology. The Retrieval Project relies on EM-50 technology development efforts to provide for improved retrieval technologies. Hydraulic sluicing, similar to past-practice, is the reference technology for SST waste mobilization. Sluicing will be demonstrated in tank 106-C. Sluicing will also be applied to the Initial Single-Shell Tank Retrieval System (ISSTRS). Parallel to the design of the ISSTRS is the development of leak monitoring and mitigation methods to address potential environmental impacts associated with leakage during hydraulic sluicing. Improvements to SST retrieval are needed for difficult-to-retrieve waste or for tanks that may leak beyond allowable limits. Improved retrieval technologies are to be demonstrated in tank 106-C to remove the heel following sluicing. The Hanford Tank Initiative (HTI) will provide demonstration of improved technologies as well as work toward defining closure criteria to determine acceptable waste residual following retrieval activities. Mixer pumps are the reference technology for DST waste mobilization for retrieval. A process test will be performed in tank 101-AZ to demonstrate the capability of mixer pumps to mobilize neutralized current acid waste sludge. Concurrent with this activity, advanced design mixer pumps will be procured and tested with the goal of improved reliability and reduced life-cycle costs. Performance data obtained will be applied to other equipment used by the Initial Tank Retrieval System project, which will provide mixer pump based retrieval systems for 10 DSTs. The following technology needs have been identified and prioritized through the Hanford Site Technology Coordination Group for the Tank Focus Area: - Establish Retrieval Performance Criteria - SST Alternative Retrieval Technologies - Advanced Design Mixer Pumps for Mixer Pump Enhancement - Tank Leak Detection and Mitigation Systems for SSTs - Alternative to Mixer Pumps for better reliability and longer life - High Accuracy Psychometric/Flow Measurements capability to improve process control - Identification and management of Chromium and problem constituents for Hanford HLW vitrification - Avoidance of formation of solids in Phase I liquid tank wastes - Prediction of gel and precipitate formation in Hanford Tank Waste - Enhanced sludge wash data for extended operations of Phase I and for Phase II RFP preparation - Bench-scale radioactive demonstration of Phase I sludge washing.Post 2006 Project Scope Provided by Project Manager:
Single Shell Tank (SST) System Waste retrieval from SSTs and MUSTs will continue; scheduled for completion by September 2018. Storage of wastes within the SST system and transfer of wastes to the DST system will continue until FY2018 Closure of the SSTs is scheduled for completion by September 2024. Closure of the SSTs is scheduled for completion by September 2024. Closure of the SSTs is scheduled for completion by September 2024. Post-closure monitoring will begin in 2034 and continue through the end of the EM mission in 2050. Further post-closure monitoring will be conducted by other programs if required. Double Shell Tank (DST) System Waste retrieval from DSTs will continue; scheduled for completion in 2028. Waste will be staged in DSTs and transferred to the private immobilization contractors to support Phase I extended operations. Closure of the DSTs may begin as early as 2024 and is scheduled for completion by 2034. Removal of DST waste will continue until all waste is retrieved from DSTs; scheduled for completion in FY2028 Maintaining DSTs in safe and compliant manner will continue until all waste is retrieved from DSTs; scheduled for completion in FY2028 Waste will be staged in DSTs and transferred to the private immobilization contractors to support Phase I extended operations. Waste will be staged in DSTs and transferred to the private immobilization contractors to support Phase I extended operations. Closure of the DSTs may begin as early as 2024 and is scheduled for completion by 2034. Post-closure monitoring will begin in 2034 and continue through the end of the EM mission in 2050. Further post-closure monitoring will be conducted by other programs if required.Project End State Provided by Project Manager:
All waste has been retrieved from the SSTs, DSTs, and MUSTs. All tanks have been closed in accordance with regulatory requirements. Specific work activities to close the facilities under this Project to be performed by others at the end of this Project`s mission are identified below.The full list of science research awards that have the potential to address projects such as this one, which deals with High Level Waste, Health / Ecology / Risk, and Mixed Waste problems, are listed in the Index of Research Awards by Environmental Management Problem Area, in the back of this appendix, under the headings "High Level Waste, Health / Ecology / Risk, and Mixed Waste".
The following awards were identified through systems engineering to have the potential to address the specific needs of this Project. Those research awards that may have the strongest link to this project are designated by the symbol "§".
The following tree shows how the above awards link to this project. When multiple brances are shown leading to or from a problem area, branches to the left are primary links and branches to the right are secondary.
| High Cost Project | RL-TW04 - Retrieval Project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Problem Areas Linked to RL-TW04: | High Level Waste | Health / Ecology / Risk | Mixed Waste | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research Awards Linked to RL-TW04: Pass the mouse over an Award ID for more information, below. Click ID for more detail: |
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