Tank waste remediation system: An update

Conference · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:86946

Alumkal, W T; Babad, H; Dunford, G L; Honeyman, J O; Wodrich, D D

The US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site, located in southeastern Washington State, contains the largest amount and the most diverse collection of highly radioactive waste in the US. High-level radioactive waste has been stored at the Hanford Site in large, underground tanks since 1944. Approximately 217,000 M{sup 3} (57 Mgal) of caustic liquids, slurries, saltcakes, and sludges have accumulated in 177 tanks. In addition, significant amounts of {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs were removed from the tank waste, converted to salts, doubly encapsulated in metal containers, and stored in water basins. The Tank Waste Remediation System Program was established by the US Department of Energy in 1991 to safely manage and immobilize these wastes in anticipation of permanent disposal of the high-level waste fraction in a geologic repository. Since 1991, significant progress has been made in resolving waste tank safety issues, upgrading Tank Farm facilities and operations, and developing a new strategy for retrieving, treating, and immobilizing the waste for disposal.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-87RL10930
• OSTI ID: 86946
• Report Number(s): WHC-SA--2623; CONF-950216--151; ON: DE95013487
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
CESIUM 137
HANFORD RESERVATION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
REMEDIAL ACTION
SAFETY ENGINEERING
SORTING
STORAGE FACILITIES
STRONTIUM 90
TANKS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
VITRIFICATION
WASTE RETRIEVAL