Hanford [open quote]burping tank[close quote] to get relief
Relatively soon waste cleanup experts at the US Dept. of Energy's Hanford nuclear weapon production plant in Richland, Washington, will embark on a $30-million effort to defuse the site's most potentially dangerous environmental problem - a radioactive waste storage vat that vents potentially explosive hydrogen gas about every three months. The tank, officially known as 101-SY, is the most serious safety issue at Hanford, and both DOE and site management and operations contractor Westinghouse Hanford Co. have been under pressure from regulators to solve it. 101-SY is one of 177 huge tanks that contain wastes from former plutonium production at Hanford. Unlike its 68 single-shelled counterparts, the double-shelled 101-SY has not leaked wastes but its hydrogen gas buildup has environmental officials more concerned. The current strategy for 101-SY is to insert a giant recirculating pump to slowly mix or agitate its 1.1 million gallons of waste.
- OSTI ID:
- 7170218
- Journal Information:
- Engineering News-Record; (United States), Vol. 230:25; ISSN 0013-807X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
TANKS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SAFETY ENGINEERING
HANFORD RESERVATION
HYDROGEN
PRESSURE RELEASE
PUMPS
CONTAINERS
ELEMENTS
ENGINEERING
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
STORAGE
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
054000 - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety