Semiannual Accomplishments Hanford Tank Farms FY 2002 October 2001 Thru March 2002
During the first half of fiscal year 2002, CH2M HILL Hanford Group reached an important safety milestone while making progress on preparations to retrieve waste and close tanks. Working for the Department of Energy's Office of River Protection, CH2M HILL accomplished several challenging projects. To increase confidence when cleanup work moves to the field, CH2M HILL and its subcontractors built a large simulated waste tank to test cleanup equipment using environmentally friendly simulated waste. Preparations to retrieve waste for treatment included construction of a major new waste routing facility and the installation of thousands of feet of waste transfer piping. Efforts to reduce storage risks included moving over half a million gallons of highly radioactive and hazardous waste from older single-shell tanks to newer, safer double-shell tanks and adjusting tank waste chemistry to reduce corrosion of tank walls. A new technology and proven techniques were used to reduce risk to the workforce, the public, and the environment. A robotic arm called the Pit Viper was demonstrated for the first time in the field to determine its ability to do remote cleanup work. Polyurea coating, a substance similar to a spray-on truck bed liner, was applied to waste transfer ''pits,'' shortening the time-consuming process of refurbishing these facilities needed for moving waste to treatment. Award-winning work on utilities for the waste treatment (vitrification) facility was completed a year early and $9 million under budget, one of many ways CH2M HILL is demonstrating it will meet its commitment to do $2.5 billion worth of work for $2.2 billion in its contract with the Department of Energy. This report is provided to help readers understand how major tank farm activities fit into the context of the Department of Energy, Office of River Protection's cleanup mission at the Hanford Site. CH2M HILL Hanford Group will continue to participate with the Department of Energy, regulators, stakeholders, the public, and other Hanford contractors to work toward that goal.
- Research Organization:
- CH2M Hill Hanford Group, Inc., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC27-99RL14047
- OSTI ID:
- 807985
- Report Number(s):
- CHG-11616, Rev.0; TRN: US0302239
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 11 Jul 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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