COMPARISON OF PROPOSED BARCT DESIGN FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL TREATMENT DEMONSTRACTION BULK VITRIFICATION SYSTEM (DBVS) WITH BARCT DESIGN ACCEPTED FOR WTP
The US Department of Energy-Office of River Protection (ORP) has created aggressive initiatives to accelerate the closure of single-shell tanks (SSTs) containing mixed radioactive and dangerous waste at the Hanford Site. To meet the ''Hanford Federal Facilities Agreement and Consent Order'' milestones M-45-00 and M-62-00 for completing retrieval of SSTs by 2018 and completing tank waste treatment by 2028, ORP is evaluating optimizing the Hanford Site Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) high-level waste (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification in addition to treating waste using bulk vitrification as a supplemental technology. Further testing using Hanford tank waste is needed to provide data to support the bulk vitrification supplemental technology efforts. The ORP is proposing to install and operate a Demonstration Bulk Vitrification System (DBVS) project under a Research, Development, and Demonstration permit application. The DBVS will process up 1,355,500 L (300,000 gal) of LAW from Tank 241-S-109 located in the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site. For all new construction of emission units, Best Available Radionuclide Control Technology (BARCT) shall be used in accordance with WAC 246-247, Radiation Protection-Air Emissions. It was noted in a Washington State Department of Health review of the ''Radioactive Air Emissions Notice Of Construction For The Supplemental Treatment Test And Demonstration Facility'' that a BARCT assessment is required considering the magnitude of the supplemental treatment project. However, the agency indicated the BARCT assessment already completed for the WTP can be used for similar abatement control equipment, but the WTP assessment conclusions have to support the DBVS project. A comparison review of the proposed BARCT design for the DBVS project and the WTP BARCT assessment was completed as discussed herein. The conclusions reached from this comparison are: the DBVS and WTP radionuclide inventory to be processed are similar, the DBVS radionuclide inventory to be processed is less than 3% of the WTP radionuclide inventory, the DBVS and WTP airstream temperatures entering the melter to final stack discharge are similar during the vitrification process, the DBVS and WTP abatement control equipment's purpose and function are similar, the DBVS and WTP abatement design include two HEPA filters in series for control of particulates and aerosols, the WTP BARCT proposed no controls for emissions of radioactive gases <0.1 mrem/year, the WTP BARCT proposed using a caustic scrubber for control of radioactive gases >0.1 mrem/year ({sup 129}I), the DBVS radioactive gaseous emissions ({sup 3}H, {sup 14}C, {sup 106}Ru, {sup 129}I) are <0.1 mrem/year, the DBVS and WTP abatement design protect the HEPA filters. Based on this review, the selected abatement controls for the WTP and the proposed abatement controls for the DBVS project are similar in purpose and function. BARCT is being incorporated into the design of the DBVS project. The design of the DBVS and WTP offgas systems are similar with the exception of the equipment selected for airstream cooling. The WTP utilizes a submerged bed scrubber and the DBVS utilizes a quencher. It is requested that the Washington State Department of Health concur the proposed DBVS abatement controls meet the BARCT requirements.
- 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:
- 832838
- Report Number(s):
- RPP-22807, Rev.0; TRN: US0405695
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 16 Sep 2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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