Hanford Site Cleanup Challenges and Opportunities for Science and Technology - A Strategic Assessment
In November 2000, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland Operations Office (RL) initiated an effort to produce a single, strategic perspective of RL Site closure challenges and potential Science and Technology (S&T) opportunities. This assessment was requested by DOE Headquarters (HQ), Office of Science and Technology, EM-50, as a means to provide a site level perspective on S&T priorities in the context of the Hanford 2012 Vision. The objectives were to evaluate the entire cleanup lifecycle (estimated at over $24 billion through 2046), to identify where the greatest uncertainties exist, and where investments in S&T can provide the maximum benefit. The assessment identified and described the eleven strategic closure challenges associated with the cleanup of the Hanford Site. The assessment was completed in the spring of 2001 and provided to DOE-HQ and the Hanford Site Technology Coordination Group (STCG) for review and input. It is the first step in developing a Site-level S&T strategy for RL. To realize the full benefits of this assessment, RL and Site contractors will work with the Hanford STCG to ensure: identified challenges and opportunities are reflected in project baselines; detailed S&T program-level road maps reflecting both near- and long-term investments are prepared using this assessment as a starting point; and integrated S&T priorities are incorporated into Environmental Management (EM) Focus Areas, Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) and other research and development (R&D) programs to meet near-term and longer-range challenges. Hanford is now poised to begin the detailed planning and road mapping necessary to ensure that the integrated Site level S&T priorities are incorporated into the national DOE S&T program and formally incorporated into the relevant project baselines. DOE-HQ's response to this effort has been very positive and similar efforts are likely to be undertaken at other sites. Hanford was the first site where such a unique, comprehensive assessment was performed. This paper provides a means to share this approach with other sites and to introduce Hanford's S&T challenges to potential technology providers and other interested parties.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office P.O. Box 550, MSIN K8-50, Richland, WA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science and Technology (OST) (EM-50) (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 835267
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2002 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/24/2002--02/28/2002; Other Information: PBD: 28 Feb 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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