Hanford, DOE Asks State for Modified Permits to ‘Speed Up’ Cleanup Process

The DOE (Department of Energy) Hanford Field Office has submitted two requests to the WA State Department of Ecology, to modify some waste treatment permits.

   The Permits, Say DOE, Could Greatly Speed up Cleanup

DOE Officials say the recent advancements and progress in what's called tank-side treatment, then grouting and then disposal.

Grouting is where processed waste is placed in a concrete-like material that seals it complete.  Tank side treatment takes liquid low-level waste from tanks, such as the aging A-103 (an old single-shell tank) and removes 99.9 percent of harmful radioactivity.

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Officials say the Waste Treatment Plant will be fed first, when it comes to waste, they said these permit modifications are for waste that is beyond the WTP plants capabilities.

According to DOE:

 "Bechtel National Incorporated’s permit modification request would enable tank-side treated low‑activity waste from tank AP‑106 to be routed to the Effluent Management Facility (EMF) and then loaded into a U.S. Department of Transportation approved tanker truck for shipment to a licensed commercial treatment facility for disposition."

DOE laid out information about the second permit modification:

"Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C)’s permit modification request would allow tank-side treated waste from double-shell storage tank AP‑106 to be transferred to WTP for vitrification or shipped offsite for disposition in grout and out-of-state disposal, consistent with the EMF pathway."

So far, Hanford has treated over 100,000 of the estimated 56 milion gallons of nuclear waste of various kinds, and treated over 39 billion gallons of contaminated groundwater, and also removed thousands of tons of contaminated soil.