Nuclear Resurgence on Display During Walsh’s Volunteer State Visit

Removes more waste from Washington, enabling continued tank waste treatment

RICHLAND, Wash. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Field Office has submitted two permit modification requests to the Washington State Department of Ecology that could accelerate cleanup and save American taxpayers billions. These requests represent the latest step in a science-backed dual glass-plus-grout strategy to eliminate risks posed by aging tanks and meet cleanup commitments to the people of Washington more quickly, safely and efficiently.

"The people of Washington deserve an all-of-the-above approach," said DOE Environmental Management (EM) Chief Operating Officer David Brunnert. "That includes proven glass and grout solutions that have been safely and successfully used for decades across DOE and around the globe."

The requested changes would enable a seamless and fully regulated path from tank-side treatment to grouting and out-of-state disposal. Tank-side treated waste is low-activity liquid waste that has been partially processed and cleaned to remove more than 99.9 percent of radioactivity. These actions reinforce DOE's commitment to using all practical tools to accelerate cleanup and delivering better value to taxpayers.

The permit modifications underscore the urgency of advancing the Hanford tank waste mission. Hanford's only tank-side treatment system, which removes 99.9 percent of the radioactivity from the waste its process, has been paused since March 10 while awaiting the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) to ramp up. With the double-shell tanks nearly at capacity, this pause represents a missed opportunity to treat 400,000 gallons of waste using the tank-side system. While the tank-side treatment system may be able to restart later this month, additional delays could force the suspension of waste retrieval from single-shell tank A-103. The dual glass plus-grout strategy will protect the ability to continue retrieving waste from aging single shell tanks, resume tank waste treatment and maximize opportunities to speed up the Hanford tank waste mission without sacrificing safely or effectiveness.

"The WTP will be fed first," said Hanford Field Office Manager Ray Geimer. "This permit ask is about excess waste beyond WTP capabilities. Hanford's dual path strategy is about safely dispositioning more waste, sooner," Geimer added. "This approach would get up to a million gallons of additional tank waste grouted and shipped out of Washington state for disposal by the end of next year - that's on top of the amount we will immobilize in glass and store on site," said Geimer. "It redefines what the site could look like within our lifetimes."

WTP Permit Modification Request

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. This plan includes proposed minor modifications to EMF systems, including valves and piping. Before any transfer, the waste would be sampled and analyzed to ensure it meets applicable regulatory acceptance criteria.

Tank Farms Permit Modification Request

Hanford Tank Waste Operations' 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.

DOE looks forward to sharing additional details with interested members of the public at a meeting at the Richland Public Library on Aug. 26.

Media Contacts:

Jessica Gleason, Office of Environmental Management, 202-505-0112, [email protected]

Cerise Peck, Hanford Field Office, 509-980-8466, [email protected]