Excavation Work Complete on Hanford Landfill Expansion

Workers with contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company recently completed excavation for Super Cell 11, left, at the Hanford Site’s Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility, right. The expansion will add about 2.8 million cubic yards of disposal capacity to support Hanford cleanup efforts through at least 2040.

RICHLAND, Wash. — Hanford Site crews recently finished digging a new disposal area at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF), the site’s engineered landfill.

Excavation began last summer on the facility’s 11th disposal cell — called a “super cell” because it is twice the size of the facility’s original cells. The new cell, which was dug 80 feet deep and measures 500 feet wide by 1,000 feet long, will add about 2.8 million cubic yards of disposal capacity to support Hanford’s ongoing cleanup mission through at least 2040.

“ERDF has been a cornerstone of our waste disposal strategy for nearly 30 years, and this expansion is essential to provide uninterrupted, efficient and safe disposal for years to come,” said Kelly Ebert, director for the Projects and Facilities Division with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Hanford Field Office.

Next spring, workers with contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) will complete the expansion project by installing an engineered liner. The liner is designed to collect potentially contaminated water from rain and dust-suppression activities to ensure the protection of groundwater.

ERDF is located near the center of the 580-square-mile Hanford Site. It accepts low-level radioactive and hazardous chemical waste generated from Hanford cleanup operations. Since opening in 1996, ERDF has received nearly 20 million tons of waste. This is the fifth expansion following additions in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011.

“Our team remains committed to safe and efficient operations at ERDF, and our experienced crews are excited about the progress being made on this important project to support continued risk reduction at Hanford,” said CPCCo President and Project Manager Bob Wilkinson.