Hanford Evaporator Campaign Reduces Tank Waste Volume

Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure successfully completed a recent waste-reduction campaign at the 242-A Evaporator.

RICHLAND, Wash. — Workers at the Hanford Site created another 353,000 gallons of storage space, supporting the ongoing mission to remove, treat and dispose of tank waste.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) recently completed a waste-reduction campaign at the 242-A Evaporator. Condensing the site’s waste helps contractor Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C) continue safe waste transfers from older underground tanks to newer, double-shell tanks, reducing risk to the community and environment.

“Each campaign enables us to safely handle liquid waste while laying the groundwork for its long-term treatment and disposal,” said Will Ruane, 242-A program manager at Hanford Field Office. “But evaporator campaigns are effective to a point and can only remove so much water from the waste. That’s why a dual-path, glass-plus-grout strategy is necessary to create more double-shell tank space to allow waste retrievals to continue.”

Rakesh Malhan, standing, a shift operations manager, and Erik Bohlman, foreground, and Issac Coronado, nuclear chemical operators, monitor evaporator operations from the control room of the Hanford Site’s 242-A Evaporator.

The evaporator has a critical role in Hanford’s cleanup mission. In its nearly 50 years of operations, the facility has helped remove more than 82 million gallons of liquid from Hanford’s waste tanks.

During a campaign, radioactive and chemical waste is boiled at low pressure using steam heat to remove water. The remaining concentrated waste — known as slurry — is transferred back to a storage tank for future treatment. The evaporator water is filtered and sent to Hanford’s Effluent Treatment Facility for additional processing and disposal.

Allie Smith, a nuclear chemical operator, takes process condensate samples during the Hanford Site’s recent 242-A Evaporator campaign.

“Everyone came together with focus and commitment, which allowed us to achieve a successful campaign,” said Brandon McFerran, H2C’s Production Operations manager. “The team’s collaboration and dedication made it all possible.”

The facility restarted in 2025 after being offline for six years to complete a series of upgrades and repairs. The next scheduled campaign is in the first quarter of 2027.