Idaho Facility Advances Liquid Waste Treatment Mission, Protects Aquifer

The Integrated Waste Treatment Unit is a one-of-a-kind facility designed to convert a liquid radioactive waste stored at the Idaho National Laboratory Site into a safer, more stable granular solid. The facility has so far processed a third of this waste.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) has successfully converted a third of the radioactive liquid waste stored at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site into a safer solid form, advancing its mission to safely meet cleanup commitments with the state of Idaho while helping protect the underlying Snake River Plain Aquifer.

To date, the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) has processed approximately 312,000 of the 900,000 gallons of the sodium-bearing waste stored in underground tanks on the INL Site.

“I am proud of the progress the IWTU team has made. The dedication and commitment of the IWTU team is second to none,” Acting ICP Manager Nick Balsmeier said. “Treating the remaining sodium-bearing waste is a top priority for the Idaho Cleanup Project and demonstrates our commitment to the state of Idaho in meeting our regulatory milestones, protecting Idaho’s Snake River Plain Aquifer and the future of the Idaho National Laboratory.”

Jimmy Spells, IWTU Nuclear Operations senior director with ICP contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC), credited the facility's success to the commitment and sacrifice of its employees.

“Our employees have dedicated their careers and given up precious holiday, weekend and vacation time to support the IWTU,” Spells said. “I am incredibly proud of them and honored to celebrate this achievement with them.”

Following multiple successful waste processing runs, IWTU crews emptied one of three tanks onsite containing the waste, reducing risk to workers, the public and the environment.

Bill Kirby, IEC chief operating officer, applauded IWTU employees for their contributions to the waste treatment campaigns.

“I’m continually impressed by the team at IWTU,” Kirby said. “The IWTU’s performance has improved with each processing run, and I look forward to recognizing more achievements to come.”

Sodium-bearing waste is a byproduct of decontamination activities associated with more than 40 years of used nuclear fuel recycling runs at the INL Site’s Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center that ended in 1992.

IWTU will continue processing the waste until all 900,000 gallons are treated. This process is expected to take five to seven years, including routine maintenance. Once the waste is fully processed, crews will clean, grout and permanently close the underground storage tanks.

-Contributor: Carter Harrison