Workers at the Hanford Site recently completed one of the most technically demanding pump removal projects in the site’s history, preparing for eventually grouting 200 West Area tank waste. August 4, 2026
Office of Environmental Management
August 4, 2026
Estimated Read Time min
RICHLAND, Wash. — Workers at the Hanford Site recently completed one of the most technically demanding pump removal projects in the site’s history, preparing for eventually grouting 200 West Area tank waste.
Installed in Tank SY-101 in 1993 to help reduce hydrogen buildup, the mixer pump is about 50 feet long and weighs roughly 10 tons. Its size and design made the removal a complex but necessary step. Hanford’s only double-shell tank farm in the 200 West Area, SY Farm is expected to play a key role in the next phase of waste cleanup. This pump needed to be removed to install future tank waste retrieval equipment.
“This project was important because it safely removed a large, specialized piece of equipment that had served its purpose and was standing in the way of future work in SY Farm,” said Andy Wiborg, director of the Hanford Field Office Tank Farm Programs Division for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management. “The team carried out this high-hazard work with strong radiological controls, careful planning and disciplined execution.”
Crews at the Hanford Site removed a legacy mixer pump from Tank SY-101, helping prepare for future waste retrieval and pretreatment work in the 200 West Area.
As the mixer pump was removed from the tank, jets on a cleaning system, at right, sprayed high-pressure water to help remove the waste.
The effort required extensive planning, mock-up training and custom engineering. Before work began in the tank farm, crews with contractor Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C) rehearsed the removal at an offsite mock-up to test equipment, refine work steps and improve safety. They also used a specially designed hydraulic lift system, dubbed “Hercules,” to begin freeing the pump in a controlled way. Additional systems were used to clean, handle and package the pump for disposal.
“This project probably touched every department and every organization in the company,” said Jeff Stevens, H2C acting president and program manager. “This truly was a group effort, and everybody should be very proud.”
The crews removed the pump and packaged it for disposal with no contamination issues and no operational upsets, showing how planning, practice and teamwork can support safe progress on Hanford’s cleanup mission.
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environmental Management, submit your e-mail address.