RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) is preparing to employ an innovative treatment system at the Hanford Site to speed up the removal of contamination in the soil near the Columbia River.
The system is installed on a half-acre area near the former K East Reactor. It is designed to remove hexavalent chromium, a hazardous chemical added to cooling water to inhibit corrosion in Hanford’s reactors. During Cold War operations, some of the chromium was spilled or leaked to the soil.
Groundwater treatment facilities have reduced the area of chromium contamination by more than 75% since 2010, but some contamination remains in the soil above the water table, making it difficult to remove.
EM contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company is implementing a new soil flushing system near the Hanford Site’s former K East Reactor. The system forces residual chromium contamination in the soil down to groundwater, where it will be extracted through a network of existing wells and sent to a nearby treatment facility.
The new system works by using up to 225 gallons of clean water per minute to force — or flush — chromium contamination in the soil down to the groundwater, where it will be extracted through a network of existing wells and sent to a nearby treatment facility, accelerating the cleanup process.
“We are always seeking more thoughtful and cost-effective ways to improve the performance of our groundwater treatment network,” said Ellwood Glossbrenner, RL project lead for cleanup of soil and groundwater at Hanford. “The protection of the Columbia River is our ultimate goal, and this soil treatment system is a great example of how we are achieving our goal.”
The flushing system is expected to start this summer.
“I’m proud of our team for successfully implementing this enhancement to our groundwater remedy,” said Emily Macdonald, CPCCo project manager. “Removing this hard-to-reach contamination is a win for the environment and gets us one step closer to completing cleanup along the river.”
A new groundwater remediation system on the Hanford Site will use a network of pipes to flood the soil with clean water to accelerate removal of residual chromium, a toxic chemical. Nearby pump-and-treat facilities have reduced chromium contamination in groundwater in the area by more than 75% since 2010.
Collectively, Hanford’s treatment systems have removed about 600 tons of contaminants over the life of the groundwater cleanup mission. Most of the chromium contamination in the soil and groundwater along the Columbia River has been removed, as well as other contaminants of concern such as carbon tetrachloride, technetium-99 and uranium.
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environmental Management, submit your e-mail address.