Tank Waste News
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The workforce responsible for treating and safely disposing of millions of gallons of radioactive waste remaining in underground tanks at Savannah River Site has achieved 20 million safe work hours.April 15, 2025
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he Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant recently received more than 3,500 gallons of sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye.March 18, 2025
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Facility treated over 1,700 gallons of waste per day — nearly triple the rate of previous runMarch 4, 2025
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The Hanford Field Office and its tank operations contractor recently began retrieving radioactive and chemical waste from another large, underground storage tank at the Hanford Site.March 4, 2025
The Office of Environmental Management (EM) tank waste program consists of safely storing of 90 million gallons of radioactive liquid waste at the Hanford Site in Washington, the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho and the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina.
EM operates major nuclear facilities to process and dispose of the waste as well as emptying, cleaning and closing the waste tanks. The SRS and ORP waste streams treatment involves separating the highly radioactive fractions and low activity factions. The high activity portion undergoes vitrification while the low activity portion is then either vitrified or grouted.
As liquid waste is processed, the tanks are operationally closed through a process that involves: bulk waste removal, heel removal, cooling coil flushing/annulus cleaning, isolation and residual sampling and grouting.
The EM tank waste program’s goal is to continue cleanup progress in a cost-effective manner that is risk informed, engages stakeholders, applies innovative solutions and provides value to the American taxpayer.
Waste Treatment and Immobilization PlantVisit Hanford website information about its liquid waste management program.
Visit the Savannah River Site website for information on its liquid waste management program.
Visit the Idaho Cleanup Project website for information about its liquid waste management program.
