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.
Tank Waste News
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The Hanford Site has successfully started up its Low-Activity Waste Facility, a key component of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant that has begun to solidify Hanford tank waste in glass for the first time. This achievement, supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management meets the October 15, 2025, Consent Decree legal commitment with the state of Washington.October 15, 2025
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Workers at the Hanford Site treated more than 7.25 million gallons of wastewater over a six-month period that ended recently. September 30, 2025September 30, 2025
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The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management is nearing completion of a campaign in Idaho that involves reconditioning previously containerized transuranic waste to allow its safe shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico for permanent disposal. September 30, 2025September 30, 2025
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The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management has reached another significant milestone with concurrence from regulators that radioactive waste has successfully been removed from another tank at the Savannah River Site. September 23, 2025September 23, 2025