RICHLAND, Wash. — Workers with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) recently completed comprehensive testing of new components at the Hanford Site’s Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF).
The monthslong testing program aimed to ensure that engineers installed and operated the parts as designed, and that they worked as an integrated system to successfully transfer nearly 2,000 radioactive capsules from the facility’s underwater basin to a dry-storage area.
“Completing the process is a big step for this critical project,” said Gary Pyles, Hanford Field Office federal project director. “While we still need to conduct readiness reviews and assessments in the coming months, the project is on track to begin transferring capsules as soon as next fall.”
EMTV: Check out this animation to learn more about the capsule transfer process.
Last spring, crews assembled a cask storage system to hold the capsules when they are moved to the dry-storage area. About one-third of the Hanford Site's radioactivity is contained in the capsules.“We’ve come a long way on this project in the past few years thanks to a hardworking team that routinely demonstrates innovative thinking, problem-solving skills and a commitment to safety,” said Neal Sullivan, CPCCo project manager. “We’re excited for and confident that we’ll continue to meet our challenges over the next year and deliver on a project that ranks high on the Hanford cleanup priority list.”
From 1974 to 1985, cesium and strontium recovered from Hanford’s waste storage tanks were placed in stainless steel capsules and stored under 13 feet of water in WESF. The water provides shielding from radiation and keeps the capsules from overheating. Moving the capsules to dry storage not only eliminates a longer-term risk of a radioactive release in the unlikely event of a loss of basin water but also enables the deactivation of the aging WESF facility, saving as much as $6 million in annual operating costs.