U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management crews have resumed waste processing operations at a radioactive liquid waste treatment facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site following the completion of two maintenance campaigns.
Office of Environmental Management
September 17, 2024
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Integrated Waste Treatment Unit crews replace filter bundles inside the process gas filter.
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management crews have resumed waste processing operations at a radioactive liquid waste treatment facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site following the completion of two maintenance campaigns.
During the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit operational pause, engineers replaced the granulated activated carbon beds, which remove mercury during the sodium-bearing waste treatment process. Crews also replaced process gas filter bundles and conducted minor maintenance operations. Gases from the facility's primary reaction vessel are filtered through 18 filter bundles comprised of 342 individual filters.
A close-up view of Integrated Waste Treatment Unit crews replacing filter bundles inside the process gas filter.
To date, the facility has treated more than 80,000 gallons of radioactive liquid waste that remains in underground waste tanks at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.
Sodium-bearing waste is a byproduct of decontamination and rinse campaigns associated with historic spent nuclear fuel reprocessing runs at the center. The waste treatment facility uses a steam-reforming process to convert the liquid waste into a dry, granular solid, which is transferred to stainless steel canisters and placed in concrete vaults for onsite storage.
Sodium-bearing waste treatment is expected to take three to seven years to complete, accounting for outages to conduct regular maintenance on the facility.
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