Workers recently completed an 18-month project of replacing 11 hot cell windows at the 222-S Laboratory on the Hanford Site.
Office of Environmental Management
October 29, 2024
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A newly installed hot cell window at the Hanford Site’s 222-S Laboratory improves visibility and sets up the lab to continue supporting Hanford’s cleanup mission.
RICHLAND, Wash. — Workers recently completed an 18-month project of replacing 11 hot cell windows at the 222-S Laboratory on the Hanford Site.
Hanford contractor Navarro-ATL manages the laboratory, which provides critical analyses for all onsite projects. Lab technicians use specially designed hot cells to remotely handle highly radioactive samples of tank waste while minimizing radiation exposure.
“The 222-S Laboratory is the primary lab analyzing radioactive samples at the Hanford Site,” said Delmar Noyes, Hanford assistant manager for Tank Waste Operations. “These upgrades help keep lab technicians safe as the cleanup mission progresses."
A 222-S Laboratory technician uses a mechanical manipulator in a hot cell to remotely analyze a sample. Crews recently replaced 11 hot cell windows, improving safety and reliability in the lab.
The replacement work required substantial planning and preparation, including radiation controls and mock-ups, not only because the solid glass windows weighed between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds each, but also because the work was done while continuing operations.
"Installing the new windows is a significant achievement for Navarro-ATL," said Ray Geimer, Navarro-ATL general manager. "Completing this project improves visibility into the hot cells and sets up the 222-S facility to continue to reliably support the Hanford cleanup mission.”
In addition to the window replacement project, Navarro-ATL is also renovating outdated laboratory rooms, replacing aging analytical equipment and hot cell manipulator arms.
These projects position the laboratory to expand its capacity as operations begin at Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The plant is part of the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Program, which will treat tank waste by immobilizing it in glass for safe disposal.
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