Idaho Develops Innovative Solutions to Address Waste Challenges

At the Idaho Cleanup Project's Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project, standard waste boxes containing compacted waste drums are inspected prior to shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) has improved transuranic waste operations to address waste inventory challenges, ensure shipments remain compliant with safety standards and meet commitments to the state of Idaho.

In recent years, aging waste containers in storage have become more commonplace at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) at the Idaho National Laboratory Site. An analysis of the drum inventory identified signs of corrosion and degradation on drums more than 5 years old.

Dan Coyne, president and program manager of ICP contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC), recognizes the challenge this has presented to the IEC mission at AMWTP, where transuranic waste is characterized, repackaged, stored and shipped.

“Our product drums are safely stored, but many are showing signs of degradation,” Coyne said. “Without effective solutions, aging waste containers will continue to pose challenges to our mission at AMWTP.”

Idaho Cleanup Project crews inspect transuranic waste drums to ensure they comply with shipping requirements.

Coordinating with partners at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), IEC led an effort to address these challenges by improving drum designs, acquiring important shipping commodities and applying new technologies.

Corrosion is often prevalent along seams and at the bottom of the drums, so IEC crews now use drums coated with a corrosion inhibitor as a remedy. The coating improves drum integrity by protecting the inside of the drum and its contents from corrosion. A 1-inch-thick fiberboard is also placed in the inside bottom of the drum to protect against impact and abrasion from the drum “pucks” stored inside. The workhorse of AMWTP — the supercompactor — crushes the 55-gallon drums, converting them into 5-inch-thick pucks.

Additionally, IEC loads aged and corroded drums into standard waste boxes for transport and permanent emplacement at WIPP. Although the boxes have offered a safe, effective solution to continue shipping the waste, they are costly and in short supply.

To help address that shortage, IEC will begin evaluating a robotic ultrasonic testing scanner for use to confirm the integrity of aging drums. These tests inspect the thickness of the metal drums to ensure they meet the minimum specifications of radioactive materials containers approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation and other transuranic waste shipping requirements.

“I am proud of our problem-solving workforce for finding innovative WIPP-approved solutions to Idaho’s challenging waste streams,” Coyne said. “Because of their efforts, and our supportive partners at WIPP, we are better equipped to complete our mission.”

TRUPACT shipping containers allow for the safe transportation of transuranic waste from the Idaho National Laboratory Site to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for permanent emplacement.

Transuranic waste is a byproduct of the nation’s nuclear defense program, and generally consists of tools, rags, protective clothing, sludge, soil, and other materials contaminated with radioactive elements that have atomic numbers greater than uranium.

IEC is tasked with shipping the remaining transuranic waste at AMWTP for permanent emplacement at WIPP. Crews average eight to 12 shipments to WIPP each week. In fiscal year 2024, which ended Sept. 30, IEC made 365 shipments to WIPP, the highest single-year total at ICP in over a decade. IEC’s shipments represent more than 70% of all waste received at the New Mexico underground waste repository since 2022, and over 50% of all waste shipments to WIPP since it began operations in 1999.

-Contributor: Carter Harrison