Construction progress continues at the Integrated Disposal Facility.
Office of Environmental Management
September 22, 2020
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RICHLAND, Wash. – Construction progress continues at the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF), an essential component of a high-priority project to begin treating tank waste at the Hanford Site.
Watch this video to learn about the work being done at IDF.
EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) is preparing the engineered landfill to eventually receive vitrified low-activity tank waste from the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant in support of the site’s Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) program, an EM 2020 priority.
“The Integrated Disposal Facility is a critical part of the DFLAW initiative to begin treating tank waste,” said Gary Pyles, IDF project manager for RL. “This is another step towards safely, efficiently, and effectively managing Hanford tank waste.”
Ongoing IDF activities consist of workers installing 8,000 feet of underground sewage and water lines, building concrete pads to support vitrified waste containers, and installing electrical wiring. A mile and a half of fencing is going up, and about 45,000 cubic yards of gravel is being brought in to provide a firm foundation around the facility.
“We’re also working on the disposal facility’s leachate collection system,” said Craig Larson, CHPRC IDF project director. “Water from dust suppression, rain, and snowmelt drops through several feet of filtering materials before it reaches a liner at the bottom. All of the liquid gets captured and safely processed, so nothing gets to the environment.”
During reduced operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team continued to advance the project by focusing on permitting, design, and engineering to support construction of the facility. The team is also incorporating lessons learned from more than 20 years of successfully operating Hanford’s larger engineered landfill, the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility, into the design, construction, and operations planning at IDF.
After crews finish the IDF infrastructure upgrades this year, the facility will undergo operational readiness reviews to support the startup of DFLAW.