Year in Review Highlights EM’s Extensive Progress in Tank Waste Treatment, D&D and More

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) made substantial progress on its cleanup mission in 2024, advancing priorities to treat liquid tank waste, carry out deactivation and decommissioning, remediate groundwater and soil contamination, and reduce risk.

These accomplishments and more across the cleanup complex are chronicled in EM’s 2024 Year in Review released today.

The accomplishments set up EM for even greater success in the future as it remains focused on achieving its mission safely, effectively and at a practical cost to taxpayers.

Progress EM has made to date has led to a cleaner environment, while boosting DOE’s national security missions, supporting scientific innovation and enabling a better future.

Strong partners in diverse communities and tribal nations help advance cleanup and plan for the future. And EM’s sustained progress will not be possible without strong relationships with regulators, state and local officials, the communities near EM sites and all those with a stake in the program’s success.

To ensure EM maintains a workforce capable of carrying out the cleanup mission well into the future, it must continue to recruit, train and place highly skilled employees while supporting and encouraging STEM education programs.

The 2024 Year in Review highlights progress and accomplishments at each EM site, including:

Hanford Field Office

• Heated second of two melters and initiated cold commissioning at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant.

Savannah River Site

• Received authorization to operate Saltstone Disposal Unit (SDU) 9, and completed all major concrete placements for SDU 10.

Oak Ridge

• Completed soil remediation at East Tennessee Technology Park.

Portsmouth Paducah Project Office

• Finished deactivation of the X-333 Process Building at the Portsmouth Site.
• Removed an additional 1 million pounds of hazardous R-114 refrigerant from the Paducah Site.

Idaho Cleanup Project

• Continued Naval Reactors Facility demolition of two historic and defueled naval nuclear propulsion plants.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

• Completed construction and began commissioning of the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System, which is expected to be operational in 2026.

EM Los Alamos Field Office

• Retrieved, size-reduced and repackaged 158 buried corrugated metal pipes containing cemented transuranic waste at Technical Area 54, Area G.

Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center Site Progress

• Finished the safe demolition of ancillary structures at the Engine Maintenance, Assembly, and Disassembly and Test Cell C facilities that were part of the historic Nevada National Security Sites Nuclear Rocket Development Station.