Brian Vance, Manager, Hanford Field Office
“Our team made significant strides in the Hanford cleanup mission, reaching key milestones that bring us closer to vitrifying tank waste for the first time. Throughout this year we maintained a strong focus on safety and risk reduction, ensuring the protection of our workforce, community and environment. Our 2024 accomplishments reflect the dedication and expertise of our team, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made as we continue our mission to safeguard the Pacific Northwest for future generations.”
ADVANCING TANK WASTE TREATMENT FOR A SAFER FUTURE
Retrieved waste from Hanford’s 21st single-shell tank. Workers are now starting retrieval activities in the next single-shell tank farm, starting with Tank A-101, where to date 325,000 gallons of waste has been transferred to a double-shell tank.
The Tank-Side Cesium Removal System continued treating tank waste, with approximately 831,000 gallons currently staged and ready for immobilization at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, supporting the goal of immobilizing tank waste in glass starting in 2025.
Right Caption: A glance inside the Central Plateau Water Treatment Facility shows construction progress.
DEMONSTRATING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION THROUGH RISK REDUCTION
Demonstrating its commitment to environmental safety, Hanford workers completed dewatering the K West Reactor Basin, removing and processing more than 1.2 million gallons of contaminated water, significantly reducing risks to the nearby Columbia River. The basin was then stabilized with grout, marking major progress in the river corridor cleanup effort. The site also made significant strides in groundwater treatment, processing more than 2 billion gallons for the 10th consecutive year, further protecting the region’s ecosystem and water sources. Since the mid-1990s more than 34 billion gallons of groundwater have been treated.
INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS SUPPORTING SAFE OPERATIONS
Critical infrastructure upgrades have been a focal point in maintaining Hanford’s operational efficiency and safety. A new electrical transmission line—a joint project with the Bonneville Power Administration—is on track to be energized in May 2025. This upgrade enables a reliable power supply to the site for decades to come, enhancing safe and stable operations. Another major improvement is the construction of a new water treatment plant. When operations begin in late 2025, the plant will supply 3.5 million gallons of potable water per day with the capacity to expand to 5 million gallons per day. This will support operations for tank waste treatment and immobilization and provide treated water to Hanford’s Central Plateau.
SETTING THE STAGE FOR FUTURE SUCCESSES
The Hanford Field Office consolidated operations once performed by two separate DOE organizations, streamlining efforts across the site. With continued progress in infrastructure, workforce development and cleanup operations, 2025 promises to be another year of accomplishments as Hanford achieves successes decades in the making.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Heated second of two melters and initiated cold commissioning at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant—an EM 2024 priority.
- Installed equipment and treated approximately 2,000 gallons of waste as part of the Test Bed Initiative demonstration project—an EM 2024 priority.
- Dewatered and stabilized K West Basin—an EM 2024 priority.
- Treated more than 2 billion gallons of contaminated groundwater for the 10th consecutive year—an EM 2024 priority.
- Retrieved waste from AX Tank Farm, bringing the total to 21 tanks emptied. Initiated waste retrieval from the first tank in A Tank Farm.
- Completed construction of U Tank Farm surface barrier, providing further protection to groundwater.
- Reached a breakthrough agreement with the state of Washington and EPA on the approach for Hanford’s tank waste mission, and working collaboratively to finalize the plan.