The Integrated Disposal Facility, a key component of the Hanford Site’s Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Program, is a step closer to disposing of treated tank waste, thanks to EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company .
Office of Environmental Management
September 7, 2021
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RICHLAND, Wash. – The Integrated Disposal Facility, a key component of the Hanford Site’s Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Program, is a step closer to disposing of treated tank waste, thanks to EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo).
This summer, crews have been installing heavy-duty liners inside the facility’s two 400,000-gallon leachate tanks. These tanks will hold runoff from rain, snow, and dust suppression that reaches the bottom of the two large-lined disposal cells. The leachate will be monitored and sent to an on-site water treatment facility to ensure the protection of groundwater.
CPCCo is completing construction on the engineered landfill to provide safe permanent disposal of vitrified low-activity tank waste from the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The facility is designed similar to Hanford’s Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility, which has safely supported cleanup activities for 25 years.
“It’s exciting to see the landfill site continue to take shape,” said Gary Pyles, RL federal project manager for the facility. “This facility is critical to the success of DOE’s initiative to begin tank waste treatment by the end of 2023, Hanford’s highest priority.”
The liner placement follows completion of utility upgrades, construction of waste container pallet and transport trailer inspection buildings, and the addition of a pipeline between the facility’s two leachate collection tanks to optimize system operations.
“We have made tremendous progress on the Integrated Disposal Facility over the past year,” said Andy Drom, director for CPCCo’s waste projects and operations group. “I’m proud of our team for keeping the project safely on track in support of the sitewide effort to begin tank waste treatment.”
In coming months, crews will install domes on the leachate tanks, as well as build a concrete waste storage and treatment pad. Construction activities are expected to be completed in 2022.
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