EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) recently disposed of two large pieces of equipment used during demolition of the Hanford Site’s Plutonium Finishing Plant.
Office of Environmental Management
May 31, 2022
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RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) recently disposed of two large pieces of equipment used during demolition of the Hanford Site’s Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) — one of the most hazardous facilities ever remediated in the EM complex.
Crews disposed of a large excavator and crane at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF), Hanford’s onsite engineered landfill for low-level waste generated during cleanup activities.
The excavator was a demolition workhorse for several years at PFP, used in strategically dismantling the main processing facility and several associated structures, while the crane supported a variety of waste loadout activities. Both pieces of equipment completed their service lives; in fact, the crane began working on the Hanford Site in 1977.
“ERDF has played a critical role in Hanford’s risk-reduction mission for more than 25 years,” said Mark French, RL project and facilities division director. “ERDF’s size provides an incredible amount of flexibility for disposing of the many types of waste generated during Hanford cleanup.”
To prepare the equipment for disposal, workers drained diesel fuel from both the excavator and crane. In total, 260 gallons of fuel were repurposed to equipment needed for daily operations, including bulldozers and compactors. Workers also collected hydraulic oil, engine oil and coolant for disposal.
“Recycling fuel demonstrates the ERDF team’s commitment to safe and efficient operations and environmental protection,” said CPCCo ERDF Manager Craig Larson.
After the fluids were removed, workers filled the empty spaces in both the excavator and crane with grout to keep dirt from collapsing into the empty areas. The equipment will then eventually be fully encased in grout before being covered with soil.
ERDF is the largest landfill in the EM complex, containing 18.6 million tons of contaminated soil, debris and solid waste from cleanup activities in both Hanford’s Central Plateau and Columbia River corridor. Workers at the 107-acre facility have disposed of material from demolition of more than 800 facilities and 1,300 waste sites since operations began in 1996.
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