HANFORD TANKS | COVER STORY
Two leaking tanks Tank T-111 was found to be actively leaking in 2013. Tank B-109 was found to be actively leaking in 2021 after a year-long leak assessment. As the toxic and radioactive waste is leaking into the soil over time it would reach groundwater and eventually the Columbia River. In addition, in 2014 the oldest double-shell tank (AY-102) developed a leak from its inner tank to the outer tank. Its contents have been moved to an intact tank. The Ecology Department agreed a process with the US Department of Energy to address these
active leaks and any future leaks from single-shell tanks. The site is now required to cover the T and B tank farms with surface barriers to prevent rain or snowmelt from seeping into the tanks, and to
slow the migration of leaked waste toward the groundwater. It also agreed to: ● Evaluate the viability of installing a ventilation system to evaporate liquid waste in Tank B-109. ● Develop a response plan for future leaks from single-shell tanks. ● Evaluate conditions in and around tanks B-109 and T-111 to determine whether additional work is needed to prevent rain or snowmelt from getting in.
● Explore ways to accelerate the schedule to retrieve waste from tanks B-109 and T-111. ■
The output from the vitrification process will be between
3.5 and 5 canisters per day (up to 2100 tonnes). These will be transported to a landfill site (the Integrated Disposal Facility) on the Hanford site. During vitrification effluent will be generated, both
from melters and when transfer pipes are flushed. The melters produce large amounts of heat, so the liquid waste processed in the facility results in a condensate. This goes
into a liquid effluent treatment and liquid effluent retention facility (engineered settling ponds). A new pond has been added among other upgrades to support the needs of the waste treatment plant and the site. The remaining concentrate is sent back into the vitrification process. An on-site lab will ensure the glass product produced by the facility meets all regulatory requirements and standards, analysing approximately 3,000 waste samples each year.
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