History Made At Hanford Site As Vit Process Officially Begins

Thirty six years after the contract was awarded and twenty three years after the first concrete was poured at the Hanford Nuclear reservation, the Vitrification Plant officially began operation today.  It has been a long road to get to this point for Bechtel (the contractor), the U.S. Department of Energy (the contractee), and Washington State.

Today (October 15th) was the target date for operations to begin...and they did as the Low-Activity Waste Facility successfully started up.  The LAW facility is the key piece of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) that will transform nuclear waste into glass for safer storage.

Get our free mobile app

Dena Volovar, President of Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security & Environmental business said regarding the milestone

It reflects decades of teamwork, innovation, and partnership with our customer to solve one of the nation’s most complex environmental challenges—safely and permanently. Together with the Department of Energy, the state of Washington, our labor partners, local suppliers, subcontractors, and world-class scientific experts, we’ve turned vitrification into a reality at Hanford.

How Will The Nuclear Waster Become Glass?

The tank waste that has been stored all these years will be mixed with 12 glass forming mined materials that are used in other glass making processes.  Those minerals include:

1. aluminum silicate
2. boric acid
3. borax
4. calcium silicate
5. ferric oxide
6. lithium carbonate
7. magnesium silicate
8. silica
9. sodium carbonate
10. sucrose
11. titanium dioxide
12. zinc oxide
13. zirconium silicate

That combination of materials is then heated to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit inside one of two 300 ton melters.  It is then poured into stainless steel containers for long term storage.

Bechtel revealed that over the coming months they anticipate processing over 5,300 gallons of tank waste per day.  Those glass-filled stainless steel containers will then be transported to the Hanford Site’s Integrated Disposal Facility.  The IDF is comprised of cells designed to hold immobilized waste while protecting groundwater.

Congressman Dan Newhouse, whose district Hanford resides in, said this about the launch.

Today is a historic milestone in the Hanford cleanup over two decades in the making.  Congratulations to everyone at Hanford who has worked to bring the DFLAW project online and for your unwavering commitment to the cleanup mission. I have been a proud ally to Hanford through my role on the House Appropriations Committee, and I will continue working to make sure the federal government plays its part in supporting the cleanup effort.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) also issued a statement regarding the Vit plant startup.

This is a day the Tri-Cities community has been waiting decades to come.  It officially ushers in a new era of cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.  Congratulations to all who had a hand in making this a reality.