RICHLAND, Wash.-
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of River Protection (ORP) recently began retrieving radioactive and chemical waste from the fourth and final underground single-shell storage tank in the AX Farm.
Contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) will remove about 426,000 gallons of waste from Tank AX-101 and transfer it to a newer, safer double-shell tank for continued safe storage until the waste is treated according to a press release announcing the work.
“Operations to retrieve and finish the second tank farm at the Hanford Site reflect our ongoing commitment to the community, the environment and the Columbia River,” said Delmar Noyes, ORP assistant manager for the Tank Farms Project.
According to today’s press release waste in tank AX 101 will be broken up so it can be pumped out of the tank and transferred to a double-shell tank. During retrieval, workers will operate the equipment remotely from a nearby control trailer.
When the waste retrieval is completed the AX farm will be the second tank farm at Hanford where retrieval operations have been completed.
The four tanks in AX Farm were built in the mid-1960s using carbon steel and reinforced concrete. They were used from 1969 to 1980 to store waste from plutonium production operations during the Cold War era. The farm has remained inactive since 1980.
“This is a significant step in our mission to reduce risk on the site,” said Noyes.
