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III Tank Waste Retrieval
Pages 34-50

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From page 34... ... chapter addresses retrieval from the large underground storage tanks at the three DOE sites. Bulk Waste Retrieval However, the Idaho National Laboratory also has six sets of large stainless steel bins containing reprocessing waste Retrieval of the bulk of the tank waste necessarily begins that was converted to a fine granular powder by a process with the supernatant liquid at the top and works down called calcination. Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... The Savannah River and Hanford Sites recognize that As with supernatant liquid retrieval, this technology is effi- using recycled fluids, such as supernatant liquid from the cient and well established with only minor improvements same or surrounding tanks, to mobilize the sludge is better continuing to be made. than using so-called fresh water because there is no net increase of waste volume and no subsequent need for evapo ration. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... A notable recent technology at the various parts of the sludge layer and steer it toward the trans- Savannah River Site that may represent a step improvement fer pump intake. As with the supernatant liquid and dissolved in bulk waste retrieval is the "waste on wheels" (WOW) Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... One hydraulic techniques involving the use of pressurized water; example of such a material is the zeolite (see Appen- a vacuum; mechanical techniques to dislodge the waste for dix K) in some of the tanks at the Savannah River Site. Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... The most DOE is considering the use of the Power Fluidic difficult issue to overcome is likely to be the vertical cooling TechnologyTM developed by AEA Technology and a similar coils in Savannah River Site tanks, which severely impede Russian Pulsating Mixer Pump technique for residual waste the ability to maneuver water jets, mechanical arms, and inretrieval at the Hanford and the Savannah River Sites tank vehicles. The Hanford tanks, although they do not have (Murray, 2005) Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... DOE is inclined to propose that "to the maximum extent practical." That is, there is much most pipelines and ancillary equipment be flushed and more experience with bulk retrieval of sludge than with grouted in situ, while it considers exhumation of plugged residual waste retrieval. Savannah River Site tank retrieval pipelines where necessary (Harbour et al., 2004; Schaus, experience is summarized as follows: 2005) Read the entire page →
From page 40... ... during the 1997-1998 campaign example, the heels in Savannah River Site Tanks 17 and 20 using sluicing techniques. Sludge removal was enhanced and all of the Idaho National Laboratory tanks cleaned to date each contain less than 3,000 Ci (1. Read the entire page →
From page 41... ... Activities Tennessee are not as large as the largest tanks at the Hanford such as the yearly Hanford and Savannah River Site tech- and Savannah River Sites (see Table III-1) Read the entire page →
From page 42... ... Melton Valley storage tanks to be completed as part of Transuranic waste programb,c,d,e Bulk waste retrieval Mobilization pumps, sluicing, and pumping Sluicing (using nozzles, lances, and borehole miner) or mixing (using methods fluidic pulse jet, pulsed air, pulsating mixer pump, and Flygt mixers) Read the entire page →
From page 43... ... where Comparing Table III-1 with Table II-5, which lists infor the combined cost of the first retrieval effort on a large tank mation about the tank wastes at the Savannah River Site, the (C-106) was about $140 million, whereas the comparable Hanford Site, and Idaho National Laboratory, shows the costs of more recent retrievals ranges from $20 million to similarities and the differences among the tank types and $40 million. Read the entire page →
From page 44... ... Retrieval at the Savannah River Site began with modified Cost of Additional Residual Waste Retrieval sluicing for bulk waste retrieval. As a consequence, combined retrieval costs are comparable to those at Hanford and One important factor in determining whether radiorange from $23 to $34 million per tank excluding costs for nuclides have been removed to the maximum extent practical chemical cleaning. Read the entire page →
From page 45... ... DOE's approach has been thus far to begin waste Estimated Dose to the Public from Closed Tanks retrieval with the knowledge available on the waste and adapt The reduction in dose to the public from retrieving addi- retrieval technologies to the conditions encountered in tional residual waste has been estimated by DOE for both the tanks. the Savannah River Site and Idaho National Laboratory tank One case that may prove to be more complicated than waste determinations (DOE-SRS, 2005a; DOE-ID, 2005a) Read the entire page →
From page 46... ... (Retrieval of calcine is discussed at greater Operations and Disposal of Retrieved Wastes and Heels length in Appendix G.) DOE plans to retrieve this granular powder from the stainless steel silos (bin sets) Read the entire page →
From page 47... ... 91) : Savannah River Site and will be retrieved from the entire tank farm in Idaho. Read the entire page →
From page 48... ... residual dirty water in bottom of tank benefit assessment used as a rationale for the waste determi- roughly equivalent to the water that would be added during nation at the Savannah River Site did not discuss the decontamination of retrieval equipment during retraction. At assumptions about the "dollar value" of a dose or provide the West Valley Demonstration Project site, flushing effecany framework to compare the doses and costs calculated for tiveness was monitored using sampling, radiological dose additional waste retrieval to doses and costs in different rate changes, and visual inspection. Read the entire page →
From page 49... ... is provided by performance assessments to evalu- requirements of individual tanks, DOE should select and use ate whether waste left in the tanks meets the performance the most effective sequence of waste retrieval tools from the objectives set forth in the legislation, DOE orders, and available suite of tools to ensure that waste is removed to federal facility agreements governing waste removal (see the maximum extent practical. When the limit of a given Chapter VI) Read the entire page →
From page 50... ... (See Chapter VI, Recommendation VI-2, which is Hanford and Savannah River Site technical exchange meetbased on Finding III-3 and Finding VI-2.) ings, technical workshops on tank waste retrieval and tank closure, frequent conference calls, and activities previously Finding III-4: DOE has pneumatic technology for retriev- undertaken by the Tanks Focus Area are helpful and should ing calcine from the bins at the Idaho National Laboratory be continued. Read the entire page →

From page 34...

... chapter addresses retrieval from the large underground storage tanks at the three DOE sites. Bulk Waste Retrieval However, the Idaho National Laboratory also has six sets of large stainless steel bins containing reprocessing waste Retrieval of the bulk of the tank waste necessarily begins that was converted to a fine granular powder by a process with the supernatant liquid at the top and works down called calcination.

III Tank Waste Retrieval Pages 34-50

III Tank Waste Retrieval
Pages 34-50