The U.S. Energy Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have extended the public comment period from 30 days to 60 days for the next stage of remediation of the 100-BC Area of the Hanford Site in Washington state.
The agencies said in a Monday email announcement they are pushing back the comment deadline from Nov. 6 to Dec. 9.
The 4.5-square-mile area extends along the Columbia River corridor and was home to two now-retired nuclear reactors that made plutonium from World War II through the 1960s. The reactor operations resulted in soil and groundwater contaminated with radionuclides and chemicals, according to DOE.
The majority of remediation at in the area has been completed, as DOE and its contractors have demolished most buildings around 100-BC and remediated 82 contamination sites. About 3 million tons of debris and soil were removed from the site since 1995, according to the agency.
The chief remediation chore left is addressing a sodium dichromate transfer pipeline that connected the B and C reactor areas. What officials describe as a short length of pipeline was previously grouted and left in place. The Energy Department’s preferred alternative under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) is removal of the pipe, which would cost roughly $23 million.
The Energy Department and EPA will examine the comments prior to issuing a record of decision laying out the ultimate approach to remediation. The ROD schedule will be determined by the amount of time needed to go through the comments, officials said.
Comments can be submitted via email to [email protected].
