An interim action plan that has been developed for Tank 16 at the Savannah River Site highlights what will happen from now until a final remedial action is determined for all of the tanks in the H-Area Tank Farm Operable Unit. Tank 16 is one of 29 storage tanks in the SRS H Tank Farm. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of high-level radioactive liquid waste were removed from the tank last year, and workers finished grouting the container in September by pouring a cement mixture in the tank, removing it as an environmental threat.
Just like other tanks that have been grouted, Tanks 16 will have to undergo an annual visual inspections to ensure the physical integrity of the engineered barriers in the underground tanks are not damaged or deteriorate while waiting for a final remediation. No time frame has been reported for remediation of Tank 16. The inspections will also be conducted to verify no water is accumulating in surrounding areas during the time frame. The action plan is available online at http://www.srs.gov/general/programs/soil/pub/ARF_020459.pdf.
The public has also been granted a 45-day comment period to offer opinions on the action plan. To submit comments, contact: Amy Joslin, Savannah River Remediation, LLC, Dir. of Public Affairs & Project Communications, Savannah River Site, Building 766-H, Aiken, SC 29808. She can also be reached at 803-208-1956. Inquirers can also contact Joslin to request a public meeting during the comment period, which ends on March 31.
