CWI ADDRESSING RESULTS OF DOE ASSESSMENT AT IWTU
WC Monitor
4/04/2014
CH2M-WG Idaho is ready to move to the next stage of preparing the Idaho Integrated Waste Treatment Unit to begin full operations after addressing some of the pre-start findings the Department of Energy identified during a recent readiness assessment. The DOE assessment, performed in mid-March, identified five pre-start findings, according to DOE Idaho Operations Office spokeswoman Danielle Miller. “Three of these findings will be addressed prior to the introduction of surrogate waste and relate to operator alarm response actions. The two remaining findings will be addressed prior to the introduction of radioactive waste and deal with radiological controls,” Miller said in a written response. “DOE will verify that the pre-start finding corrective actions are in place and have been adequately implemented prior to initiation of the next phase of operations, which includes the introduction of steam and surrogate waste,” she said.
CWI said late this week that it has completed the corrective actions necessary to move forward with introducing waste simulant to the facility. “CWI is pleased with the outcome of the DOE readiness assessment, which highlights the hard work and dedication of the IWTU and CWI team as well as the operational readiness of the facility,” contractor spokeswoman Natalie Packer said in a written response. She added, “The three corrective actions necessary for the introduction of simulant are closed and we expect the Start-up Authority letter by the end of the week. Corrective actions are being developed for the two pre-start items necessary for the introduction of radioactive feed. They will be submitted to DOE for approval near-term.”
The DOE readiness assessment is the latest step in the ongoing effort to get the IWTU, also known as the Sodium-Bearing Waste Treatment Facility, up in operation. The facility is intended to treat the approximately 900,000 gallons of remaining liquid waste at the Idaho site through a steam reforming process for disposal and to allow for closure of the site’s remaining waste tanks. The facility is expected to begin full operations later this spring, and DOE has a commitment to the state of Idaho to have the liquid waste processed by the end of this year—a commitment both the Department and CWI have stressed they believe can still be met. Once testing with steam and waste simulant is completed, depending on the results, the facility will enter into a planned cool-down and outage period, and DOE will seek permission from Idaho regulators to initiate actual waste processing.
