WC Monitor
1/22/2016
Grouting Begins for SRS Tank 12
A three-month process has begun to grout and close Tank 12 at the Savannah River Site, continuing a longstanding effort to rid South Carolina of more than 30 million gallons of radioactive liquid waste. SRS announced Tuesday that its liquid waste contractor, Savannah River Remediation (SRR), began pouring a cement mixture into Tank 12, which has already been emptied of more than 700,000 gallons of waste.
The process includes emptying the storage tank. Once the waste is removed, the cement mixture, or grout, is poured into the tank so seal it off. The effort reduces the environmental risks for workers and for the local communities in the Aiken, S.C., and Augusta, Ga., areas.
Waste storage tanks at SRS are divided into two tank farms: The F Tank Farm has 20 tanks and the H Tank Farm has 29 tanks. Tank 12 is the second H area tank being filled with grout. Tank 16, which sits near Tank 12, was closed in September 2015. Tank 12, designed for close to 1 million gallons, will be SRR’s eighth tank closure since the contractor assumed the site’s liquid waste contract in 2009. "Our workers perform their jobs well, and I’m pleased with their dedication," SRR President Stuart MacVean said in the press release. "They continue to be innovative and take pride in their achievements."
