A public meeting is planned for March 14 in Richland, Wash., on permit changes to support the Department of Energy’s plan to stabilize the second waste tunnel at the Hanford Site PUREX Plant. It also will cover actions already taken to stabilize the first tunnel at the plant.
After the older of two tunnels storing radioactive waste was discovered partially collapsed in May, a structural study was conducted of the second, longer tunnel. It found that the 1,700-foot-long tunnel built in 1964 also was a risk of collapse.
The first tunnel has already been filled with concrete-like grout for stabilization. In December, DOE said it also planned to fill the second tunnel with grout. It holds 28 railcars loaded mostly with large pieces of equipment that are contaminated with highly radioactive waste from the plant’s recovery of plutonium from irradiated fuel rods.
The decision will require a modification of the Hanford Site Dangerous Waste Permit issued by the Washington state Department of Ecology. Proposed modifications will cover information such as the grout formulation, the grout injection system, and alternatives available for eventual permanent closure of the tunnels. Grouting is considered an interim stabilization step.
The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive. Participation also will be available via webinar. The link and webinar ID can be found here.
