Plans for a Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) at the Hanford Site in Washington state will be discussed during a public meeting scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. meeting today (Nov. 14) at the Richland Public Library.
The Department of Energy will explain LAWPS’ role in treating Hanford tank waste, and the Washington state Department of Ecology will explain the process of issuing a dangerous waste permit for the new facility. Officials will answer questions, but no formal comments will be recorded. The public will be invited to comment during the permit modification process, which will include an additional public meeting.
LAWPS is planned to facilitate the earliest treatment possible of Hanford’s low-activity radioactive waste at the Waste Treatment Plant, possibly in 2022. It would allow direct feed of low-activity waste to the Waste Treatment Plant’s Low-Activity Waste Facility by removing suspended solids and cesium from liquids stored in double-shell tanks. The entire Waste Treatment Plant, including the Pretreatment Facility and High-Level Waste Facility, is not expected to be fully operational until 2036. LAWPS is planned to be built in the 200 East Area of central Hanford, adjacent to the Waste Treatment Plant campus.
