Grouting Begins at Tank 16
Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
6/5/2015
The Savannah River Site is seeking an additional high-level waste tank treatment capability as part of a deal struck with regulators, this week releasing a draft request for proposals seeking companies able to remove cesium from tanks. The draft RFP and expression of interest comes as a potential subcontract under the site’s current liquid waste contractor, Savannah River Remediation. The Department of Energy agreed to pursue commercial sources for tank waste treatment by July 31 under an agreement reached in April with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which extended the closure dates for two Savannah River tanks. The effort would not impact the startup of the Salt Waste Processing Facility, a key waste treatment capability under construction at SRS, according to DOE Savannah River Operations office spokesman Jim Giusti.
With Savannah River set to miss a host of tank closure regulatory milestones due largely to funding issues, DOE and the regulators are looking for new ways to accelerate closure of old-style tanks. “A readily deployable cesium removal capability has been determined to be advantageous in supporting this goal, and it is felt that the technology potentially exists in industry to accomplish removal of the cesium component of the bulk waste effectively and efficiently,” the EOI states. “This capability would provide improved confidence in supporting the desired acceleration efforts.” The draft RFP focuses on supporting waste retrieval at Tank 10. SRR will host an industry day on the potential procurement on June 17, and responses are due June 19. DOE will meet with regulators on Oct. 15 to discuss the results of the initial market research and potential next steps.
This effort differs from an expression of interest SRR issued in 2012 that sought vendors to remove salt waste from SRS waste tanks, similar to the current interim processing capability and what SWPF will do in the future, according to SRR. “Because of the costs and maturity of technologies proposed at that time, no action was taken on those EOIs,” SRR spokesman Dean Campbell said in a written response. “This new EOI requests any new technologies, with more targeted application focused on simplicity and cost effectiveness on a smaller scale, that can be used to remove cesium from the waste tanks as a way to accelerate tank closures. There is no specific technology SRR is requesting; we are trying to allow maximum flexibility for the commercial sector to share what technologies are currently available.”
This comes after in August 2014 DOE requested an extension of the closure dates for Tanks 12H and 16H from September 2015 to December 2016, citing technical and funding issues. The regulators questioned DOE’s rationale, which led to a dispute resolution process that lasted into the spring. Under the agreement, the parties agreed to prepare Tank 12H for grouting by Sept. 30, 2015, the original milestone for closure. The actual closure date will be extended eight months to May 31, 2016. Tank 16 will be closed by October.
SRR Begins Tank 16 Grouting
Meanwhile, SRR has begun grouting operations on Tank 16, the next high-level waste tank scheduled to be closed at the Savannah River site. Tank 16 has been emptied of its waste to the maximum practical extent, and is scheduled to be filled with a cement-like grout and closed by a regulatory milestone this Oct. 27. “Grouting this tank says a great deal about the partnerships necessary to close SRS waste tanks,” DOE Savannah River Operations Office Manager Jack Craig said in a statement. “This initial filling of Tank 16 with grout is the result of a strong and enduring partnership between DOE, SRR, [the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control] and [the Environmental Protection Agency].”
