Tank Waste Retrieval, Processing, and On-site Disposal at Three Department of Energy Sites

DOE Tank Waste: How clean is clean enough? The U.S. Congress asked the National Academies to evaluate the Department of Energy's (DOE's) plans for cleaning up defense-related radioactive wastes stored in underground tanks at three sites: the Hanford Site in Washington State, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, and the Idaho National Laboratory. DOE plans to remove the waste from the tanks, separate out high-level radioactive waste to be shipped to an off-site geological repository, and dispose of the remaining lower-activity waste onsite. The report concludes that DOE's overall plan is workable, but some important challenges must be overcome-including the removal of residual waste from some tanks, especially at Hanford and Savannah River. The report recommends that DOE pursue a more risk-informed, consistent, participatory, and transparent for making decisions about how much waste to retrieve from tanks and how much to dispose of onsite. The report offers several other detailed recommendations to improve the technical soundness of DOE's tank cleanup plans. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary Summary I Introduction II Background and Overview of the Current Situation III Tank Waste Retrieval IV Processing and Treatment of Retrieved Tank Waste V Tank Grouting and Closure VI Performance Assessment VII Monitoring VIII Decision-Making Process IX Focused Research and Development Needs X Illustrative Example of the Recommended Decision-Making Process XI Conclusions References Appendix A Biographical Sketches of Committee Members Appendix B Statement of Task Appendix C Section 3116, Order 435.1, and Performance Objectives Appendix D Information-Gathering Meetings Appendix E Interim Report Summary and Follow-up Appendix F Waste Retrieval Status Appendix G Tank Waste Retrieval Techniques and Experience at West Valley and Oak Ridge Appendix H Features of a Good Monitoring Program Appendix I Performance Assessment Process Appendix J Relevant Maps of the Three Sites Appendix K Glossary