Hanford waste-processing plants closer to startup, but questions remain about cleanup

HANFORD NUCLEAR RESERVATION, Benton County — By 2022, two gigantic melters are scheduled to be generating 2,100-degree heat that will bond radioactive waste into glass logs for long-term disposal of one of the most toxic legacies of the U.S. production of plutonium for nuclear weapons.

The melters were a highlight of a visit to Hanford on Wednesday by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. They form the core of a plant that will help treat 56 million gallons of waste, which is mixed with chemicals stored in 177 aging tanks, some of which are leaking.

After nearly two decades of construction, contractors have begun to test operating systems to prepare for the startup. Yet big questions loom about how much of the tank contents will be processed at the plant that holds the melters. Meanwhile, construction of two other key units in a 65-acre waste treatment complex has been on hold for years while engineers grapple with technical issues.

Plenty of other challenges remain in a gargantuan Hanford cleanup begun in the late 20th century that is projected to continue deep into this century. The scope of the pollution is a humbling testament to the mess humans can create, and the restoration effort is expected to cost a staggering sum: more than $320 billion, mostly for processing the tank waste, according to a low-range projection in a report released this year by the federal Energy Department, which manages the Hanford site.

Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/start-of-hanford-radioactive-waste-processing-plants-draws-near-but-big-questions-still-remain-about-the-future-of-clean-up/