REMOTE HANDLED TRANSURANIC (RH-TRU) SLUDGE CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITIESAT THE OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

摘要

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory Liquid Low-Level Waste (LLLW) System collects aqueousradioactive waste solutions in large underground storage tanks from various programmatic sources for onsiteneutralization, concentration, and storage. Due to the nature of the concentrated, highly alkalineLLLW, remote-handled transuranic (RH-TRU) sludge accumulated in the system as precipitants settledout of the LLLW. To support treatment of the RH-TRU sludge by the Foster Wheele r EnvironmentalCorporation (Foster Wheeler), the U.S. Department of Energy privatization subcontractor, all ORNL RHTRUsludge is being transferred into the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVSTs) as part of an integratedtank waste consolidation plan. The MVSTs are eight large 189 m3 (50,000-gallon) capacity tanks thatprovide the majority of storage for ORNL’s untreated RH-TRU sludge. Operation of the MVSTs will beturned over to Foster Wheeler during fiscal year (FY) 2001 in preparation of RH-TRU sludge andassociated LLLW retrieval and treatment operations that will be conducted at the planned ORNL TRUWaste Treatment Facility.Several high profile tank waste removal projects have been successfully completed at ORNL as part ofthe sludge consolidation activities. Over 466 m3 (123,000 gallons) of RH-TRU sludge have beentransferred to the MVSTs from various inactive and active LLLW storage tanks since the sludgeconsolidation activities began of in FY 1997. Approximately 840 m3 (222,000 gallons) of RH-TRUsludge will be transferred to the MVSTs upon the completion of the sludge consolidation activities at theend of FY 2001. This paper provides a synopsis of the waste removal projects, and an overview of theintegrated sludge waste consolidation activities.