US Government's Technology Development Approach with Application to Process Development for K-Basin Sludge Processing at the Hanford Nuclear Site

The successful and timely environmental cleanup of a complex site such as the Hanford Site requires the careful selection of the best technologies. In many cases the required technology does not exist, or if a technology appears to be appropriate, it was designed for other purposes. How can these technologies be evaluated? Or in the case of no existing relevant technology, how can the technology be developed? Experience at the Hanford Site, as well as other DOE operations, has resulted in the use of a systematic process development approach. The methodology is also used by NASA and the Department of Defense for the development or adaptation of processes to meet to the specific needs or requirements of their missions. The methodology is formal and approaches the technology development in specific stages.

The talk will present the methodology of this approach. An example of evaluation and process development for the treatment of K-Basin sludge at the Hanford Site will be presented, with a focus on the current on-going project to treat, package, and ship the sludge to a repository. Highly radioactive sludge resulting from the storage of degraded spent nuclear fuel has been consolidated in Engineered Containers (ECs) in the 105-K West Storage Basin located on the Hanford site near the Columbia River in Washington State. CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) is completing a project to retrieve the sludge, place it in Sludge Transport and Storage Containers (STSCs) and store those filled containers within the T Plant Canyon facility on the Hanford Site Central Plateau (Phase 1). Retrieval and transfer of the sludge material will enable removal of the 105-K West Basin and allow remediation of the subsurface contamination plumes under the basin.

An important consideration for process development is its planning. Different approaches are appropriate for different kinds of projects. It is important, however, to have a plan in hand, even if it is subject to later revision, so that the goals, requirements, and ultimate installations of the technology are clearly delineated. A technology development project should be managed with sufficient flexibility so that as the project evolves, the plan can be revised to take advantage of the latest findings. The technology development approach used by DOE allows for the development and execution of a successful plan.

The Treatment and Packaging Project (Phase 2) includes removal of the containerized sludge from T Plant, the treatment of the sludge as required, and packaging of all the sludge into a form that is certifiable for transportation to and disposal at WIPP. Completion of this scope will require construction and operation of a Sludge Treatment and Packaging Facility (STPF), which could be either a completely new facility or a modification of an existing Hanford Site facility. The process development for this operation uses the official DOE technology development approach.