Interim Salt Waste Processing Program Lives Up to Its Billing
August 13, 2009
Aiken, SC – At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS) interim salt waste processing has performed beyond expectations and is setting the stage for the successful startup of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF).
Placed into operation in April 2008, the SRS Interim Salt Disposition Processing (ISDP) system was designed to eliminate nearly all of the radioactive isotopes from about 8 million gallons of salt solution currently contained in 49 large waste tanks.
ISDP is expected to provide operation data and lessons learned for the SWPF, which is scheduled for startup in the 2013-2015 timeframe. Following extensive testing on reducing cycle time and increasing throughput from target design of 4 gallons per minute (gpm) to 6 gpm, the system is operating as planned. ISDP exceeded its May production levels by processing 98,420 gallons of salt waste. That record was broken in June when 117,000 gallons was processed and again in July when 131,630 gallons was processed. The system is on target to setting a new production level in August.
“The entire salt waste processing system is proving to be successful and is giving us confidence that SWPF will begin its work many steps ahead,” said Terrel Spears, Assistant Manager for Waste Disposition Project, DOE-Savannah River Operations Office. “In addition, these interim salt processing facilities are bringing us closer to closing waste tanks at SRS.”
Two facilities make up the ISDP system. They are the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). Combined with the SRS Saltstone Production and Disposal facilities, this innovative system treats, decontaminates and dispositions radioactive salt waste removed from SRS storage tanks.
SRS is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Liquid Waste contract is managed by a team of contractors led by Savannah River Remediation (SRR). The SRR team is made up of four companies led by URS. The other companies are Bechtel National, CH2M Hill and B&W Technical Services Group.
Media Contact: Rick Kelley (803) 208-1707 rick.kelley@srs.gov