Vit Bits: News from the Hanford Vit Plant (June 2022)

Washington Governor Inslee Visits Vit Plant

Vit Plant and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) leadership recently hosted Washington Governor Jay Inslee during a stop at the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility control room. During the visit, Vit Plant Project Director Val McCain and Site Director Rick Holmes shared progress on our journey to melter heatup. The governor was joined by Washington State Department of Ecology Director Laura Watson and other local Tri-Cities community leaders.

Watch the Low-Activity Waste Consumable Changeout Boxes

Low-Activity Waste Facility Completes Exhaust Treatment System Testing

Workers at the Vit Plant have completed critical testing of the exhaust treatment system, or offgas system, in the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility.

This testing demonstrated that offgas system air valves will function as designed during an abnormal event, such as an unexpected power loss during plant operations. During events such as a power loss, it is necessary to maintain safety systems, like the offgas system, that protect the LAW Facility from hazardous gases generated by the melter during vitrification, when radioactive and chemical waste are mixed with glass-forming materials.

During vitrification, the LAW Facility offgas system will filter, clean, and scrub melter exhaust to ensure worker, public, and environmental safety. Melter exhaust will be treated to remove particulates, mercury, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and acid gases.

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Vit Plant Achieves First Test Transfer to Tank Waste Facility

The transfer of 6,000 gallons was the first simulation of the process that will be used to treat secondary liquid waste from the plant’s Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility during Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) Program operations to treat tank waste.

To demonstrate the transfer, Vit Plant crews inside the LAW Facility control room started a delivery sequence, and crews with tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) began their acceptance protocols at the LERF. These steps released the test water from the EMF, allowing it to travel through underground transfer lines to the LERF.

During vitrification, secondary liquid, called effluent, will be generated by the LAW Facility, the Analytical Laboratory, and when transfer pipes are flushed. The effluent is fed to the EMF, where excess water is boiled away. The water is then piped into holding vessels, where testing ensures it meets waste-acceptance criteria before transfer to the LERF. The remaining waste concentrate is returned to the LAW Facility for treatment.

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Community Corner: United Way Recognizes Vit Plant