Technical and project highlights of the defense waste processing facility

The Savannah River Site has been operating a nuclear fuel cycle since the early 1950s. Fuel and target elements are fabricated and irradiated to produce nuclear materials. After removal from the reactors, the fuel elements are processed to extract the products, and the waste is stored in underground tanks. During over thirty-five years of operation, approximately 83 million gallons of high level radioactive waste have been generated. This waste has been reduced to approximately 34 million gallons by evaporation in the waste tank farms. The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) will process this waste into a borosilicate glass for long-term geologic disposal. The last major construction milestone for the DWPF was reached November 30, 1989. This paper will describe the operation of the Defense Waste Processing Facility and the status of the project including the checkout and run-in of equipment and the implementation of the Startup Test Program for nonradioactive operation. 15 refs., 10 figs