Achievement of process control, safety, and regulatory compliance in a mixed waste evaporator system at the Hanford Site using data quality objectives

The Data Quality Objectives (DQO) Process was applied to the operation of the 242-A Evaporator at the Hanford Site. A team consisting of representatives from process engineering, environmental engineering, regulatory compliance, analytical laboratories, and DOE utilized the step by step DQO process to define the issues, variables, and inputs necessary to develop the decision rules which govern plant operations. The sampling and analyses required to make these decisions was then optimized concerning factors such as sample number, total analyses, cost, radiation exposure, quality assurance, and deliverables