Separation projects within the US Department of Energy's Underground Storage Tank: Integrated Demonstration

The greatest challenge facing the US Department of Energy is the remediation of the 1 x 108 gal of high-level and low-level radioactive waste in the underground storage tanks (USTs) at its Hanford, Savannah River, Oak Ridge, Idaho, and Fernald sites. With current technologies, this remediation will cost at least 100 billion dollars. In an effort to reduce costs, improve safety, and minimize delays, the Underground Storage Tank--Integrated Demonstration was created for demonstration, testing, and evaluation (DT ampersand E) of promising new technologies that can be used for UST remediation. These demonstrations, which are typically at the pilot-plant scale, will determine which processes will be used in the full-scale remediation of the USTs. These DT ampersand E studies are performed by the Characterization and Waste Retrieval Program or by the Waste Processing and Disposal Program (WPDP). This paper presents the technical progress and future plans of the WPDP projects. The 11 WPDP programs in FY 1993 focused on three problem areas, which involve the treatment of supernate, the treatment of sludge, and nitrate destruction and subsequent waste forms. In addition, a planned Request for Expression of Interest on organic destruction techniques from private industries and universities and the WPDP's future direction and programmatic issues are discussed