[en] Preliminary evaluation of conceptual underground mining systems to retrieve solidified high-level radioactive waste stored in the Hanford underground waste storage tanks was performed at the request of Atlantic Richfield Hanford Company. The remotely controlled mining concept presented is designed to handle all forms of waste (solid objects, saltcake, sludge, liquid, and combinations thereof) from all sizes of waste tanks (500,000 to 1,000,000 gal) at a rate greater than 50 tons/day. It will be fully capable of remote operation, and would be equipped to clip or saw internal metal components for tank access or structural component removal as required. The system is designed to transport waste material directly from the subsurface storage tanks to a surface waste transporting process