The special landfill at the Hanford site that will be the resting place of low-activity tank waste turned to glass is nearly ready.
Construction of the facility, called the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) is complete, the equipment to operate it onsite and regulatory permits in place, according to a release from the Office of Environmental Management.
The first containers of vitrified waste immobilized in glass from the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant will be delivered later this year.
“Thanks to the IDF team’s hard work and commitment to safety over the past several years, we look forward to completing final preparations at the facility to support the (Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste) program, one of Hanford’s most meaningful and historic environmental cleanup projects,” said Paul Branson, disposal facilities manager for Central Plateau Cleanup Company, in a statement.
Located in Hanford’s Central Plateau, the landfill is about 1,500 feet wide, 765 feet long and 45 feet deep. It includes two double-lined disposal areas called cells that also have a collection system for any rain or snow that comes in contact with the waste.