IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – The EM program at the Idaho site and its cleanup contractors ended 2014 with many accomplishments:

Repackaging of 6,000 Drums of Sludge

   In a collaborative effort, the EM program at the Idaho site and its cleanup contractors, Idaho Treatment Group (ITG) and CH2M-WG Idaho, LLC (CWI), completed a 6,000-drum sludge repackaging project in July.

   The drums — containing inorganic and organic radioactive and hazardous waste generated at the former Rocky Flats Plant near Denver — were stored on a pad and covered with soil at the Idaho site for more than 30 years. Workers treated and repackaged the drums, which were opened within a secondary containment area by specially designed excavators.

   Completed in just over 18 months, the project took place within a soft-sided building constructed over the waste disposal cell known as Pit 9. Using the Pit 9 treatment facility saved EM millions of dollars over the cost of constructing a new storage and treatment building.

   The collaboration demonstrated EM’s capabilities to treat different waste streams safely and compliantly.

Sodium Reactor Coolant Treated Ahead of Schedule, Below Budget

   Also in July, EM and CWI completed a technically challenging sodium-treatment project seven weeks ahead of schedule and nearly $1 million under budget. The sodium — a reactive liquid metal — was used as a reactor coolant 20 years ago.

   Crews with CWI’s Decontamination and Demolition Program used a large storage tank as a vessel to treat 480 pounds of bulk sodium stored in drums at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC). During treatment, sodium was introduced into the tank and an aqueous solution was added to cause the metal to react in a controlled environment.

   The sodium at MFC was used as coolant for the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), which operated from 1961 to 1994 and had a power output of 62 megawatts. EBR-II was used for testing materials and design concepts to improve reactor safety, culminating in the successful, historic tests of the inherently safe Integral Fast Reactor concept in 1986.

Treatment, Shipment of Waste out of Idaho  

   In November, ITG completed the successful treatment and shipping of transuranic waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory's EM program. The original 25.6-cubic meter volume was compacted to 13.48 cubic meters. The waste was shipped in compliance with terms contained in the Idaho Settlement Agreement and demonstrated the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project's continuing role as DOE’s regional center for processing waste from other sites.

Workers Meet Contract Milestone 10 Months Early

   Also in November, CWI completed its contractual milestone — 10 months early — of removing buried transuranic and hazardous wastes from a combined area of 0.51 acres. Targeted waste from a combined area of 5.69 acres will be removed under a 2008 record of decision between DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the state of Idaho. So far, waste from more than 3.5 acres has been removed and exhumation continues.