What's New At The West Valley Demonstration Project

 

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 Final Environmental Assessment
Final EA Page 30 Corrected

 

 

 The West Valley Demonstration Project


The West Valley Demonstration Project is a unique operation within the Department of Energy. It came into being through the West Valley Demonstration Project Act of 1980.  The Act requires that the Department is responsible for solidifying the high-level waste, disposing of waste created by the solidification, and decommissioning the facilities used in the process. The land and facilities are not owned by the Department. Rather, the project premises are the property of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and represents only 200 acres of the larger Western New York Service Center, which is approximately 3,300 acres, also owned by NYSERDA. After DOE's responsibilities under the Act are complete, the Act requires that the premises be returned to New York State. Until that time, the Act requires New York State to pay 10 percent of the Project costs, and the Department pays the remaining 90 percent.

 

Although great progress has been made in solidifying the high-level waste, much remains to be done before the Project can meet all the conditions of the West Valley Demonstration Project Act. The Department is striving to accomplish the majority of this work by 2010.

Until recently the West Valley Demonstration Project was one of five sites that reported to the Department of Energy Ohio Field Office. In May 2006 the West Valley Demonstration Project was transferred and now reports directly to the Department of Energy Headquarters, Office of Site Support and Small Projects. Project work is performed for the Department by West Valley Environmental Services (WVES). The WVES contract is a four year contract which was awarded on June 29th, 2007.

It is our hope that the Department of Energy’s West Valley web site will allow members of the public to better understand the accomplishments to date, the challenges that lie ahead, and the Department’s commitment to safe, cost-effective operation of this unique project.

In 1961 the state of New York acquired 3,345 acres of land in the town of Ashford, New York, near West Valley, for the Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC). The next year Davison Chemical Company established Nuclear Fuels Services, Inc. (NFS) as a reprocessing company, and leased the WNYNSC.

NFS developed 200 acres of the land and operated a nuclear fuel reprocessing center from 1966 to 1972. 640 metric tons of spent reactor fuel were processed, with a plant capacity of 300 tons per year. The plant accepted radioactive waste for disposal until 1975.

During the operation of the plant 660,000 US gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste were generated. The liquid waste was stored in an underground waste tank. NFS also used a 15 acre area for the disposal of radioactive waste from commercial waste generators, and another seven acre landfill to dispose of radioactive waste generated from reprocessing.

In 1976 NFS decided the costs and regulatory requirements of reprocessing made the venture impractical. The company left the site after its lease expired on December 31, 1980, transferring ownership and responsibility for the waste and facility to the state of New York.

On October 1, 1980 the West Valley Demonstration Project Act, Public Law 96-368, was signed directing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to take the lead role in solidifying the liquid high-level waste and decontaminating and decommissioning the facilities at West Valley. In 1982 The Department of Energy selected West Valley Nuclear Services (WVNS), a Westinghouse subsidiary, to manage and operate the site. Control of the 200 acre developed site is turned over to DOE; the project is named the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). The next year vitrification, or the incorporation of high-level radioactive waste into glass, was selected as the preferred method for solidifying the waste NFS left at West Valley.

In 1987 The decision to dispose of low-level waste at the WVDP lead to a legal disagreement between DOE and the Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes. The disagreement was settled by a Stipulation of Compromise, which stated low-level waste disposal at the site and the potential effects of erosion on the site be included in a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Project completion.

In 1996 Radioactive vitrification began. The highly successful operation continued into 2001, emptying the high-level waste tank and producing 275 10 ft  foot-tall stainless steel canisters of hardened radioactive glass.

In 1999 Vitrification Expended Materials Processing (VEMP) was initiated to begin processing unserviceable equipment in the Vitrification Facility. VEMP’s success helped in the development of a Remote Handled Waste Facility (RHWF) to process large-scale, highly-contaminated equipment excessed during decontamination and decommissioning activities. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the RHWF were held in 2000.