Waste Management

The first shipment of low-level waste by rail from the WVDP to Envirocare in Clive, Utah on November 30, 2000.

One of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) missions at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) is to dispose of project generated low-level radioactive waste at an off-site disposal facility.  During the period of 1987 until 1997, all low-level radioactive waste was packaged and stored on site with the majority of the waste stored in various storage facilities.  In 1997, the WVDP began shipping Class A low-level radioactive waste by truck to the Envirocare disposal facility in Utah.  In 1999, WVDP started to transport the Class A low-level radioactive waste by a combination of truck and rail.  Upon refurbishment of the rail line to the WVDP, a shipment was made solely by rail in September 2000.  WVDP has gained approval and is disposing of project-generated low-level radioactive waste at the Nevada Test Site.

Additionally, DOE supports waste minimization and pollution prevention activities by reducing the generation of solid, hazardous, and radioactive waste; improving energy efficiency; reducing the use of ozone-depleting substances, and emission of greenhouse gases; buying items with recycled content; and increasing vehicle fleet efficiency and use of alternative fuels.

Low level waste truck shipments ready for departure, summer 2005.

 

Remote Handled Waste Facility

As part of project operations, various contaminated materials/components have been removed from the former Process Building and are in storage awaiting disposal.  In addition, as decontamination efforts increase toward eventual decommissioning, additional materials/components will be removed from the Waste Tank Farm and the former Process Building.  Before these waste materials can be shipped for disposal, they have to be characterized, sorted, processed as necessary, and packaged to meet regulatory requirements for transportation.  The Remote Handled Waste Facility is a new facility which will be used to process and package these highly contaminated, high-activity, solid radioactive wastes.  Radioactive waste processing began on June 15, 2004.

Remote Handled Waste Facility located on-site at the WVDP.

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