Tank farm processing of high-level waste for the Defense Waste Processing Facility

The high-level radioactive waste that has accumulated at the Savannah River Plant is stored in large, underground steel tanks. Programs to remove the waste from the storage tanks and immobilize the radioactivity in borosilicate glass in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) are currently in the construction phase. Much of the processing of the waste prior to vitrification is accomplished in the waste storage areas (tank farms). Tank farm processing includes resuspension and washing of the insoluble (sludge) waste, dissolution and decontamination of soluble (salt) waste, and waste transfer between the tanks and operations areas. The overall program for handling the waste in the tank farms, the research program that supports it, and the major concerns with implementing the program are described.