Waste Loading Enhancements for Hanford Low-Activity Waste Glasses

About 50 million gallons of mixed waste is currently stored in underground tanks at The United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford site in Washington state. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will provide the Office of River Protection (ORP) with a means of treating this waste by vitrification for subsequent disposal. The tank waste will be separated into low- and high-activity waste fractions, which will then be vitrified respectively into Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) and Immobilized High Level Waste (IHLW) products. The ILAW product is destined for disposal in an engineered facility at Hanford site while the IHLW product will be disposed in a national geological repository. Both waste forms must meet a variety of requirements to ensure the protection of the environment before they can be accepted for disposal.