The Office of Environmental Management (EM) tank waste program consists of safely storing of 90 million gallons of radioactive liquid waste at the Hanford Site in Washington, the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho and the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina.
EM operates major nuclear facilities to process and dispose of the waste as well as emptying, cleaning and closing the waste tanks. The SRS and ORP waste streams treatment involves separating the highly radioactive fractions and low activity factions. The high activity portion undergoes vitrification while the low activity portion is then either vitrified or grouted.
As liquid waste is processed, the tanks are operationally closed through a process that involves: bulk waste removal, heel removal, cooling coil flushing/annulus cleaning, isolation and residual sampling and grouting.
The EM tank waste program’s goal is to continue cleanup progress in a cost-effective manner that is risk informed, engages stakeholders, applies innovative solutions and provides value to the American taxpayer.
Tank Waste News
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Hanford Site workers recently tackled one of the most challenging radiation cleanup jobs in recent memory, dramatically reducing hazards for future projects. July 14, 2026July 14, 2026
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With the necessary regulatory permit now in place, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site is moving forward with an improvement that will reduce costs, enable continued tank retrievals and expedite the Hanford tank waste mission. The site has completed the first transfer of material known as EMF concentrate to a local offsite facility for grouting, marking the beginning of a new more efficient approach.July 13, 2026
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Crews have exceeded an important milestone set by the state of Idaho by treating more than 130,000 gallons of radioactive liquid waste during their current processing run at the Idaho National Laboratory Site. June 30, 2026June 30, 2026
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management issued a draft request for proposal for the Hanford Site’s 222-S Laboratory procurement.June 25, 2026