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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The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and its liquid waste contractor at Savannah River Site have implemented an agile, innovative toolset that expands near-term planning capabilities enabling optimized facility integration that improves the overall schedule for treating radioactive waste. February 17, 2026February 17, 2026
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Crews recently began retrieving radioactive waste from the 24th single-shell tank at the Hanford Site, two years after using an innovative system to cut into the tank dome for the installation of new equipment. February 10, 2026February 10, 2026
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In a significant achievement years in the making, workers with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company recently moved the first of 18 concrete casks loaded with radioactive cesium capsules out of the Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility to a nearby dry storage pad at the Hanford Site. February 3, 2026February 3, 2026
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As part of ongoing efforts to modernize infrastructure on the Hanford Site, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management announced the Central Plateau Water Treatment Facility has passed all operational acceptance testing and now provides water to Hanford’s water system. January 20, 2026January 20, 2026