FLUOR HANFORD DECOMMISSIONING UPDATE Page: 4 of 9
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Fluor Hanford Decommissioning Update: Spring 2008
DD&R Newsletter
Michele Gerber, Fluor Hanford
K East Basin D&D Underway
Fluor Hanford is completing D&D of the K East Basin at the U.S. Department of
Energy's (DOE's) Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State this spring, with
demolition expected to begin in June. Located about 400 yards from the Columbia River,
the K East Basin is one of two indoor pools that formerly contained irradiated nuclear
fuel, radioactive sludge and tons of contaminated debris. In unique and path-breaking
work, workers finished removing the spent fuel from the K Basins in 2004.
In May 2007, workers completed vacuuming the sludge into containers in the K East
Basin, and transferring it into containers in the K West Basin. In December, they
finished vacuuming the remainder of K West Basin sludge into these containers. The K
East Basin was emptied of its radioactive inventory first because it was more
contaminated than the K West Basin, and had leaked in the past.
In October 2007, Fluor Hanford began physical D&D of the 8,400-square foot K East
Basin by pouring approximately 14-inches of grout into the bottom of it. Grout is a type
of special cement used for encasing waste.
Two months later, Fluor Hanford workers completed sluicing contaminated sand from the
large filter that had sieved contaminants from the basin water for more than 50 years.
Next, they poured grout into the filter housing and the vault that surrounds the filter, as
well as into ion exchange columns that also helped filter basin water.
For a six-week period in February and March, personnel drained the approximately one-
million gallons of contaminated water from the K East Basin. The effort required more
than 200 tanker truck loads that transported the water to an effluent treatment facility for
treatment and then release. A thin fixative was also applied to the basin walls as the
water was removed to hold residual contamination in place.
As soon as the water was out of the basin, Fluor pumped in approximately 18 feet of
"controlled density fill" material (somewhat similar to sand) to shield workers to a safe
level from the residual radioactivity. Workers then continued preparations for
demolishing the structure. Currently, they are isolating utilities, removing asbestos,
draining oils, and removing other items not allowed to be disposed in Hanford's
Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF).
The basin's superstructure will be demolished using a heavy industrial excavator
equipped with a shear. This portion of the work is expected to be completed in
September, with removal of the basin substructure to follow in 2009. D&D of the K East
Basin eliminated the final major radioactive sources there, and made the Columbia River
and the adjacent environment safer for everyone who lives downstream.
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MS, GERBER. FLUOR HANFORD DECOMMISSIONING UPDATE, article, April 21, 2008; Richland, Washington. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc893361/m1/4/: accessed April 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.