FireWater Associates, LLCSep 13, 2019  · Firewater Associates LLC Introduction 2 • Firewater is...

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FireWaterAssociates,LLC

DOEInnovativeClean-UpApproaches

• UNITECHR3WORKSHOP• Chicago,IL• JUNE7,2019

• ReneeEchols• President

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

Introduction

�2

• Firewaterisawomanownedsmallbusinessestablishedin2009thatprovidesRadioactiveandHazardousWasteManagement,SecurityStaffing,ProjectManagement,andTransportationPlanningtotheNuclearIndustry.

• WeprovideconsultationtoDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)Complexincludingidentifyingdispositionpathwaysforlow-level,mixedlow-level,transuranicandhigh-levelwastestreams.

• DOEEMbudgetin2019=$7.2Bwithitsoverallliabilityatover$300Bandgrowing.Mostlegacycostareassociatedwithcleanupandwastedisposition.

• Thisdiscussioncentersaroundinnovativedispositionapproachesthatalsoprovidecostsavingstothegovernment.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

DOESites

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FirewaterAssociatesLLC

CleanupFunding

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ChallengingWasteStreams

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• DOEgenerateslargevolumesofwastesfromweaponsproductionandnuclearenergyresearch.

• Manywastestreamsarelegacywastes(decadesold)andhaveradioactiveandhazardousconstituentsthatposechallengesforcomplianttransport,treatmentand/ordisposal.

• Manydifferentchallengesbutlargestcostsinclude:• Tankwastes(LLWbeingmanagedasHLW)• Mercurycontaminatedwastes• Reactivemetals(Sodiumand/orNaK)

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

TankWastes

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• DOEHanfordSiteinWAStateoccupiesover500squaremiles.

• LargestsinglefinancialliabilitytoDOEEM(billionsannually).

• Wastes,by-productofweaponsproductionoperations,havebeenstoredin177largeundergroundtanksfordecades.

• 56milliongallonsofwasteinthreeforms:• SludgesandSaltcake-approx.10%,• Liquid(supernate)–approx.90%.

• 80%ormoremaybeLLW/MLLWvsHLW.• Currentregulatoryrequirementistovitrifyall.

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FirewaterAssociatesLLC

HanfordTankTypes

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Single-Shell Tank Double-Shell Tank

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DOE’sCurrentPlan

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• DOE’sagreementwiththeStateofWArequiresall56Mgallonstobevitrifiedintoaborosilicateglassform.

• BechtelNationalhasbeencontractedtodesign,buildandstartuptheWasteTreatmentandImmobilizationPlant(WTP)andancillaryfacilities.

• Multi-billiondollarprojectwilldeployfirst-of-a-kindseparationandvitrificationtechnologiesin4majorfacilitiesand20supportfacilities.

• Mayonlybenecessaryforlessthan20%ofwastes.

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InnovativeAlternativeTreatment

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• Acommercialteamhasdevelopedalternativetreatmentforportionof80%oftankwastesthatisundergoingtesting:

• Systemretrievesanddecontaminatestankwastebyfiltrationtoremovesuspendedsolids(Strontiumandtransuranics).

• Usesion-exchangetoreduceCs-137majordosecontributor.• AllowswastetobemanagedasLLWvsHLW.• Commercialtreatment,transportanddisposalprovidesmostcosteffectivewaytomanage.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

MercuryContaminated

Facilities

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• Y-12NuclearWeaponsComplexinOakRidge,TNusedHginlithiumisotopeseparation(COLEXprocess)fornuclearweaponsproduction.

• Fourformerusebuildings(1.8millionft2)haveHgalongwithotherhazardousandradioactivecontaminantswithinorsurroundingthefacilities.

• MercuryrepresentslargestenvironmentalliabilityatOakRidge.

• BuildingsaredeterioratingandwillundergoD&Dwithinthenext5years.

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ChallengesforD&D

• 24millionlbs.broughttoY-12from1950–1963:• ~1.3millionlbs.unaccountedfor:

• Air–~51,000lbs.• Water–~240,000lbs.• Soils/Sediments–Unknown• Buildingspills-~325,000lbs.• Processsystems-~60,000lbs.

• D&DmustbeaddresslargequantitiesofHg,difficulttodetectinsituandposethreattoworkersandtheenvironment.

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FirewaterAssociatesLLC

DOE’sCurrentPlan

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• Strategicplanning,disposalfacilitydevelopment,andregulatorydiscussionestablishingwastedisposalacceptance.

• TechnologyDevelopmentaddressingcharacterization,decontamination,personnelprotection,andwasteacceptance.

• InfieldD&Dtestingoftechnologies.

• InstallationofwatertreatmentfacilitytostopHgfromenteringsurfacewaterspriortoD&D.

• SequentialD&Dofbuildingsforcontaminationcontrol.

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InnovativeTechnologyTesting

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• DOEistestingtechnologiestoaddressHgchallengeforD&D–mechanicalremoval,iceblasting,anddebrisfogging.

• Moretestingisplannedforcharacterization,wastetreatment,healthandsafetyconcerns(e.g.,UnitechPPEand3Mrespiratoryprotection).

ReactiveMetals

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• Reactivemetals,inlimitedquantityandaccessibleconfiguration,havebeentreatedbysimpledeactivationmethods.

• DOEsiteshavelargevolumesofbulkNa(HanfordFastFluxReactor)andsodiumcontainedinproblematicconfigurations.

• Safedispositionofcontaminatedsodiumrequiresnewinnovativeapproaches.

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InnovativeTreatmentforReactiveMetals

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• PartnershipbetweenPerma-FixandVeoliaistestingahightemperatureprocesstosafelydeactivatereactivemetalsandplaceintoaglassmatrix.

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Summary

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• Governmentonsitesolutionstakedecadesandbillionsandthusinnovationisimperative.

• GovernmentisworkingwithCommercialindustrytodevelopnewmethodologiestoreducethefinancialliabilityofsiteclean-up

• IndustrygroupssuchasEFCOGprovideamechanismforDOEsitestoshareinformationoninnovativeapproaches.