IDAHO SODIUM-BEARING WASTE FACILITY NOT SET TO RESTART UNTIL NEXT YEAR

The Department of Energy now does not expect to resume start-up activities at the Idaho Sodium-Bearing Waste Treatment Facility until sometime next year as it works to address technical issues that emerged during startup this summer, according to a DOE spokeswoman. In recent months, DOE and CH2M-WG Idaho have been investigating the cause of a “filter blinding event” that occurred in June during start-up of the SBWT Facility, also known as the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit. The event resulted in the facility’s filters becoming clogged with carbon material, which led to a “system pressure event” that ultimately resulted in the shutdown of the facility. “After an exhaustive investigation and review of the June 16, 2012 event at the Sodium Bearing Waste Treatment facility we now have a better understanding of a path forward that will enable the remaining liquid waste at the site to be processed. We are focused on taking deliberate steps to safely start up this first-of-a-kind facility, and we will not compromise personnel safety or environmental protection,” Danielle Miller, a spokeswoman with DOE Idaho Operations Office, said in a written response late last week.