The state regulator for the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina is satisfied workers have successfully cleaned out the high-level liquid radioactive waste from Tank 8, DOE said this week.
The milestone marks the sixth tank in 13 months to receive preliminary cease waste removal designation from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, according to DOE’s Office of Environmental Management. DOE announced the Tank 8 news in a Tuesday press release.
The preliminary okay from the state means BWX Technologies-led contractor Savannah River Mission Completion can start the sampling and analysis phase of work. This next stage can verify the preliminary finding. Eventually Tank 8 and the other tanks at the 310-square-mile facility will be filled with grout and permanently sealed, according to the DOE press release.
In June, DOE announced Tanks 11 and 15 had won the preliminary cleanup designation from the state.
This year, the Savannah River cleanup contractor has targeted high-risk tanks, including those built in the early 1950s.
