Mercury remains present in the Savannah River Site liquid waste system, but officials at the Department of Energy facility in South Carolina say they are closely monitoring the situation and have no major concerns at this time.
About 60 metric tons of mercury inhabits the site’s liquid waste processing facilities and tank farms, left behind by use as a dissolvent during decades of processing operations at SRS. The substance has remained a concern over the years, noted in a 2012 report from the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The agency noted that mercury is a nonradioactive contaminant, but is a chemical of concern based on the impacts it could have on fish in waters adjacent to SRS near Aiken, S.C.
A DOE spokesperson said the issue is being closely watched. Mercury is a potential worker hazard if it comes in contact with the skin, but that protective clothing and access to medical screening are adequate methods to prevent exposure, the official added.
“There has been no indication of worker occupational exposure to mercury,” the spokesperson said via email. “The amount of mercury and its location in the Liquid Waste system at SRS is well known and accounted for, both from a hazard and a processing perspective. Mercury in the Liquid Waste system has not been and is not being released into the environment. It is safely managed within the Liquid Waste facilities and tank farms.”
The SRS liquid waste project includes the processing of more than 35 millions of gallons of radioactive liquid waste, generated from nuclear weapons production during the Cold War era.
During waste processing, mercury is removed from the liquid waste at multiple locations, including in DWPF and at evaporators in the site’s waste storage tank farms. The spokesperson said the current process is working but that the efficiency of mercury removal has been impacted over time by aging infrastructure, such as issues with waste transfer lines.
In the long term, SRS has a mercury management plan that identifies strategies to reduce the threat.