Waste Management

DOE extends comment period on Hanford LAW document

September 23, 2020, 9:00AMRadwaste Solutions

The Department of Energy has extended until November 27 the public comment period on the Draft Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Evaluation for Vitrified Low-Activity Waste Disposed Onsite at the Hanford Site, Washington, which supports the DOE’s decision to dispose of vitrified low-level radioactive waste at an on-site disposal facility at the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash. Notice of the comment extension was published in the September 22 Federal Register.

The DOE initially made the draft waste incidental to reprocessing (WIR) evaluation available in the May 26 Federal Register, opening a 120-day comment period. The DOE said it is extending the comment period an additional 60 days in response to requests.

Next steps: After considering comments received, and in consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the DOE plans to issue a final WIR evaluation. Based on the WIR, the DOE may determine that vitrified low-activity waste produced from treating Hanford’s radioactive tank waste, and from which long-lived insoluble radionuclides and cesium has been removed, is waste that is incidental to reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, is not high-level radioactive waste, and may be managed as mixed LLW. As mixed LLW, the resulting canisters of vitrified waste would be disposed of at Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility.

Addresses: Comments may be submitted by email to ILAWDraftWIR@rl.gov. Written comments may also be sent by mail to Jennifer Colburn, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 450, MSIN H6–60, Richland, WA 99354. The draft WIR evaluation can be found on the Hanford website.

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