A screen shot from Hanford’s DFLAW animation. (Image: DOE)
The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) has released an animated video of the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) Program at the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash. The video shows the integrated procedure for treating Hanford’s radioactive tank waste, a process EM says is a key component of its strategic cleanup vision.
View the animation here.
“Direct-feed” means that the tank waste will be separated to remove solids and cesium, then fed directly to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant’s Low-Activity Waste Facility for vitrification, a process that will immobilize the waste in glass. About 90 percent of the 56 million gallons of waste stored in Hanford’s underground tanks is low-activity waste.
The video: The DFLAW process starts with tank retrievals and runs through final disposal in the Integrated Disposal Facility, Hanford’s on-site engineered landfill. According to EM, the animation will be used to educate the public, stakeholders, and employees on how the process to treat tank waste through the DFLAW program works, from start to finish.
EM said there are plans for future Hanford animations that will dive deeper into the complex waste treatment and vitrification process.
