FireWaterAssociates,LLC

DOEInnovativeClean-UpApproaches

• UNITECHR3WORKSHOP• Chicago,IL• JUNE7,2019

• ReneeEchols• President

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

Introduction

�2

• Firewaterisawomanownedsmallbusinessestablishedin2009thatprovidesRadioactiveandHazardousWasteManagement,SecurityStaffing,ProjectManagement,andTransportationPlanningtotheNuclearIndustry.

• WeprovideconsultationtoDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)Complexincludingidentifyingdispositionpathwaysforlow-level,mixedlow-level,transuranicandhigh-levelwastestreams.

• DOEEMbudgetin2019=$7.2Bwithitsoverallliabilityatover$300Bandgrowing.Mostlegacycostareassociatedwithcleanupandwastedisposition.

• Thisdiscussioncentersaroundinnovativedispositionapproachesthatalsoprovidecostsavingstothegovernment.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

DOESites

�3

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

CleanupFunding

�4

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

ChallengingWasteStreams

�5

• DOEgenerateslargevolumesofwastesfromweaponsproductionandnuclearenergyresearch.

• Manywastestreamsarelegacywastes(decadesold)andhaveradioactiveandhazardousconstituentsthatposechallengesforcomplianttransport,treatmentand/ordisposal.

• Manydifferentchallengesbutlargestcostsinclude:• Tankwastes(LLWbeingmanagedasHLW)• Mercurycontaminatedwastes• Reactivemetals(Sodiumand/orNaK)

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

TankWastes

�6

• DOEHanfordSiteinWAStateoccupiesover500squaremiles.

• LargestsinglefinancialliabilitytoDOEEM(billionsannually).

• Wastes,by-productofweaponsproductionoperations,havebeenstoredin177largeundergroundtanksfordecades.

• 56milliongallonsofwasteinthreeforms:• SludgesandSaltcake-approx.10%,• Liquid(supernate)–approx.90%.

• 80%ormoremaybeLLW/MLLWvsHLW.• Currentregulatoryrequirementistovitrifyall.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC �7

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

HanfordTankTypes

�8

Single-Shell Tank Double-Shell Tank

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

DOE’sCurrentPlan

�9

• DOE’sagreementwiththeStateofWArequiresall56Mgallonstobevitrifiedintoaborosilicateglassform.

• BechtelNationalhasbeencontractedtodesign,buildandstartuptheWasteTreatmentandImmobilizationPlant(WTP)andancillaryfacilities.

• Multi-billiondollarprojectwilldeployfirst-of-a-kindseparationandvitrificationtechnologiesin4majorfacilitiesand20supportfacilities.

• Mayonlybenecessaryforlessthan20%ofwastes.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

InnovativeAlternativeTreatment

�10

• Acommercialteamhasdevelopedalternativetreatmentforportionof80%oftankwastesthatisundergoingtesting:

• Systemretrievesanddecontaminatestankwastebyfiltrationtoremovesuspendedsolids(Strontiumandtransuranics).

• Usesion-exchangetoreduceCs-137majordosecontributor.• AllowswastetobemanagedasLLWvsHLW.• Commercialtreatment,transportanddisposalprovidesmostcosteffectivewaytomanage.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

MercuryContaminated

Facilities

�11

• Y-12NuclearWeaponsComplexinOakRidge,TNusedHginlithiumisotopeseparation(COLEXprocess)fornuclearweaponsproduction.

• Fourformerusebuildings(1.8millionft2)haveHgalongwithotherhazardousandradioactivecontaminantswithinorsurroundingthefacilities.

• MercuryrepresentslargestenvironmentalliabilityatOakRidge.

• BuildingsaredeterioratingandwillundergoD&Dwithinthenext5years.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

ChallengesforD&D

• 24millionlbs.broughttoY-12from1950–1963:• ~1.3millionlbs.unaccountedfor:

• Air–~51,000lbs.• Water–~240,000lbs.• Soils/Sediments–Unknown• Buildingspills-~325,000lbs.• Processsystems-~60,000lbs.

• D&DmustbeaddresslargequantitiesofHg,difficulttodetectinsituandposethreattoworkersandtheenvironment.

�12

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

DOE’sCurrentPlan

�13

• Strategicplanning,disposalfacilitydevelopment,andregulatorydiscussionestablishingwastedisposalacceptance.

• TechnologyDevelopmentaddressingcharacterization,decontamination,personnelprotection,andwasteacceptance.

• InfieldD&Dtestingoftechnologies.

• InstallationofwatertreatmentfacilitytostopHgfromenteringsurfacewaterspriortoD&D.

• SequentialD&Dofbuildingsforcontaminationcontrol.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

InnovativeTechnologyTesting

�14

• DOEistestingtechnologiestoaddressHgchallengeforD&D–mechanicalremoval,iceblasting,anddebrisfogging.

• Moretestingisplannedforcharacterization,wastetreatment,healthandsafetyconcerns(e.g.,UnitechPPEand3Mrespiratoryprotection).

ReactiveMetals

!15

• Reactivemetals,inlimitedquantityandaccessibleconfiguration,havebeentreatedbysimpledeactivationmethods.

• DOEsiteshavelargevolumesofbulkNa(HanfordFastFluxReactor)andsodiumcontainedinproblematicconfigurations.

• Safedispositionofcontaminatedsodiumrequiresnewinnovativeapproaches.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

InnovativeTreatmentforReactiveMetals

�16

• PartnershipbetweenPerma-FixandVeoliaistestingahightemperatureprocesstosafelydeactivatereactivemetalsandplaceintoaglassmatrix.

FirewaterAssociatesLLC

Summary

�17

• Governmentonsitesolutionstakedecadesandbillionsandthusinnovationisimperative.

• GovernmentisworkingwithCommercialindustrytodevelopnewmethodologiestoreducethefinancialliabilityofsiteclean-up

• IndustrygroupssuchasEFCOGprovideamechanismforDOEsitestoshareinformationoninnovativeapproaches.