Workers at the US Hanford Site in Washington state recently finished filling the last large concrete basin at the K Reactor Area with cement-like grout. The basin had stored reactor fuel rods from the plutonium production mission.
The K West Reactor and nearby K East Reactor were built in the 1950s and operated through the early 1970s to irradiate uranium fuel rods for chemical processing to produce plutonium. The basins in both reactors also stored irradiated fuel from the last operating nuclear reactor at Hanford, N Reactor.
Crews with US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) placed about 6,500 cubic yards of the grout in the K West Reactor Basin. Crews started placing grout after pumping out contaminated water from the 1.2-million-gallon basin in July. The grout surrounds contaminated debris left in the basin and stabilises it for future demolition.
“Our Hanford team continues to safely and efficiently complete projects that reduce risks to groundwater and the Columbia River as the cleanup mission progresses,” said Andy Wiborg, EM’s acting deputy assistant manager for River and Plateau clean-up.
The basin measures 125 feet by 67 feet. It contained 16 feet of water to provide radiation shielding for workers. Crews filled the basin in three layers. The first foot covered contaminated debris on the floor. The second layer is 14 feet of controlled density fill, which is less dense than concrete. Workers placed a 9-inch layer of grout on top to complete the work.
Drivers delivered about 750 truckloads of grout during the project. To shorten the time between deliveries, CPCCo built a grout plant nearby to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
“Finishing grouting of the basin is a critical step in our mission to clean up the K Reactor Area,” said CPCCo Project Manager Mike Kruzic. “I’m proud of our team’s focus and commitment to safety throughout this complex project.”
