High-Risk Waste Site Remediation
At waste sites along the Columbia River, baseline plans are to complete remediation by 2012
through the River Corridor contractor. Remediation of Central Plateau waste sites, including
closure of single-shell tank farms and other sites not included in the work of the River Corridor
contractor is planned for completion by 2024. This plan accelerates completion of high-risk waste
sites, but does not include waste sites by the tank farms. This approach would complete all actions for regions
outside the Core Zone of the Central Plateau (except the 618-10 and 618-11 burial grounds) as well
as deal with many of the high-risk waste sites responsible for existing groundwater contamination
beneath the Hanford Site.
Plans to deal with waste sites in close proximity to tank farms require further work and will depend
greatly on the strategy employed to close the tanks. The regions selected for completion by 2012
avoid those areas immediately adjacent to tank farms until a compatible approach to waste site
remediation and tank closure can be developed. Similarly, efforts are underway to further enhance
the waste site approach by addressing excess facilities within the regions as presented in the
performance management plan Initiative 5.
The Waste Site Remedial Action Master Schedule presents the major efforts to complete remediation
of waste sites. This baseline plan is substantially accelerated through the actions included in
the Performance Management Plan for the Accelerated Cleanup of the Hanford Site.
Actions to remediate high-risk waste sites focus on sites with large inventories of contaminants
and existing groundwater plumes or sites with large inventories where early action may prevent
or significantly reduce future groundwater impacts. Another factor considered during the evaluation
process was the extent to which other facilities may interfere with the implementation of the
action or regulatory approach. This plan accelerates the remediation of four high-risk waste
sites including:
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During the past 7 years, 237 waste sites have been cleaned up to regulatory standards.
A total of 3.2 million tons of contaminated material has been removed from sites near
the Columbia River and 5.3 billion liters (1.4 billion gallons) of contaminated
groundwater have been pumped from the ground and treated. In the process, 51 of
the high-risk liquid waste disposal sites in the 100-B/C, 100-D, and 100-H Areas
were remediated and backfilled as well as two high-risk sites in the 100-N Area.
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The actions proposed to accelerate remediation of these sites are shown in the High Risk Waste Sites
Master Schedule. The remediation to be applied to these sites has not yet been determined. Possible
remedial alternatives include the installation of surface barriers to reduce the infiltration of water
that drives contaminants through the soil to the groundwater. In some cases, barriers will be
applied to sites as they; in others, waste materials may need to be removed, treated and disposed
of. Accelerated actions at these high-risk waste sites are scheduled for completion by 2011.
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