The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland Operations Office (RL) plans to propose a change to the Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit to close the Plutonium Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant tanks TK P4 and TK-40. A public meeting will be held August 31st at 5:30 p.m., at the Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland, WA 99352. If you are unable to attend in person, you can access the meeting through an online webinar. Please use the link below to register and access: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2085048255052861699

The PUREX Plant is located in the 200 East Area of the Hanford Site in Washington State. PUREX was one of five processing facilities used to recover plutonium from irradiated fuel rods through chemical processing. PUREX is comprised of the PUREX canyon building, two storage tunnels, as well as several outside support structures including chemical storage areas, cribs and retention basins. Two of the PUREX support areas, the 203A acid storage area and the 211A chemical storage area, housed systems of chemical storage tanks, including tanks TK-P4 and TK-40, and associated ancillary equipment.

Tank TK-P4 is a stainless-steel tank located in the 203A acid storage area. As a part of deactivation, all tanks in the 203A acid storage area were flushed and emptied to a minimum level and their associated piping was drained. Since it was emptied, the 203A acid storage area has been part of an ongoing surveillance and maintenance program for the PUREX Plant.
Tank TK-40 is a carbon-steel tank located in the 211A chemical storage area. In 1996, the tank was flushed and emptied to a minimum level.

DOE is proposing closure of both tanks by complete removal. After the tanks and the surrounding structures are removed, the existing slab will be removed and sampling performed to demonstrate clean closure requirements have been met.
DOE is releasing the PUREX tanks TK-P4 and TK-40 closure plan for public comment. This closure plan will be processed as a Class 3 modification to the dangerous waste permit. Class 3 permit changes call for a 60?day comment period on the proposal led by the permittee (DOE), and a public meeting. This will be followed at a later date by an Ecology-led 45-day comment period on the draft permit change.

Copies of the proposed closure plan and supporting documentation are available at the Administrative Record, 2440 Stevens Drive, Richland, WA or online at: http://pdw.hanford.gov/arpir/index.cfm/viewDoc?accession=0076044H

A Public comment period will run from July 18—September 16, 2016

You can submit comments by September 16, 2016 to:
Rich Buel
Department of Energy
P.O. Box 550, A7-75
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 376-5803
richard.buel@rl.doe.gov

Factsheet

Location:
Richland Public Library
955 Northgate Dr.
Richland, WA

Date: August 31st, 2016
Time: 5:30 p.m.

Contact:
Rich Buel
(509) 376-1563