Construction of the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant is underway at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. When complete, the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant will process and stabilize 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste currently stored on site.
More than 40 of producing plutonium for America’s defense program left the Hanford Site contaminated with various kinds of hazardous waste. In 2000, the DOE launched a multibillion dollar, 19-year-long project to design and construct a new nuclear-level facility to treat radioactive and hazardous tank waste inventories. The ongoing cleanup requires appropriate measures to avoid contaminating the air, ground, and water table, crews working onsite, the Columbia River, and surrounding communities.
Under a long-term, onsite contract, Kleinfelder is providing materials testing services for the construction of the new nuclear-level plant. Kleinfelder’s onsite, fully operational construction materials testing laboratory is fully compliant with Kleinfelder’s Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA) Program, and all equipment is calibrated under an equivalent NQA program. Kleinfelder supports construction activities with thorough and timely materials analyses. Quality controls and quality assurance procedures have helped minimize scope and costs, while supporting the project schedule.
As a member of the Hanford Site cleanup team, Kleinfelder’s multi-faceted, talented professionals continue to provide a full range of nuclear quality construction materials testing services to support completion of plant construction by 2016 – a date critical to the mission of the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management.
Location:
Southeastern Washington
Owner:
U.S. Department of Energy
