Abstract: For several decades at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, large underground storage tanks have been used to contain highly radioactive waste. This waste must be now transported out of the tanks to be processed into a more suitable long-term storage medium. In addition, the emptied tanks must be cleaned in adherence to both state and federal requirements before being permanently closed. Unfortunately, transfer of the waste by pump leaves behind several types of waste forms away from pump suction: highly alkaline and radioactive sludge, rock-like solid masses called clinkers, or large, solidified salt formations known as tank heels. These waste forms must be dissolved and moved on the tank bottom to pump locations prior to being removed from the tank. !0
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