DOE and Hanford Complete Draining of Spent Nuclear Fuel

摘要

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; www.energy.gov) and contractor Fluor Hanford (www.hanford.gov) have finished draining Hanford's K East Basin, a pool that previously held Cold-War-era spent fuel. The basin is located about 400 yards from the Columbia River at DOE's Hanford Site in Washington state. Workers began draining the basin in February, transporting contaminated water in 5,000-gal tanker trucks to a treatment facility on the Hanford site. More than 220 trips were made to complete the cleanup. According to the DOE, the work eliminated the risk that the contaminants in the basin pose to the Columbia River. Ultimately, the basin itself will be removed to access soil contaminated by water leaks from the basin.