According to DOE-EM, Tank 4 is the third waste tank at SRS to complete that phase of work, called preliminary cease waste removal (PCWR) ahead of schedule in the past year. PCWR was completed for Tank 10 in May 2024, seven months ahead of its agreed-on deadline, and for Tank 9 in October 2024, more than a year ahead of its deadline. Tank 4’s PCWR was also completed a year ahead of its deadline.
A total of 51 underground waste tanks were built at SRS to contain the millions of gallons of radioactive waste generated from chemical separations processes at the site. Eight of those tanks have been operationally closed. Several of the remaining 43 tanks are in various stages of the waste removal, cleaning, and closure process. A 750,000-gallon underground storage tank, Tank 4 was placed into service in 1961.
Milestone agreements: PCWR is a regulatory milestone outlined in the SRS Federal Facility Agreement, which establishes a procedural framework, including liquid waste tank milestone agreements, such as the schedule for waste removal and operational tank closures as well as other site cleanup priorities.
PCWR designates an agreement among DOE-EM, the SCDES, and the EPA that, based on preliminary information, there is reasonable assurance that performance objectives for tank closure will be met. Also, the concurrence means that work can begin on the sampling and analysis phase of the tank closure process. This next phase will verify these conclusions, based on laboratory analysis of any remaining material and final residual volume determination, prior to stabilization and final isolation of the waste tank.
He said it: Jim Folk, DOE-Savannah River assistant manager for waste disposition, said significant waste retrieval and tank closure milestones at SRS, such as PCWR, demonstrate that DOE-EM is committed to completing the SRS liquid waste mission through tank waste cleanup.
"[DOE-EM] and our contractor, Savannah River Mission Completion, remain committed to working together to remove the highest risk from the tank waste at SRS,” Folk said. “Continuously completing preliminary cease waste removal milestones ahead of schedule shows the dedication this team has to be successful.”
