Gunite and Associated Tanks Waste Conditioning System: Description and Operational Summary

Emison, JA

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

关键词: Chemical Wastes;    Capacity;    Manhattan Project;    Us Epa;    Sludges;   

DOI  :  10.2172/814422
RP-ID  :  ORNL/TM-2001/149
RP-ID  :  AC05-00OR22725
RP-ID  :  814422

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The purpose of this report is to describe and document the function, operational performance, problems encountered, lessons-learned, and overall assessment of the performance of the waste conditioning system (WCS) in the Gunite{trademark} and Associated Tanks (GAAT) remediation project at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The GAAT are located in the main plant area of ORNL in the North and South Tank Farms. These tanks were constructed in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II. Each tank in the South Tank Farm (STF) has a 50-ft inside diameter and a capacity of {approx}170,000 gal. Each Gunite tank in the North Tank Farm (NTF) has a 25-ft inside diameter with a capacity of {approx}44,000 gal. The GAAT were designed to receive radioactive and chemical wastes from ORNL processes. The tanks were constructed of Gunite, which is created by pneumatically spraying concrete over a wire mesh. Following construction, the site was backfilled so the domes of the tanks were covered with {approx}6 ft of earth. The STF tanks (W-5, -6, -7, -8, -9, and -10) are set in a 2 x 3 array with an east-west axis. The two GAAT in the NTF are on the north side of Central Avenue, and the STF is across the street. One additional Gunite tank, TH-4, is located {approx}300 ft east of the STF. TH-4 is a smaller, 20-ft inside diameter tank with a capacity of {approx}14,000 gal. Approximately 90% of the sludge inventory was removed from the STF tanks during a sluicing campaign in 1982-84 (Autry et al., 1990). Over 95% of the residual from the original sluicing was removed during the GAAT Remediation Project of 1997-2000. The NTF and STF tanks, as well as tank TH-4 were remediated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) with regulatory oversight by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).