Hanford Vit Plant: 2+2 Modification Open for Comment

Waste Treatment Plant 2+2 permit modification public comment period starts today.

"It runs October 9 through November 27, 2006

Washington State’s Department of Ecology invites you to comment on a permit modification for Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The plant will change millions of gallons of highly radioactive waste, now stored in aging underground tanks, into glass. The draft permit incorporates the following changes into the WTP Permit, Chapter 10 and Attachment 51 of the Dangerous Waste Portion of the Hanford Facility Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit.

The melter configuration is changed from one high-level waste (HLW) melter and three low-activity waste (LAW) melters to two HLW and two LAW melters (2+2) Detailed designs for the HLW melters are added.

The permit would include secondary containment calculations for the pretreatement facility.

A public comment period runs from October 9 through November 27, 2006. Ecology will consider all comments it receives during the comment period. Ecology will also issue a response to comments when it issues the final decision on the modification.

How can you review the permit?

During the public comment period, you can review the draft permit modification at the Hanford Public Information Repositories http://www.hanford.gov/?page=80&parent=15. You can make an appointment to review the information at Ecology’s Nuclear Waste Program office by calling 509-372-7920. You also can review documents related to the draft permit online ...

Attend the public hearing

Ecology will hold a public hearing on on the evening of Thursday, November 9 at the Nuclear Waste Program office, 3100 Port of Benton Blvd, Richland, WA 99354. At 7:00 p.m. Ecology representatives will present information and have a short question and answer session, then accept formal public comment.

Please contact Madeleine Brown at 509-372-7936 or the Hanford Cleanup Line, 800-321-2008, for more information."