Hanford places first vitrified waste canisters in disposal cell

Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management announced that it has begun the permanent disposal of the first containers of vitrified low-level radioactive tank waste at the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash., marking a pivotal step in the nation's radioactive tank waste cleanup mission.

Last week, DOE-EM and its contractor, Central Plateau Cleanup Company, placed the first 7.5-ton stainless steel canisters containing solidified tank waste in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF), Hanford's on-site engineered LLW landfill.

According to DOE-EM, the IDF received the first containers from the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), where the waste is vitrified, last fall, staging them on a nearby concrete pad to prepare them for disposal. About 25 containers are now ready to be moved into the disposal cell, DOE-EM said.

Watch a video of disposal activities here.

The process: DOE-EM and its contractor Bechtel began nuclear vitrification operations at the WTP's Low-Activity Waste Facility in October 2025. The LAW Facility is currently undergoing hot commissioning, during which facility systems will be tested and validated prior to obtaining regulatory approval for full-scale operations. Hot commissioning is expected to take another 6-12 months to complete.

During vitrification, treated tank waste is mixed in one of the LAW Facility's two melters, where it is heated to 2,100°F and mixed with glass-forming materials before being poured into containers about 4 feet wide by 7.5 feet high.

As of February, WTP crews have converted approximately 50,000 gallons of tank waste into vitrified glass, filling 34 containers. Hanford's underground waste tanks hold approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste.

According to DOE-EM, disposal of the LLW containers at IDF is a pivotal step in the nation's tank waste cleanup mission and demonstrates progress toward steady-state direct-feed low-activity waste (DFLAW) operations-the DOE's strategy for vitrifying Hanford's LLW while it works to complete the WTP's High-Level Waste Facility.

Quote: "This is a proud and meaningful achievement for the entire Hanford team," said Hanford site manager Ray Geimer. "Safely beginning disposal shows that the systems, facilities, and people needed to support tank waste treatment are working together. Each container placed in the IDF reduces long-term environmental risk and moves us forward on DOE's commitment to protect the community and the environment."