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The problem Hanford has with the tanks is that back in the day they didn't really worry too much about what they were dumping into the tanks, or document it. T
by tallanvor 6y ago
The problem Hanford has with the tanks is that back in the day they didn't really worry too much about what they were dumping into the tanks, or document it. This led to materials inside the tanks reacting and making it that much harder to safely empty them out.
Years ago they had to install special ventilation around some takes due to the contents producing flammable gases.
In hindsight, of course, it's not surprising that even the double-walled tanks face issues with corrosion. Vitrification is the best process they've been able to come up with, but that's not a fast thing to do.
- 8bitsrule 6y agoNot only is it not fast, Vitrification is still just a decades-old folk-tale that sounds good (and 'promising'). In 2018 an "experiment" at PNNL reported that "Dangerous radioactive waste has been trapped inside solid glass in a first-of-its-kind demonstration". Only time will tell how real that prospect is. https://www.livescience.com/62623-radioactive-waste-trapped-in-glass.html https://www.livescience.com/62623-radioactive-waste-trapped-...