The UCOR Nuclear Operations team recently performed sampling of transuranic mixed waste in the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVSTs) at Building 7830.
This legacy waste, commonly referred to as sludge, was generated through decades of science missions at ORNL. The waste is consolidated and stored in eight below ground tanks surrounded by a concrete vault where it is safely managed prior to treatment and disposal.
The specific tanks that needed to be sampled had not been accessed for nearly 20 years and presented high radiological hazards. Since this is a high-activity waste, workers were required to conduct the sample remotely.
To prepare, the ORNL Nuclear Operations team ensured all potential hazards were properly controlled. This included designing and assembling custom shielded drums for safe transport of the samples. Field crews performed mock-ups of the task and ultimately were successful in safely retrieving the required sample material.
“This sample will provide valuable data on the MVSTs and how they change over time to inform UCOR’s future treatment and disposal of this legacy waste,” said ORNL Nuclear Operations Manager James Wheeler. “This team faced many challenges but worked through them to achieve the goal safely and efficiently.”
