The last load of waste from the Y-12 Alpha-2 facility was received and disposed of at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF). EMWMF Operations successfully managed disposal of this waste stream without incident by proactively addressing several challenges.
Toward the end of the campaign, increased mercury concentrations in leachate and contact water were observed. Operations immediately took steps to reduce the mercury concentrations. Alpha-2 waste in the landfill was promptly covered with other waste or clean fill, a process that continued for the rest of the campaign; this was particularly important prior to heavy rains. Subsequent Alpha-2 waste was placed in areas and in a manner that minimized contact with water. This approach successfully reduced mercury concentrations in leachate and contact water before it was removed from the landfill.
Contact water pumped from the landfill was then circulated through bins containing steel wool – a process successfully used in the past to reduce concentrations of the chemical compound hexavalent chromium. This innovative approach proved very successful in reducing mercury concentrations in contact water prior to discharge.
Finally, EMWMF Operations successfully disposed of several oversized items, including two large steel beams. Disposal required careful planning and implementation to ensure the heavy beams could be placed safely while preserving remaining landfill capacity.
