Home / Environment / Hanford's Mega-Landfill Expands for Nuclear Cleanup
Hanford's Mega-Landfill Expands for Nuclear Cleanup
2 Oct
Summary
- New disposal cell adds 2.8 million cubic yards of capacity.
- Over 20 million tons of waste received since 1996.
- Expansion supports Hanford mission through at least 2040.
At Washington state's Hanford Site, a significant expansion of the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) is underway as part of a major US environmental cleanup effort. Workers recently completed excavating a new disposal cell, Super Cell 11, which is approximately 500 feet wide and 1,000 feet long, and 80 feet deep. This new section will provide an additional 2.8 million cubic yards of capacity for solid waste. Since beginning operations in 1996, ERDF has received over 20 million tons of low-level radioactive, hazardous, and mixed solid waste from cleanup projects across the 580-square-mile site. This waste includes contaminated soil and debris from the demolition of over 800 facilities and the remediation of about 1,300 waste sites. The expansion of ERDF is vital for continuing the Hanford mission and is projected to support waste disposal needs through at least 2040. The facility's engineered liner system is designed to prevent contamination from reaching the environment. The ongoing cleanup at Hanford addresses the legacy of 20th-century nuclear weapons production, focusing on remediating contaminated areas and aging facilities.
