According to the information recently released in the 2015 Bechtel Sustainability Report, the company is undertaking initiatives aimed at removing environmental challenges that threaten natural resources, public health and safety, and sustainability. One major initiative is the stainless steel encasement project to address decades-old nuclear waste at the Hanford site in Washington State.
177 aging underground tanks holding 56 million gallons (212 million liters) of nuclear and chemical waste currently endanger the Columbia River, the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy approached Bechtel with this environmental challenge. In response, Bechtel is designing and building the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, where a first-of-a-kind vitrification process will blend radioactive waste with glass-forming materials and heat it to 2,100ºF (1,149ºC). The molten material will be poured into stainless steel containers to cool and solidify in a glass, or vitrified, form and then stored in stainless steel canisters for permanent disposal at a federal repository. Through this technology, the waste can remain stable so that its radioactivity can safely dissipate over time.
“Not only do we exceed the United States and other government requirements for sustainability, we are spearheading the safe and efficient treatment and disposal of some of the most complex and dangerous materials on the planet. This not only requires strict protocols to protect workers and the environment, but close cooperation with local communities to ensure that their best interests are at heart,” says Laureen Smith, Manager of Environmental Services, Nuclear, Security & Environmental, Bechtel.