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The Hanford Waste Treatment Plant (WTP), also known as the "Vit Plant," will treat 56 million gallons of radioactive waste currently stored in aging underground tanks at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site. If left untreated, the waste poses a serious threat to the Columbia River, surrounding communities and millions of residents downstream. When fully operational in 2022, the Vit Plant will stabilize the liquid waste by turning it into glass, making it safe and impervious to the environment.
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Part of ensuring safety and quality is fostering a strong Nuclear Safety and Quality Culture (NSQC) that will carry through to commissioning and operations. We are committed to cultivating that culture through three focus areas: leadership, employee engagement and organizational learning. We strive to provide our employees with the information and tools they need to actively implement these focus areas in their everyday work. Many of these resources are provided in our Newsroom.
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The Vit Plant is being designed and built with nuclear safety and quality at the forefront. Bechtel and the Department of Energy are committed to ensuring that future Vit Plant workers will work in safe, reliable facilities and that the public and environment are protected during Vit Plant operations.
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The Vit Plant will use vitrification technology, which involves blending the waste with glass-forming materials and heating it to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit. The mixture is then poured into stainless steel canisters to cool and solidify. In this glass form, the waste is stable and impervious to the environment, and its radioactivity will dissipate over hundreds to thousands of years.
