Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) facility preclosure work plan

The dangerous waste permit identification number (WA7890008967)was issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology. This identification number encompasses a number of treatment, storage, and/or disposal units within the Hanford Facility. One of these treatment, storage, and/or disposal units is the PUREX Facility,currently undergoing a phased closure. The PUREX Facility Preclosure Work Plan submittal differs from closure plans previously submitted by the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office to the Washington State Department of Ecology,in that the closure process occurs in three distinct phases as part of the decommissioning process (i.e., transition,surveillance and maintenance, and disposition). Final closure will occur during the disposition phase. This phased decommissioning process is implemented because development of a complete closure plan during the transition phase is impractical and future land use determinations have not been identified. The objective of the transition phase is to place the PUREX Facility in a safe configuration with respect to human health and the environment. Following the transition phase activities, the PUREX Facility will begin the surveillance and maintenance phase of 10 or more years until disposition phase activities commence. The closure plan for the PUREX facility will be prepared during the disposition phase. For purposes of this documentation, the PUREX Facility does not include the PUREX Storage Tunnels. The PUREX Storage Tunnels are an operating storage unit(DOE/RL-94-24)