The first stainless steel containers containing treated wasted are now permanently stored at a designated special disposal facility on the Hanford site. 

The U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, and Central Plateau Cleanup Company announced the milestone on April 8. It’s the latest step since the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste facility at Hanford’s Waste Treatment Plant, also known as the vit plant, began hot commissioning in October in preparation of full operations. 

“This is a proud and meaningful achievement for the entire Hanford team,” said DOE Hanford Site Manager Ray Geimer in a statement. “Safely beginning disposal shows that the systems, facilities and people needed to support tank waste treatment are working together.” 

It’s unknown how many containers were recently deposited in the site’s Integrated Disposal Facility, a specialized landfill, but DOE said the first containers were being prepped for disposal last fall. Twenty-five containers are currently ready to be placed in the IDF. 

Located in Hanford’s Central Plateau, the landfill is about 1,500 feet wide, 765 feet long and 45 feet deep. It includes two double-lined disposal areas called cells that also have a collection system for any rain or snow that comes in contact with the waste, which has been rendered into a stable glass form.