В США получили разрешение на запуск крупнейшего хранилища для радиоактивных отходов

AIKEN — A Saltstone Disposal Unit capable of storing up to 33 million gallons of solidified, decontaminated salt solution produced at SRS has been authorized to begin operations, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The DOE’s Office of Environmental Management said in an Aug. 25 press release that Saltstone Unit 10 is the fifth mega-size disposal unit authorized for operations at the Savannah River Site. The authorization marks the last step before the Saltstone Disposal Unit 10 can begin to receive decontaminated material for disposal. Construction of the unit was completed in June 2024, nearly 10 months ahead of schedule and two years after completing construction on Saltstone Disposal Unit 9. A leak tightness test was completed for Saltstone Disposal Unit 10 in December 2025, “verifying it is safe to store up to 33 million gallons of solidified, decontaminated salt solution produced at SRS,” the release said. From design to construction, the Saltstone Disposal Unit 10 projects are examples of innovation and efficiency, according to Chuck Comeau, DOE-Savannah River federal project director. “All of the larger SDUs built at SRS have come in under budget and ahead of schedule, without sacrificing safety or effectiveness,” said Comeau. “Having the SDUs ready and available to provide safe, permanent storage for the decontaminated legacy waste supports the accelerated pace of the liquid waste program at SRS.” The Saltstone Disposal Units are the end of the salt waste processing path. The Salt Waste Processing Facility produces the decontaminated salt solution that is sent to the Saltstone Production Facility, where it is mixed with dry materials to make a cement-like grout. The grout is pumped into the Saltstone Disposal Units, where it solidifies into a monolithic, nonhazardous form, the release says. “The larger Saltstone Disposal Units are designed to support the increased material production from the Salt Waste Processing Facility and result in more than $500 million in cost savings over the life of the SRS liquid waste program because they require less infrastructure and materials than the previous 80 smaller Saltstone Disposal Units,” it reads. Construction and operation of the Saltstone Disposal Units is managed by Savannah River Mission Completion, the liquid waste contractor for the DOE Office of Environmental Management. Completion of Saltstone Disposal Unit 10 stands as another example of excellence delivered by the Savannah River Mission Completion team, according to SRMC President and Program Manager Thomas Burns Jr. “Delivering a project of this scale safely and successfully took remarkable dedication, teamwork and expertise from everyone involved,” Burns said. “I am truly proud of what the SRMC team accomplished with SDU 10. This milestone moves us even closer to completing our mission and demonstrates the critical importance of this project.” According to the release, SRMC is also in various stages of completing the final two Saltstone Disposal Units needed at SRS. With the final roof section placed this spring, all structural concrete placements for Saltstone Disposal Unit 11 are complete. “The unit is being wrapped with over 340 miles of steel cable to ensure structural integrity and enhanced durability,” the release says. Construction began on Saltstone Disposal Unit 12 in April, “marking a historic milestone in the site’s radioactive waste tank cleanup mission as the last unit needed to support the mission,” it reads.