Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP)
Overview
The Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Plant (AMWTP), located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), was built to prepare transuranic nuclear weapons waste stored at the INL for shipment and final disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico.
In May 2005, the Department of Energy (DOE) extended a contract to Bechtel BWXT Idaho (BBWI) to perform work necessary to meet requirements under the Settlement Agreement between the DOE and the state of Idaho to ship 65,000 cubic meters of stored radioactive waste out of Idaho.
AMWTP waste resulted from manufacture of nuclear components at Colorado's Rocky Flats Plant and various DOE facilities. The waste is stored in drums, boxes and bins at the INL Transuranic Storage Area (TSA). Most of the waste is "mixed waste," contaminated with radioactive and non-radioactive hazardous chemicals such as oil and solvents.
Mission
- As part of the cleanup efforts at INL, the AMWTP is meeting technical and regulatory requirements to safely retrieve, characterize, treat and package transuranic waste for shipment out of Idaho to permanent disposal at the WIPP.
Recent Accomplishments
- To date, more than 35,923 cubic meters (> 50%) of the legacy transuranic waste has been shipped from Idaho to the WIPP for disposal.
- To date, more than 4,885 cubic meters of mixed low level waste has been shipped from Idaho to waste repositories for treatment and disposal.
- Waste Disposal commitments are more than two-and-a-half years ahead of schedule.
- Spring of 2009, the AMWTP Project was recognized as Star status under the DOE Voluntary Protection Program.
- In August 2009, completed over 1 million hours worked without a recordable injury.
- More than 9 million hours worked without a lost-time injury.
- Also in 2009, received the Occupational Excellence Award, National Safety Council's Perfect Record Award Application, Safety Leadership Award for achieving five consecutive years without occupational injury or illness, and Million Work Hours Award for completing at least 1 million work hours without occupational injury or illness.
Contract/Budget
- Period of Performance: May 1, 2005 through March 31, 2010.
- Annual Budget: $130 million Baseline plus $10 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding = Total $140 million.
Infrastructure
- Retrieval Enclosure (TSA/RE) houses approximately 15,300 cubic meters of waste remains stacked on asphalt pads under a soil berm and is enclosed within a metal structure. Retrieval of the TSA/RE waste is ongoing.
- AMWTP Characterization Facility, a modified storage module, houses waste testing equipment including real-time radiography units, gamma spectrometry equipment, a drum coring unit and a headspace gas sampling glovebox.
- Treatment Facility houses a supercompactor and a shredder for major size-reduction of the waste. There are also two AMWTP loading areas where the waste containers go through two major steps: payload assembly and TRUPACT II loading.
Workforce
- More than 835 employees work at AMWTP
Community Impact
- Participate in local career fairs for veterans
- Facilitate the Hispanic Youth Symposium
- Particpate in local educational outreach programs
- Support the Idaho Falls Arts Council, Southeastern Idaho Relay for Life, United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville, and Idaho Falls Earth Day.
