Overview of a conceptualized waste water treatment facility for the Consolidated Incinerator Facility

Abstract

The offgas system in the Consolidated Incinerator Facility (CIF) will generate an aqueous waste stream which is expected to contain hazardous, nonhazardous, and radioactive components. The actual composition of this waste stream will not be identified until startup of the facility, and is expected to vary considerably. Wastewater treatment is being considered as a pretreatment to solidification in order to make a more stable final waste form and to reduce disposal costs. A potential treatment scenario has been defined which may allow disposition of this waste in compliance with all applicable regulations. The conceptualized wastewater treatment plant is based on literature evaluations for treating hazardous metals. Laboratory tests hwill be run to verify the design for its ability to remove the hazardous and radioactive components from this waste stream. The predominant mechanism employed for removal of the hazardous and radioactive metal ions is coprecipitation. The literature indicates that reasonably low quantities of hazardous metals can be achieved with this technique. The effect on the radioactive metal ions is not predictable and has not been tested. The quantity of radioactive metal ions predicted to be present in the waste is significantly less than the solubility limit of those ions, but ismore » higher than the discharge guidelines established by DOE Order 5400.5.« less