The purpose of this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is to provide environmental imput into the selection and implementation of final disposal actions for high-level, transuranic and tank wastes located at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, and into the construction, operation and decommissioning of waste alternatives. Specifically evaluated are a Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant, Transportable Grout Facility, and a Waste Receiving and Packaging Facility. Also an evaluation is presented to assist in determining whether any additional action should be taken in terms of long-term environmental protection for waste that was disposed of at Hanford prior to 1970 as low-level waste (before the transuranic waste category was established by the Atomic Energy Commission but which might fall into that category if gernerated today.).

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) disposes of plutonium-contaminated debris from its 27 nuclear weapons facilities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), an underground repository in Carlsbad, New Mexico. After four years of operational experience, DOE has opportunities to make changes to the costly and time-consuming process of "characterizing" the waste to confirm that it is appropriate for shipment to and disposal at WIPP.  The report says that in order to make such changes, DOE should conduct and publish a systematic and quantitative assessment to show that the proposed changes would not affect the protection of workers, the public, or the environment.