This report summarizes the activities undertaken to develop single-shell tank (SST) waste retrieval technology and complete scale-model testing. Completion of these activities fulfills the commitment of Milestone M-45-01 of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (the Tri-Party Agreement). Initial activities included engineering studies that compiled and evaluated data on all known retrieval technologies. Based on selection criteria incorporating regulatory, safety, and operational issues, several technologies were selected for further evaluation and testing. The testing ranged from small-scale, bench-top evaluations of individual technologies to full-scale integrated tests of multiple subsystems operating concurrently as a system using simulated wastes. The current baseline retrieval method for SSTs is hydraulic sluicing. This method has been used successfully in the past to recover waste from SSTs. Variations of this hydraulic or ''past practice'' sluicing may be used to retrieve the waste from the majority of the SSTs. To minimize the potential for releases to the soil, arm-based retrieval systems may be used to recover waste from tanks that are known or suspected to have leaked. Both hydraulic sluicing and arm-based retrieval will be demonstrated in the first SST. Hydraulic sluicing is expected to retrieve most of the waste, and arm-based retrieval will retrieve wastes that remain after sluicing. Subsequent tanks will be retrieved by either hydraulic sluicing or arm-based methods, but not both. The method will be determined by waste characterization, tank integrity (leak status), and presence of in-tank hardware. Currently, it is assumed that approximately 75% of all SSTs will be retrieved by hydraulic sluicing and the remaining tanks by arm-based methods.

Significant progress has been made on the Hanford single shell tank (SST) retrieval projects since they were initiated as part of the modified Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-party Agreement) in 2000. Four of the 149 SSTs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of River Protection (ORP) Hanford facility are being retrieved to meet Tri-Party Agreement commitments. An additional tank is being retrieved to demonstrate an alternate technical approach. As the Hanford Site transitions to an accelerated retrieval and closure mission, these methods will be the baseline methods for SST retrieval. The five SSTs are located within the Hanford 200- Area tank farms operated by CH2M HILL Hanford Group (CH2M HILL) for ORP. Included in this paper will be discussions on the technologies selected for retrieval of each tank; electrical resistance technologies that are being evaluated for ex-tank leak detection and monitoring; and the Cold Test Training Facility (CTTF) used for testing of and training on the different retrieval systems.

This document describes the baseline single-shell tank (SST) waste retrieval sequence for the River Protection Project updated for Fiscal Year 2002. The double-shell tank (DST) space evaluation presents projected DST needs for Hanford for additional DSTs.

Westinghouse Hanford Company is interested in innovative, commercially available or adaptable retrieval system equipment, concepts, and contracting strategies that will ad to existing Hanford Site technology and significantly reduce cost and/or risk from the baseline retrieval approach of sluicing (hydraulically mining) the waste from the SSTs onsite. The objective of this request is to gather information from industry to identify and summarize a suite of retrieval-related components, systems, and contracting approaches. This information will be used to ensure that WHC understands the various waste retrieval alternative approaches, their risks, and their application on the Hanford Site tanks for those occasions when sluicing is not sufficiently effective, appropriate, or cost-effective. An additional objective is to facilitate industry's understanding of the tank and site interface requirements for SST waste retrieval and the complex statutory, legal, regulatory, labor, and other institutional standards being applied to the Hanford Site. This effort will identify and summarize retrieval solutions by the end of September 1996 so that a clear basis for future retrieval program decisions can be established.