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SRS Grouts Four Underground Storage Tanks Ahead of Schedule

An extended boom reaches over the tank farm to pour concrete into the underground storage tanks. 

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AIKEN, S.C. – A team of federal and contractor employees at the Savannah River Site (SRS) recently grouted four 30,000-gallon underground solvent storage tanks about five weeks ahead of schedule.

   Located near the site’s H Canyon chemical separation facility, the tanks once held hazardous and radioactive waste. Unlike the liquid waste tanks at SRS, these contained a solvent used to dissolve a solute and make a solution. This solvent can only be managed and stored in a permitted facility.  

   Workers used a specialized camera designed by EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to verify the vessels were empty, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control approved the tanks for grouting.

   “Grouting the tanks gets us closer to our goal of tank closure,” said Wyatt Clark, senior vice president of Environmental Management Operations for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s management and operations contractor. “Benefits of closing the tanks include lessening the risk to the environment and public, meeting the RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) requirements, cost savings related to manpower hours for daily inspections and required maintenance, along with reducing the footprint of SRS facilities.”

   Prior to filling the tanks with grout, a structural mechanical engineer ensured the material would not cause a structural failure due to weight and pressure. 

   SRNS used a specifically formulated grout developed by SRNL to fill the tanks. The grout has been used in decommissioning of other nuclear and radiological facilities at the site.

   “I appreciate the collaboration between SRNS and SRNL and the work of our employees to finish the grouting of these tanks quickly and safely,” Clark said.

-Contributor: Lindsey MonBarren