DOE Hanford Site - Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF)

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The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) is the heart of a major part of cleanup operations at the Hanford Site. It is a disposal facility for the contaminated soil and materials that are being excavated at the sites along the Columbia River. Construction of the first two cells began in May 1995 and the first shipment of waste was received on July 1, 1996. Each cell is 152 meters (500 feet) wide at the bottom, 21 meters (70 feet) deep, and over 304 meters (1,000 feet) wide at the surface. ERDF’s liner is a system composed of multiple barriers, forming a primary and secondary protection system. Each system is designed to contain and collect moisture to prevent migration of contaminants to the soil and groundwater. Once ERDF is filled with waste, an engineered barrier will be placed on top to prevent the release of waste and infiltration of rain. Currently, ERDF receives about 3,000 tons per day, and is expected to receive about 7 million tons of waste in the overall Hanford cleanup. Currently, ERDF holds between 2-3 million tons.

ERDF receives only waste that is being cleaned up at Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) sites. CERCLA regulates waste from past-practices sites, which are the older, historical facilities, waste cribs, and other sites no longer being used.

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