During the 1970s and 1980s, over 70,000 containers of TRU waste were stored in the 200 Area Low-Level Burial Grounds at Hanford, with plans to retrieve the waste later once a national repository was established for its disposal. Because the intention was to eventually recover the TRU waste, typical storage trenches for this waste consist of drums stacked in layers on asphalt pads, separated by plywood, covered with tarps, and then topped with dirt. Since the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) opened in 1999 near Carlsbad, New Mexico, 649 shipments of TRU waste from Hanford – the equivalent of 59,000 drums – have been sent to WIPP, mostly during the s been retrieved, packaged to meet WIPP’s acceptance criteria, and shipped there for permanent disposal. Much of this work was completed in the early 2010’s with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The Hanford Site is preparing for another campaign of TRU shipments to WIPP. During this campaign, crews wearing protective clothing uncover the drums, assess the stability of the containers, and measure the radioactivity inside. If a container is found to be damaged or corroded, it is placed in an overpack to prevent spillage during removal and to facilitate future characterization for disposal. The container must then undergo a certification process. This involves x-raying or visually inspecting the container to check for prohibited items like liquids or large sealed containers. If such items are found, they are removed at an appropriate facility at Hanford. The concentration of TRU elements is also measured to confirm the waste’s classification. Once certified, the waste can be safely packaged for transport to WIPP.

It is estimated that more than 1,200 shipments will be made from Hanford to WIPP during the TRU retrieval program.