Mary-Louise Hoffman
Bechtel is set to resume engineering work at the U.S. Energy Department‘s nuclear waste vitrification facility in Washington following completion of safety and quality assessments on the site.
DOE told Bechtel to continue building the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant’s facility that would vitrify high-level radioactive waste to reduce its potential impact on the environment and human health, Bechtel said Wednesday.
“This announcement is a major step forward for the project and moves us closer to meeting the nation’s cleanup obligations at Hanford,†said Peggy McCullough, a Bechtel project director.
“We will continue to work closely with the department to ensure the safety and quality of the facility,” McCullough added.
Construction halted on some areas of the vitrification building in early 2012 to allow Bechtel and DOE to address technical concerns.
Bechtel says it participated in independent site reviews, as well as developed nuclear safety and quality control plans.
