File:DOE Hanford B Reactor Today.jpg

English: From the USDOE:

B Reactor, the first full-size reactor in the world, was the first reactor built on the Hanford Site. It has received several national awards as a nuclear and engineering landmark, and has the distinction of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Near B Reactor, in an area between the Columbia River and the reactor, is a site where Bechtel Hanford, Inc. is removing contaminated soil. When the reactors operated, water pumped from the Columbia River circulated around the radioactive fuel to cool it while it was in the reactor. This water was then sent through underground pipes to pond sites. The water was temporarily kept there to allow it to both cool off in temperature and to let some of the short-lived radioactivity decay. The water was then discharged to the river. The dirt under and around the ponds became contaminated and it is this soil that is being excavated and taken to the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF). The white trucks with orange containers are the haul trucks. They are filled with contaminated soil and covered, then checked for contamination on the cover and hauling container.

At 100-B/C, Bechtel is sending an average of 55 trucks per day (20 tons/truck) of contaminated soil/day to ERDF. The soil and concrete debris are contaminated with low-level radionuclides. The intent in the 100 Area is to remove the contamination away from the nearby Columbia River and place it in safe, long-term storage at ERDF.