Huge melters arriving at Hanford vit plant

TRI-CITIES — Huge melting pots are being delivered to the Hanford nuclear reservation.

They are the key pieces of the vitrification plant that will melt radioactive waste into glass logs for permanent storage.

The Tri-City Herald reported two 30-ton lids arrived Thursday from Petersen Inc. in Ogden, Utah. Next month, two melters each weighing about 300 tons are due to arrive on special trucks. They will be used to heat waste to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The vit plant will have two other 90-ton melters for high-level wastes.

The $12 billion plant is supposed to go into operation in 2019.

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