The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to draft an environmental assessment as part of the process to dispose of contaminated equipment, including a drill string, bubblers, and pumps, from the Savannah River Site. These items, contaminated with radioactive waste, are being considered for commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal at facilities outside South Carolina. This action is part of the DOE's efforts to manage waste efficiently, improve worker safety, and assist in the environmental cleanup of the site. The proposed evaluation will explore environmental impacts, including health, safety, and transportation concerns, associated with moving the waste to licensed facilities, potentially in Utah or Texas.
Simple Explanation
The Department of Energy wants to safely remove and get rid of old machines that have been used at a special site where they became radioactive and a bit dangerous. They are thinking about sending these machines to special places in other states that can handle this kind of waste, and they want to make sure doing this will not harm people or the planet.