Aiken, S.C. – On Monday, August 17, 2026, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) successfully completed its first shipment of remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste since 2012 – using newly acquired Shielded Container Assemblies (SCAs) – to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. This achievement marks the Site’s ongoing commitment to the safe and efficient disposition of legacy TRU waste, utilizing the latest advancements in waste packaging and transportation.
WIPP manages two primary types of TRU waste: contact-handled (CH) and remote-handled (RH). CH waste has lower radiation levels, allowing workers to handle the containers using standard safety measures. In contrast, RH waste has higher radiation levels that require specialized shielding and equipment for safe transport and disposal. The most recent shipment from SRS consisted of RH waste and utilized the HalfPACT shipping cask. This type of cask can accommodate waste packages with higher radiation levels that have been loaded into SCAs, which are heavy-duty steel containers lined with lead, slightly larger than a 55-gallon drum. Additionally, 19 more RH drums are already loaded into SCAs and approximately 150 RH drums are currently being prepared for shipment.
“This achievement reflects the dedication and expertise of our team,” said Anthony Carraway, Solid Waste and Deactivation Facility Manager with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the managing and operating contractor at SRS. “Successfully resuming RH shipments and deploying improved packaging like the SCAs demonstrates our focus on safety, innovation, and continuous improvement to address the nation’s legacy waste challenges.”
Successfully completing the RH shipments required extensive collaboration between WIPP and SRS and a full year of meticulous planning to ensure employee safety and minimization of radiation exposure. The process of loading drums into the SCAs required packaging modifications, such as ring closure changes due to tighter tolerances, which was supported by the SRNS Radiological Control team to help mitigate exposure.
“Our journey with RH TRU waste shipments began in 2009, and every step since has reflected our commitment to the safe and efficient management of legacy TRU waste,” said Kerri Crawford, SRNS Solid Waste Programs Manager. “Completing the first RH shipment from SRS in over a decade is a significant accomplishment for our team and the Site. We greatly appreciate the partnership and support from WIPP throughout this process. Their coordination and expertise were essential in helping us with this achievement, and highlights our shared commitment to protecting our employees, the public, and the environment.”
Looking ahead, SRS will continue advancing safe waste management practices, with 50 additional SCAs to be received in the near future.
WIPP is the nation’s only deep geologic repository for the permanent disposal of TRU waste, safely isolating radioactive materials deep underground to protect people and the environment. As of August 2026, WIPP has received over 1,860 shipments of transuranic (TRU) waste from SRS, underscoring SRS’s longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and safe waste management.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor and HII partnership company, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina.
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