Bioremediation of Hanford groundwater

Liquid wastes containing radioactive, hazardous, and regulated chemicals have been generated throughout the 40 years of operations at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site. Some of these wastes were discharged to the soil column and many of the waste components, including nitrate (NO{sub 3}), carbon tetrachloride (CCl{sub 4}), and several radionuclides, have been detected in the Hanford groundwater. Current DOE policy prohibits the disposal of contaminated liquids directly to the environment, and remediation of existing contaminated groundwaters may be required. A research and development program is underway to develop bioremediation technologies for both ex situ and in situ groundwater treatment. 16 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.