U.S. officials say problems plaguing a nuclear waste treatment plant in eastern Idaho appear to be solved. Converting high-level radioactive liquid waste into safer, more easily managed solid material could start early next year, officials say.
Joel Case of the U.S. Department of Energy said Thursday a test startup without waste will begin next week. The test will be done at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at the Energy Department's 890-square-mile site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory.
The 900,000 gallons of waste comes from processing spent nuclear fuel to recover highly enriched uranium. The waste sits in tanks above a giant aquifer that supplies water to cities and farms.
