From the outside, the Canister Storage Building doesn’t set itself apart from any of the other facilities on the Site. However, what it lacks in visual appeal, it makes up for in importance to Hanford’s cleanup mission.

 

The CSB is a large, 42,000 square foot facility in Hanford’s 200 East Area which stores about 2300 tons of spent nuclear fuel packaged in approximately 400 Multi-Canister Overpacks (MCO’s). The MCO’s are stored in 220 carbon steel tubes within a below grade concrete vault. The MCO’s will be safely stored in the tubes until they are permanently placed in a National Repository. 

 

Adjacent to the Canister Storage Building is the Interim Storage Area which also contains spent nuclear fuel packaged in various containers. This spent nuclear fuel will be subsequently repackaged and also sent to the National Repository.