RICHLAND -- Testing confirming the effectiveness of the waste treatment processes to be used at Hanford's Vit Plant is now complete.

Workers are preparing to treat more than 50 million gallons of radioactive waste from Hanford.

The pre-treatment started in October of last year at the Pre-treatment Engineering Platform in Richland.

The facility tests two waste treatment processes.

Ultrafiltration separates waste solids and liquids, and leaching divides the low level waste from the high level waste.

Once the waste is separated, the plant will blend it with molten glass.

The glass will be placed in stainless steel canisters for safe storage while their radioactivity breaks down.

"This facility has verified and validated that some of the key processes that were gonna need out at the Vit Plant will in fact work" said Bill Gay, Assistant Project Director.

The pre-treatment is also monitored to make sure it's successful.

Workers tell KVEW the pre-treatment process in Richland will help prepare Hanford crews to treat the radioactive waste faster and more efficiently.

The Pre-treatment Engineering Platform in Richland is only a quarter of the size the plant that will be used to test Hanford's waste.

That plant is being built right now, and will be operational in 2019.