Technology status report: In situ vitrification applied to buried wastes

This document is a technical status report on In Situ Vitrification (ISV) as applied to buried waste; the report takes both technical and institutional concerns into perspective. The ISV process involves electrically melting such contaminated solid media as soil, sediment, sludge, and mill tailings. The resultant product is a high-quality glass-and-crystalline waste form that possesses high resistance to corrosion and leaching and is capable of long-term environmental exposure without significant degradation. The process also significantly reduces the volume of the treated solid media due to the removal of pore spaces in the soil.