EM Update | Vol. 7, Issue 11 | Oct. 29, 2015

In This Issue:

• Director Details National Laboratory’s Role in Putting Science to Work in EM’s Cleanup
• EM’s Jack Surash Reflects on Growing Participation in Business Opportunity Forums
• ‘One EM Team’ Concept Among Team’s Recommendations to Improve Work Culture
• U.K. Officials Visit DOE Headquarters to Collaborate on Nuclear Cleanup Issues
• Glass Science Could Boost Hanford Cleanup
• EM Cleanup Crew Nears Finish at Idaho Transuranic Waste Storage Facility
• EM Contractor’s Role in Energy-Conservation Challenge Pays Off for Idaho Site
• Nevada Site Specific Advisory Board Tackles New Work Plans, Looks to Future
• Paducah Package Steam Boilers to Provide Efficiency, Environmental Benefits
• Savannah River Site Liquid-Waste Contractor Installs New Cost-Saving Pump Design
• Employee of Savannah River Site Contractor Recognized as Exemplary in Safety and Health

Director Details National Laboratory’s Role in Putting Science to Work in EM’s Cleanup

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dr. Terry A. Michalske is director of EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in Aiken, S.C. In this role, he is responsible for the management, operation and strategic direction of the laboratory, which has about 900 employees. SRNL provides scientific and technological strategic direction and program support for EM’s cleanup program. Earlier this year, Michalske was named the National Laboratory Director of the Year by DOE’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization for his work encouraging and promoting small businesses at the laboratory. He recently talked with EM Update about SRNL’s role in helping EM advance the nation’s nuclear cleanup.

Savannah River National Laboratory Director Dr. Terry A. Michalske

1. You have served in various positions at DOE facilities in your career, from the founding director for the DOE Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies to the director of Energy and Security Systems at Sandia National Laboratories. How does this background help you lead SRNL as director?

   My background has taught me the importance of building strong partnerships with all of the stakeholders involved. That partnership between the laboratory and the Department of Energy and the communities that the facilities serve has helped me tremendously in my ability to lead this laboratory in a way that is building and fulfilling the types of partnerships it takes to make big accomplishments. The problems we face are challenging and it’s not possible for any one group or institution to successfully meet those challenges while working alone. That’s the true nature of laboratories; take on problems of large scale and provide solutions that benefit the nation.

2. You must have acquired many different perspectives through your current and previous positions. How have you seen EM’s program grow and change as you served in these positions?

   I don’t have a long history with the EM program. While my history is with the network of national laboratories, SRNL is my first direct involvement with the DOE EM program. My perspectives here aren’t as broad-ranging as someone whose entire career is with EM. The important takeaway in the EM program is the enormity of the mission and urgency of completing that mission. We have a legal and moral imperative to the nation and the people to address the environmental concerns from our legacy programs. That perspective is an important one I’ve learned working in the EM program, and it’s a perspective that underpins our decision-making and our day-to-day activities.

3. Of all the DOE laboratories, how would you say that SRNL stands out, being that it is the only EM-specific laboratory?

   I’m quite proud of this laboratory in many ways but our laboratory motto, “We put science to work,” is a very good way to capture what allows this laboratory to stand out. The focus, the energy, the excitement, and enthusiasm of people who work at the laboratory for bringing real-world, impactful solutions to complex problems is our hallmark.

4. What EM accomplishment would you say that you’re most proud to have been a part of during your time serving as director at SRNL?

   SRNL has many accomplishments that I could point to and many in which I take great pride. The work done at this laboratory in developing the solvent extraction chemistry for treating and stabilizing high-level liquid waste is a tremendous contribution that will clearly help accelerate the rate at which we can mitigate the potential for environmental problems. I’m very proud of the work this laboratory has done in bringing together multiple other laboratories in a very short timeframe to take a detailed assessment of the root cause of the potential chemical reactions that could have led to the radiological release at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. This is an important contribution in helping EM and DOE reopen what is a critical capability for the Department and for the nation. Our laboratory has been involved in many areas of work in national security, but our efforts to thoroughly modernize the way in which we manage the supply of tritium for our nuclear deterrent is an important and significant enabler for a critical national mission. This is the only laboratory in the country where that work is being done and being done so well.

5. What specific projects or experiments are under way at SRNL that are helping to advance EM’s cleanup efforts?

   Work going on in the laboratory today fits two different categories: efforts to improve on processes currently in operation, and efforts to accelerate and make these processes more cost effective. For example, we are working to improve the glass-melting processes for making the waste form for high-level waste. We are applying modern tools of smart manufacturing to work with contractors to improve efficiency of those operations, and I think that will have a tremendous value going forward. We are also taking lessons from the modern chemical manufacturing industry to learn how to streamline and simplify the processing of high-level waste. New approaches involving things like a rotary micro filter or new solvent chemistry have the opportunity to improve efficiency and safety in those operations. Finally, in the area of remediation of soils and groundwater, we are developing an entire suite of approaches that allow natural processes and natural attenuation to provide effective solutions to protecting the environment, including microbial approaches and natural chemical approaches. We are offering a completely new venue in which we can address a very difficult problem and create environmental outcomes that are not only meeting regulatory guidelines, but surpassing them.

6. How would you describe the everyday operations at SRNL, and how do they help to further the cleanup being completed at the sites?

   Every day at the laboratory, we think very carefully to focus our attention on the safety of our coworkers and ourselves. As you know, the cleanup work involves some very hazardous materials and hazardous processes, with both radiological and chemical hazards involved. Providing for the safety of workers and the safety of the surrounding environment and communities is critical. Safety is our primary concern and an area in which there is uncompromised progress. With environmental, community, and worker safety as a backdrop, we are able to focus on the big challenges. The safety culture frees us to focus on the Department’s highest priority missions and to target the most challenging environmental concerns.  

7. How do you feel that the partnerships you have cultivated — with small businesses in particular — have benefited the advancement of the EM program as a whole?

   Small businesses play a critical role in the U.S. economy and in our ability in this nation to innovate and bring new ideas to the most important problems. We take great pride in working with all businesses, but we are particularly excited by the opportunities we have to work with small businesses. Small businesses bring flexibility and innovation to complex problems. 

8. Can you describe the progress you envision within the EM program in the next six months to a year?

   The progress we make in the next six months to a year will really be on many different fronts. These are large challenges, and they take significant time to bring to an end, so focusing on six months to even a year in some ways is a short time compared to the scale of these challenges. What’s important for us is that we are continuing to make steady and increasing progress. Some of the progress we hope to see in that timeframe is in our ability to continue to advance the efficiency and effectiveness of the liquid-waste program here at the Savannah River Site, and to accelerate the pace of development at the Hanford Site with an eye toward closing the gap to begin processing materials in the waste tanks at Hanford. We are exploring new approaches to process and stabilize legacy nuclear materials that we hope to fully demonstrate. Finally, we continue to support our Japanese partners and we look forward to continued progress against the enormous challenges they face.

EM’s Jack Surash Reflects on Growing Participation in Business Opportunity Forums

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jack Surash, EM’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Project Management, says he will continue to hold quarterly public forums to provide insight into the federal procurement process and discuss business opportunities in the legacy nuclear cleanup program until no one attends them. But that seems unlikely to happen.

   “So far, there appears to be lot of interest, so this must be filling a void,” he said of the outreach events, which typically attract more than 70 participants.

   Launched over a year ago by EM’s Office of Acquisition and Project Management, the forums continue to grow in participation, especially since the public can tune into the event via a web conferencing tool if they can’t be at EM headquarters.

   The forums are designed to encourage an open dialogue in which interested individuals can learn the latest news on doing business with EM. They also can ask questions throughout the event in real time or submit them in writing. Discussions sometimes focus on particulars of upcoming business opportunities, such as the types of procurements, schedules, and technical requirements. 

   “I enjoy receiving questions and providing immediate answers to the best of my ability,” said Surash, who usually responds to dozens of questions during the event.

Jack Surash, EM’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Project Management, at a Business Opportunity Forum.

   “What I hope to do is ensure our procurement portfolio is transparent, and that businesses that want to enter our market, or ask questions, or learn more about the program, can attend these forums,” he said. “I just want to go the extra mile and ensure that accurate information is known across the industry, and where possible, I discuss how we arrive at certain decisions.”

   At the forums, Surash reviews the status of major EM procurements under way and EM's progress in awarding contracts. He also outlines opportunities for contractors to receive information about upcoming procurements and submit their capabilities for consideration. Other times, discussions turn to EM's partnering initiative — a collaborative approach between the government and contractors at the field sites — and DOE’s small business program. 

   There’s also an opportunity for people to provide feedback on how EM can improve its procurement process. As a result, the program has updated internal processes.

   “In my view, we have a standard set of approaches to how we buy things. Each procurement has a start and end. By focusing on improvements, we want to continue refining our process to benefit both industry as well as EM,” he said. 

   Surash hopes for many more successful forums packed with participants who come with an interest, questions, and input on how EM can continue to improve its procurement process.

   “I look forward to the continued outreach,” he said.

‘One EM Team’ Concept Among Team’s Recommendations to Improve Work Culture

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EM headquarters employees enjoy their work, put in extra effort to get a job done, and feel encouraged to find new ways of doing things. But they also believe EM can do more to recognize and reward those behaviors.

   That was one of the findings of an EM cross-office integrated project team (IPT) formed to assess and improve the headquarters organization’s culture. The five-month effort was completed in September and results were distributed earlier this month.

   Among the team’s recommendations:

• EM should promote a “ONE EM TEAM” concept, employing formal and informal methods for colleagues to get to know each other. These could include team-building and social gatherings such as potlucks or after-work functions.
• EM headquarters and site leaders should meet to re-visit and define the EM mission and shared values.
• Staff at all levels should be given more opportunities to participate in rotational assignments among organizations, headquarters and field offices, short-term or long-term projects, and shadowing or mentoring activities.
• There should be more consistency in recognizing individuals for outstanding work. 
• EM should promote frequent, accurate and consistent internal communications up and down the organization. This could mean more frequent all-hands meetings, and use of the Internet or other technology to broadcast meetings.

   The report was formed from a variety of sources, including a special email account set up for EM employees to provide feedback, and from 11 employee engagement sessions at EM headquarters headed by facilitators. 

   In a message, EM Assistant Secretary Monica Regalbuto and EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Whitney said they were reviewing the report and considering next steps.

   “Our thanks go to the IPT members who, over the last few months, dedicated significant time to the effort," they said. "In addition, we’d like to thank all the employees that supported the IPT effort by taking time to have their voices heard.”

U.K. Officials Visit DOE Headquarters to Collaborate on Nuclear Cleanup Issues

The U.K. delegation is pictured with EM and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) officials at DOE headquarters. From left to right: Andy Worrall, the U.S. and U.K. Lab Coordinator, ORNL; Steve Thomson, Waste Management, Business Lead, NNL; John Mathieson, Head of International Relations, NDA; Rick Short, Research & Development Manager, NDA; Steve Napier, International Technical Relations, NNL; Anthony Banford, Waste Management Chief Technology Officer, NNL; Keith Miller, Head of Marketing, NNL; and EM Senior Technical Advisor Rodrigo (Rod) V. Rimando, Jr.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A U.K. senior-level delegation recently met with headquarters officials from DOE’s offices of EM and Nuclear Energy to expand collaboration under the government-to-government Statement of Intent signed by the Department and U.K.’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL).

   EM Senior Technical Advisor Rodrigo (Rod) V. Rimando, Jr. hosted the delegation, which covered a range of topics with EM officials, including the resumption of operations at EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, technical and design challenges at the Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, and robotic and remote systems. Those systems enable cleanup work, allow for monitoring and detecting of abnormal conditions, and reduce the potential for human exposure to hazardous operations.

   During the visit, the 14th Standing Committee met to discuss progress under the Statement of Intent and to develop plans for continued collaboration. The U.K. officials highlighted current activities in U.K. technology demonstrations and exchanged lessons learned on topics such as non-invasive monitoring and interim safe storage of reactors.

   “The U.K. and the U.S. cleanup programs are very similar in their size, scale and complexity, and there is a lot of opportunity to leverage experiences and technology that will benefit both organizations. I am always encouraged by the level of commitment and activity under the agreement and look forward to expanding the depth and breadth of the collaboration in the coming years,” Rimando said.

   The 15th Standing Committee Meeting will be held on the margins of the Waste Management 2016 Conference in Phoenix. The U.K. is the featured country at the conference, held in March.

   The recent meetings at EM headquarters were a follow-up to a visit by Rimando and EM Assistant Secretary Monica Regalbuto to NDA’s Sellafield site and NNL facilities earlier this year. NDA is tasked with the decommissioning and cleanup of the U.K.'s civil nuclear legacy. NNL specializes in developing and applying techniques to decommission nuclear facilities, including waste management, measurement and analysis, and immobilization technology.

   Originally signed in 2007, the Statement of Intent enables the sharing of lessons learned and the development and application of new technologies and approaches to improve the safety, cost effectiveness, and schedule of nuclear cleanup. The agreement has resulted in information exchange and collaboration in several areas, including thermal treatment technologies, plutonium management, aging facilities management, and decontamination technologies.

Glass Science Could Boost Hanford Cleanup

A canister filled with nonradioactive glass sits on display.

RICHLAND, Wash. – As EM’s Office of River Protection (ORP) continues with design and construction of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) project at the Hanford Site, tests continue to enhance the predicted results of turning waste into glass.

   If the tests continue to go well, they could possibly lead to an increased production efficiency of about 60 percent, cutting the number of high-level waste canisters and low-activity waste containers by up to half and significantly reducing the time and cost of the multi-decade tank waste treatment mission.  

   Hanford was once the workhorse for plutonium production for the nation’s atomic weapons stockpile, as plutonium was produced at the site between 1944 and 1987, resulting in 56 million gallons of chemical and radioactive waste now stored in 177 underground tanks on the site. 

   This waste will be treated through a process called vitrification, where the material is mixed with glass-forming agents and superheated. The resultant product will be stored in metal containers (low-activity waste) and metal canisters (high-level waste). 

   Although vitrification is used at other facilities in the DOE complex, U.S., Europe, and Asia, none of those sites has the same level of complexity that exists at Hanford.  

   Because the chemical and radiological makeup of the tank waste at Hanford varies based on the time and fuel reprocessing technology that produced it, each batch varies in composition, meaning each requires a different glass formula.    

   ORP glass scientist Albert Kruger and a team of his colleagues have been applying advanced formulations to previously established glass-making models to try and help reduce the cost and duration of the WTP operational mission. Kruger came to ORP in 2007, having started his career at Bell Telephone Laboratory, and has decades of experience in the glassmaking industry. His work has led to dozens of worldwide patents.   

   Through these advanced glass formulation models, there could be a reduction in the number of low-activity waste containers from roughly 125,000 to about 79,000, and high-level waste canisters from nearly 15,000 to just over 8,000 for all of the tank waste.

A sample of vitrified glass at EM's Office of River Protection.

   This can be done by modifying the formulas so that more waste could be loaded into the glass without certain side effects occurring, such as melter foaming or crystallization of the final waste form. 

   These new formulations adhere to all the established requirements for processing and disposal of nuclear waste.

   Additionally, the underpinning glass science and models were subjected to external, independent review and served as bases for publication in related journals.  

     The team continues to further glass science work, conducting unique experiments in an effort to complete its cleanup mission as expeditiously as possible. 

   “What these advanced formulations do is allow for an increase of waste loading in the glass and reduce the number of high-level waste canisters or low-activity waste containers needed to complete the mission,” Kruger explained. “This means that we may be able to treat all the low-activity waste rather than just a portion of it in the existing [Low-Activity Waste] facility.” That translates into potentially significant savings in terms of cost and length of the cleanup mission. 

   “In addition to our new glass models, we’ve successfully addressed opportunities for greatly enhanced production efficiencies for the existing melter designs, which will cut the length of the mission,” Kruger said. "Enlarging the size of the melt pool within the two melters will save the taxpayers a lot of money and get Hanford cleaned up sooner than anticipated. This is not possible on the current melters that are built but it is an option on future melter replacements."

   The number of low-activity waste containers may be reduced if processes known as leaching are removed from tank waste pretreatment. The processes also negatively affect the lifetime of the vessels in the pretreatment facility and duration of the vitrification mission as a whole. Leaching adds dilute sodium hydroxide or oxidizing agents to the high-level waste to remove either aluminum (caustic leaching) or chromium (oxidative leaching).

A glass scientist works with molten glass.

   Initially, glass models called for caustic or oxidative leaching during the pretreatment process. Offering this opportunity to remove leaching solves some of the technical issues delaying the Pretreatment Facility.

   Kruger’s team’s advanced high-level waste glass models demonstrate that nearly three times the aluminum can be retained in the high-level waste form from earlier models, along with a four-fold increase in the amount of chromium retained. 

   By eliminating the need for leaching, the duration of the high-level waste treatment campaign would increase while the Low-Activity Waste Facility mission duration would decrease even further. The number of high-level waste canisters produced would rise to about 13,500 from a potential minimum number of 8,000 but the number of low-activity waste containers needed would drop down to around 65,000.

   “This shows that, despite the slowdown of construction activities due to technical issues, WTP has never stopped optimizing its work,” said Bill Hamel, WTP Assistant Manager and Federal Project Director for ORP. “Experts like Albert are working hard to ensure the plant operates safely and efficiently, and these continuous improvements are yielding results.”

EM Cleanup Crew Nears Finish at Idaho Transuranic Waste Storage Facility

Workers stand atop newly placed drums and boxes of transuranic waste, circa. 1971. The drums and boxes would soon be covered with soil to form a protective berm.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Working deliberately under demanding conditions, workers have entered the final storage “cell” to remove drums and boxes of waste from the Transuranic Storage Area–Retrieval Enclosure (TSA-RE) at the Department’s Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) in Idaho.

   Crews reached a milestone over the summer when they cleared away a final waste box from Pad 1, Cell 2, the next to last of 14 waste cells to be tackled at the facility that received contaminated clothing, tools, and other materials primarily from the now-closed Rocky Flats site in Colorado.

   Work continues to retrieve approximately 6,000 drums and 220 boxes of waste remaining in the last cell.

Left: Retrieval personnel look into the final box of waste on Pad 1, Cell 2. Right: Waste materials in the box were repackaged into two new sturdy wood boxes, enabling the waste to be safely retrieved.

   When the waste was brought to Idaho, it was placed on an asphalt pad, stacked several layers high and then arranged in “cells” for safety purposes. With the waste in place it was covered with tarps and soil, which served as a barrier to potential radiological and environmental hazards. In the early 1990s the TRA-RE, a huge metal structure, was built over the soil berm covering the waste.

   Many of the containers have significantly degraded from more than 40 years under the soil. Under the challenging conditions of high contamination levels and degraded containers, retrieval crews have to carefully handle the waste to safely and compliantly retrieve it from storage.

   “Given the challenges that retrieval crews face every day, there are no shortcuts to this demanding work,” said Ben Roberts, DOE-Idaho Operations Activity Manager for the AMWTP. “Successful retrieval of the remaining waste will require a methodical approach, based on a careful balance of safety, compliance and production, to meet the Department’s Sept. 30, 2016 goal of having all waste retrieved at AMWTP.” 

EM Contractor’s Role in Energy-Conservation Challenge Pays Off for Idaho Site

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – A challenge issued three years ago by a facility director to his staff at the Idaho Site has resulted in the implementation of several energy-conservation projects and huge cost savings to taxpayers. 

   CH2M-WG Idaho (CWI), EM’s main cleanup contractor at the site, has reduced electricity costs at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) by $330,000 a year and received more than $275,000 in rebate checks from Idaho Power under the utility’s Custom Efficiency program, which rewards large commercial and industrial customers who undertake energy-efficiency projects. 

   “In just three years, we’ve been able to save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy costs through innovative ideas that were implemented by our team and acknowledged by Idaho Power,” said CWI Vice President and INTEC Facility Director Jim Floerke, who issued the challenge. “More energy-conservation projects are in the works.”

   INTEC was built in the early 1950s to reprocess spent nuclear fuel and recover unused uranium, an endeavor that resulted in the construction of scores of massive buildings and support equipment needing to be heated and cooled in the harsh Arco Desert. After that mission ended in 1992, INTEC became the site’s main spent nuclear fuel storage facility and also continued to manage both liquid and solid radioactive waste resulting from its reprocessing operations, still requiring hundreds of megawatts of electricity provided annually by Idaho Power.

   The latest energy-conservation projects at INTEC will save more than $90,000 annually in electricity and fuel costs. The first project involved optimizing a complex heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, while the second project involved replacing 400-watt metal halide lights with more energy-efficient, 146-watt light-emitting diode (LED) lights in a maintenance building. LED lights more than doubled the light in this area and will last 10 times longer than the original bulbs, saving this facility nearly $15,000 per year and 1,400 hours in light and ballast replacement time over the course of 10 years.

   In a prior calendar year, INTEC saved nearly a quarter million dollars a year by significantly reducing the temperature of a building that stores spent nuclear fuel and by relocating staff from a sparsely used office building and shutting off its water and electrical systems.

Nevada Site Specific Advisory Board Tackles New Work Plans, Looks to Future

NSSAB members get a briefing on groundwater characterization elements during a tour of the Nevada National Security Site.

LAS VEGAS – Members of the Nevada Site Specific Advisory Board (NSSAB) rolled up their sleeves and dug into their work plans during their recent annual planning meeting.

   Held at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas, the NSSAB delved into information and options presented on upcoming environmental cleanup initiatives at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). These initiatives were proposed as work plan activities for the NSSAB and led to lively discussion among the board members and liaisons.

   The NSSAB is a volunteer citizens group tasked with providing independent advice, information, and recommendations on issues affecting the EM program at the NNSS.  

   Board members raised challenging questions after DOE project managers presented the board’s potential work plan tasks for fiscal year 2016. The NNSAB had a successful fiscal year 2015 in which the board’s accomplishments highlighted its important role in the overall EM mission at the NNSS.

   At the recent annual planning meeting, the board members gathered information that provided the basis for them to vote on work plan items they would tackle in fiscal year 2016. The advisory board selected all 10 tasks — which include providing recommendations on the revegetation of closed waste disposal cells and the closure report for Frenchman Flat, which includes a long-term monitoring plan for the historic underground test area.

NSSAB members vote on work plan tasks for fiscal year 2016.

   Next, the NSSAB toured the NNSS to get a firsthand look at the sites that could be affected by the board’s efforts and final recommendations.

   Members of the public are welcome to attend NSSAB meetings and educational sessions. Six full board meetings and five educational sessions are planned for fiscal year 2016. The first educational session, focusing on groundwater, will take place at 4 p.m., Nov. 10, at the Frank H. Rogers Building, 755 East Flamingo, Las Vegas. That session will be followed by a full board meeting at 5 p.m. For all meeting and educational session dates, click here. 

   Anyone interested in volunteering as a member of the NSSAB can learn more about the board and its mission and members by clicking here.

Paducah Package Steam Boilers to Provide Efficiency, Environmental Benefits

An aerial view of the package boilers installed into the site’s existing steam system. 

PADUCAH, Ky. – Five modern, modular steam boilers have replaced three larger coal-fired boilers that comprised the steam plant at EM’s Paducah Site.  

   Moving to the more energy-efficient equipment is anticipated to save energy and maintenance dollars that can be invested elsewhere at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP).

   The environmentally friendly steam plant represents part of a larger effort by EM at the Paducah Site to right-size infrastructure for current and future needs. The effort also included the recent consolidation of the site’s four outdated and oversized electrical switchyards into a single switchyard providing a more efficient and sustainable supply of power.

   The PGDP, which ceased enriching uranium in 2013, is being deactivated in preparation for future decontamination and decommissioning. For more than 62 years, the PGDP operated three massive coal-fired boilers capable of supplying 100,000 pounds of steam per hour for each boiler — enough to heat nearly 18,000 homes during the winter.

   After evaluating current and future steam needs of the PGDP, and considering the age and cost of maintaining the existing coal-fired boilers along with environmental regulatory compliance needs and the cost of refurbishing the old boilers, the site decided to upgrade to the right-sized modular steam boilers.  

Pipefitters Mike Askren, left, and Ron Parrot install the water inlet on one of the package boilers.

   The new boilers, which operate on natural gas and fuel oil, have been tied into the existing steam distribution system. A package boiler system is housed in multiple semitrailers and operates to provide steam on demand. The boilers are most efficient when they run at full capacity. When a boiler is turned down, the efficiency drops. To maximize efficiency, a series of five boilers were installed, allowing additional boilers to be added or removed as demand changes. The package boilers arrived at the site fully wired, equipped, and ready to tie into the site’s steam distribution system.  

   The boilers are necessary to support future projects at the site, such as removal of deposits in the plant piping left over from uranium enrichment operations. In addition to providing a reliable source of steam to implement site projects, the boilers will also provide heating for some office spaces during winter months.

   “I am pleased we have been able to update the steam system at the site,” said Jennifer Woodard, the Paducah Site Lead for EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office. “We have a responsibility to be a good steward of the environment and taxpayer dollars, and these boilers will help us uphold that responsibility.”

Savannah River Site Liquid-Waste Contractor Installs New Cost-Saving Pump Design

New submersible mixing pumps have been installed in radioactive waste tanks at the Savannah River Site, fulfilling a cost-saving initiative for Savannah River Remediation, EM’s liquid-waste contractor at SRS.

AIKEN, S.C. – Sometimes, buying off the shelf beats a special order when it comes to saving money.

   At the Savannah River Site (SRS), that mantra has been applied to pumps used to mixed radioactive waste in million-gallon waste tanks.

   New submersible mixing pumps (SMP) have been installed in radioactive waste tanks at SRS, fulfilling a cost-saving initiative for Savannah River Remediation (SRR), EM's liquid-waste contractor at SRS.

   The new pumps, known as commercial SMPs, are being used for the first time as a pilot program in Tank 26, located in one of two tank farms at SRS. Two pumps have been installed this year, and two will be installed during the next year. SRR worked collaboratively with the company GPM Inc. to purchase a commercially available, off-the-shelf pump and then adapt the pump to a mast used to lower the pump into a waste tank. SRR designed, fabricated and assembled the masts at SRS. 

   The cost of each new SMP is about $300,000, about a quarter of the cost of an old SMP, at $1.2 million. Buying four new SMPs saved EM about $3.6 million, and the new SMPs are expected to save EM millions of dollars more over the lifecycle of the liquid-waste program.

   In addition to the pumps, SRR is finding ways to save money by using the Lean Business Management System, an approach that uses continuous improvement that systematically seeks to accomplish incremental changes that improve efficiency and quality. The savings, such as with the new SMPs, are applied to accelerate other liquid-waste priorities, allowing the company to do more work for EM.

   Jim Folk, DOE-Savannah River Acting Assistant Manager for Waste Disposition, applauds SRR for continuing to find ways to safely, and cost-effectively, reduce the risk of the waste at SRS.

   “SRR’s inventive, cost-saving initiatives are leading the industry in dispositioning and stabilizing radioactive waste and closing waste tanks,” said Folk. “The bulk waste removal technologies and other innovations utilized by SRR have proven effective in executing the liquid-waste mission at SRS.”

   Upon success of the pilot program, the new SMPs adapted to the SRR-designed masts could replace the existing standard SMPs, which were specially designed to remove radioactive waste from SRS tanks. The new SMPs will mix the waste solids in Tank 26 prior to transferring the waste to the Defense Waste Processing Facility, where the waste will be vitrified into a glass form for safe storage in stainless steel canisters.

Employee of Savannah River Site Contractor Recognized as Exemplary in Safety and Health

AIKEN, S.C. – Sharon Kidd has a passion for safety in the workplace.

   Kidd, a Savannah River Remediation (SRR) electrical and instrumentation technician, received the Safety and Health Achievement Award at the 31st Annual National Voluntary Protection Program Participants’ Association (VPPPA) conference held recently in Grapevine, Texas.

   Kidd is the third SRR employee to earn the award in the last three years. She was recognized because of her enthusiasm for integrating both workplace safety and personal health, and because of her selfless leadership, stating that her co-workers' safety is just as valuable as her own.

   “I consider my co-workers to be like my family, and their safety is just as important to me as my own,” said Kidd. “To be awarded at the conference as a representative from SRR was an honor. It makes me proud to work for a company that is willing to go above the standards to ensure that the best safety and health programs exist for our employees.”

   SRR is the liquid waste contractor for the EM program at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

   The VPPPA is a nonprofit organization working to drive safety, health and environmental excellence through cooperative efforts among labor, management and government. Many DOE project sites across the nation are members.

Sharon Kidd, a Savannah River Remediation electrical and instrumentation technician, receives the Safety and Health Achievement Award from VPPPA Board Chairman Mike Maddox at the 31st Annual National Voluntary Protection Program Participants’ Association conference held recently in Grapevine, Texas.

   At the conference, SRR also received the Star of Excellence award given by the DOE-Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) for having an outstanding safety and health program and for maintaining a total recordable case rate of injuries 75 percent lower than the industry average. To receive this award, SRR has demonstrated the five elements of VPP: management leadership, employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training.

   SRR has been recognized as a VPP site since 2009, when it became the SRS liquid-waste contractor.

Contributors

Madeline Blair, Savannah River Site

Steve Christmas, Paducah Site

Jason Chudy, Hanford Site

Rick Dale, Idaho Site

David Sheeley, EM Headquarters

Erik Simpson, Idaho Site

Mark Mendiola, Idaho Site

Danielle Miller, Idaho Site

Navarro Public Involvement Team, Nevada National Security Site

Dylan Nichols, Paducah Site 

Rodrigo (Rod) V. Rimando, Jr., EM Headquarters

Steve Tetreault, EM Headquarters