EM Update | Vol. 5, Issue 11 | November 2013

In This Issue:

• EM Exceeds Fiscal Year 2013 Small Business Goals
• Workers Complete Retrieval of 11th Single-Shell Tank at EM’s Hanford Site
• One of EM’s Last Recovery Act Projects at Oak Ridge Improves Safety at Laboratory
• WIPP Shares Expertise with Salt Club Members
• Training Reciprocity Achieves Greater Consistency, Saves Time, Money for DOE Sites
• Summer Fellow Explores EM’s Cold War Cleanup
• Mobile Visitors in Particular to Note Web Upgrade
• DUF6 Project Doubles Production in 2013
• Portsmouth Site Plant Surpasses Five Years Without Lost-Time Accident

EM Exceeds Fiscal Year 2013 Small Business Goals

Employees with Swift & Staley Inc., a Paducah site small business contractor, repair a railroad on the site.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – EM obligated nearly $385 million to prime small business contracts, or 7.9 percent of its $4.9 million procurement base, in fiscal year 2013, far surpassing its goals.

   EM exceeded an initial goal of 6 percent and stretch goal of 7 percent, continuing a trend since 2006 in which the Cold War cleanup program met or moved past its fiscal year targets for contracting with small businesses.

   "Even in this time of major fiscal challenges, our sustained efforts to promote small businesses are paying off," EM Senior Advisor Dave Huizenga said. "Surpassing our prime small business goal by reaching 7.9 percent is a significant achievement that reflects the hard work and dedication of all federal staff advocating on behalf of small businesses."

   John Evett, the small business program manager at EM headquarters, credited small business program managers at field sites with helping EM go beyond the goals. Those managers worked hard to ensure contracts were placed with small businesses, he said. 

   “They were very focused and dedicated to meeting and exceeding the goals,” said Evett, who works in EM’s Office of Procurement Planning.

Employees with Wastren Advantage, Inc., an Oak Ridge small business contractor, package waste for disposal at the Transuranic Waste Processing Center at Oak Ridge.

   Field sites that helped EM surpass the targets include the Consolidated Business Center (CBC) in Ohio, Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office in Kentucky, Oak Ridge offices in Tennessee and Carlsbad Field Office in New Mexico. CBC manages EM’s small sites, which include Brookhaven National Laboratory, Separations Research Process Unit and West Valley Demonstration Project in New York; Energy Technology Engineering Center and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California; Argonne in Illinois; and Moab in Utah.

   Small businesses provide EM a broad range of assistance, including transportation, waste processing, remediation, environmental characterization, occupational medical services and laboratory services. 

   “EM is committed to providing prime contracting opportunities to small businesses,” Evett said. “We value their contribution, which propels us to succeed in our mission.” 

   EM is committed to creating sustainable contract opportunities for small businesses by increasing the amount of meaningful work for small business prime contracting. For example, EM headquarters is working to develop small business contracting strategies with the field sites and DOE’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, which has a mission to maximize contract and financial opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs at the Department.

   DOE honored EM as the inaugural recipient of a new award for extraordinary efforts to expand contract opportunities for small businesses in 2012.

   The Sub-to-Prime Small Business Champion of the Year Award honored EM for exceeding expectations as an advocate of small firms by awarding several major contracts previously held by large companies to small businesses.

Workers Complete Retrieval of 11th Single-Shell Tank at EM’s Hanford Site 

Operators use multiple technologies to remove waste from underground storage tank

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM’s Office of River Protection and its tank farm contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), recently completed retrieval of radioactive and chemical waste from another of Hanford’s underground single-shell storage tanks.

   An engineering evaluation of Tank C-110 determined the waste volume is below the regulatory requirement of 360 cubic feet of waste remaining in the tank. Video of the 530,000-gallon-capacity tank shows a large percentage of the tank bottom is now visible. Tank C-110 is the 11th tank to have waste retrieval activities completed to date at Hanford.

A composite image comprised of dozens of photos taken inside C-110 provides a rare panoramic view of the tank interior. Portions of the tank floor and the FoldTrack waste-retrieval system are clearly visible.

   Bulk retrieval of C-110 reduced the amount of waste in the tank from the estimated original starting volume of 178,000 gallons of sludge using modified sluicing, leaving approximately 17,200 gallons of hard-heel waste on the tank floor. Crews used a redesigned version of the Mobile Retrieval Tool, or FoldTrack, a remotely operated, track-mounted tool that deployed two additional retrieval technologies to complete retrieval the hard-heel waste.

   “FoldTrack had its most successful deployment, which was crucial in completing the retrieval of this tank,” EM Federal Project Director for Single-Shell Tank Retrieval and Closure Joanne Grindstaff said. “The FoldTrack has a plow-blade, two on-board water jet systems, three high-pressure turbo nozzles, and a sluicing cannon that operators use to break down the difficult-to-remove waste and move the tank waste closer to the pump, making it easier to transfer waste to the double-shell tank.”  

   In addition, the C-110 retrieval operation was the first in C Farm to use a hot-water skid to support operations. The skid can produce 100 gallons per minute of 120-degree water used to accelerate dissolution of any water-soluble constituents in the sludge waste.

   WRPS is the prime contractor responsible for managing the risk to the environment posed by Hanford’s 56 million gallons of high-level radioactive and chemical waste stored in 177 underground tanks. ORP is responsible for safely retrieving and treating Hanford’s tank waste and closing the tank farms to protect the Columbia River.

One of EM’s Last Recovery Act Projects at Oak Ridge Improves Safety at Laboratory 

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Workers recently completed the Building 4500 Stack Removal Project, one of the Oak Ridge EM program’s final cleanup projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project separated six facilities from an old ventilation system that connects to a large stack, or chimney-like structure, within Oak Ridge’s National Laboratory’s (ORNL) central campus.   

   On July 4, 2002, Oak Ridge’s managers received a call that one of the stacks within ORNL had released strontium, a hazardous contaminant. Fortunately, due to the holiday, employees were not at their usual work locations. This sole incident, although extremely rare, raised awareness about the need to begin cleaning and eliminating potential risks from the renowned science and research location.  

   Now, the laboratory is cleaner thanks to the efforts of the EM program, and it serves as a thriving center for some of the world’s most advanced research and technology. The Recovery Act funded projects that removed the largest source of groundwater contamination and more than 40 excess and contaminated facilities within ORNL. The Building 4500 Stack Removal Project improved safety by eliminating the possibility of release from numerous facilities through the onsite stack.

   “The Building 4500 Stack Removal Project is a crucial element in our strategy to eliminate risks at ORNL,” said Mark Whitney, Oak Ridge’s EM manager. “It was not as visible as some of our other projects, but its impact is substantial. Employees are arriving at a safer, cleaner campus to conduct their advanced research.”

EM deactivated one of five ventilation branches that led to stack 3039. The ventilation branches are connected to numerous facilities throughout ORNL’s central campus.

   The project’s main objective was to deactivate a ventilation branch connected to ORNL’s central gaseous waste system. Ventilation branches, which are connected to numerous facilities throughout ORNL’s central campus, converge to a major stack located within the central campus area. This stack is capable of potentially releasing material that could negatively impact employees, infrastructure and research investments. 

   Workers successfully completed the 18-month project under its $12.7 million budget. By deactivating the Building 4500 area segment from the central gaseous waste system, EM reduced the risk of accidental release of airborne pollutants and other risks by stabilizing leaking ductwork and ventilation systems for facility hot cells. The project included installation of new local ventilation systems in Buildings 4501, 4505, 4507 and 4500 North. In addition, employees stabilized two filter pits and hot cells in Building 4507 and addressed more than 1,500 feet of contaminated underground ductwork.

   Oak Ridge received $755 million from the Recovery Act for environmental cleanup. The Building 4500 Stack Removal Project was a second-phase Recovery Act project funded using a portion of the $110 million leftover from projects completed below initial estimates.

WIPP Shares Expertise with Salt Club Members

CARLSBAD, N.M. – EM’s Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) participated in the second meeting of the Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) Salt Club and the 4th U.S.-German Workshop on Salt Repository Research, Design & Operation in Berlin. 

   CBFO, which has responsibility for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and the National Transuranic (TRU) Program, was represented by International Programs and Policy Advisor Dr. Abe Van Luik. 

   Participants discussed their research and experiences from the operation of salt-based repositories for nuclear waste, enhancing coordination of U.S.-German scientific work in this field. 

   “As America’s only operating deep geologic repository for the disposal of radioactive waste, WIPP is a global model for other countries,” said CBFO Manager Joe Franco. “It’s important that CBFO engage in international venues to share our knowledge with other nations and gain from their experiences. The salt science exchanges in Germany were especially beneficial because the U.S. and Germany are currently doing active research on salt as a repository host rock.”

   As subject experts in salt repository science, the participants shared plans for future work and received almost immediate peer review as they strengthened their professional relationships and promoted best practices.

   “German representatives offered lessons learned from their extensive heat testing in salt,” Van Luik said. “These lessons will help EM more efficiently design its currently planned research on the long-term performance of salt for disposal of heat-bearing radioactive wastes.”

Carlsbad Field Office’s Abe Van Luik, third from right, examines rock salt taken from the Morsleben mine in Germany.

    The Salt Club includes representatives from NEA member countries (primarily the U.S., Germany, Poland and The Netherlands) that are studying rock salt use in deep geological repositories for nuclear waste.

   With members from 31 countries that account for approximately 90 percent of the world’s installed nuclear capability, NEA has a mission to help further develop the scientific, technological and legal paths for the safe, environmentally-friendly and economical use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.   

   The workshop included German and U.S. presentations on many of the aspects of salt repository science and engineering. Representatives from the U.S. government, CBFO, Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory participated in the technical exchanges on the U.S. side.

   Participants had the opportunity to tour the Asse or Morsleben repository sites in Germany. Like WIPP, these sites used rock salt as the host repository medium. Van Luik visited the closed Morsleben repository to better understand the work involved in closing and sealing the repository, which provides information for CBFO to consider as it plans for the future closure and sealing of WIPP.

    “Collaborating with other countries provides a greater research return from the technical and scientific investments being made, which helps save taxpayer money,” said Van Luik. “The Salt Club assures that both plans for investigations and the results of tests conducted on or in salt are documented and shared.”

   WIPP is designed to safely isolate defense-related TRU waste in salt rooms mined 2,150 feet below the surface. WIPP’s mission is to protect the environment and ensure the safety of its workers and the public. The project has operated safely, compliantly and efficiently for more than 14 years, and the scientific basis for its safety case is continually being enhanced.

Training Reciprocity Achieves Greater Consistency, Saves Time and Money for Idaho, Other DOE Sites

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Contracting companies supporting EM’s cleanup program at the Idaho site volunteered to be among the first to use a new DOE training reciprocity program designed to bring more consistency to health and safety training across the complex, reduce redundancy and realize savings and other efficiencies.

   The DOE Office of Health, Safety and Security (HSS) program is meant to eliminate the need for Department employees and contractors to take redundant training when they move among multiple sites in the complex.

   In the program managed by the DOE National Training Center (NTC), training is independently evaluated against structured criteria for validation that it conforms to required DOE training elements, resulting in a recommendation for reciprocity. Officials at DOE sites may then decide whether courses are acceptable for reciprocity. DOE has approved two training courses — Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response and Radiological Worker Training — for the program.

   Employees with the Idaho site contractors’ training departments provided feedback to NTC on the reciprocity program, which is voluntary and growing in popularity. 

   Following a visit from NTC, officials determined the Idaho site contractors satisfied the criteria for Radiological Worker Program reciprocity last month. As a result, individuals from DOE sites participating in the reciprocity program will not need to re-take this training when visiting or beginning employment at the Idaho site. 

   The reciprocity program has already proved successful. Recently, Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP), led by CH2M-WG Idaho, sent a small group of engineers to perform short-term work at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in New Mexico. The reciprocity program allowed the engineers to bypass a three-day Radiological Worker Program at SNL nearly identical to training they recently completed at ICP.  

   In addition, five contractors who joined the Idaho Treatment Group, which manages the Idaho site’s Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project, were granted Radiological Worker Program training qualifications through the reciprocity program.

   In related news, Idaho National Laboratory recently launched the new Idaho General Employee Training module. A successful effort of the Idaho site contractors, the module includes training on the Idaho site commitment to safety and safety programs, quality assurance and environmental protection and the right to a safe and healthful workplace, among other topics. This course was developed to reduce redundancy in reciprocity efforts.

Summer Fellow Explores EM’s Cold War Cleanup

Maine Maritime Academy senior Jared Woods learned about nuclear waste management issues at EM.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jared Woods graduates from the Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) next month with the experience of an adventurous summer as a fellow in the DOE Scholars Program, an opportunity to explore the agency’s careers and learn about its mission and operations.

   Assigned to EM’s Washington, D.C. headquarters, Woods gained knowledge about nuclear safety and waste treatment under the guidance of EM Office of Safety Management Director Todd Lapointe, who graduated from MMA in 1987.

   “It was a pleasure to mentor Jared as a DOE summer fellow,” Lapointe said. “I was pleased to see how well the academy had prepared him. He made a positive impact on the DOE engineers he worked with. We look forward to providing future fellowship opportunities.”

   Woods explored policy and oversight functions at EM headquarters and gained hands-on experience in project work at EM field sites. He visited the Idaho Radioactive Waste Management Complex near Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he joined a team evaluating work at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project and assisted with an integrated safety management system review.

   At Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory near Niskayuna, N.Y., Woods observed challenges in nuclear sludge processing in EM’s Separations Process Research Unit project. He also participated in a quality assurance compliance review at the Office of River Protection in Richland, Wash. There, he visited tank farms and the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, which is under construction.

   Woods graduates a semester ahead of schedule because he accelerated his education and training at the academy. In January, he plans to set sail with the U.S. Merchant Marine as a U.S. Department of Transportation, Coast Guard licensed marine engineer. The Merchant Marine is a “fourth arm of defense” in time of war or national emergency, delivering military troops, supplies and equipment overseas for U.S. forces and allies operating as an auxiliary unit to the Navy. 

   Targeting undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate students of an accredited institute of higher education, the DOE Scholars Program introduces students and post-graduates to DOE’s mission and operations.

   Deadline to submit applications for the 2014 DOE Scholars Program is Jan. 12, 2014. Assignments are possible at DOE locations across the complex. More information is available here.

Mobile Visitors in Particular to Note Web Upgrade

WASHINGTON, D.C. – DOE recently launched changes to Energy.gov, which includes the public website for EM.

   Smartphone and tablet users are especially likely to notice the differences. The major Energy.gov upgrade features an expanded focus on consumer-oriented content and a responsive design that automatically optimizes the browsing experience on desktop computers and laptops as well as smartphones and tablets.

   Read more about the changes here. 

DUF6 Project Doubles Production in 2013

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The conversion plants at EM’s Paducah and Portsmouth sites surpassed a fiscal year 2013 goal by converting 13,679 metric tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6), more than doubling production from a year earlier.

   EM’s Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) and contractor Babcock & Wilcox Conversion Services LLC (BWCS) began operations in 2011 to convert the nation’s 800,000-metric-ton inventory of DUF6 to more benign forms for sale, ultimate disposal or long-term storage. 

   “Since 2011, we have been ramping up production to determine and achieve the safe, sustainable operating rate of the plants,” said George E. Dials, BWCS president. “From an initial conversion of 270 metric tons in fiscal year 2011, when we demonstrated that the lines were operational, we have now converted more than 20,000 metric tons.”

   “Our goal now is to surpass a total of 22,700 metric tons processed in fiscal year 2014, an increase of 60 percent,” Dials said. “For the past 30 months we have been ramping up production and adjusting and modifying the plants and equipment to determine the rate that can be safely sustained in continuous operations. In this fiscal year, we will be adjusting systems to increase reliability and availability, which will account for the increased production.”

   “BWCS is continuing to pursue operating and support maintenance plans to achieve maximum safe performance,” said Jack Zimmerman, federal project manager at EM's Portsmouth Paducah Project Office. “Improvement is a continuous and iterative process, and the ongoing ramp-up strategy calls for gathering data under variable operating conditions and making adjustments throughout the year.”

   “This is a real milestone for this start-up project,” Dials said of the fiscal year 2013 achievement. “Naturally, we encountered many challenges as we began operating these two new manufacturing facilities, and have dedicated much creative energy and forensic engineering to solving production and systems issues. The projects are now clearly demonstrating their value in the cleanup of the nation’s environmental materials.”

   The DUF6 plants — each employing approximately 200 people — were originally designed to operate for up to 25 years. It is expected to take 18 to 30 years to convert the extensive inventory of DUF6 generated by six decades of uranium enrichment at the gaseous diffusion plants located on the same sites as the conversion facilities.

   B&W Conversion Services, LLC, is a single purpose company formed by Babcock & Wilcox and URS in 2011. Headquartered in Lexington, Ky., BWCS was created to safely and effectively operate the DUF6 plants.

Portsmouth Site Plant Surpasses Five Years Without Lost-Time Accident

BWCS employees from all departments of the DUF6 project at the Portsmouth site come together to mark five years without a lost-time accident.

PIKETON, Ohio – The depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) conversion plant at EM’s Portsmouth site marked five years without a lost-time accident this month, equating to 1,826 workdays or 1,916,103 work hours.

   EM’s Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) and contractor Babcock & Wilcox Conversion Services LLC (BWCS) are converting the nation’s 800,000-metric-ton inventory of DUF6 to more benign forms for sale, ultimate disposal or long-term storage. 

   “It took every one of our nearly 200 employees five years of concentrating on safety to reach this milestone,” said Ken Collier, plant manager. “In complex work with rigorous processes, this is a remarkable achievement. Every single employee deserves credit and recognition.”

Russ Hall, environment, safety and health supervisor, changes the DUF6 project sign to mark five years without a lost-time accident.

   The plant’s sister operation in Paducah, Ky., recently celebrated one year without a lost-time accident.  

Contributors

Steve Beehler, Hanford site

Rick Dale, Idaho site

John Evett, EM headquarters

Nan Kilkeary, Portsmouth site

Todd Lapointe, EM headquarters

David Sheeley, EM headquarters

Ben Williams, Oak Ridge site

Ryan Williamson, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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