Secretary Moniz Meets with Tribal Leaders

DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz, first row, third from right, gathers with Tribal leaders at the summit in Phoenix last month.

PHOENIX – DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz gathered with Tribal leaders from around the country last month for a summit that focused on energy, the environment, and national security topics important to the Tribes.

   EM Acting Assistant Secretary Mark Whitney and EM site managers from around the EM complex joined Moniz at the summit. EM and the greater DOE are committed to the cleanup of sites that were once part of the nation's nuclear weapons complex. Several of these sites are located close or adjacent to sovereign Tribal nations and impact Indian lands and resources. Consistent with the Department's American Indian and Alaska Natives Tribal Government Policy, EM maintains cooperative agreements with Tribal nations to enhance their involvement in cleanup decisions while protecting relevant Tribal rights and resources.

   Building on President Obama’s commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with Tribal Nations, Moniz announced at the summit the formalization of the Nuclear Energy Tribal Working Group, providing a forum for Tribal Leaders to engage with the Department on a wide scope of nuclear energy issues.

   “Only by working together can we succeed,” Moniz said.  

   DOE also has two key Tribal groups that advise the Department: the Indian Country Energy & Infrastructure Working Group on Indian Energy and the State and Tribal Government Working Group on Environmental Management.

DOE officials, including EM Acting Assistant Secretary Mark Whitney, seated at table, far left, and Secretary Ernest Moniz, right of Whitney, listen to Tribal leaders from the State and Tribal Government Working Group on Environmental Management.

   Tribal leaders and representatives traveled from all regions of the country to attend the summit, which marked the Secretary’s first official visit to Arizona and the Gila River Indian Community’s reservation. Moniz deferred his time on the agenda to the Tribal leaders so he could hear directly from them. Governor Aguilar, Pueblo de San Ildefonso, provided an example of how DOE and a Pueblo worked well together. They developed a memorandum of agreement addressing cultural resources.

   “As Secretary, it is important that I hear your perspectives and it is important that our decisions be informed by these perspectives. I have asked my senior leadership to continue to reach out to you as part of the government-to-government consultation,” Moniz said.

   Additionally, top DOE officials, including Whitney, committed to visiting Indian Reservations and continuing to foster a dialogue. Tribal representatives agreed to help educate DOE officials and staff about Tribal treaty rights, sovereignty, and consultation.

   Last week, Whitney met with the Tribal Council of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, who have significant cultural interests at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in California. That site includes the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), where EM is planning to clean up and demolish facilities and conduct soil and groundwater remediation. 

   In his remarks, Moniz acknowledged the recent formation of the Santa Susana Native American Sacred Sites Council, which is associated with ETEC.

   “This council will bring together Tribes in the region with strong cultural affiliation and interests in protecting the truly rich cultural resources at Santa Susana,” Moniz said.

Moab Resumes Rail Shipments After Rockslide

A view of the hillside above the project rail bench where the rockslide originated.

MOAB, Utah – EM’s Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project recently resumed rail shipments after an almost two-month halt due to a major rockslide.

   No injuries resulted from the incident. Limited rail operations restarted with loading restricted to an area of minimal risk. 

   The rockslide originated from 800 feet above a rail bench workers use for loading containers filled with uranium mill tailings for transport to the Crescent Junction disposal site, 30 miles north. An estimated 4,500 cubic yards of rock was concentrated at the portal to a tunnel the track traverses at the south end of the rail bench.

   Although the rockfall occurred outside the direct loading operation area, DOE suspended rail shipments until a risk analysis of the hillside could be completed and potential future rockslides could be evaluated. 

   In early December, the project contractors obtained the services of rockfall experts to analyze the potential for similar future rockslides and the associated risks. They consulted with the Colorado and Utah transportation departments, Bureau of Land Management, and others familiar with rockslides that frequently occur in this part of the country.

A view of the rockfall blocking the tunnel portal (concrete in middle of photo).

   The experts divided the 2,000-foot stretch of hillside into three zones and defined associated risks for each. Zone 3, the 1,400 feet furthest to the north, and furthest away from the recent rockslide, was deemed safe to restart loading operations because the lower slope is flatter, creating an area where rocks from the rockfall can collect.

   Site workers continued unaffected operations, completed required training, and conducted maintenance activities while rail operations were suspended. Team members responsible for loading the train developed work control documents and a traffic pattern that would enable use of the one-way north haul road for two-way traffic to resume loading of the train. 

   “The workers were instrumental in creating a traffic control pattern that was safe, doable, and as efficient as possible,” said Jeff Biagini, the project manager with the remedial action contractor. “They were more anxious than we were to return to loading the train.”

   After ensuring that a shorter train of 64 containers (compared to the usual 136 containers) could be safely loaded, and after receiving concurrence from DOE management, workers began loading the train on Jan. 13.

   “We are taking it slow and steady, making sure we can safely load the train,” said Federal Project Director Don Metzler.

   Once the remedial action contractor demonstrates that a 64-container train can be safely loaded each day, the project plans to lengthen the train to 104 containers.

   The project is working on implementing several mitigative and safety measures in an effort to return to routine operations. Some of these include installing a radar system to monitor future movement on the hillside, building emergency shelters, reconfiguring the south haul road to avoid the area of highest evaluated risk, and installing a berm to act as a rockfall barrier.

Workers Remove Glove Boxes from Ventilation at Hanford’s Plutonium Finishing Plant

An employee at Hanford’s Plutonium Finishing Plant uses a portable band saw to cut the last ventilation duct attached to glove boxes inside the facility’s former processing area. This work is performed inside plastic enclosures to limit the spread of contamination. Preparing the glove boxes for removal is a key step toward demolition of the plant, which is about 75 percent ready for demolition. All glove boxes in the facility’s processing area have been cleaned, allowing for their removal from ventilation used to control contamination.

Savannah River Site’s Liquid Waste Operations Adds Multi-Functional Laboratory

EM Program Also Makes Strides in Salt Treatment, Disposal

Laboratory technician Tanja Bolt measures chemicals in the new laboratory at SRS.

AIKEN, S.C. – A new multi-functional laboratory supporting high-level waste processing at the Savannah River Site (SRS) gives workers a new and improved place to provide back-up laboratory support and more space for chemical storage.

   Work at the new laboratory is conducted by Savannah River Remediation (SRR), the liquid waste contractor for the EM program at SRS.

   The laboratory became operational last month, replacing one that had been in use since January 1993. The older laboratory was housed in two trailers that were past their service life.

   The new laboratory provides training space and serves as a back-up laboratory for the Effluent Treatment Facility, part of the site’s liquid waste system.

   The new laboratory is used for a number of activities key to processing waste, including:

• Preparing chemical reagents (liquids used for sample analysis) needed in the radiological laboratory at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF);
• Testing new processing strategies; and
• Training personnel on non-radioactive equipment.

   The laboratory is housed in a modular structure next to the DWPF, the largest radioactive waste glassification plant in the nation. That facility converts the liquid nuclear waste currently stored at SRS into a solid glass form suitable for long-term storage and disposal.

 

   Jim Folk, DOE-Savannah River Acting Assistant Manager for Waste Disposition Project, said the laboratory will turn around laboratory samples more quickly and will allow technicians to work in a laboratory that has all spare equipment needed at their fingertips. 

 

   “This laboratory supports the liquid waste mission to operate most efficiently and allows for us to have better training facilities for laboratory employees,” said Folk. 

 

   The new laboratory was designed to maximize efficiency, including such features as an electronic chemical inventory base that will notify workers when to restock. 

Construction is under way on Salt Disposal Unit 6, which will be approximately 10 times larger than the site’s current SDUs, holding about 30 million gallons.

Site Reports Success with Saltstone Disposal Units 

   In other SRS news, workers are making significant strides in the treatment and disposal of salt, as the first two circular Saltstone Disposal Units (SDUs) have now been filled.

   The SDUs play an essential role in the closure of the 45 liquid waste tanks on the site. About 90 percent of the waste in these tanks is salt waste that must be treated and disposed of in SDUs before the tanks can ultimately be closed. Salt waste solutions are pumped from the tanks and sent to the Saltstone Processing Facility, where it is mixed with cement powders. The resulting grout is then pumped into the SDUs for permanent disposal.

   In 2012, the EM program and SRR built the two SDUs that are now closed. They hold a total of about 6 million gallons of grouted salt waste. With these two SDUs full, SRR began the process of filling four more in August.

   Construction began on a new disposal unit, called SDU 6, which will be approximately 10 times larger, holding about 30 million gallons. Instead of 36 pairs of the smaller SDUs, SRS will need only seven of the larger units, which will result in cost savings of about $300 million over the life of the program by requiring less space to design and build. 

   SDU 6 is scheduled to be ready to receive salt waste in May 2017, in time to meet the increased processing rate that will be realized when the Salt Waste Processing Facility begins operations.

Environmental Report Project Informs Paducah Community, Educates Students

Students examine different species found in the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area.

PADUCAH, Ky. – A group of local high school students is helping EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) provide important information to the public while learning valuable skills and furthering their education and knowledge of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP).

   Paducah Site Lead Jennifer Woodard recently discussed plant history with the Marshall County High School students during a site visit to help prepare them for their work on the summary of the Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER).

   The goal is to educate local students about the operations and cleanup activities at PGDP and communicate their new knowledge to the public. The ASER report details site environmental conditions and remediation efforts. The students’ project engages them in summarizing the technical ASER report into a document intended for a public audience.

Students watch as water samples are taken to be used to measure water quality.

   Marshall County students and staff were given a DOE-guided question-and-answer tour of PGDP. Afterward, the group assembled at the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area (WKWMA) lodge to participate in a local habitat presentation by Dr. Steven Price, a wildlife biologist with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Department of Forestry. The group then toured the WKWMA as Jodie Swain, WKWMA foreman, and Price explained ecological considerations, demonstrated the use of water quality measurement devices the students will be using in the classroom, and discussed environmental implications of water quality parameters.

   The final High School ASER Summary is anticipated to be distributed to the public in fall 2015. Marshall County students also participated in the program last school year.  

   PPPO coordinates a similar student ASER summary program at the Portsmouth site in south central Ohio.

Employees Inspire Others as STEM Role Models

Left to right, CBFO’s Susan McCauslin and Norma Castaneda and NWP’s Bill Weston led workshops as part of the Expanding Your Horizons conference in Carlsbad. Ashley Urquidez, an NWP engineer who also participated, is not pictured.

CARLSBAD, N.M. – Four employees at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) participated in a conference created to inspire girls to pursue opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

   Carlsbad’s first Expanding Your Horizons conference was sponsored by the American Association of University Women – Carlsbad Branch and New Mexico State University – Carlsbad. 

   “As a female professional in a STEM field, I’m especially happy to have participated in this conference,” said Norma Castaneda, with the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) Transuranic (TRU) Sites and Transportation Division. “Being an example to these young girls to show them that STEM related careers are open to them has been very rewarding.” CBFO has responsibility for WIPP and the National TRU Program.

   Along with Castaneda and Susan McCauslin, with the CBFO Environmental Protection Division, the workshop was supported by Ashley Urquidez and Bill Weston, with Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), the WIPP management and operating contractor.

   Conference participants took part in various workshops with hands-on experiments. For example, students tracked the path of hurricanes, learned how oil spills affect wildlife, and made a slime to learn about polymers. During these workshops the students asked questions and learned about pursuing STEM related studies and careers. 

   “Sometimes girls might think that STEM careers are too difficult or are just for boys,” said McCauslin. “However, having the girls interact with us helped them realize that STEM studies can provide them with enjoyable and fulfilling career opportunities.”

   “Supporting STEM is vital because our workforce needs to build tomorrow's leaders in those key fields today,” said CBFO Manager Joe Franco. “We're pleased that our WIPP team has volunteers who are encouraging youth to consider the STEM professions.”

   Recognizing this fact is an important step. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Commerce, despite making up nearly half of the U.S. workforce and half of the college-educated workforce, women hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs in the United States.

   The report further notes that possible factors for the lower number of women in STEM careers include a lack of female role models, gender stereotyping, and less family-friendly flexibility.

   “If we can educate these girls and be great role models for them, a world that might seem daunting, now becomes achievable,” said Urquidez, a NWP engineer. “I challenged the girls to pursue STEM careers, telling them I wanted to work next to them in the future.”

DOE Honors Idaho Facility with Safety Award

From left, ITG President and Project Manager Dave Richardson assists DOE Idaho Operations Office Deputy Manager of Environmental Management Jack Zimmerman and DOE Idaho Operations VPP Program Lead Carol Henning (in yellow vest) with unfurling the AMWTP’s Voluntary Protection Program Star flag. ITG Employee Safety and Improvement Team Co-Chairs Ashlee Murdock and Alan Shaffer are in the background.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Jack Zimmerman, DOE Idaho Operations Office’s deputy manager for EM, presented the Department’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star flag to Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) employees this month.

   The event honored the employees after they received the VPP Star of Excellence award last year. It marked the third time the Idaho Treatment Group, which manages this nuclear waste treatment facility, received the Star of Excellence honor since 2009.

   The award is given to sites that demonstrate injury and illness incident rates and lost workday injury and illness rates at least 75 percent below the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics national average in the industry.

   The VPP program outlines areas DOE contractors and subcontractors can exceed compliance with DOE orders and Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. It relies on cooperation between managers, employees, and DOE to continuously improve health and safety programs.

   “I’m pleased to see this continuation of the VPP tradition at AMWTP. VPP is a program you have to own, you have to believe in, and you have to live, both on and off the job,” Zimmerman said. “I want to compliment this workforce and to let you know that when it comes to safety, DOE is a strong supportive partner for you.” 

   Ashlee Murdock and Alan Shaffer, co-chairs of the ITG Employee Safety and Improvement Team, told their co-workers it was a genuine honor to receive the VPP flag on behalf of the AMWTP workforce.

   “The VPP Star flag is recognition for how we actively care for one another, and our continuing dedication and commitment to a safe and compliant work environment,” Murdock said. 

From left, Richardson, Murdock, Shaffer, and Zimmerman display ITG’s Voluntary Protection Program Star Certificate.

   ITG President and Project Manager Dave Richardson told employees that while the celebration of VPP happened that day, the importance of the symbol and ITG’s ongoing pursuit of safety excellence must be a part of their daily thought process.

   “Whether on the job or at home, the principles and values of VPP will help keep our work and home environments safer for our co-workers, our families, and our friends,” Richardson said. 

   During a VPP recertification audit last year, a team of DOE and contractor auditors closely examined ITG’s safety systems. The team saw a strong safety culture and active workforce involved in improving the safety program. It verified that ITG’s injury performance and injury prevention programs exceeded the expectations for a VPP Star site. 

Contributors

Dean Campbell, Savannah River Site

Jill Conrad, Hanford site

Rick Dale, Idaho site

Jeanne Hartinger, University of Kentucky

Danielle Miller, Idaho site

Brandt A. Petrasek, EM headquarters

Wendee Ryan, Moab site

David Sheeley, EM headquarters

Tracy Taylor, Paducah site

Ryan Williamson, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant