EM Update | Vol. 8, Issue 15 | Aug. 15, 2016

DOE Office of Environmental Management sent this bulletin at 08/15/2016 03:55 PM EDT

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Testing at Colorado Research Facility to Benefit Idaho Waste Treatment Facility
EM Helps Create STEM Playbook for Native American Youth
EM’s Idaho Site Pilot Study of Device Leads to its Launch Complex-Wide
Testing of Radioactive Sludge System Proves Successful
Hanford Firefighters Battle Wildland Blaze
Grand Challenge Kicks Off with 34 Entries to Improve ORP Mission
Council Honors Oak Ridge’s EM Program with Prestigious Historic Preservation Award
Clearing the Way for Hanford Site Cleanup
EM ‘Gets the Lead Out’ Removing Portsmouth Site Outdoor Firing Range
Progress Continues at Plutonium Finishing Plant
Open House Gives Residents New Understanding of Nevada National Security Site
College Students Digitize Records from Age Before Computers at Hanford Site
No Recordable Accidents in 17,000 Waste Shipments Across 3.4 Million Miles
Summer Camp Helps High School Girls Discover STEM in College, Careers and Life
Contributors

Testing at Colorado Research Facility to Benefit Idaho Waste Treatment Facility

The Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at EM's Idaho Site.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Fluor Idaho, the new cleanup contractor at EM’s Idaho Site, is using a Colorado technology research and development facility to help resolve complex challenges related to the initiation of liquid waste treatment operations at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU).

Hazen Research, near Golden, has been used as a technology testing ground since 1961. The independent research facility will soon use its fluidized bed technology to demonstrate new control strategies and refine operating conditions to correct problems experienced at IWTU — instabilities and unexpected temperature gradients of the fluidized bed along with the formation of scale deposits on the internal surfaces of the treatment vessel.

The IWTU is intended to treat 900,000 gallons of radioactive liquid waste at the Idaho Site using a steam reforming process. The process converts the liquid waste, consisting of hazardous chemicals, radioactive constituents, and heavy metals, to a dry, granular product. During the process, the primary treatment vessel is heated up to 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit. Liquid waste is sprayed into a reaction chamber filled with tiny beads that are kept in motion, or fluidized, with a combination of gases such as nitrogen, steam and oxygen.

As the liquid dries, the residue solidifies onto the surfaces of tiny beads, similar to the creation of a pearl. Gases produced during this process are captured in a series of filters to ensure the plant emissions meet state air quality standards. The dried product is then transferred to stainless steel canisters and placed within concrete vaults for on-site storage until a national geologic repository is available to accept the waste.

The IWTU has been tested four times using a waste simulant that resembles the actual waste that it was built to treat. During each test, the instabilities appeared periodically during the testing, and scale deposits were formed on the interior walls of the treatment vessel. The last waste simulant run, which took place in May, incorporated a series of recommendations from technical experts who attended a Chemistry Summit and Fluidized Bed Workshop held earlier this year in Idaho Falls. Significant improvements were observed regarding the quality of the product and the amount of scale was reduced. The remaining challenges relate to instabilities during operations and temperature gradients.

Fluor is working with national laboratories, industry experts and Hazen Research to assess and demonstrate new control strategies and refine operating conditions for the plant. Testing at the Hazen facility will use a small-scale fluidized bed reactor similar to the treatment vessel at IWTU and will utilize the waste simulant that the Idaho facility has been using during its four prior testing campaigns. Fluor and Hazen engineers will test different conditions to assess the effectiveness of the new control strategies and assess potential adjustments that could be made to the IWTU to improve its operation. Information gained from the Hazen testing will be used for the next waste simulant run at IWTU.

EM Helps Create STEM Playbook for Native American Youth

Chris Deschene, director of DOE’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, top left, and U.S. Bureau of Indian Education Superintendent Casey Sovo, top right, work on a STEM activity created by the Science of Sport using basketball to demonstrate statistics to students.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – EM is helping create a new nationwide initiative to engage Native American youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers.

EM recently met with the offices of Economic Impact and Diversity and Indian Energy Policy and Programs to plan the initiative and discuss a potential partnership between DOE and Science of Sport, a non-profit organization that uses sports to promote an appreciation of science and mathematics in middle school students. Representatives from DOE’s Sandia, Los Alamos, and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories also participated in the meetings.

“We were extremely pleased with the enthusiasm of the attendees at these meetings. EM’s mission necessitates a workforce possessing a strong STEM background. A national initiative to bring more Native American communities into STEM-related work is in line with our goals,” EM Tribal Affairs Director Albert Brandt Petrasek said. “The prospects for STEM-related careers at DOE sites and laboratories, many located near or adjacent to tribal lands, are abundant. We want to ensure tribal communities share in these opportunities.”

Representatives from Science of Sport, Santa Fe Indian School, New Mexico Public Education Department, Albuquerque Public Schools, University of New Mexico, Bureau of Indian Education, and the tribal communities of the Navajo Nation, Zia Pueblo and San Ildefonso Pueblo were among the meeting participants. They joined the DOE entities at the National Tribal Programs Center in New Mexico to discuss how DOE and its laboratories can develop a Native American STEM initiative in New Mexico and around the country.

Meeting participants discussed opportunities to target tribal communities for STEM education and careers, such as a focus on sports specific to tribes and their cultures. They also considered the challenges, such as limited access to technology and a lack of transportation to after-school programs.

The possible public-private partnership with Science of Sport would engage tribal youth in the southwest region of the U.S. in STEM education through the use of athletics and an accompanying curriculum. Science of Sport representatives explained how their program can contribute to academic success, especially in minority communities.

Junita Turner, with EM’s Office of Human Capital, presents a report during a breakout session of the meetings on developing a nationwide STEM initiative for Native American youth.

Petrasek and Junita Turner with EM’s Office of Human Capital focused on how EM can leverage its existing programs for interns, recent graduates, and others to help expand STEM education and careers in Native American communities.

“In addition to assuring that Native Americans are included in the many STEM opportunities that exist at DOE sites and laboratories, especially those that are in close proximity to the communities, this effort also affords EM increased opportunities to continue to diversify its workforce and address the projected short- and long-term retirements,” Turner said.

The meetings follows commitments made by the Obama Administration and Secretary Ernest Moniz at the DOE-hosted National Tribal Energy Summits in December 2014 and September 2015. Tribal leaders and Secretary Moniz discussed STEM education and career needs in the Native American community.

EM’s Idaho Site Pilot Study of Device Leads to its Launch Complex-Wide

EM Assistant Secretary Monica Regalbuto, right, views the mobile device EM Idaho Site Facility Representative Nicholas Balsmeier, center, has been testing since February. With this tool, Balsmeier can easily access procedures and DOE orders and record notes that can be sent directly to EM and contractor personnel.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – EM’s Idaho Site employees are being commended for leadership and initiative in exploring the use of a new mobile computing device that is now in the hands of about 100 employees across the cleanup complex.

Following a demonstration of the tool, the Idaho Site reported that it improves the efficiency and quality of work when facility representatives head to the field to oversee cleanup progress. Smaller than a laptop but larger than a smartphone, the device can pull up important work orders and safety regulations in real time, avoiding the hassles of printing lengthy documents and waiting to return to desktop computers to retrieve information.

“The facility representative is a critical position at DOE. Providing facility representatives with the tools to be effective is critically important, and I am confident this device will greatly enhance their capabilities,” EM Assistant Secretary Monica Regalbuto said. “We’re really happy EM headquarters was able to sponsor scaling up the Idaho pilot project so the rest of the EM complex can benefit.”

In a visit with Idaho Site facility representatives last year, Regalbuto asked what improvements could enhance their oversight abilities. An Idaho facility representative, Carey Warren, suggested streamlining the administrative tasks of the facility representatives. He suggested the use of a portable computing device to reduce paper use and to record observations and quickly access current document revisions in the field. In response, Regalbuto asked the EM Idaho Site office to evaluate the usefulness and cost of such devices.

“I am very proud of the federal workforce here at the Idaho Cleanup Project,” said Jack Zimmerman, DOE’s deputy manager for the project. “They are willing to speak their mind and offer suggestions for improvement to all levels of management, including senior federal officials. Those senior officials listen to their input and take action as appropriate. That is exactly what occurred in this case. I had one of my facility representatives offer a suggestion for improvement. I obtained a mobile device unit as a pilot and chartered a pilot study by one of my facility representatives, who then reported on its value to field oversight personnel.”

EM Assistant Secretary Monica Regalbuto, center, receives a briefing on EM’s cleanup operations from Idaho Site employees.

EM Idaho Site Facility Representative Nicholas Balsmeier piloted the device and offered to prepare assessments on it after testing its accessibility with a wide variety of documents in the field. He also looked at its Internet connectivity using Wi-Fi; battery life; and ease of use during daily activities such as field observations and emergency events in non-working hours.

Balsmeier has worked with the tool since February and describes it as user friendly and helpful to EM’s cleanup. With the device in hand, he can easily access procedure changes, take notes onsite and share information with contractors in the field.

“I haven’t printed a procedure in months, and the device allows me to be more functional in the field. If I have a question on something the contractors are doing related to a DOE order or Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard, I can pull it up; I can find it in real time. I don’t need to go back to the office to look at it,” he said. “The other thing that’s nice is that we are all on-call 24/7, so having the ability to log straight in at midnight when they call me, that’s very beneficial.”

EM targeted facility representatives as recipients of the devices, and the procurement serves as an example of DOE and EM headquarters and field site offices working together effectively and efficiently to quickly deliver tools to employees across the complex.

Several field sites have already expressed appreciation for receiving the devices, which were delivered to EM’s Idaho office, Richland Operations Office, Office of River Protection, Los Alamos Field Office, Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office, Savannah River Site, and EM Consolidated Business Center, which will distribute the devices to other EM field sites such as Moab.

Testing of Radioactive Sludge System Proves Successful

Kurt McCracken, sludge treatment project engineer, prepares to test the equipment and tools to remove the basin’s sludge.

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM’s Richland Operations Office (RL) and contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M) are in the final phases of preparing to remove highly radioactive sludge from the 100-K West Basin on the Hanford Site.

Sludge is a silt-like substance made of tiny fuel corrosion particles and other metal fragments created through plutonium production; it’s stored just a few hundred yards from the Columbia River.

Workers at the Maintenance and Storage Facility tested the sludge removal equipment from April to July, determining that the equipment and hardware are capable of completing the sludge removal project. The system is known as the Engineered Container Retrieval & Transfer System (ECRTS).

“The removal and treatment of the sludge remains one of our most important projects and is significant in our efforts to protect the Columbia River,” said Mark French, RL’s federal project director for the river corridor division. “We’re very pleased with the results of the testing.”

Workers at the Maintenance and Storage Facility prepare to test the equipment and tools to remove the basin’s sludge.

Attention to detail and collaboration of knowledge has led to this great moment:

“Our team of engineers and other experts have been putting in great efforts to ensure the system worked as designed and we can finally declare a huge victory on this phase,” said Kurt McCracken, CH2M lead engineer with the sludge treatment project.

These tests led to actual operation of the system moving a sludge simulant from a replica container through a system and into the sludge transport and storage container. This successful evolution provides significant confidence that ECRTS is close to being ready for removing actual sludge from the basin.

Hanford Firefighters Battle Wildland Blaze

RICHLAND, Wash. – Hanford firefighters and workers at the Hanford Site helped fight a wildland fire earlier this month that started at the Yakima Training Center in Yakima, Wash., approximately 40 miles west of the Hanford Site. Firefighters, teamsters, equipment operators, fleet management and support staff from infrastructure services contractor Mission Support Alliance helped prevent the fire from reaching the Hanford Site. Overall the fire burned over 175,000 acres in central Washington.

Grand Challenge Kicks Off with 34 Entries to Improve ORP Mission

The Grand Challenge, which has grown in scale since its creation four years ago, has been recognized as one of DOE’s best practices for leadership and organizational transformation.

RICHLAND, Wash. – The 2016 EM Office of River Protection (ORP) Grand Challenge submissions are in, with 34 entries ranging in subject from methods to treat waste in Hanford’s western tank farms to software for waste processing.

Ten finalists will be selected from the entries and invited to present at a workshop in September, where one will be selected as the winning proposal.

In its fourth year, the Grand Challenge is designed to provide a forum for creative ideas that can make a significant difference in ORP's mission: namely to create efficiencies with potential savings of $250 million or more or greatly improve safety. ORP employees, prime contractors, national laboratories, DOE headquarters personnel, academia and stakeholders can submit entries.

Several past proposals have been implemented, including two from 2014 and five from 2015. Five more were endorsed by ORP for outside funding opportunities, and last year’s winning proposal is in study for implementation by ORP and EM.

This year’s winning proposal, and other high-scoring ones, will also be studied for possible implementation at ORP.

Ricky Bang, this year’s Grand Challenge co-lead, said he is excited about the variety and creativity of the 2016 proposals.

“This year’s proposals include some really great out-of-the-box ideas,” said Bang, an EM facility representative with the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). “The screening team will have a tough time choosing finalists, but all high-scoring proposals will be considered for implementation. We are very excited about this competition and the potential benefit to the mission these ideas will have.”

The Grand Challenge has grown in scale and received notice from outside Washington state.

“The Grand Challenge competition has captured the attention, and the imagination, of the [EM] complex,” said Elaine Diaz, ORP’s chief engineer and Grand Challenge lead.

Diaz said the 2015 competition was recognized this year as one of DOE’s best practices for leadership and organizational transformation.

“Each year as we hear more great ideas and work throughout the year to implement them, we are encouraging a culture of continuous improvement in safety and mission efficiency,” she said. “We are engaging our internal workforce and the external scientific community in the process of overcoming our biggest challenges.”

Judges representing the four ORP assistant managers, two ORP prime contractors, DOE headquarters, and several national laboratories will judge the submissions on a variety of factors, including: technical readiness, cost and schedule of implementation, whether they are executable with existing regulatory requirements, and cost and schedule avoidance and savings.

“The value of Grand Challenge is it brings together members of the Department, the laboratories, academia, contractors, and last year for the first time, stakeholders,” according to Billie Mauss, a chemist with WTP Engineering Division, who served as the 2015 Grand Challenge co-lead. “It gives interested and involved parties an opportunity to present their good ideas and it gives us access to those suggestions and the ability to potentially improve how we are implementing our mission.”

The 2015 winning and finalist proposals collectively represented ideas from ORP employees, including one ORP summer intern, five national laboratories, one prime contractor, two outside companies and two universities.

Last year’s winning proposal presented a “game-changing” idea on the direct-feed vitrification of high-level waste (HLW). The winners proposed that a direct-feed HLW program could take advantage of a potential to increase waste loading of glass in both high-level and low-activity streams; simplify Pretreatment Facility design criteria; and speed tank waste risk reduction by treating sludge earlier. The proposal suggests directly treating solid and sludge tank waste through the High Level Waste Facility.

“We’ve outlined a concept where we can provide direct feed of high-level solids and sludges through the HLW facility,” explained Albert Kruger, ORP glass scientist, and part of the team that submitted the winning proposal. “We proposed a high-level waste staging facility in the form of a 125,000-gallon tank that would accept tank waste and feed it to HLW in 4,000-gallon batches. Taking advantage of glass work that we’ve done, we can realize far higher levels of aluminum and chromium salts in HLW glass.”

Kruger said the process will allow nearly a dozen tanks to be emptied of sludge waste within only a few years of starting operations, and that many obstacles related to the Pretreatment Facility and separating waste streams would effectively be eliminated.

Council Honors Oak Ridge’s EM Program with Prestigious Historic Preservation Award

Left to right, ACHP Chairman Milford Wayne Donaldson; Knox Heritage Executive Director Kim Trent; OREM Manager Sue Cange; and ACHP Expert Member Robert Stanton with the Chairman’s Award for Achievement in Historic Preservation.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) was honored as a recipient of the prestigious Chairman’s Award for Achievement in Historic Preservation at a recent ceremony in Washington D.C.’s National Building Museum. The award is given by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), an organization whose members are appointed by the U.S. President.

OREM was recognized for its support to the Alexander Inn rehabilitation project. The inn, originally known as the Guest House, dates back to the earliest days of Oak Ridge. It housed dignitaries that visited the secret site during World War II, such as General Leslie Groves, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, and physicists J. Robert Oppenheimer and Enrico Fermi.

In 1991, the inn was added to the National Register of Historic Place. Despite this honor, the vacant building deteriorated greatly over the years, with the roof leaking and water accumulating in the basement. By 2010, it was added to the “East Tennessee Endangered Heritage” list.

That all changed in 2012 when OREM signed an agreement to mitigate for the removal of the historically significant K-25 building. This agreement with the ACHP, State Office of Historic Preservation, City of Oak Ridge, and East Tennessee Preservation Alliance committed the program to undertake three broad initiatives to commemorate the history of the K-25 complex and the city’s larger role in the Manhattan Project.

One of those initiatives was a $500,000 grant to the alliance to support the preservation of the inn. The grant was used to purchase and stabilize the structure until it could be transferred to a private developer.

“We are very pleased that our grant was able to fund efforts to stabilize this historic gem and help make its renovation a viable option for developers,” OREM Manager Sue Cange said. “Now, Oak Ridge is able to reclaim a landmark that dates back to its origin.”

Before EM’s grant, the Alexander Inn was on the “East Tennessee Endangered Heritage” list in 2010.

The Alexander Inn’s ballroom cafeteria is now restored.

During the restoration, workers preserved the Alexander Inn’s external facade and its original character.

A local developer, Dover Development Corporation, purchased the inn and spent two years converting it into a senior living facility. Now, its occupants can take pride in their new home with fond memories of its glory days hosting visitors and community parties.

The developer not only preserved the inn’s external facade and much of the original character, but also included a museum in the lobby that is a stop for tours sponsored by the newly designated Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

“The Alexander Inn project fulfills a number of the objectives we honor through the Chairman’s Award, including significant contributions to economic development and heritage tourism, and rehabilitation of historic resources,” said ACHP Chairman Milford Wayne Donaldson.

The reopening of the historic landmark also had a significant impact on the local economy. When it opened in November 2015, the renovations had improved the property tax value from $400,000 to $9 million.

Clearing the Way for Hanford Site Cleanup

RICHLAND, Wash. – Watch time-lapse footage of workers preparing the T Plant canyon deck at the Hanford Site to receive K-West Reactor Fuel Storage Basin sludge by removing the legacy equipment shown in the 2012 photo at top. The equipment was used to process sludge from a pit at the K-East Reactor Fuel Storage Basin in 2005. Removal of the equipment, reflected in the 2016 photo immediately above, will allow access to the canyon cells that will be modified to store sludge removed from the K-West basin in 2018 as part of the EM Richland Operations Office’s cleanup.

EM ‘Gets the Lead Out’ Removing Portsmouth Site Outdoor Firing Range

The 516-T, nicknamed the “spider,” included multiple conveyor belts carrying soil through a series of screens to sift bullet debris from the soil of the former outdoor firing range on the EM reservation.

PIKETON, Ohio – Workers removed an unusual facility to make way for a new disposal site as part of decontamination and decommissioning of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in southern Ohio.

The X-114A Outdoor Firing Range occupied more than seven acres isolated in a wooded area in the northeastern corner of the 3,700-acre reservation. It spanned the length of two football fields end to end, and served as a training range for the site’s protective force personnel.

Since most of the facility was outdoors, one might assume there was not a lot to remove, but a firing range that has been operational for a quarter century includes a lot of lead projectiles. To “get the lead out,” crews used special sifting equipment to separate and remove old bullets. The soil was then treated and stabilized to remove residual lead.

In May 2016, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency granted approval for deactivation and demolition work to begin. Demolition activities included removing a small block and metal building, footers, foundation, fencing, six overhead metal baffles, corrugated drain pipe and concrete sidewalks. Sixteen roll-off containers of scrap metal were transferred to the local community reuse organization, Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI), for recycling. Ninety-four truckloads of other clean demolition debris were transferred to a local sanitation company for off-site disposal.

The X-114A Outdoor Firing Range prior to demolition. The range had served as a training facility for the site's protective force personnel since the early 1990s.

Crews work to finalize the demolition and soil cleanup of the X-114A Outdoor Firing Range.

A view of the site of the former X-114A Firing Range. The berms and stockpile area of the range were reseeded to prevent soil erosion.

The range was removed to help make way for the On-site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF). As work proceeds on the gaseous diffusion plant’s decontamination and decommissioning, the specially designed facility will house wastes that meet certain criteria from those buildings, primarily rubble and debris. In all, more than 300 Cold War-era buildings and systems will be removed as EM makes appropriate portions of the site available for future development. Materials not meeting waste acceptance criteria will be shipped off-site for permanent disposal.

“Now that the area has been cleared of debris, the previously processed soil stockpiled in the area can be used, as needed, for the protective layer on the first cell liner of the OSWDF when it is built and ready for waste placement,” EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office Facility Representative Jeremy Davis said. “The OSWDF will be comprised of individual cells that include the waste as well as packing soil to fill in spaces around each placement.”

Frank Miller, OSWDF project director with Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, EM’s cleanup contractor, recognized the project team for their success.

“This demolition project represents a key step in the overall construction of the OSWDF, as [the X-114A] was the single structure that stood right in the middle of our Infrastructure Support Area,” Miller said.

“With it now safely removed, we are ready to proceed with regrading in that area. I am proud to have such a high-quality team that made this such an effective project without a single safety incident.”

Progress Continues at Plutonium Finishing Plant

RICHLAND, Wash. – With demolition of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) on the Hanford Site rapidly approaching, crews are busy preparing the site surrounding the facility. EM’s Richland Operations Office and contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company recently demolished a small, empty non-radiological warehouse. A time-lapse video of the demolition can be viewed here. They will demolish another warehouse in the coming weeks. Removal of these small buildings immediately adjacent to PFP is needed to make room for the heavy equipment, waste load-out cans, dust suppression equipment and other equipment that will be used to demolish PFP. Of the 91 buildings that make up the PFP complex, 68 have been demolished.

Open House Gives Residents New Understanding of Nevada National Security Site

Nevada Site Specific Advisory Board (NSSAB) members, left to right, Pennie Edmond, Donna Hruska (NSSAB chair), Janice Keiserman, and Don Neill in front of the NSSAB display at the Groundwater Open House.

AMARGOSA VALLEY, Nev. – The Amargosa Valley community recently welcomed Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) scientists and staff members for the seventh-annual Groundwater Open House.

Attendees from throughout southern Nevada arrived ready with questions for the NNSS groundwater experts, who presented displays on topics ranging from the historical background of the NNSS to the evaluation of sampling technology. Representatives from the state’s Environmental Protection and Water Resources divisions, Nye County, Nevada Site Specific Advisory Board and Community Environmental Monitoring Program were present.

George Tucker, a chemical engineer from Amargosa Valley, learned more about the safety of NNSS groundwater. After viewing the displays and speaking with several NNSS groundwater experts, Tucker said, “any fears that I might have had, have vanished.”

Tucker appreciated the proactive effort by the NNSS to reach out to surrounding communities. “It is gratifying in this day and age to see a government agency making the effort to keep residents informed,” he said.

Keeping the public informed is a top priority of the NNSS.

“The Groundwater Open House is a great way to connect with communities. It’s an opportunity for us to meet with local residents, answer their questions and receive their feedback,” NNSS Public Affairs Specialist Kelly Snyder said.

NNSS groundwater expert Ken Ortego (left) shows a Groundwater Open House attendee core samples from drilling at the NNSS.

Amargosa Valley resident George Tucker discusses a Frenchman Flat display with groundwater expert Jenny Chapman (foreground).

Displays at the open house took various forms, from videos on groundwater at the NNSS, to animated computer models of the site, to posters on the latest sampling results. With the help of the groundwater experts, local residents studied maps of groundwater flow patterns and learned how groundwater velocity and radioactive decay impact contaminant movement. Also featured was an interactive groundwater demonstration using an “ant farm” model of geologic layers.

Amargosa Valley resident Linda Gilliland enjoyed the enthusiasm of the groundwater experts.

“The presenters were excited about what they were doing and knew their subjects very well,” she said.

Highlighted at the open house this year was the success story at Frenchman Flat, a groundwater characterization area that was approved by the state to enter into long-term monitoring, the final stage of the NNSS groundwater characterization strategy. This significant achievement was outlined in several displays at the open house. Other key themes were the science of groundwater investigation and how public water supplies are kept safe from the effects of historic underground nuclear testing.

Attendees had the opportunity to sign up for a groundwater-focused tour of the NNSS, scheduled for later this year.

All posters and videos displayed at the open house can be viewed online here.

College Students Digitize Records from Age Before Computers at Hanford Site

Left to right, local college students Animesh Pattanayak, Madisson Olds, and Efren Alverez are busy at work in the scanning-and-filing project.

RICHLAND, Wash. – About 50 local college students hired for the summer by EM’s Richland Operations Office (RL) are cataloging human resources files to make documents from the pre-computer era available digitally.

For the last two years, RL has primarily hired college students during the summer to help scan and index the files from the Hanford Site’s earliest days in the 1940s to the present.

"It was so gratifying to walk into the large scanning operation and see it occupied by 30 college students, grouped in teams, and working together so well as a unit. When I spoke with several they explained how much they appreciated the summer employment and how they had come together as a team," said Jeanne Beard, director of EM's Office of Information Services.

Students work four days on and four days off, with the operation running Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to Gail Splett, who oversees the project for the RL Information Management team.

Since the beginning of summer, the workers have scanned more than 65,000 documents, surpassing the original goal of 50,000. In total, an estimated 240,000 personnel files will need to be scanned over the five-year contract, which is only operational during the summer break.

“Scanning and filing away these documents helps to make space for high-priority files that need to be more readily accessed,” Splett said.

Scanning personnel records cuts costs for long-term records storage and retrieval and allows the records to be available for Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act claimants in an incredibly expedient manner. The digital records also can be accessed for pension decisions and other matters.

After the documents have been scanned and placed in an electronically safe location, the original documents will be shipped to the DOE Office of Legacy Management, where they will remain for a period of time before they are destroyed.

Acquiring adequate equipment and finding a space large enough to accommodate the sizeable workforce have been the main challenges of the project.

The summer hires, ranging from college freshman to graduate students, are gaining more than workforce experience, according to Splett.

“The students that work with us are learning great work ethic and how to interact in teams within a professional environment, skills that they will be able to carry over into any career path they choose,” she said.

No Recordable Accidents in 17,000 Waste Shipments Across 3.4 Million Miles

Uranium mill tailings from EM’s Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project are transported to an engineered disposal cell near Crescent Junction, Utah.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – No U.S. Department of Transportation recordable accidents resulted from DOE’s nearly 17,000 radioactive, hazardous material and waste shipments across 3.4 million miles in fiscal 2015.

That’s among the highlights of a new report on the fiscal 2015 accomplishments of DOE’s Office of Packaging and Transportation (OPT), which is positioned within EM. In comparison, DOE completed more than 12,000 such shipments in fiscal 2014 with no recordable accidents.

"I am happy to say that OPT made significant accomplishments in fiscal year 2015, most notably that there were no Department of Transportation recordable accidents during the year," OPT Director Joanne Lorence said. "Our team members work together to manage quite a broad spectrum of packaging and transportation activities and programs for the Department and we look forward to continuing to provide the best service possible to the complex."

OPT provides support and oversight to assure shipments of radioactive and other hazardous materials are carefully planned, tracked, safe, secure, timely and efficient. The office gives centralized support and expertise to the Department’s packaging and transportation activities that cannot be provided through a site-by-site approach across the complex.

The report details other fiscal 2015 OPT achievements, including:

Partnering with state and tribal instructors, emergency responders and others to train more than 1,800 emergency responders in 138 courses in 17 states through DOE’s Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP), which is managed by OPT.
Conducting the third-annual Spanish-language emergency response radiological transportation training through TEPP for 45 students in San Diego in collaboration with the Federation of Hispanic Firefighters. A portion of the training involved practical exercises with high-activity radioactive sources.
Completing 32 certification actions related to review and approval of new transportation packages and other items. In fiscal 2014, OPT completed 40 similar certification actions.
Receiving accreditation from the University of Nevada, Reno for its graduate level nuclear packaging program and graduate credit for Packaging Certification Program courses toward a degree. Students must complete three required courses and obtain five elective credits to obtain the graduate certificate in nuclear packaging.
Developing a system with remote monitoring capability in response to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011. The battery-powered system, which can remotely monitor facility conditions after the loss of backup emergency powers, is being considered for deployment at nuclear power plants and for monitoring spent fuel casks in extended, long-term dry storage.
Communicating 47 regulatory actions, including safety advisories, to DOE’s packaging and transportation community. In fiscal 2014, OPT completed 40 similar regulatory actions.
Assisting EM’s Moab Site, Argonne National Laboratory and Ames Laboratory in transportation compliance self-assessments that captured lessons learned, cost savings opportunities and enhancements for the packaging and transportation community.
Hosting the annual National Transportation Stakeholders Forum in partnership with other organizations. More than 200 people from federal agencies, state, local and tribal governments, private industry and other entities received timely updates and presentations on packaging and transportation topics at the event.

In fiscal 2016, OPT is exploring innovative ways to improve TEPP training courses to enhance the readiness of responders to transportation incidents involving radioactive material. The office also is improving its Motor Carrier Evaluation Program. In fiscal 2015, OPT completed 13 evaluations of motor carriers involved in transporting the Department’s hazardous materials. OPT worked to make the program more cost effective and streamlined in fiscal 2015.

Summer Camp Helps High School Girls Discover STEM in College, Careers and Life

SRNS Structural Engineer Yara Soto-Toledo, left, foreground, works with high school senior Madelyn Cooper at the camp.

AIKEN, S.C. – Contractors at the Savannah River Site (SRS) recently sponsored an adventurous summer camp on the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) campus to help high school girls understand the value of a science, technology, engineering and math- (STEM) based education.

“The mini-camp is called Girls Get SET, where SET stands for science, engineering and technology,” said Patti Bennett with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS). “We also want to help them get set for college, careers and life.”

SRNS, the management and operations contractor at SRS, and one of its parent companies, Honeywell, sponsored the camp.

The participants from South Carolina and Georgia engaged in hands-on activities related to STEM topics. In what’s called Engineers to the Rescue, campers applied engineering know-how, problem-solving skills and design savvy to find their way after a mock earthquake disrupted their camping trip. They rebuilt their shelter on shaky soil, filtered drinking water, sent a message for help and harnessed wind energy to obtain their next meal.

Local sophomore Makayla Harris said she was pleased with how the camp connected with her desire to graduate college as an electrical engineer.

“Probably the most important thing I’ve learned so far is that you have to be creative. You have to use your mind and come up with things on your own,” said Harris. “Trial and error will help you get the answers.”

Harris added, “It’s also been inspiring to have all of these nice ladies, engineers and scientists to listen to and learn from. You don’t have to worry about people saying ‘Oh, you are a female, and you can’t be an engineer.’ It just makes me want to work harder and do more to reach my goals in life.”

Campers learned about nuclear science through interactive games and activities in which they used a device for measuring radioactivity.

The girls also learned about computer programming.

“We believe it is important for them to have some basic knowledge related to information technology,” Bennett said. “In today's world, almost any career will involve the use of technology in some form. Even if they're not going to become computer programmers, being able to understand and communicate in the IT area is a valuable skill.”

The three-day event also featured a dinner forum with scientists and engineers from SRS and nearby companies who talked one-on-one with the campers about career opportunities.

“When I was in school, our counselors emphasized teaching, nursing and other careers typically associated with females,” said Bennett. "The primary goal of this camp is to inspire girls to consider careers in nontraditional fields and to give them a basic introduction to a few of those career options.”

A $7,500 donation from SRNS covered the costs of housing, meals, supplies and a stipend for camp counselors.

"Summer camps like Girls Get SET provide additional opportunities for students to further build their level of knowledge in these areas that will undoubtedly prove to be very important in life," said Wallis Spangler, SRNS senior vice president, National Nuclear Security Administration Operations & Programs.

For most of the girls, it was their first opportunity to sleep in a dormitory and experience other aspects of campus life. Counselors integrated discussions on college life into the camp.

"A lot of high school students are nervous about leaving home to live on a college campus. This camp hopefully helped to alleviate some of that anxiety," Bennett said.

The camp creates a “win-win-win” situation for all involved, Bennett said.

“The girls had an awesome experience, SRNS potentially influenced future candidates for STEM-related jobs and USCA had the opportunity to showcase their campus to prospective students,” she said.

Contributors

Jared Bierbach, EM Headquarters

Chandler Bethley, Hanford Site

Destry Henderson, Hanford Site

Kaylyssa Hughes, Nevada National Security Site

Danielle Miller, Idaho Site

Tania Reyes Mills, Hanford Site

Christy Morris, Nevada National Security Site

Rae Moss, Hanford Site

Michael Nartker, EM Headquarters

Elizabeth Scott, Portsmouth Site

David Sheeley, EM Headquarters

Erik Simpson, Idaho Site

Michelle Teeters, Portsmouth Site

DT Townsend, Savannah River Site

John Wilkerson, Hanford Site

Ben Williams, Oak Ridge Site

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