EM Marks 20th Anniversary of First Tank Closure at Savannah River Site; Hanford Site Progresses with Plutonium Finishing Plant Demolition; Oak Ridge's EM Nears Completion of Switchyard Cleanup; and Much More!

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EM Update \| Vol. 9, Issue 13 \| July 13, 2017
SRS Celebrates 20 Years Since First Tank Closure Ventilation System Demolition in Full Swing at Hanford’s Plutonium Finishing Plant EM Headquarters' Stacy Charboneau Tours Savannah River Site Oak Ridge EM, Small Business Complete Switchyard Cleanup Hanford Workers Gain Ground on 324 Building Airlock Cleanout Subcontractor Demonstrates X-Ray Technology for Waste Characterization Innovation, Teamwork Lead to Success with Hanford Pump Pull Upgrades Ensure Uninterrupted Power to Key SRS Nuclear Facilities Hanford HAMMER Center Hosts Safety Workshop EM Recognizes SRS Prime Contractors for Cost-Savings Techniques EM Hosts Meeting on Robotic Devices for Public, Private Sector Entities SRS Streamlines Training, Avoids Estimated Costs of More Than $5.6 Million From Marathons to Pickleball, EM Nevada Program Employees Focus on Health
SRS Celebrates 20 Years Since First Tank Closure Tank 20 at the Savannah River Site. AIKEN, S.C. – Twenty years ago this month, the Savannah River Site (SRS) closed a high-level waste tank — a first in the nation — setting the stage for future tank closures across the EM complex. In July 1997, workers finished pouring the cement-like grout into the 1.3 million-gallon Tank 20 after cleaning it, providing long-term stability for thousands of years. The tank had been placed into service in 1960. The event marked the first time a specialized grout was placed into an emptied high-level waste tank for operational closure and removal from service. Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC), a legacy company to EM’s current liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation (SRR), completed the work. Jim French, who oversaw the Tank 20 closure for WSRC, said the accomplishment required tremendous planning. “With an eye toward practical solutions and safe work expectations, the Tank 20 team tackled a wide range of challenges,” said French, who became the first SRR president and project manager in 2009. A view of the inside of Tank 20. Those challenges included selecting technical equipment and determining the extent of residual waste cleanup required inside the tank, he said. DOE sought input from the public, regulators such as the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and others. SCDHEC approved the closure on July 31, 1997. DOE-Savannah River Waste Disposition Assistant Manager Jim Folk said DOE confirmed that waste tank closure was attainable. “We had already demonstrated we could take the high-level waste out of the tanks and immobilize it,” Folk said. “The final step was proving the tank could be filled with grout and operationally closed, never to be used again.” Larry Ling, currently SRR chief of staff, was the DOE senior program manager for the tank closure in 1997. When he arrived at the site from DOE headquarters in 1995, he was tasked with leading a DOE and contractor team to negotiate closure criteria with regulators, involving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, developing closure documentation, conducting public meetings, and obtaining approvals from DOE and regulators. The goal was to close two tanks by the end of 1997. “The team succeeded with the closure of Tank 20 and Tank 17 in 1997,” Ling said. “It was a historic event in that it was the first closure of any radioactive liquid waste storage tank not only in the DOE complex and the United States but the world.” A marker commemorates the closure of Tank 20, approved by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control on July 31, 1997. Kim Hauer, SRR project integration director, was the WSRC F Tank Farm facility manager, overseeing the Tank 20 project. “The Cold War had officially concluded several years earlier,” Hauer said. “I was just a few years off active duty from the military, and we recognized that being a part of this team was to be a part of a strategically significant national mission. Most people don't get the chance to be a part of history and simultaneously recognize that history is happening around them; we knew it.” French said the Tank 20 closure carved a path for similar tank closures at SRS. EM’s Idaho and Hanford sites have applied parts of the SRS closure approach to their projects. “Looking back upon this early success, it is gratifying to see and recognize that such an effort was the model and template for similar DOE complex-wide accomplishments,” French said. Tank 17 was closed later in 1997. Other closures included Tanks 18 and 19 in 2012; Tanks 5 and 6 in 2013; Tank 16 in 2015; and Tank 12 in 2016. - Contributor: Dean Campbell Back to Top Ventilation System Demolition in Full Swing at Hanford’s Plutonium Finishing Plant Heavy equipment demolishes the below-grade ventilation building at the Plutonium Finishing Plant. Shears remove a small building that once allowed employees to access the Plutonium Finishing Plant ventilation stack. RICHLAND, Wash. – The skyline will soon change at the Hanford Site’s Plutonium Finishing Plant. This time-lapse video shows workers with EM contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M) creating a gravel pad for the facility’s ventilation stack to fall onto when it’s demolished. This weekend, a CH2M subcontractor will use a small amount of explosives to weaken the stack so it falls to the ground. The technique has been used to safely demolish similar structures at Hanford and other EM sites. It’s considered safer and more efficient than having workers at elevated levels use cranes and other equipment to demolish the tall structure. Adjacent to the stack is a below-grade building for the facility’s powerful exhaust fans. In June, workers shut those fans off before beginning demolition of the fan house. - Contributor: Destry Henderson Back to Top EM Headquarters' Stacy Charboneau Tours Savannah River Site AIKEN, S.C. – EM Associate Principal Deputy Secretary for Field Operations Stacy Charboneau toured the Savannah River Site (SRS) in late June. At top, in a visit to the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), Tom Burns, vice president for contractor Parsons and SWPF deputy project manager, briefs Charboneau and SRS Manager Jack Craig on testing and commissioning of the facility, which is on schedule to begin radioactive operations at the end of 2018. Immediately above, Charboneau stands with DOE-Savannah River SWPF Federal Project Director Pam Marks inside what will be the hot cells, when radioactive material is introduced to the facility. Charboneau visited Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) facilities at the Applied Research Center, taking part in a demonstration (at top) on glovebox gloves made of an advanced material called graphene. She met with several interns in the DOE-sponsored Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program to learn about their work projects this summer (second from top). The SRNL tour concluded with a stop at the shielded cells facility to see the progress of the cell replacement windows project (immediately above). SRS Curator Melissa Jolley (left) led Charboneau and Craig on a tour of the SRS Curation Facility, where Jolley highlighted artifacts from the pre-construction period of the Savannah River Plant in the 1950s. Here, Charboneau and Craig view the original plant map produced by DuPont, which built the plant. - Contributor: Julie Petersen Back to Top Oak Ridge EM, Small Business Complete Switchyard Cleanup CTI workers clean up the K-732 switchyard. OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – The Oak Ridge EM program and a small business specializing in environmental consulting, remediation, and deactivation and decommissioning are scheduled to complete field work and cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park’s K-732 Switchyard this month. Workers removed extensive electrical infrastructure and equipment, transported three massive 110-ton condensers, and characterized, excavated, and backfilled three condenser basements and 20 underground vaults. They also remediated the soil and removed and transported nearly 56,000 gallons of oil. A condenser adjusts conditions and voltage on the electric power transmission grid. CTI recycled many of the switchyard’s metal components. Employees at CTI and Associates, Inc. identified creative solutions to reduce costs and disposal needs. CTI deducted the proceeds from recycling many of switchyard’s metals and components from its contract cost. The company recycled more than 800 tons of steel, 28 tons of copper, and 7 tons of aluminum and brass, avoiding placing these materials in DOE’s onsite disposal facilities. “Small businesses are crucial to advancing our cleanup mission in Oak Ridge,” Jay Mullis, acting manager for Oak Ridge’s EM program, said. “CTI is proof of the skill and ability they offer. Their unique approach generated $115,000 in savings, and it diverted a large amount of debris from our waste disposal areas.” A view of the switchyard with the majority of cleanup complete. This area will be available to transfer from government ownership. Constructed in 1944, the switchyard provided power to the K-27 uranium enrichment process building. Changing missions and removal of the site’s former processing buildings led to its shutdown. The switchyard project moves Oak Ridge’s EM program closer to its goal of transforming the former uranium site into a private industrial park. About 880 acres have already been transferred to the community for reuse. The former switchyard site will be available to transfer from government ownership after the project is completed this month. CTI is conducting the work under a firm-fixed-price contract awarded in June 2015. The company is set to complete the switchyard project for $3.8 million. - Contributor: Ben Williams Back to Top Hanford Workers Gain Ground on 324 Building Airlock Cleanout Workers remove and survey a bag of waste from the 324 Building airlock. RICHLAND, Wash. – Hanford Site workers are making headway preparing to safely remove contaminated soil beneath the 324 Building, about 300 yards from the Columbia River and less than a mile from Richland. Crews with EM contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M) entered the building’s Radiochemical Engineering Complex airlock in April for the first time in about 15 years. They began decontaminating it and clearing debris placed there before the contaminated soil was discovered under the adjacent “B” hot cell. They must empty the airlock before installing remotely operated equipment to remove the B-cell floor and the soil beneath it. Workers stage waste in bags for removal from the 324 Building airlock door. “Removing combustible materials from the airlock to reduce the fire hazard potential is an important first step towards completing preparation for cleaning up the contaminated soils under the B-cell floor” said Bryan Foley, EM federal director for the project. The airlock helps provide contamination control when accessing adjacent hot cells where workers once handled radioactive materials. Workers used a crane, remotely-operated manipulators, and airlock entries to package and remove combustibles such as plastic and clothing. They placed metal items in storage boxes for removal and washed targeted areas of the floor several times. The work reduced radiological hazards in the airlock, where a track system will be installed to bring items in and out of the adjacent hot cell. Marking conduit with orange paint helps workers determine it is deactivated before it can be removed. “The crews have done a great job safely packaging and removing legacy combustible debris,” said Mike Douglas, acting vice president of CH2M’s 324 Building Disposition Project. “It’s not easy to do, but workers performed it successfully, reducing the hazards inside the airlock.” Crews are isolating piping, conduit and other interference items to make way for the remote-operated equipment. They will test and train on that equipment at a nearby mockup structure, where modifications are underway for equipment installation, set to begin by the end of 2017. - Contributor: Destry Henderson Back to Top Subcontractor Demonstrates X-Ray Technology for Waste Characterization VJ Technologies scans a mock waste drum at its East Haven, Connecticut facility. CARLSBAD, N.M. – A subcontractor successfully demonstrated X-ray technology to improve characterization of transuranic waste containers before shipment to EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for disposal. VJ Technologies, subcontractor to WIPP management and operations contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), describes the technology as an enhanced radiography technique coupled with 3-D computerized tomography materials identification. Its goal is to reliably and automatically differentiate between materials in waste containers. “VJ took an innovative approach to improve upon technology that will ensure accurate characterization of transuranic waste at the generator sites across the nation. This is another step in the process to ensure that any potential hazards are identified and mitigated before waste is shipped to WIPP,” said Mark Pearcy, manager of NWP’s National Transuranic Program. “This technology not only ensures improved waste characterization, it could also save DOE and taxpayers millions.” Employees of VJ Technologies gather at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where waste characterization activities are underway. Similar to machines that scan airline luggage, the VJ technology uses an energetic X-ray beam. It penetrates deep into dense materials, providing better resolution and focus for areas of concern. Images display as a 3-D multi-shaded view, resulting in a clearer picture of drum contents and allowing for optical recognition of potential hazards. VJ recently graduated as an NWP protégé company. Under a five-year DOE mentor-protégé agreement, the small business grew as a supplier of non-destructive examination systems and services for WIPP’s waste characterization program. The company also provides development and design of in-ground stabilization and size-reduction of legacy nuclear waste stored below ground in vertical pipe units at the Hanford Site. “The professional guidance from business leaders within NWP provided during the program has enabled us to rapidly establish and enhance those additional skills essential to performing for NWP in ways that enable their end customers to be satisfied,” said Vijay Alreja, VJ president. “We look forward to our continued relationship with NWP and the Department of Energy.” Back to Top Innovation, Teamwork Lead to Success with Hanford Pump Pull A worker, second from left, operates a mechanical lever to close foam insulation that wraps around the AW-106 pump column. At right, health physics technicians take readings prior to the operators installing the zip ties around the foam. RICHLAND, Wash. – The EM Office of River Protection’s (ORP) tank operations contractor recently deployed new tools that reduce radiological hazards to workers while removing pumps from nuclear waste storage tanks. “The beauty of the tools is that they’re universal,” said Mark Lindholm, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) president and project manager. “We can pick and choose what tools we need to accommodate the next job.” Workers used the tools June 1 to remove a plugged waste transfer pump from double-shell tank AW-106, which contains about a million gallons of waste, resulting in increased protection for workers from radiation exposure. Removing the pump and draining its liquid contents allows for its shipment and disposal at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility, the Hanford Site’s onsite landfill for low-level radioactive and mixed waste. “The pump removal project is a shining example of how creative thinking and innovation can enhance worker safety while performing hazardous work,” Lindholm said. “And with a multi-disciplinary team of 60-plus craft workers required to complete removal process, it also demonstrates the importance of good planning and teamwork.” Operators place the nearly 50-foot-long AW-106 pump into a concrete shield cave for safe storage. Due to the presence of waste solids, gamma and beta radiation exposure risks were high for work on the 49-foot pump, weighing about 2,500 pounds. The innovative tools WRPS developed and successfully deployed included: A custom hydraulic punch assembly to drain the pump. It features jaws that closed around the pump’s 5-inch steel pipe column and made penetrations along the column while the pump was raised out of the tank riser and into the pump pit. This allowed the waste to drain from the column and back into the tank. A remotely installed spray ring system, eliminating the need for workers to enter a hazardous tank pit. Spray rings are used to clean the external surfaces of pumps during removal. Tension brackets attached to the top hat (a device used to deploy sleeving that sits atop the work platform) allowed workers to apply pressure, preventing the plastic sleeving from drawing back into the pit because of the tank’s negative pressure. Previously, workers often had to manually hold back the sleeving to keep it from drawing back into the pit. An encapsulation device to spool 2-inch-thick foam insulation wrapped around the pump column as it was raised from the pit. Workers secured the foam with heavy-duty zip tie-like fasteners. This eliminated the need for workers to make contact with the pump column during removal, where dose rates are the highest. “This is a great example of safety culture and the integrated safety management system working together,” said Glyn Trenchard, acting ORP assistant manager for the tank farms project. “I commend WRPS’s management and employees for the way they collaborate and implement enhancements that result in increased safety and operational efficiencies in the tank farms.” Other tools used during the pump pull included a modular work platform with pass-through plates where hoses and other hydraulic connections can be accessed, aluminum top hat covers to provide additional shielding, and a place for workers to set their tools. The tools will be used this summer to remove another plugged pump, AP-106, and other long-length pieces of equipment. WRPS is responsible for managing 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste stored in 177 underground tanks and preparing the waste for delivery to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. - Contributor: Rob Roxburgh Back to Top Upgrades Ensure Uninterrupted Power to Key SRS Nuclear Facilities Savannah River Nuclear Solution employees install a new 13.8-kilovolt switchgear in Building 151-1L. AIKEN, S.C. – The Savannah River Site (SRS) management and operations contractor is replacing 60-year-old power distribution equipment to ensure sustained power for key nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuel storage facilities. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) is scheduled to complete the power distribution system upgrade at the K and L areas ahead of schedule next summer without interrupting power to the facilities. The $19 million project is funded by EM and the National Nuclear Security Administration. K Area provides for interim storage of excess plutonium and other special nuclear materials. In L Area, workers consolidate aluminum-clad used nuclear fuel from research reactors in the U.S. and around the world. “These facilities are vital to SRS operations and our national security mission,” SRNS President and CEO Stuart MacVean said. “Ensuring the reliability of the infrastructure to support these missions is one of our most important jobs.” The existing systems at K and L areas began operating in 1951 and are long past their intended operational life. The facilities have experienced an increase in outages in recent years, and replacement parts are no longer commercially available. “To maintain the current system, we’ve had to use replacement parts from other areas onsite and, of course, those parts are just as old as the ones being replaced,” said Tim Spieker, the SRNS project manager for the K and L Reliable Power Project. The switches in the existing systems run on compressed air. The air tanks had degraded in recent years, preventing workers from access the facilities unless their power was turned off. “They can’t go in to do anything without turning the whole building off,” Spieker said. “Each time it took three or four days. The replacement project will increase reliability tremendously, which will allow everyone to be more efficient.” Though the K and L area power distribution system projects are separate, they are managed as one project to increase efficiency. “We’re managing it like one big project, tackling them one right after the other,” Spieker said. “There is so much similarity and it’s much more cost effective to do it this way. It helps us do some of the prep work in one area, while the construction work is happening in the other area. It’s been a great show of teamwork from all involved.” - Contributor: Martin Schneider Back to Top Hanford HAMMER Center Hosts Safety Workshop RICHLAND, Wash. – Eddie Velicanin, part of the mask fit team at EM’s Richland Operations Office Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Federal Training Center, helped fit masks for more than 80 Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) personnel attending a three-day construction safety workshop. The training included safety-related topics such as material handling, first responder, mask fitting, and forklift operation. - Contributor: Haley Jay Back to Top EM Recognizes SRS Prime Contractors for Cost-Savings Techniques Joannie Lemonds and Scott Brantley, are field procurement engineers with Savannah River Remediation. AIKEN, S.C. – EM recently recognized the Savannah River Site (SRS) management and operations and liquid-waste contractors for being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) and Savannah River Remediation (SRR) participate in EM’s Strategic Sourcing Initiative (SSI), which applies an organized, systematic, and collaborative approach to acquire commonly used goods and services. The SSI enables contractors to partner with companies to develop optimal solutions, share best practices, and create a strategic sourcing community. In letters to SRNS and SRR, Ralph Holland, head of EM contracting activity, acknowledged the importance of using taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively. The contractors are “highly commended for your valued support in the success of the EM SSI and the continued achievement of the EM mission,” the letters said. “Your efforts serve as an example of excellence across the DOE complex,” Holland wrote. “EM prime contractors working together to leverage common commodities, thus enabling pricing and processing efficiencies, is critical to achieving the ultimate goal of maximizing taxpayer value for every dollar spent.” In fiscal year 2016 (FY16), EM achieved a total savings of $59.4 million through the SSI, surpassing the target savings goal of $36.8 million. SRNS developed an integrative approach to supply chain management through innovative system and process changes. SRR participates in the process, helping refine changes. Together, the contractors achieved FY16 SSI savings totaling more than $20.5 million. SRR logged 14,319 transactions using a federal software package in FY16 — the highest of all EM SSI contractors. This Vinimaya software package gives contractors online options to purchase commodities and supplies. SRR uses it to connect users with suppliers to create ease in ordering supplies. SRNS had the second highest amount of transactions at 10,666. The SRR supply chain management team takes pride in streamlining business processes and maximizing government cost savings, SRR Supply Chain Management Director Ellen Hansmann said. “SRR is committed to being good stewards of taxpayer money,” Hansmann said. “Supporting the Strategic Sourcing Initiative as well as consistently using Vinimaya to make smart purchases are just two ways in which we do that.” SRNS had the highest total eSourcing savings amount — $6.9 million — and the highest site strategic savings amount — $7.8 million. eSourcing allows SRNS to obtain bids from different suppliers via an online portal. “SRNS is a customer-centric organization, and we're proud of our strategic sourcing plan execution,” SRNS Strategic Sourcing Director Mike Newman said. “We align our procurement and overall supply chain management to drive products and services that exceed customer expectations at the best value to the government.” - Contributors: Colleen Hart, Barbara Smoak Back to Top EM Hosts Meeting on Robotic Devices for Public, Private Sector Entities ARLINGTON, Va. – People gathered for an EM-hosted technical interchange meeting late last month on industrial applications for human-wearable and attachable robotic devices. Participants identified initiatives by federal agencies to enable the devices for industry use, determined opportunities to transfer medical and military applications to industry, and laid out requirements needed for deployment. Company representatives participated in the meeting and shared initiatives to expand use of the wearables. The meeting was part of a collaboration by federal agencies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center. Technologists, regulators, researchers, stakeholders, international representatives, officials from government, academia, and industry, and others attended. At top, EM Office of Technology Development Director Rod Rimando speaks to meeting participants; second from top, attendees gather for a photo; third from top, EM Office of Technology Development Program Manager John Lee, far right, takes part in the ergonomics breakout session; and immediately above, Harry Asada with MIT fits a colleague with a human-wearable robotic device. - Contributors: Anamary Daniel, John Neave, Rostyslava Pribyl, Bill Studniarz Back to Top SRS Streamlines Training, Avoids Estimated Costs of More Than $5.6 Million John Magruder (left) with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Site Training instructs SRNS operators-in-training Marty Carroll and Sammie McDuffie. AIKEN, S.C. – The Savannah River Site (SRS) management and operations contractor improved the process for its employees to obtain EM operator qualifications, avoiding estimated costs of more than $5.6 million by fiscal 2018. “Nuclear qualifications are difficult. They are confusing and cumbersome, and we needed to make it more user-friendly and accessible for new employees,” Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Deputy Site Training Manager Greg Sanborn said. “Historically, the initial facility qualifications were inconsistently tracked with a facility schedule, and contributed to delays.” A team developed an improved method for incorporating critical training courses into work shifts and weekly schedules after analyzing the training process. Its members examined the period of time from when an employee arrives at the facility after completing fundamentals training to when the trainee is ready for the written, performance, and oral exams. “It has been a breath of fresh air to start training at SRNS,” said Sammie McDuffie, an SRNS operator-in-training for H Canyon. “Here, they make sure you have all the tools you need to be successful. We stay really busy in the classroom and our online self-paced courses, and we often finish up the day with a walk-down of the facilities where we will eventually qualify to work.” Training expectations in SRS facilities need to be more clearly defined, the team determined. They revised the “qual cards” — or the list of required operator courses used to keep track of training expiration dates — to be more efficient. Each facility has different qual cards because each facility is unique, presenting different hazards and operating characteristics. The team streamlined the strategy for scheduling courses to reduce downtime between trainings. In between instructor-led classes at a central location, operators take self-paced online courses. The team also instituted a more cohesive schedule with foundational training common to all SRS facilities. “To help the operators navigate through their requirements, each facility also started assigning mentors to help guide them as they become acclimated with their facilities and the site as a whole,” Sanborn added. - Contributor: Caroline Reppert Back to Top From Marathons to Pickleball, EM Nevada Program Employees Focus on Health Clockwise from top left: Tiffany Lantow; Stephen McHenry (left) and his pickleball doubles partner; Juvencio Castro; Irene Farnham; Tom Bastian; and Dawn Siekerman with her grandson. LAS VEGAS – EM Nevada Program staff and contractors prove that personal health and fitness — through healthy eating, marathons, triathlons, martial arts, pickleball, and other activities — are important for a successful workforce. Geochemistry Manager Irene Farnham, with environmental programs services contractor Navarro, realized a dream this year when she completed the Boston Marathon. “Running Boston was one of the most exciting weekends of my life,” Farnham said. “I’m not a gifted runner. I just have a lot of determination and perseverance.” Another endurance athlete, Tiffany Lantow, long-term monitoring lead with the EM Nevada Program, completed a marathon in Las Vegas last year. EM Nevada Program Operations Manager Rob Boehlecke accompanied his son on a quest to earn a Boy Scouts merit badge in bicycling in April, biking 50 miles around the Las Vegas valley. In May, Navarro Environmental Safety, Health and Quality Manager Tom Bastian accomplished a half-Ironman-distance triathlon in St. George, Utah. He swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles, and ran 13.1 miles. In September, Bastian will bike 206 miles from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Some employees enlist the help of health and fitness experts. Sergio Mendoza and Dawn Siekerman used a local company’s whole foods-based nutrition plan combined with a physical training program. Mendoza, a programmer with Navarro’s information technology department, lost 30 pounds over the past two years and gained strength and stamina allowing him to resume playing softball. Siekerman, a Navarro environmental scientist, saw her cholesterol levels drop within healthy limits for the first time in over a decade. EM Nevada Program Strategic Communications Manager Kelly Snyder adheres to the ketogenic diet, which calls for consuming a minimum amount of carbohydrates. Since adopting this lifestyle in 2016, she and her husband together have lost more than 200 pounds. Others stay fit through healthy hobbies. Juvencio “JC” Castro, senior technician with Navarro Radiological Services, is a second-degree black belt in Song-Moo-Kwon, a non-traditional style of Tai-Kwan-Do. Castro also teaches this style of martial arts, which includes choreographed aerobic sequences known as katas. Christy Morris of Navarro’s Strategic Communications team is paying the fitness journey forward. Morris participates in a 200-hour yoga teacher-training program at a local studio. She will graduate this winter as a certified yoga teacher, and plans to help others improve mental and physical health. Stephen McHenry, a chemical data validator with Leidos, a subcontractor to Navarro, takes part in pickleball. The sport combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. McHenry won two silver medals so far this year in doubles tournaments. - Contributor: Kaylyssa Hughes Back to Top
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