Idaho Site Creates Dual Purpose for Newly Constructed Waste Retrieval Facility; Savannah River Site Employs Innovative Scenario-Based Employee Training; and much more!

DOE Office of Environmental Management sent this bulletin at 02/20/2018 01:31 PM EST

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

EM Update | Vol. 10, Issue 7 | Feb. 20, 2018

Idaho Site Creates Dual Purpose for Newly Constructed Waste Retrieval Facility
Carlsbad Field Office Selects New Assistant Managers
Gatton Academy Wins DOE West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl
WIPP Contractor Makes STEAM a Priority in Carlsbad Schools
Grants Expand STEM Opportunities for Students in Tennessee
Savannah River Site Conducts Innovative Scenario-Based Employee Training
Disaster Exercise Tests Security of Hanford’s Information Technology
Technology on Hanford Vehicles Improve Accuracy, Save Time

Idaho Site Creates Dual Purpose for Newly Constructed Waste Retrieval Facility

Construction of the final Accelerated Retrieval Project structure is complete at EM’s Idaho Site.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Construction of the final Accelerated Retrieval Project (ARP) structure at EM’s Idaho Site is complete. But before crews begin exhuming the final 0.69 acres of buried transuranic (TRU) waste within its walls, the facility will be used to treat a challenging waste form.

“Roaster oxides,” depleted uranium material generated at the former Rocky Flats Plant near Denver, were shipped to the Idaho Site for disposal along with plutonium, americium, and other waste. Prior to its arrival, the uranium material was roasted to force the reactive metal to oxidize and render it safer for transport and ultimately disposal.

During waste exhumation at ARP, roaster oxides occasionally spark when exposed to atmospheric conditions.

“We’ve encountered roaster oxides many times since we began targeted buried waste remediation in early 2005,” said Jason Chapple, ARP operations director with EM cleanup contractor Fluor-Idaho. “We’ve employed many safety measures to deal with roaster oxides and our workforce has a history of safely handling this material.”

The nearby Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) is used to retrieve, characterize, treat, and ship above-ground waste that came from Rocky Flats years ago. Inside that facility are several hundred containers of roaster oxides that must be conditioned and repackaged for offsite disposition.

With construction of ARP IX complete, and exhumation of the 0.69 acres of buried TRU waste not scheduled to begin until later this year, ARP IX is a suitable place to repackage AMWTP’s roaster oxides.

A specially designed excavator will empty each container of roaster oxides onto a table, rake through the material, condition any reactive material to a non-reactive state, and load waste trays for processing through a drum packaging station. Each tray of waste will then be packaged into a new 55-gallon drum and sent offsite for disposal.

Roaster oxide treatment will begin in early March and continue for several months. After that mission is complete, workers will begin exhuming TRU and hazardous waste to remove it from a combined area of 5.69 acres of the site's 97-acre Subsurface Disposal Area.

Carlsbad Field Office Selects New Assistant Managers

CARLSBAD, N.M. – The EM Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO), responsible for oversight and management of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), recently announced the selection of two new assistant managers.

James (Ed) Garza will be the Assistant Manager for WIPP Operations and Kenneth Princen will be the Assistant Manager for the National TRU Program (NTP). WIPP is the nation’s only geologic repository for disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste.

“I would like to congratulate both Ed Garza and Kenneth Princen on their selection as assistant managers,” CBFO Manager Todd Shrader said. “I look forward to working with Ed and Ken and I am confident WIPP will benefit from both their experience and leadership.”

The positions were created to improve federal oversight of CBFO’s key missions — NTP and WIPP operations — in response to an underground fire and radiological release in 2014.

James (Ed) Garza was selected as the Assistant Manager for WIPP Operations.

Garza is responsible for operations associated with WIPP, including conduct of operations, radiological controls, fire protection, and nuclear safety. He arrived at CBFO as the Facility Oversight Division Director in 2015.

After working at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory from 1988 to 2006, Garza joined DOE as a federal facility representative at the ATR. In 2012 and 2013, he was selected as the Idaho EM Facility Representative of the Year.

Garza holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Texas Tech University.

Kenneth Princen was selected as the Assistant Manager for the National TRU Program.

Princen is responsible for managing the NTP, including the acceptance of TRU waste and safe shipment to WIPP from DOE laboratories and former nuclear weapons production cleanup sites.

Arriving at CBFO in 2015 as a facility representative, Princen provided oversight of contractor activities related to operations, nuclear safety, industrial safety and health, and contract compliance. He served as the Readiness Review Program Coordinator and Contractor Assurance Oversight Program Lead during the WIPP recovery effort while also supervising a team of facility representatives.

Prior to arriving in Carlsbad, Princen was Principal Nuclear Facility Operations Specialist at the Device Assembly Facility at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Las Vegas for National Security Technologies, LLC. He also worked as a Protective Force Lieutenant for Wackenhut Services Inc. at NNSS. Princen previously served as a patrol officer in Montrose, Colorado.

From 1999 to 2004, Princen was a Submarine Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy, where he served in engineering, electrical, fire control, and anti-terrorism/force protection positions.

Princen began his military service in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he attained the rank of staff sergeant and served as the non-commissioned officer in an infantry surveillance and target acquisition platoon, performing reconnaissance for a deployed battalion landing team. He was selected for officer training based on his superior performance and leadership potential.

Princen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University and master’s degrees in management from American Military University and public administration from Walden University.

- Contributor: Bill Taylor

Gatton Academy Wins DOE West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl

Gatton Academy winners, left to right: EM Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office's (PPPO) Buz Smith, Phillip Wilkerson, Anas Gondal, Benjamin Kash, Arthur “Jack” Thacker, Ethan Brown, Coach Cheryl Kirby-Stokes, and PPPO’s Don Dihel.

PADUCAH, Ky. – Gatton Academy of Bowling Green won the 10th Annual DOE West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl on Friday, Feb. 16.

The five-member high school team will travel to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national finals of the DOE National Science Bowl (NSB) April 26-30.

Competitors in the all-day tournament, a quick-recall, fast-paced question-and-answer contest, were quizzed on their knowledge of biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, physics, energy, and mathematics.

“Thank you to DOE and everyone who supports students in STEM,” said Cheryl Kirby-Stokes, Gatton Academy coach. “We also want to thank all of the great teams we got to meet today. It was a wonderful day of competition and fun.”

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

McCracken County High School students (left to right) David Dodd, Drew Schofield, Katelyn Woodard collaborate on a science problem during the competition.

McCracken County High School finished second, and Calloway County High School finished third in the regional competition.

“The opportunities that DOE provides are incredible and being able to compete at the science bowl every year for the past six years has been phenomenal,” Gatton Academy student Ethan Brown said. “Although at times the matches can be stressful, being able to compete with students all across the state can be exciting.”

The event is sponsored and organized by employees and contractors from EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO). More than 100 volunteers serve as moderators, judges, technical advisors, and scorekeepers. DOE’s Office of Science manages the NSB Finals competition.

EM Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office's (PPPO) Paducah Site Lead Jennifer Woodard (far left) and PPPO Manager Robert Edwards (second from right) receive a joint proclamation from Paducah Mayor Brandi Harless and McCracken County Judge Executive Robert Leeper designating "DOE Science Bowl Month."

Click here for more information on the NSB.

- Contributors: Steve Christmas, Dylan Nichols

WIPP Contractor Makes STEAM a Priority in Carlsbad Schools

Students at Monterey Elementary School in Carlsbad assemble models during a science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) activity.

CARLSBAD, N.M. – The management and operations contractor for EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is partnering with the local school district to ensure students are learning about science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) in innovative, engaging ways.

Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) and Carlsbad Municipal Schools (CMS) are conducting a pilot test for the after-school STEAM UP Program in two elementary schools. NWP provided startup funding for the program.

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade are encouraged to investigate, reason, analyze and interpret data, design prototypes, and communicate their findings.

CMS Superintendent Greg Rodriguez believes it is important to get students engaged in STEAM at an early age.

“CMS is taking an active role in increasing opportunities for students in STEAM,” he said. “As part of the district vision for increasing students’ engagement, we are excited about our continued partnership with Nuclear Waste Partnership to provide enrichment activities for our students in a structured program centered on coding and robotics.”

NWP President and Project Manager Bruce Covert hopes to advance Rodriguez’s vision.

“The education of our children is a community effort, and Nuclear Waste Partnership is proud to play a role in CMS’s efforts to foster ingenuity and curiosity within all students,” he said.

STEAM UP offers after-school care. For a nominal weekly fee, students participate in the program Monday through Thursday for two hours after school. The program also includes time for homework, a snack, and exercise.

More than 75 students registered for the pilot program in its first month, and additional students continue to join. CMS, NWP, and other community partners hope to extend the program to other area elementary, middle, and high schools. And Rodriguez is seeking educational partnerships with private entities throughout southeastern New Mexico.

- Contributor: Missi Currier

Grants Expand STEM Opportunities for Students in Tennessee

The 2017 grant winners gather with URS | CH2M Oak Ridge representatives.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management cleanup contractor URS | CH2M Oak Ridge is accepting proposals from area schools for grants to fund instructional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects.

For the seventh consecutive year, schools in nearby counties are eligible to submit applications for the grants, which are valued at $500 for a single classroom, $750 for a grade or several classes, and $1,000 for an entire school.

The grants equip schools that may otherwise miss educational opportunities. Last year, an elementary school in Philadelphia, Tennessee — a town of approximately 700 people — used a $1,000 grant to purchase a 3-D printer for its STEM class. The students learned that patience, time, creativity, and persistence are needed when designing and creating materials with the printer.

“It takes time, work, and dedication to create the perfect product,” said Angela Bright White, school administrator. “Actually seeing their work become a tangible object allows students to have a bigger stake in their educational process.”

The 3-D printing system allows teachers and students to move the creative process from “popsicle sticks to awesome prototypes” that actually work, White added.

At Dyliss Springs Elementary School in Roane County, principal Jennifer Spakes received a $1,000 grant to help create a STEM materials closet to enable teachers in grades pre-kindergarten to fifth grade transform the classroom into a science lab.

“The STEM program requires basic science, math, and technology materials that we are unable to provide to our students,” Spakes wrote in her grant proposal. “Our goal is for our students to be able to answer complex questions, investigate global issues, and develop solutions for challenges and real world problems while applying the rigor of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics content in a seamless fashion.”

Leah Watkins, Roane County director of schools, said the grants encourage an “expansion of opportunities for students and create a great community partnership.”

- Contributors: Mike Butler, Ben Williams

Savannah River Site Conducts Innovative Scenario-Based Employee Training

Eric Bell (left) of Operations Support observes Facility Operator Charles Ray during a scenario-based training drill.

AIKEN, S.C. – Savannah River Site (SRS) is taking an innovative approach to ensure employees understand their role in recognizing and responding to abnormal conditions.

In scenario-based training, workers encounter unexpected equipment operations or deviations from procedures in their work environments. They respond and simulate equipment operation and notifications to management or appropriate parties according to protocol.

“These scenarios allow management to judge personnel responses while also allowing us to correct weaknesses, enforce expectations, improve efficiency, and update procedures as needed,” said K Area Facility Manager Janice Lawson. “We first performed unannounced coached scenarios to determine the initial state of the shifts. Once we provided feedback, we allotted time for the shifts to work on their identified improvement items. We are now in the process of performing a different graded scenario on each shift. We have seen significant improvements between the coached and graded scenarios.”

K Area Shift Manager Stephen Weeks has participated in two drills, He said employees learn from the exercises as a team as they become involved with response procedures and problem-solving in unique ways outside of their day-to-day work life.

“The drills are intensive but are well written and force the team to work their way through the issue. Since there is no way for facility procedures to cover all possible conditions, the scenarios are written so you have to use your system knowledge along with procedures to diagnose the problem,” Weeks said.

Personnel participated in scenarios involving an unexpected reading on a pressure indicator and a degraded piece of equipment. They took part in each step, including the discovery of the anomaly, dealing with the issue through shift turnovers, and repair and return of the equipment to service. Training planners will present more scenarios in the future.

Thorough communications between shifts allows for proper documentation of the facility status, abnormal or limiting conditions, and potential future actions.

“This new approach to training is an innovative way to ensure personnel are reacting to unexpected events in the safest and most efficient way possible,” DOE Nuclear Materials Manager Maxcine Maxted said. “It’s something that we hope to adopt in other areas around SRS.”

- Contributor: Lindsey MonBarren

Disaster Exercise Tests Security of Hanford’s Information Technology

Members of the Mission Support Alliance Information Management team discuss repercussions of a data center outage at Hanford during a disaster recovery exercise.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Each year, EM Richland Operations Office contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) performs a disaster recovery exercise to test backup measures in the event essential data center applications unexpectedly shut down or quit working.

As EM’s Hanford Site services provider, MSA is responsible for delivering and safeguarding the site’s information technology.

In its most recent exercise, MSA terminated the power on a data center to test whether critical applications of the network infrastructure, such as telephones, email, the Hanford Alerting System, and the internet, automatically rolled over to an alternative data center and kept functioning.

“Ensuring there is a seamless transition of these key services to the backup data center is crucial in keeping the day-to-day operations moving forward,” said Jim Smith, MSA disaster recovery manager. “Should these systems and applications be unavailable to workers at Hanford, cleanup progress would be impacted. We want to make sure telephones continue to work, along with safety alerting systems and the intranet.”

According to Smith, disaster recovery exercises ensure critical services continue to run during power outages.

“We are continually looking to improve our processes, and this exercise allowed us to confirm our recovery operations have been designed very well,” he said.

In addition to testing various systems to ensure they performed as expected during the exercise, the team also revised several procedures, including finalizing a step-by-step process for getting the primary system back up and running quickly.

“EM requires MSA to conduct disaster recovery exercises on an annual basis,” Smith said.

- Contributor: Patrick Conrad

Technology on Hanford Vehicles Improve Accuracy, Save Time

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Office of River Protection (ORP) contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) recently added technology to improve how it manages general purpose vehicles and installed self-powered GPS units on large pieces of equipment.

WRPS, which manages Hanford’s tank operations, currently operates 435 vehicles provided by the U.S. Government Services Administration or are commercially leased.

The company installed cellular-based telemetry units to the general purpose vehicles to improve accuracy and efficiency with tracking vehicle use rates by transmitting location, mileage, fuel consumption, the number of trips, and other data.

Installing this wireless technology eliminated the need for vehicle usage logs, which operators had been required to update after each use. The logs had to be collected, reviewed and submitted by each company organization, then manually entered into a database every month.

“The bottom line is that the telemetry system improves accuracy and saves time,” said WRPS’s Mike Kalinowski, who managed the project. “Not only does the system eliminate the need for the field to fill out and process written vehicle logs, but the data it collects also is more accurate and helps with vehicle type selection and route planning.”

WRPS installed GPS units on more than 250 pieces of equipment and vehicles owned by DOE. The units provide location data for equipment that includes radiologically controlled vehicles, light plants, generators, compressors, aerial lifts, and utility vehicles.

“GPS allows us to eliminate time-consuming field walk-downs to locate equipment, perform maintenance activities in a timely manner, and limit cost through reduced equipment rental,” said James Devere, WRPS property manager.

“This technology has the potential to greatly improve efficiency and accountability in the use of our vehicle fleet and other equipment,” said Ken Johnson, ORP property manager for tank farms. “We look forward to reviewing the results of the data from these units in the coming months.”

The project team plans to begin installing nearly 50 more GPS units soon, and additional units will be procured if the equipment and vehicle pool increases.

- Contributor: Mark McKenna

Like EM on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DOEEnvironmentalManagement