EM Update | Vol. 10, Issue 15 | April 17, 2018

• New EM Assistant Secretary Anne Marie White Visits Idaho Cleanup Project
• Under Secretary Dabbar Highlights Synergy of EM, Labs at Caucus Event
• DOE, EM Leaders Focus on Accomplishing Cleanup at ECA Conference
• Hanford Crews Complete Concrete Walls for WTP Support Building
• Oak Ridge Manager Jay Mullis Discusses Public Service With Students
• SRS Partners With Universities, Colleges to Fill STEM-Based Jobs
• Hanford Tank Farms Engineers Engage Students in STEM Activities
• Savannah River Site Uses Unique Virtual Reality Video to Recruit Students

New EM Assistant Secretary Anne Marie White Visits Idaho Cleanup Project

Jeremy Hampton of Fluor Idaho shows EM Assistant Secretary Anne Marie White a "bubble suit" worn by workers when they make entries into contaminated areas at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – New EM Assistant Secretary Anne Marie White traveled to the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) last week to view projects and meet with workers in her second visit to a field site as head of the cleanup program.  

   White toured the Accelerated Retrieval Project (ARP), Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), and Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) during the April 9 visit. White visited EM's Paducah Site earlier this month.

   At the ARP’s Subsurface Disposal Area, White observed waste exhumation activities that entail retrieving targeted waste disposed there from the former Rocky Flats Site in Colorado. She also watched workers resize and repackage large transuranic legacy waste boxes from the former Mound Site for treatment at the AMWTP. That waste is being prepared for eventual shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for disposal.

   White toured the IWTU, a new facility constructed to treat over 900,000 gallons of liquid, radioactive sodium-bearing waste. The facility will soon undergo a demonstration that will use non-radioactive simulant to prepare for eventual radioactive waste processing.

Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) Operations Manager Craig Olson explains recent modifications to IWTU components to EM Assistant Secretary Anne Marie White during a tour of the facility, which is undergoing modifications and preparations to treat more than 900,000 gallons of liquid radioactive sodium-bearing waste.

   The Assistant Secretary met with the site’s EM employees, and workers from cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho. 

   “I really appreciated her interest in meeting with us and how open she was,” Fluor Idaho Operations staff member Angie Goodwin said. 

   Fluor Idaho Program Manager Fred Hughes was proud of the knowledge and professionalism employees displayed while supporting White’s tours.

   “Our guests witnessed skilled individuals, demonstrating their technical prowess of operating one-of-a-kind facilities, and fully engaged and committed to the mission of safe and compliant cleanup. The cleanliness and orderliness of our facilities was also on display and a testament to the commitment and pride of Fluor Idaho employees,” he said. 

-Contributors: Brad Bugger, Erik Simpson 

Field Note from Assistant Secretary White

Thanks to Jack Zimmerman and the federal staff at DOE-Idaho, as well as Fred Hughes and his staff at Fluor Idaho, I had a great agenda that allowed me to see a variety of key initiatives underway. One thing that struck me at every stop was the pride in the workers for what they do, and in the safe and disciplined way they do it. Walking through the various sections of the ARP with Hoss Brown, who seemed to know each and every worker by name, the level of trust, respect and cooperation among all of the workers at the Idaho site, regardless of who they work for or where they sit in the organization, quickly became apparent. This is critical not only for our continued success at Idaho, but across the EM program. 

It was great to walk through the AMWTP treatment facility with Jeremy Hampton to get an up-close look at its waste processing capabilities. Thad Clark and Robert Bird demonstrated this to me as they deftly manipulated the BROK robotic arms that are one of the main features of the facility. I was also glad to have the opportunity to walk with Craig Olson through the IWTU, where we are working to safely and effectively prepare for operations. We have had our challenges with this facility, but I appreciated the chance to hear first-hand from those involved on the steps being taken for a deliberate approach to startup. 

One of my goals in my visits to the field is to learn more from those directly involved in our mission as to what concerns they may have and what new ideas they may have come up with that can help us perform in innovative ways. I have brought back to DC what I learned during this trip, and look forward to continuing my listening tour in visits to other EM sites in the near future.

-Anne Marie White

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Under Secretary Dabbar Highlights Synergy of EM, Labs at Caucus Event

Under Secretary Paul Dabbar speaks with Jenny Freeman, past president of the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association, at last week's event for the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – DOE officials, members of Congress, and key stakeholders gathered April 11 on Capitol Hill at an event for the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, where Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar discussed synergies between national laboratories and the environmental cleanup program that are boosting momentum and sharpening the Department’s focus on remediation.

   The laboratories and EM share traits in managing projects that are large, complex, and first of a kind, requiring the development of technology to accomplish them on time and on budget, Dabbar said. 

   Many technologies EM employs in groundwater remediation and waste vitrification originated at the labs, he said. 

   And EM accomplishments to decontaminate and demolish aging facilities at places such as Oak Ridge and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will clear space and allow those sites to undertake new missions with new buildings. 

   “There are a lot of similarities around projects, project management, contractors, and contractor management that are very similar between the two, and there are things that can be learned from that.” Dabbar said. “That is the core synergy.”

   Dabbar’s remarks came in a formal conversation with Jenny Freeman, past president of the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association. Their discussion touched on cooperation between DOE’s EM and the Office of Science. The offices were placed under Dabbar’s purview as part of a Department reorganization last fall. The Under Secretary also discussed his priorities for the coming year.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee

Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico

Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington

   The event, which drew an audience of roughly 150 people, was the first of the year for the caucus, a bipartisan group whose members represent or have interest in communities where the Department is carrying out cleanup. 

   Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, who chairs the caucus with Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, said the organization is a good example of how Democrats and Republicans work together in Congress.    

   Fleischmann said he was encouraged by the support  EM has received from the Administration. Its proposed $6.6 billion budget request for fiscal 2019 is the largest in a decade. 

   “I was very pleased to see the Trump Administration with its strong commitment for EM. It was very great and it’s going to be much better,” Fleischmann said. “There is a lot of work to do. We have actually decades of work to do in this country. So I am pleased in our progress. I am very pleased we are working together in these affected communities. The future is bright for EM.”

Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois addresses the audience at the event for the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus. 

   Dabbar, who was confirmed in November as Under Secretary for Science, said in light of a number of contracts coming up for consideration in EM, his top priority for the year ahead is to examine the contracting process and explore possible improvements. 

   “I’m also going to be looking at how we evaluate progress,” with an eye toward how successes and any needed improvements are measured and addressed, Dabbar said. 

   In meetings with contractor CEOs, Energy Secretary Rick Perry has focused on efficiency and progress in major projects, pressing the contractors to move forward but also encouraging them to identify obstacles that might stand in the way, Dabbar said. 

   “He has been personally very involved with some of the major ones that have had some challenges and holding everyone’s feet to the fire,” Dabbar said. “There is not a single person who has said that is a bad thing.”

   Dabbar said the approach is showing results. 

   “We are particularly excited about a number of things.” Dabbar said. “We are seeing success or are on the verge of success” in places like the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge, at the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste initiative at Hanford, and at the C Tank Farm at Hanford, which is nearing closure."

   He added: “There are a number of things that have built up over a period of time. We appreciate the previous Administration efforts and focus on this and decisions that were made, and we are at the crux of a number of things...great accomplishments on the part of a number of different areas in EM.”

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DOE, EM Leaders Focus on Accomplishing Cleanup at ECA Conference

DOE Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar speaks at the Energy Communities Alliance's annual conference.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – DOE officials highlighted major EM accomplishments and said they’re “reinvigorating a completion mindset” as they tackle cleanup and enable enduring site missions during addresses at the Energy Communities Alliance’s annual conference last week.

   “We’re laser-focused on getting things done,” DOE Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar said after noting the Department’s emphasis on removing roadblocks to success in projects such as the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford Site.

   The conference’s theme was “Securing Progress at DOE.” ECA is the only non-profit, membership organization of local governments adjacent to or impacted by DOE activities. Members share information, establish policy positions, and promote community interests to address an increasingly complex set of constituent, environmental, regulatory, and economic development needs.

   Among EM achievements, Dabbar highlighted advancements in Hanford’s Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste approach and noted that workers completed waste retrieval activities at the last tank at the site’s C Tank Farm. 

   “These are very positive accomplishments that we feel great about,” he said.

   Dabbar discussed the Department’s efforts to ensure opportunities for businesses of all sizes, enable public-private partnerships, and advance EM’s cleanup.

   “We want to move things forward. We want to identify where things were a challenge in the past and figure it out together,” he said. “Everyone’s on the same page. Everyone wants to get risk reduction done.” 

Mark Gilbertson, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory and Policy Affairs, discusses the EM National Laboratory Network's support for EM's cleanup.

   Mark Gilbertson, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory and Policy Affairs, noted the support for EM's cleanup from the EM National Laboratory Network, a cadre of labs that includes the Savannah River National Laboratory.

   “We want to enable laboratories to continue to put good ideas on the table to solve those problems at individual sites,” he said. “Things the sites can do and communities can do to encourage the development of lab-enduring missions are important.”  

   Gilbertson discussed how EM is working to improve its contracting process, reviewing waste classifications to ensure safe waste disposal, and updating packaging and transportation measures.

   EM completed 7,700 shipments of hazardous materials over more than 2.6 million miles with no U.S. Department of Transportation recordable accidents in fiscal year 2017.

   “That’s a pretty good record. We don’t stand on our laurels, and we want to be diligent and vigilant as we move forward,” Gilbertson said. “It’s a very important part of our program overall.” 

Kirk Lachman, EM Deputy Chief for Field Operations, highlights several major cleanup accomplishments across the EM complex.

   Kirk Lachman, EM Deputy Chief for Field Operations, said EM is focused on risk reduction across the complex. He pointed to progress at several sites, including:

• Los Alamos National Laboratory, where workers safely completed the treatment of nitrate salt drums. “That was a great, fantastic effort by the folks at Los Alamos. The team there worked together — headquarters, field feds, and contractors,” Lachman said.
• Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office, which successfully set the stage for the transfer of 80 acres of land to the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative, led robotics development to improve worker safety and health, continued major deactivation work, and optimized groundwater monitoring and treatment systems.
• Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which has received over 12,100 shipments of transuranic waste for safe, permanent disposal. “I don’t have to tell you how important WIPP is to the complex,” Lachman said. “It is vital that we invest in WIPP and keep the cleanup mission going by keeping that facility operational and improving.” 
• Oak Ridge Office of EM, which broke ground last year on the Mercury Treatment Facility to carry out cleanup at the Y-12 National Security Complex. 
• Savannah River Site, where crews completed work on a key Saltstone Disposal Unit and replaced the melter at the Defense Waste Processing Facility.
• Hanford, where crews completed cleanup at the 618-10 burial ground, disposing 500,000 tons of contaminated soil and debris in an onsite engineered landfill — a “staggering statistic,” Lachman said. 

   “As these individual successes accumulate year after year, we build the momentum to clean this complex up,” Lachman added. 

-Contributor: David Sheeley

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Hanford Crews Complete Concrete Walls for WTP Support Building

Construction workers place concrete inside formwork and around reinforcing steel during structural concrete wall placements for the Effluent Management Facility at Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant project.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Structural concrete foundation and wall placements are complete for the Effluent Management Facility (EMF) at Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The building will support the EM Office of River Protection’s plans to begin treating radioactive tank waste at the WTP through the Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) approach.

   The EMF works along with robust underground double-walled transfer pipes as part of the WTP Balance of Facilities (BOF) support infrastructure to concentrate liquid secondary waste, or effluents, that can be generated during the treatment of the off-gas from the Low-Activity Waste Facility melter.

   “Working toward completing Balance of Facilities construction will support overall plant startup and commissioning efforts,” said Jason Young, ORP BOF federal project director. “So far, we have completed the construction and startup testing phases for more than 25 percent of the BOF support systems.”

   Building concrete work began last year and has included more than 990 tons of reinforcing steel bar, 147 tons of embeds, and 7,465 cubic yards of high-strength concrete.

   “Finishing the Effluent Management Facility main concrete foundation and walls is another sign of progress toward achieving DFLAW,” said Brian Reilly, Bechtel National, Inc. project director for the WTP Project. “Once the topping slab and protective floor coatings are complete, the next key steps are to receive the necessary permit authorization and begin installing process equipment and piping racks inside the building.”

   The DFLAW approach is expected to enable treatment of low-activity waste to begin well in advance of the court-ordered milestone date of 2023. This approach will increase available double-shell tank space and provide valuable lessons learned to aid startup and commissioning of other portions of the WTP.

-Contributor: George Rangel

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Oak Ridge Manager Jay Mullis Discusses Public Service With Students

Nearly 100 juniors and seniors from all five Roane County high schools participated in Student Government Day. Here, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management Manager Jay Mullis speaks to students about the importance of public service.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) Manager Jay Mullis recently joined about 100 high school students to discuss the importance of public service.

   Juniors and seniors from all five Roane County high schools assembled at the Roane County Courthouse to participate in Student Government Day on April 9. Mullis shared his perspective and insight from 30 years of federal service with multiple cabinet-level agencies.  

   His message focused on persistence, hard work, and mentorship. 

   “It’s always rewarding to spend time in the community, and meeting the people we serve,” he said. 

   Mullis encouraged the students to identify their passions and pursue them wholeheartedly. He spoke about the value of mentors, and how these experienced colleagues can enrich the students’ future careers as they learn and grow.

   “If these young men and women only take away a couple of messages, I want them to believe that public service truly matters and makes a difference. However, to make that difference, they need to realize it will require a lot of commitment and investment along the way,” Mullis said.

   The students were residents of Roane County — one of two counties home to DOE’s 33,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation, where OREM is performing environmental cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, Y-12 National Security Complex, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

   “One of the reasons we are able to talk about the impact of public service sincerely and passionately is because we see it daily through our mission,” Mullis said. “Our work in Oak Ridge is removing risks, eliminating economic barriers, and ensuring important science and national defense missions continue that will benefit this region for future generations.”

-Contributor: Ben Williams

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SRS Partners With Universities, Colleges to Fill STEM-Based Jobs

University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) students Brandon Eberl (center) and Shayla Baldwin (right) receive instruction from USCA Engineering Professor Titan Paul on using 3-D printers to create unique objects to solve difficult engineering applications.

AIKEN, S.C. – The management and operations contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is partnering with area colleges and universities to help fill science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs with qualified candidates. 

   “We have many positions at SRS that require knowledge in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. These positions include production operators, radiation control personnel, scientists, IT (information technology) techs, and engineers, requiring one-, two-, or four-year degrees depending on the opening,” said Carol Barry, senior vice president of Workforce Services for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS).  

   Barry said SRNS works closely with the University of South Carolina (USC) Aiken, Aiken Technical College (ATC), and Augusta Technical College to ensure degree programs produce graduates who are qualified and ready to work in STEM-based jobs at SRS.

   “To fully accomplish this, the course curriculum at the collegiate level must be aligned to meet our training requirements,” Barry said. “This minimizes the time and cost associated with long-term, onsite training.”

   SRNS officials understand that hiring graduates from local colleges and universities frequently results in long-term employment commitments.

   “Partnering with employers for site tours, seminar speakers, capstone projects, and specific aspects of degree programs gives us keen insight into how best to prepare our graduates to meet the local workforce needs,” said Dr. Daren Timmons, dean of the USC Aiken College of Sciences and Engineering.

   Encouraging the next generation to pursue expertise in STEM fields addresses a real need for the Central Savannah River Area, Timmons said.

   “Scholarships, like the ones from SRNS, are critical resources for many students pursuing an education that will enable them to contribute meaningfully in our community,” he said.

   Timmons noted that a quarter of students who enroll at USC Aiken and graduate do so with no debt, in part thanks to the generosity of partners like SRNS, which has contributed approximately $320,000 in scholarships to USC Aiken.

   SRNS has worked with USC Aiken to develop the university’s new Industrial Process Engineering Program and ongoing plans for programs in cybersecurity.  

   USC Aiken Chancellor Dr. Sandra Jordan recently received an installment of a $550,000 SRNS donation to support an endowed professorship for the new engineering degree. 

   “This tremendous gift helps immensely as we continue to grow the program and recruit the best faculty in this discipline,” Jordan said. “This gift to USC Aiken is the largest single gift designated for this initiative.”

   The first class of students in this engineering major will graduate in May.    

   SRNS and ATC collaborated to create the Nuclear Fundamentals Certificate. The program prepares students for general production operator positions in the nuclear industry.

   A $10,000 donation from SRNS and other scholarship funding greatly reduces the cost to seek this certificate.

-Contributor: DT Townsend  

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Hanford Tank Farms Engineers Engage Students in STEM Activities

Students prepare to launch mock “rockets” as part of a lesson on aerodynamics presented by Washington River Protection Solutions staff.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Staff from EM Office of River Protection contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) recently took science and engineering on the road to a local middle school as part of the STEM Like Me! program.

   Organized by the Washington State STEM Education Foundation, the program illustrates how personal interactions with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) professionals can inspire students to consider a STEM career.

   Students rotated through four stations where WRPS staff engaged them in discussions and demonstrations on aerodynamics, hydraulics, electricity, and air movement and filtration. 

   “The kids need to be able to relate to engineers. Being able to connect with students, here at their school, is going to open up opportunities for them,” WRPS President and Project Manager Mark Lindholm said.

   WRPS also supports Engineers Week, when WRPS engineers visit local classrooms as part of a national outreach program designed to encourage young people to pursue an education in engineering.

Washington River Protection Solutions volunteers visit Rosalind Franklin STEM Elementary to help students build wind meters using paper cups.

   This year, 125 WRPS employees visited 30 area schools to help stir interest in nearly 6,600 local students. WRPS sponsors a particular segment of the broader outreach effort that focuses on third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. WRPS volunteers taught students what engineers do and how they affect the world. They also led fun, interactive games designed to encourage interest, like building hoop gliders, bridges, and wind meters, and testing which designs work best.

   STEM outreach is also a focus at ORP, which collaborated with local primary and secondary schools, universities, contractors, national laboratories, and community leaders to develop the Regional STEM Consortium.

   “ORP looks forward to continuing to support our local STEM community,” said Robyn Burt, ORP’s STEM coordinator. “Over the past year, we have been working to broaden the relationship with local universities in order to inform, engage, and inspire future generations on the exciting and meaningful careers available at Hanford for STEM graduates.”

Regional Business Group Honors WRPS Employee for Service, Leadership

Katie Sterling celebrates her ATHENA award with her husband, Rick.

   WRPS employee Katie Sterling was recently honored with the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award, sponsored by the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes women leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative, and who serve as personal and professional role models for young women.

   Sterling’s dedication as a volunteer for the Washington State STEM Education Foundation was cited in her nomination for the award.

   “Katie’s experience and leadership has been invaluable to the design team for the STEM Like ME! program, offering mentoring to local middle and high school students on STEM careers,” said Deb Bowen, the foundation’s executive director.

   Sterling graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, and served four deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, attaining the rank of major. She led a 120-member team as a company commander in Afghanistan and served as a military transition team advisor in northern Iraq.  While serving as a platoon leader, Sterling also deployed stateside on a hurricane relief mission in support of Operation Katrina. Sterling currently serves as board secretary for the local YMCA.

-Contributor: Rob Roxburgh

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Savannah River Site Uses Unique Virtual Reality Video to Recruit Students

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions employees Nate Diakun and Kathy Hutto offer Twaina Harris (right), director of Academic Advising and Student Engagement at Claflin University, an opportunity to experience the highlights of living near the Savannah River Site through a 360-degree virtual reality video.

AIKEN, S.C. – Local career counselors had the unusual experience of donning virtual reality head gear to view a 360-degree video at an event highlighting Savannah River Site (SRS) occupations recently.

   It was a proving grounds for this innovative technology used by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s management and operations contractor, to recruit students at more than 30 career fairs scheduled for the next 12 months.

   The fast-paced video features the advantages of living in communities near SRS. It’s displayed within a 360-degree electronic panorama viewed in multiple layers of visuals.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions used a 360-degree video camera to create a video featuring the advantages of living in communities near the DOE site — an important component of the company’s new employee recruitment strategy.

   “The reactions and comments from the counselors have confirmed for us the effectiveness of this medium and the important role it will play in our efforts to recruit top candidates for our company,” said Nate Diakun of SRNS Workforce Services.

   Diakun said the SRNS video production team plans a series of virtual reality videos featuring jobs at SRS, where there is a high need to recruit candidates.

   “We want to immerse them in the sights and sounds of what it’s like to work at SRNS,” said Bryan Ortner, SRNS Workforce Services. “In some cases, it’s to explain what types of duties are involved, such as with our nuclear production operators. In another instance, we want to demonstrate quickly and effectively the outstanding program available for SRNS engineers.  This new highly visual approach is proving to give us that ‘wow factor,’ needed to attract candidates.”

   The virtual reality head gear contains a pre-programmed smartphone, the source of the video and audio. Something new is displayed each time users turn their heads.

   “One of my favorite segments was shot in a kayak on the Savannah River,” Ortner said. “Wearing one of these virtual reality units makes you the kayaker. Look up and there’s the sky, flying birds, and the shining sun. Look down, and you see the kayak and paddle along with moving water. You can even look to see what’s behind you. It’s great.”

   SRNS plans to provide students and job candidates inexpensive printed cardboard virtual reality units they can use to view videos on the SRNS website at their leisure.

-Contributor: DT Townsend

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