EM Assistant Secretary White Lays Out Priorities, Wants to ‘Get to Completion’ ; Oak Ridge Celebrates 75th Anniversary as EM Mission Connects Past, Future; and Much More!

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EM Update | Vol. 10, Issue 23 | June 12, 2018

EM Assistant Secretary White Lays Out Priorities, Wants to ‘Get to Completion’
Crews Complete SPRU Building Demolition
As Oak Ridge Celebrates 75th Anniversary, EM Mission Connects to Past, Future
Savannah River Site Liquid Waste Operations Restart After Outage Work
EM Set to Complete Cleanup at One Nevada Site, Begin Work at Another
ORP Contractor Successfully Replaces Another Pump in Hanford Tank
SRNL Welcomes Postdoc through New EM Program
SRS Liquid Waste Contractor Uses Virtual Reality for Slips, Trips, and Falls Training
Mentors Help EM Interns Find Future Path through Paducah Site

EM Assistant Secretary White Lays Out Priorities, Wants to ‘Get to Completion’

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White addresses members of the Energy Facility Contractors Group during their annual meeting at DOE headquarters last week.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Emphasizing that EM is capable of “big things,” Assistant Secretary Anne White laid out her vision and priorities for the environmental cleanup program in two public appearances last week.

White pledged to bring more rigor to the EM program, and stated that she aims to reinstill a completion mentality focused on getting complex jobs done through new mindsets in contracting and procurement, and regulatory reform.

“Collectively, we have to think bigger and smarter about how to get to completion,” she said, crediting that attitude to successes EM enjoyed in accomplishing cleanup at the Rocky Flats and Fernald sites, and in the successful demolition of the massive K-25 Building at Oak Ridge.

“There is lots of work to do, but this is a program that can be successful,” she said.

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White talks with Energy Facility Contractors Group Chairman Billy Morrison during last week's event for the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus.

White made remarks last Wednesday to the annual meeting of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG). Several hours later, she delivered the message to an audience of the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus event that included several members of Congress who represent cleanup sites.

White said EM is reviving the concept of “end state contracting” in major contracts and procurements coming up in upcoming months. These contracts will help shape EM over the next 10 years or so.

"We’re going to create a situation where there is a very defined work scope that has specific end states that lead to limiting liabilities to get them off the books,” she said. “The concept is that it will deliver real results that are measurable and reduce risk. That gets successes rolling a little more quickly in a more defined way. It creates some enthusiasm for the program, for the mission.”

Addressing contractors, White said, “We’re absolutely partners. We have to be partners. We have to work together between headquarters, field sites, and the contractors to effectively deliver this program, and that needs to be a well-functioning machine.”

White emphasized the importance of holding contractors accountable.

“But when they are performing and doing the work properly and safely, we need to have contracting structures that incent that in a very strong way. We need you guys to bring your ‘A-Team,’ and your “A-Game.’”

Beyond contracting reform, White said EM was engaged in an administration-wide effort at regulatory reform.

“I know people always say we need to do regulatory reform, but this administration certainly has demonstrated they are working to be fairly aggressive in that area, so EM is very engaged in that process,” White said. “The next part of it always is making sure that the implementation is driven down into the field in a way that is meaningful, provides cost savings and effectiveness.”

Rep. Chuck Fleishmann of Tennessee, chair of the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, speaks at the caucus event.

Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, co-chair of the caucus, addresses the estimated 120 people in attendance at the caucus event.

Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois speaks during the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus event. Shimkus is a member of the caucus.

White addressed the EFCOG annual meeting at DOE headquarters. At the caucus event held on Capitol Hill, she took part in a discussion with EFCOG chairman Billy Morrison. She was also welcomed by Rep. Chuck Fleishmann of Tennessee, caucus chairman, and by co-chair Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico.

White said her vision of success for EM is one in which many can share credit.

“It has to be not my success. It has to be our success,” she said. “It has to be the program’s success. For me, I would like to see the program in such a stable mode that we have all worked together to create a path forward.”

White, who was sworn in to her post on March 29, said she was surprised — and concerned — that the government’s environmental liabilities are the third largest behind only the federal debt and entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security, and that the environmental liabilities associated with the EM program are a major part of that.

“It’s a substantial liability. It’s growing, not getting smaller,” White said at the caucus event. She said her focus is on “getting an understanding of what’s driving that, getting it under control and getting the systems, the contracting and all the things that are needed to really start making some meaningful reduction against that liability.”

She added, “We need to capture the moment, move forward, and start to reduce these liabilities.”

Crews Complete SPRU Building Demolition

NISKAYUNA, N.Y. – EM and its cleanup contractor AECOM safely accomplished the final phase of building demolition for Buildings H2 and G2 at the Separations Process Research Unit last month. Collocated at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, the SPRU buildings supported research conducted in the 1950s into chemical processes for separating plutonium and uranium from irradiated materials. What remains to the cleanup is debris and contaminated soil removal, verification that cleanup objectives are met, and backfilling the building footprints. All work is expected to be completed this fall. This photo shows the H2 site post-demolition.

Building H2, shown here in the 1950s, supported research early in the Cold War into chemical separation of plutonium for the nation's strategic defense.

Under a tented enclosure, workers cleaned out the interior of Building H2.

The H2 Tent enclosure steel supports are disassembled.

As Oak Ridge Celebrates 75th Anniversary, EM Mission Connects to Past, Future

A soldier at the Y-12 National Security Complex in 1944.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Originally constructed during the Manhattan Project to help end a global war, Oak Ridge is now celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Scientists and engineers at the site accomplished significant feats over the years. While early operations helped change history and science books, they also changed the local landscape.

Once formed, DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) began removing risks and environmental legacies from these early operations. Their work continues today — creating new economic opportunities for the community and enabling Oak Ridge to continue its international impact in national security and scientific research.

“The environmental cleanup happening here is connected to both the site’s past and its future,” OREM Manager Jay Mullis said. “Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary gives us a chance to reflect on all that’s been accomplished at the site while also considering the path ahead.”

A 1947 view of what would become Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

A view of the present-day Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the nation’s largest multi-program national laboratory. The DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management’s work keeps its employees safe, and future demolition will open land for mission growth.

Cleanup is happening on a massive scale. At the East Tennessee Technology Park, crews are nearing completion on the cleanup of more than 500 facilities that supported uranium enrichment activities for 40 years.

Land at the former government-owned uranium enrichment complex is being remediated, and large parcels of it are being transferred to the private sector for redevelopment and reuse. The community can then use this land and infrastructure to support economic growth, along with a 3,000-acre nature preserve for residents to enjoy hiking trails, bike paths, and wildlife viewing.

Workers lay the foundation for the K-25 Building in 1943. When completed 18 months later, it would be the largest building in the world.

In 2016, Oak Ridge became the first site in the world to successfully remove all of its gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment buildings.

DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management is transferring large parcels of cleared land at the East Tennessee Technology Park to the community for redevelopment. This parcel was once home to two large uranium enrichment buildings.

But the work doesn’t stop there.

At the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), crews will dismantle most of the 13 former research reactors and remove old research facilities. At the Y-12 National Security Complex, workers will also demolish massive, 75-year-old buildings and retrieve tons of mercury from buildings, soil, and water.

Hundreds of facilities remain to be removed in the middle of Y-12 and ORNL — amid thousands of employees and billions of dollars’ worth of modern infrastructure. Through funding from Congress, work is underway to address some of these structures through the Excess Contaminated Facilities Initiative.

DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management is using funds from the Excess Contaminated Facilities Initiative to begin risk reduction in old, deteriorating buildings years ahead of schedule at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex.

Oak Ridge’s cleanup program is transforming former Manhattan Project and Cold War complexes into safe, modern sites whose work can provide the next big solution. Its projects are removing risks to ensure employees remain safe and clean land is available for future DOE missions.

“Our role is very special and rewarding,” said Mullis. “We are the ones who remove the barriers and open doors for the exciting possibilities and advancements that DOE will likely be commemorating during its next anniversary.”

-Contributor: Ben Williams

Savannah River Site Liquid Waste Operations Restart After Outage Work

Liquid waste operations, including high-level waste and salt waste processing, have restarted at the Savannah River Site after an outage to replace equipment, upgrade facilities, and perform maintenance work.

AIKEN, S.C. – Liquid waste operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) have successfully restarted after a comprehensive, 15-month outage to replace and upgrade equipment and facilities.

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is again pouring canisters of glassified high-level waste after workers completed extensive maintenance during the outage since February 2017. That’s when SRR began replacing the DWPF melter, the key vessel that vitrifies high-level radioactive waste into a stable glass form contained within stainless steel canisters.

Chemical operations (i.e., pretreatment of sludge to prepare for vitrification) at the DWPF resumed May 8. On May 31, DWPF restarted glass pouring when a minor issue was discovered with the seal between the melter and the canister.

The first canister was poured using the new melter in December 2017. After pouring seven canisters, the facility entered another outage to complete facility maintenance.

In parallel, salt waste processing at SRS has restarted after workers completed upgrades and modifications to the interim salt waste processing facilities, known as the Actinide Removal Process/Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit. Some outage work included replacing three of the unit’s contactors and decontaminated salt solution pre-filters, vent modifications, and other maintenance activities.

Restarting liquid waste operations has been a priority for EM.

“Stabilizing and safely storing the radioactive waste at SRS is an important part of DOE’s Environmental Management mission,” DOE-Savannah River Manager Mike Budney said.

Installation of a new melter and the maintenance work during the outage better positions SRS to advance the liquid waste mission safely and successfully, Budney said.

Because melter replacements and facility upgrade outages are built into the overall liquid waste system plan, there are no production impacts due to the outage.

The outage also enabled maintenance work at the SRS Tank Farms, including rebuilding waste transfer valves and valve boxes to support improved reliability. Waste transfer line and transfer pump work continued on Tank 49 in H Tank Farm to prepare for future Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) support. Savannah River Remediation (SRR), the liquid-waste contractor at SRS, took advantage of the overall system outage to chemically clean the 2H Evaporator to ensure ability to manage overall tank space.

Underlying all the SRS liquid waste operations are the documented safety analyses, which provide the technical basis for ensuring safe, compliant operations of the liquid waste facilities. SRR engineers revised the analyses during the outage, and they have now been implemented in their respective facilities.

SRR employees were equipped for the complex outage, and they always kept an eye toward safety, SRR President and Project Manager Tom Foster said.

“What I am most proud of at the outcome of this outage is the exceptional safety performance displayed by our people,” Foster said. “It’s been a technically challenging time, and our employees have delivered excellent operational results, but most importantly completed the work in a safe and disciplined manner.”

-Contributor: Colleen Hart

EM Set to Complete Cleanup at One Nevada Site, Begin Work at Another

Soil excavation activities at the Clean Slate II site on the Tonopah Test Range.

LAS VEGAS – EM is on pace to complete cleanup at one Tonopah Test Range (TTR) site and begin work at another this summer.

Remediation of the Clean Slate sites just north of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) involves excavating, packaging, and disposing of contaminated soil and debris at the NNSS.

Experiments to test the safety of nuclear devices were conducted at the Clean Slate sites in 1963. Though these experiments did not result in a nuclear yield, they caused the dispersal of various surface contaminants, including plutonium and americium. Two previous cleanup campaigns occurred in the late 1990s and 2014 but excavation and removal of contaminated soil was delayed until future use of the sites and associated cleanup levels were determined.

Excavated soil is sealed within Department of Transportation-certified Industrial Packaging and loaded onto trucks at the Clean Slate II site.

EM is scheduled to complete cleanup at the Clean Slate II site this summer before starting work at Clean Slate III. Planning for this final phase of cleanup began in 2016 in collaboration with the EM Nevada Program and its cleanup contractor, Navarro; Nevada Site Specific Advisory Board; State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; and U.S. Air Force and Sandia National Laboratory, both of which conduct activities on the TTR.

Upon agreement of a path forward, the EM Nevada Program informed local communities about upcoming fieldwork at meetings in Goldfield, Tonopah, Pahrump, Beatty, and Las Vegas last year.

“Our commitment to sharing information and listening to feedback supports the building of trust within our neighboring communities,” EM Nevada Program Manager Rob Boehlecke said.

A radiological control technician prepares to survey concrete debris uncovered during excavation of soil. Discovery of oversized debris is one of several unexpected conditions successfully addressed through collaboration with EM Nevada Program technical and contracts staff to continue remediation efforts in a safe and timely manner.

The EM Nevada Program published a fact sheet on the NNSS website and distributed hundreds of copies of it to intergovernmental groups; the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe; and libraries, senior centers, community organizations, and post offices in Tonopah, Goldfield and Beatty – rural communities that waste shipments travel through to the NNSS.

Crews began excavating and packaging contaminated soil in November 2017. The first waste shipment went to NNSS in mid-December after the EM Nevada Program coordinated with Nye County Emergency Management and the Nevada Department of Transportation to obtain and share information on routing.

Coordination with Sandia and the U.S. Air Force continued throughout the remediation, along with updates to the public, including two “Community Conversations” events in Tonopah.

The safety of field activities were evaluated and enhanced. The EM Nevada Program implemented several safety initiatives, such as relocating equipment and activities to reduce heavy equipment operation and lessen worker fatigue. Management also collaborated with field workers to address unexpected oversized concrete debris found during excavation.

As remediation wraps up at Clean Slate II with the completion of an anticipated 170 shipments by the end of June, the focus on safety, communication, and experience will be carried forward to Clean Slate III. This summer, workers will begin excavating, removing, and packaging approximately 7,500 cubic yards of soil and debris. The effort is expected to continue into 2019 and involve an estimated 450 shipments planned in multi-week campaigns.

-Contributor: Dona Merritt

ORP Contractor Successfully Replaces Another Pump in Hanford Tank

One of two jumpers is placed inside pump pit AZ-02A. Previously, the project team installed a new pump (at bottom of pit) to support future AX Farm waste retrievals and 242-A Evaporator campaigns at Hanford.

RICHLAND, Wash. – If there were a rookie-of the-year award for field work supervisors, Chad Kirby would be a leading contender.

Kirby, an employee with EM Office of River Protection (ORP) contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), recently completed his first pump removal and installation evolution as a field work supervisor with the installation of a new 44.5-foot pump in double-shell tank AZ-102 at the Hanford Site.

The installation came about a month after the team safely removed an unreliable pump from the tank and packaged it for disposal. Kirby led an integrated field crew of more than 50 workers for the pump removal process and more than 30 for the installation.

“We had an excellent game plan and a talented project team. Everybody did their job and made sure both the removal and installation processes were completed safely,” Kirby said.

The new equipment will allow AZ-102 to support future 242-A Evaporator campaigns and support AX Farm retrieval operations as a receiver tank.

During the pump replacement project, the project team used many innovative tools first deployed last June on the AW-106 pump replacement project.

“Removing contaminated, long-length equipment from a tank is challenging work,” said Jeremy Johnson, ORP Deputy Federal Project Director. “The suite of tools used for the pump replacement was developed and designed to ensure the safety of our workers as they successfully executed this project.”

The new pump in AZ-102 is the first of seven recently procured vertical turbine pumps to be installed in Hanford’s double-shell tanks. After putting the finishing touches on the AZ-102 project, the team will move back to AW Farm and replace a pump in AW-103 this summer.

-Contributor: Mark McKenna

SRNL Welcomes Postdoc through New EM Program

Chemar Huntley, right, is the first postdoctoral research associate sponsored through EM’s Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program. Her assigned mentor is Savannah River National Laboratory’s Aaron L. Washington II, left.

AIKEN, S.C. – A new postdoctoral scientist at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is the first participant in a pilot program in EM’s Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP).

Chemar Huntley, a Sylacauga, Alabama, native with a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Tuskegee University, began working at the lab in October as the first ever postdoctoral research associate sponsored via the MSIPP’s postdoc pilot program.

While MSIPP is a well-established mechanism for creating a pipeline for undergraduates, the postdoctoral program is a new component as of October 2017.

Huntley says the experience is already living up to expectations.

“Not only is this allowing me to build a bridge from educational experience to industrial experience, this has already been a great self-improvement opportunity. The leadership opportunities, the personal interactions and networking, the opportunity to work with a mentor — all of those things have really educated me, and helped get my career off to a solid start,” Huntley said.

The program is challenging Huntley and introducing her to complex issues that expand her expertise.

“It’s totally different than what I expected, but in a good way,” Huntley said. “I’m getting more awareness of the protocols and the bigger picture behind what we do, and it’s giving me much better insight into what to expect in the DOE complex and the industry.”

Huntley works with other researchers in a variety of areas: the chemical testing of dyes for potential radiation detection application, the development of a beta radiation sensor that could convert radiation into power, and the development of applications for gamma-voltaic systems. Projects have also taken her beyond the laboratory, including a training opportunity with a university partner — Georgia Tech’s Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology.

“That was an amazing experience, not only from the training on different machines and fabrication techniques, but also the opportunity to network with an entirely different set of people,” she said.

MSIPP supports science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities at minority serving institutions (historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, and tribal colleges and universities). The program is part of EM’s efforts to increase the community of technically skilled minority students who understand the breadth and significance of the EM mission, and who will be the next generation to enter DOE’s workforce throughout the country.

The MSIPP postdoctoral appointment is for one year, with the potential for a two-year extension.

Both the postdoctoral pilot and the undergraduate MSIPP program are administered for EM by SRNL.

-Contributors: Will Callicott, Laura Russo

SRS Liquid Waste Contractor Uses Virtual Reality for Slips, Trips, and Falls Training

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) training specialist Julius Myers demonstrates a virtual reality program SRR is using to aid in slips, trips, and falls training.

AIKEN, S.C. – EM’s liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is harnessing the power of virtual reality to help prevent slips, trips, and falls.

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) is implementing a virtual reality program to help new employees get a feel for walking in unfamiliar and unusual environments where tripping hazards can be common. In virtual reality, users wear a headpiece with goggles, foot and belt sensors, and hold hand controllers while “walking” through the simulations.

Slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common causes of injuries on our site and in our industry, said Patricia Allen, SRR Director for Environmental, Safety, and Health.

“Virtually all falling incidents occur while walking, which is something we all do no matter our job title,” Allen said. “At Savannah River Remediation, we have a mantra that ‘Walking is Working,’ and this virtual reality training is supporting that truth.”

Savannah River Remediation employees walk through simulated Savannah River Site environments, like a liquid waste tank top, avoiding tripping and other safety hazards.

Developed by an AECOM (SRR’s parent company) visualization and immersive technology team from Minnesota, the virtual reality software uses two iterations of simulated areas at SRS: a tank top in F Tank Farm and a parking lot in an administrative area. Players walk through each scenario avoiding tripping and other safety hazards (piping across the ground, low-hanging infrastructure, etc...). Players also identify hazardous objects in their path and grab them to remove them out from their path.

“Players earn points along the way for eliminating hazards, which adds a fun video-game element to the training,” Allen said. “But most importantly, employees are learning how to traverse our hazardous working environments before even stepping foot in our real facilities.”

The virtual reality program is expected to be incorporated into new SRR hire training at the end of June. If successful, the program will be expanded to other areas, such as crane control operations training.

-Contributor: Colleen Hart

Mentors Help EM Interns Find Future Path through Paducah Site

Logan Mitchell, left, intern for EM’s Paducah Site deactivation and remediation contractor, Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP), reviews a Paducah Site map with FRNP Property, Warehouse and Fleet Manager Jessica Pedersen.

PADUCAH, Ky. – When Logan Mitchell first walked onto the grounds of EM’s Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in the summer of 2017 as a college junior, he was uncertain about his chosen degree and career plans.

After completing a 10-week college internship with a Paducah EM contractor, however, his future path became more clear.

“Going into my internship last year, I was slightly worried about business administration being too broad a major. However, many people at the Paducah Site assured me that they had also majored in this area, and it had proven helpful to them at various points in their careers,” Mitchell said.

The mentor component of the EM internship added value to Mitchell’s experience. He says it played a significant role in his desire to apply to intern at the site again in 2018.

Mitchell noted that while many of his friends were also doing internships in programs across the Commonwealth, the program established by EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) included leadership and educational experiences that many of his peers had not been offered in their positions.

“My internship experience was very different from my friends,” Mitchell said. “The DOE program included a lot of speakers, and our mentors were devoted to helping us grow. I wanted another opportunity to learn from them.”

This summer, Mitchell is working under the guidance of PPPO’s deactivation and remediation contractor, Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP), in the business services division. He is a senior at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.

“The students employed through the summer internship program are some of the top students in our region,” said Jennifer Woodard, EM’s Paducah Site lead for PPPO. “The experience they receive while working with people at the Paducah Site will help provide opportunities in their future careers. DOE is happy to be part of their education experience and journey toward a meaningful career.”

-Contributors: Dylan Nichols, Jessica Vasseur

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