Assistant Secretary White Helps Break Ground for New Ventilation System at WIPP; Former Los Alamos Contractor Earns 94 Percent of Fee in FY 2018 Period; and Much More!

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EM Update | Vol. 10, Issue 24 | June 19, 2018

Assistant Secretary White Helps Break Ground for New Ventilation System at WIPP
Former Los Alamos Contractor Earns 94 Percent of Fee in FY 2018 Period
Hanford Crews Begin Removal of Radioactive Sludge Stored Near River
DOE Under Secretary Dabbar Tours Exhibit on "Secret Cities" Linked to EM Cleanup
SRS Passive Groundwater Cleanup Systems Increase Effectiveness, Save Millions
New Chief of Mining Starts at WIPP
Spare Reboiler for 242-A Evaporator Arrives at Hanford Site
Idaho Site Contractor Invests in the Next Generation of EM Workers
EM’s West Valley Site Hosts International Decommissioning Network
Association Honors Leaders From Savannah River Site Liquid Waste Contractor
Paducah Site Contractor Gives a ‘Hoot’ Rescuing Injured Owl

Assistant Secretary White Helps Break Ground for New Ventilation System at WIPP

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White, fourth from left, joins in the groundbreaking of a new underground ventilation system at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant last week.

CARLSBAD, N.M. – EM Assistant Secretary Anne White joined local community leaders here last week to break ground for a new and improved underground ventilation system at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

The system will significantly increase airflow in the WIPP underground, permitting simultaneous mining, waste emplacement, rock bolting, and maintenance activities. This allows WIPP crews to emplace waste at a rate that meets the needs of the EM complex.

At the groundbreaking, White said the system is “crucial for WIPP and essential for completion of the EM mission.”

Carlsbad Field Office young professionals join EM Assistant Secretary Anne White, center, for lunch during her visit to the field office.

Meeting her goal to visit WIPP in her first 90 days as Assistant Secretary, White shared her vision for EM, which includes a focus on performance, accountability, delivering results, and meeting commitments.

“We need to think bigger and bolder,” she said. “This ventilation system is the perfect example of that.”

White expressed gratitude to the congressional office representatives in attendance for the support Congress has shown for EM’s mission, and she noted she was proud of the cleanup program’s relationship with the local communities.

“Today marks an important milestone,” EM Carlsbad Field Office Manager Todd Shrader said, noting White’s interest in “getting to completion” at sites around the complex. “This facility is critical for that.”

Bruce Covert, president and project manager of Nuclear Waste Partnership, the WIPP management and operations contractor, conveyed his excitement about this “extremely important project that will allow WIPP to continue its critical national mission for many years to come.”

Covert noted that it had been decades since the site had seen a project of this magnitude, with structures to include a 55,000-square-foot above-ground filter building.

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White stands with CAST Transportation driver Greg Grimm.

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White, second from left, stands with members of the 2016 Waste Isolation Pilot Plant National Champion Mine Rescue Team, including, from left, Tony Mihelic, Nuclear Waste Partnership President Bruce Covert, Mark Long Jr., and Matt Ridgway.

Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway described the city’s support for the ventilation system and noted that the community’s friends and family members work at WIPP.

“A project such as this ventilation system meets our approval when it comes to safely restoring full-scale operations for both transuranic waste emplacement and underground salt mining,” Janway said. “As you have no doubt learned during your visits around the complex, WIPP is the key to the entire system.”

The state-of-the-art system is designed to run continuously in high-efficiency particulate air filtration mode, and will allow for easier filter replacement and preventative maintenance activities. At an estimated cost of $288 million, construction of the system is expected to be completed by early 2021.

-Contributor: Victoria Parker

Field Note from Assistant Secretary White

Many thanks to Todd Shrader and the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) team for making my first visit to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) a highly productive one. I understand how vital WIPP is to the DOE complex and that is why it was important to me to visit within my first 90 days. I appreciated having the opportunity to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony commemorating the start of construction on the new ventilation system. I was also happy to present Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) with the Voluntary Protection Program Merit Award during the ceremony.

Following the groundbreaking ceremony, I had the opportunity to meet with Mayor Dale Janway, John Heaton, Russell Hardy, Susan Crockett, Dave Sepich, and Mike Hernandez. We had a great discussion. I appreciate the local community’s support of WIPP.

One of the highlights of the day was having lunch with a group of young professionals. I enjoyed hearing ideas and viewpoints from the newest members of WIPP’s workforce and about the activities they coordinate to network and give back to the Carlsbad community. Sheree Turner and Forest Queen are doing a great job as co-presidents for the Young Professionals group. Forest also shared a bit about a program, sponsored by the contractor, where young professionals have an opportunity to visit some of our other sites across the complex. Look for a story in a future EM Update on the great work being done by the Young Professionals group.

In preparation for going underground, I received miner safety training from Sam Christensen. Sam was a wonderful host. He made my WIPP EM-1 hard hat, drove me around the mine, and took wonderful photos of my visit. Thank you for that. I was outfitted in my safety gear, including the brass (accountability) piece. My tour began with a 6-minute ride 2,150 feet underground.

The first stop in the underground was Panel 8, where I had an opportunity to meet miners Blas Castaneda and Randy Wilson. They demonstrated the Continuous Miner, which can mine more than 7 tons of salt per minute with its claw-like articulating head.

Next, I learned about the bolting requirements to ensure the drifts and pathways in the mine remain stabilized. I was able to meet bolting crew members David Franco, Tommy Rascon, and Chuy Becerra, and watch a rock-bolting demonstration. I had the unique opportunity to autograph the weight-bearing steel plate that anchors the 14-foot bolt.

I met members of 2016 WIPP National Champion Mine Rescue Team and discussed the important role these highly-trained volunteers provide to WIPP and surrounding mines.

Back on the surface, I had an opportunity to learn about the National TRU Program and see a TRUPACT-II transporter that safely delivers waste from generator sites across the country. I talked with Greg Grimm, a driver from CAST Transportation, the WIPP transportation contractor. He demonstrated the capabilities of the waste transporter truck, and it was great to hear how enthusiastic he is about the work he does.

My final stop was the Waste Handling Building. I met with waste handler Terry Batchelde who explained the transuranic waste receipt process at WIPP.

I enjoyed my visit to WIPP. The site was so welcoming. Meeting with the mayor of Carlsbad and local community members, spending time in the underground, and meeting with WIPP employees helped me to understand further the importance of WIPP to the DOE complex. There is a great partnership between the CBFO federal staff and NWP staff. Working together seamlessly is what makes WIPP successful. Please continue the good work not only for the Department, but also for our nation. I’m looking forward to seeing shipments ramp up and the continued success. Thank you for a great visit.

-Anne Marie White

Former Los Alamos Contractor Earns 94 Percent of Fee in FY 2018 Period

Los Alamos National Security workers use the glove box in the Waste Characterization, Repackaging and Reduction Facility.

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. – The former legacy cleanup contractor at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) earned approximately 94 percent of the fee available for its final evaluation period, according to a recently released scorecard.

Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS) received $3,928,510 of the $4,166,602 available fee for the fiscal year (FY) 2018 period of Oct. 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018.

EM releases information relating to contractor fee payments — earned by completing the work called for in the contracts — to further transparency in its cleanup program.

LANS realized two significant accomplishments during the evaluation period — successfully completing treatment of 60 remediated nitrate salt (RNS) drums and 27 unremediated nitrate salt (UNS) drums.

Crews treated the RNS drums in fall 2017, removing waste from the containers and mixing it with water and zeolite, an inert material, to render it non-reactive. The treated RNS waste was repackaged into new drums in accordance with Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) requirements.

Workers treated the UNS drums in March 2018 using a process similar to the treatment of the RNS drums.

The treated nitrate salt drums are in safe storage at LANL, and will eventually be shipped to WIPP for disposal.

A portion of the remediated nitrate salt drums treated by Los Alamos National Security crews are shown here.

Other LANS accomplishments included:

Completion of a chromium extraction well and chromium interim measure infrastructure;
Positive safety culture and performance;
Cost control;
Partnering, collaboration, and communication with DOE and the New Mexico Environment Department;
Closure of Accident Investigation Board corrective actions;
Positive contract transition and contract phase-out.

“LANS’s performance for the FY 2018 contract extension period was evaluated in the five subjective areas of quality, schedule, cost control, regulatory compliance, and management,” said Doug Hintze, manager of the EM Los Alamos Field Office and the fee determining official. “The contractor excelled in multiple areas and completed a successful contract transition to the new Los Alamos legacy cleanup contractor, Newport News Nuclear – BWXT Los Alamos LLC (N3B).”

In late April, N3B successfully completed transition for the Los Alamos legacy cleanup contract.

The FY 2018 performance evaluation measurement plan for the Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Bridge Contract is available here.

-Contributor: Steven Horak

Hanford Crews Begin Removal of Radioactive Sludge Stored Near River

Shay DeWitt, nuclear chemical operator, left, and Mike Garza, field work supervisor, give a thumbs-up during the first day of sludge retrieval on June 12.

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM's Richland Operations Office (RL) and its contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) have begun removing highly radioactive sludge from temporary storage near the Columbia River to a more secure long-term storage location near the center of the Hanford Site.

“Our top priority is safety as we remove this highly contaminated sludge from the basin near the Columbia River. It is some of the most hazardous material at Hanford, so moving it away from the river to safe storage in a robust engineered facility in the center of the site significantly reduces risk,” RL Manager Doug Shoop said.

The material was created when irradiated fuel rods stored in the 105-K West Basin began to deteriorate years after plutonium production at Hanford stopped in the 1980s. It is a mixture of tiny fuel corrosion particles, metal fragments, and dirt that accumulated over time. A total of 35 cubic yards of sludge sits in the basin, which is approximately equal to the volume of a 20-foot-long cargo-shipping container.

A worker inside the 105-K West Reactor Basin operates a sludge removal equipment control panel during the transfer of the mixture out of the basin.

Workers in the control room monitor the beginning of transferring sludge out of the K West Basin on the Hanford Site.

Workers spent years developing the sludge removal system in the Maintenance and Storage Facility (MASF), according to Ray Geimer, vice president for CHPRC’s sludge removal project. The MASF contains a mockup of the 105-K West Basin where workers master the tools and procedures for operations. The sludge is currently stored in that basin.

“The mockup at the Maintenance and Storage Facility, where we tested all of the equipment and processes that will be used to remove the sludge, was critical to the preparations that have brought us to this point,” Shoop said.

Now that sludge removal has begun, workers will pump it to an adjacent building known as the 105-K West Annex. There, crews will package and prepare the mixture for transfer to T Plant, a nuclear facility at the center of the site that was modified for safe storage of the sludge. Some of T-Plant’s safety features are secondary containment basins, leak detectors, and vents to keep the containers in a safe configuration.

Sludge removal is expected to be complete in 2019.

-Contributors: Mark Heeter, John Wilkerson

DOE Under Secretary Dabbar Tours Exhibit on "Secret Cities" Linked to EM Cleanup

WASHINGTON, D.C. – DOE Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar, at right, recently toured the exhibit Secret Cities: The Architecture and Planning of the Manhattan Project at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibit showcases Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico — the Manhattan Project “secret cities” where EM currently conducts cleanup of the legacy from the World War II and Cold War-era nuclear weapons development and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. The secret cities were developed to accommodate tens of thousands of people who worked on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Manhattan Project. The exhibit features original documents, photos, artifacts, maps, and models of the cities and examines their innovative design and construction. DOE’s offices of EM, Legacy Management, and Science fall under Dabbar’s purview, and they all have a role in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park located at the Hanford, Oak Ridge and Los Alamos sites.

-Contributor: Donica Payne

SRS Passive Groundwater Cleanup Systems Increase Effectiveness, Save Millions

John Bradley, design authority engineer, left, and Joao Cardoso-Neto, Upper Three Runs project manager, both of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, inspect a BaroBall unit. This remediation technology operates on natural changes in barometric pressure to pump chemical contaminants from the subsurface.

AIKEN, S.C. – In the past 10 years, EM and the Savannah River Site (SRS) management and operations contractor have increased the effectiveness of groundwater cleanup and saved millions of dollars through passive, energy-efficient treatment technology.

Since 2008, more than 60,000 pounds of nonradioactive contaminants have been removed from the groundwater beneath SRS at a cost savings of more than $5.5 million, adding to the total of 1.6 million pounds of total nonradioactive material removed beneath SRS since the initiation of site groundwater cleanup in the early 1980s.

EM and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) have improved and expanded technologies to capture and manage radioactive contaminants in the subsurface. They use underground barriers that result in a cost avoidance of 90 percent, as the annual cost has declined from about $12 million to $1 million. This was achieved by coupling the underground barriers with periodic injections of special materials to adjust groundwater chemistry and promote natural conditions where contaminants adhere to underground sediments.

“The cleanup of the groundwater at SRS is one of our most important missions,” SRNS President and CEO Stuart MacVean said. “We’ve been able to do more cleanup for less money and we’ve done it safely. This is a testament to both our partnership with DOE and our commitment to continuous improvement.”

SRS is working with the Savannah River National Laboratory to implement more innovative, passive technologies requiring little or no electricity instead of active, highly mechanized systems. All but one of the active remedial systems are projected to be phased out within five years.

“Early active groundwater cleanup projects at SRS concentrated on using more aggressive methods to separate and remove the contaminants from tens of millions of gallons of groundwater,” SRNS Area Cleanup Projects Project Manager Mike Griffith said. “Examples of active technologies include steam injection and air stripping, requiring the power of large electric pumps, support facilities, and monitoring equipment.”

Those pump-and-treat systems effectively removed a high percentage of subsurface chemicals. However, passive remediation technology has been determined to be the more cost-effective means to complete the cleanup.

The Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Area Cleanup Projects (ACP) Division has implemented several passive, energy-efficient technologies to treat contaminated groundwater, saving more than $5.5 million since 2008.

The primary advantage of passive systems are their ability to harness natural properties to protect, manage, and remediate groundwater.

Solar-powered soil vapor extraction units known as MicroBlowers generate a vacuum that exhausts contaminants from designated wells. Each unit requires only 20 to 40 watts of power, easily produced by a small solar panel.

Griffith explained that a single MicroBlower removed 234 pounds of volatile organic compounds from chemically contaminated subsurface at SRS during a 10-month test. He added that SRNS would eventually like to rely primarily on a technology called BaroBalls, which operate completely on natural changes in barometric pressure to pump contaminants from the subsurface.

“No energy is used and excellent results are obtained,” Griffith said.

Bioremediation relies on feeding naturally occurring microbes found in soil to accelerate cleanup. The microbes eat contaminants covered with vegetable oil injected into wells.

These technologies also are shortening the time needed for cleanup.

“Overall, we currently have 39 groundwater remediation systems operating at SRS,” said Karen Adams with the DOE Infrastructure & Area Completion Division. “It’s a carefully researched, planned, and comprehensive approach to environmental remediation at SRS we’d like to share across the DOE complex.”

-Contributor: DT Townsend

New Chief of Mining Starts at WIPP

Pete Graham is the new chief of mining at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

CARLSBAD, N.M. – EM Carlsbad Field Office management and operations contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP) recently announced the hiring of Pete Graham as the new chief of mining at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

“I’m extremely excited, glad I’m here and back into underground mining,” said Graham, who started at WIPP on June 4. “I’m going to enjoy it here. It makes you get up every morning. Never a dull moment.”

Graham previously worked for US Silica in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, where he was a plant manager since 2014. He was accountable for 450,000 tons of yearly production of silica sand and 81 staff members.

“Pete is a mining executive and leader who has extensive engineering and management expertise in open pit and mine operations across North America,” said NWP Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Project Manager Tammy Reynolds. Graham reports directly to Reynolds.

Graham oversees all mining departments at WIPP including geotechnical and mine engineering, mining and fabrication shop, hoisting and shaft crew, underground facility operations, underground maintenance, and underground work control.

From 2012 to 2014, Graham was the mine manager at Compass Minerals’ Sifto Canada Goderich mine, the world’s largest salt mine located 1,800 feet underneath Lake Huron. He oversaw 490 hourly employees and 92 staff members at the mine, which produced 7.5 million tons per year of de-icing and chemical salts.

He was director of mining and distribution for the Detroit Salt Company’s mine in Michigan from 2002 to 2012. Graham has held positions at zinc and copper mining operations dating back to the late 1960s, when he started his career as a sample technician and later an analytical lab technician at the Duval Esperanza mine and concentrator in Arizona.

-Roy Neese

Spare Reboiler for 242-A Evaporator Arrives at Hanford Site

A spare reboiler for the 242-A Evaporator was delivered to the Hanford Site in early May. The 242-A Evaporator creates needed storage space in the double-shell tank storage system by periodically concentrating liquid tank waste. The reboiler is a key component of that process.

RICHLAND, Wash. – A critical piece of equipment recently arrived at the Hanford Site to help advance the EM Office of River Protection’s (ORP) mission of safely and efficiently managing radioactive and chemical tank waste.

ORP contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) received a new spare reboiler for the 242-A Evaporator. The reboiler will be stored until it is needed to replace the facility’s existing reboiler. The spare reboiler is 15 feet, 4 inches long, up to 50 inches in diameter and weighs about 10,200 pounds.

The 242-A Evaporator creates needed storage space in the double-shell tank storage system by periodically concentrating liquid tank waste. The reboiler is a key component of that process. As waste slurry passes through the reboiler’s 364 internal tubes, it is heated by steam and then flows into the main evaporator vessel, where water in the heated slurry is boiled off under a partial vacuum.

“Evaporator operations are critical to successful tank waste management at the Hanford Site,” said Paul Hernandez, ORP 242-A Evaporator program manager. “The spare equipment will help ensure operations continue without delays should the existing reboiler fail.”

In early May, WRPS completed its first 242-A Evaporator campaign of the year, creating approximately 166,000 gallons of valuable double-shell tank storage space. A second evaporator campaign is set to begin June 22.

Since beginning operations in 1977, the evaporator has removed 85 million gallons of liquid from the tank waste.

-Contributor: Mark McKenna

Idaho Site Contractor Invests in the Next Generation of EM Workers

Fluor Idaho interns receive a briefing on transuranic waste shipping during a recent site tour.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Fluor Idaho, EM’s cleanup contractor at DOE’s Idaho Site, recently welcomed 16 interns for the summer with the prospects of attracting the next generation of employees to replace its retiring workforce.

The students have been attending northwestern colleges and universities and will be assisting EM managers until early August, helping with engineering, accounting, waste management, and other functions. The internships give the students hand-on experience in their chosen fields and help managers groom potential future employees.

Heather Dineen, Fluor Idaho human resources representative, said it is important to match the interns with qualified mentors who can teach them the basics of engineering, for example, and the unique aspects of applying that knowledge to EM’s cleanup.

“We’re always pleased when we can hire one of our interns after they graduate because they’re much more up to speed on the types of work we do and have already developed professional relationships with veteran employees,” Dineen said. “That is extremely beneficial to both the new hire and us as a company.”

Like elsewhere in the EM complex, Fluor Idaho is facing record numbers of employee retirements this year as the average age of its workforce approaches 60. At the Waste Management 2018 Symposium in Phoenix, contractors discussed this problem in a special panel session: the loss of institutional knowledge as seasoned employees retire faster than younger employees prepare to take over.

One contractor said his company puts a lot of faith in the intern process, with the company hiring 83 percent of them. Most stay because they like the work, he said.

Dineen said Fluor Idaho requires its interns to develop and deliver a presentation to managers at the end of the summer detailing their work activities.

“We really want them to showcase their contributions and be proud of their work,” she said.

Fluor Idaho has funded two scholarships of the recently established College of Eastern Idaho and is involved in creating courses and curriculum that directly feed into jobs at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

“It’s a wise investment on the company’s part,” Fluor Idaho Training Manager David Lent said. “We are currently working with local school districts to influence the educational system from kindergarten to career. Our intent is to build a pipeline that ties high school to our community college to good paying jobs at the INL. Internships are a critical part in the process. For example, in the radiation control technician training process, most of those who complete their education already have jobs lined up.”

-Contributor: Erik Simpson

EM’s West Valley Site Hosts International Decommissioning Network

Members of the International Decommissioning Network Steering Committee recently met at the West Valley Demonstration Project. From left are Mike Guy of the United Kingdom; Jim Cafferty of Canada; Andrew Szilagyi of the U.S.; Katherine Moshanas Cole of Canada; Con Lyras of Australia; Patrick O’Sullivan of Ireland; Kuniaki Takahashi of Japan; and Boris Brendebach of Germany.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project recently hosted the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) International Decommissioning Network (IDN) Steering Committee, which includes members from the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and United Kingdom.

“We were honored to host the IDN at our EM site,” WVDP Director Bryan Bower said. “Their work on decommissioning and remediation is important to West Valley, as well as other EM sites across the country.”

IDN members toured WVDP and learned about the EM cleanup and site history from representatives of EM and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). EM conducts the site cleanup in cooperation with NYSERDA.

“The steering committee was very appreciative of both DOE and CHBWV senior personnel for their hospitality, participation, and group discussions on lessons learned,” said Andrew Szilagyi, director of EM’s Office of Infrastructure & Deactivation and Decommissioning, who co-chairs the IDN committee. “The tour and project presentations provided an outstanding level of understanding of the West Valley cleanup program and how the work being done there relates to the IDN’s mission objectives.”

Members of the International Decommissioning Network Steering Committee stand with Tom Dogal of EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project, far right, near the Vitrification Facility demolition site during their recent tour. From left are Katherine Moshanas Cole of Canada; Patrick O’Sullivan of Ireland; Con Lyras of Australia; Jim Cafferty of Canada; Andrew Szilagyi of the U.S.; Mike Guy of the United Kingdom; Boris Brendebach of Germany; and Kuniaki Takahashi of Japan.

The IDN was launched at an IAEA conference in September 2007. The network strives to create awareness of decommissioning needs and priorities, promotes safe, timely and cost-effective decommissioning, and enhances training and experience-sharing. Representatives of the IAEA Secretariat — the international body of staff tasked with running the agency — sit on the IDN committee.

“Meetings like this one are aimed at taking advantage of a diversity of knowledge and experience from people involved in a senior capacity in a wide range of decommissioning programs to unlock impactful solutions to decommissioning activities,” IDN Chair Con Lyras said. “Ultimately, the IDN strives to create an environment that fosters open and efficient worldwide sharing of practical and effective decommissioning experiences that lead to safe, economic, and timely dismantlement of disused nuclear facilities.”

Patrick O’Sullivan of the IAEA Secretariat said the IDN looks to attract additional resources to the field to help accelerate the pace of decommissioning activities worldwide as members share knowledge across country borders.

“Essentially, the IDN is a global ‘community of practice’ for decommissioning professionals focused on increasing visibility and leveraging learning for effective decommissioning solutions,” O’Sullivan said.

The IAEA was created in 1957 as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organization within the United Nations family following an initiative by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It continues to work for the safe, secure, and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology. Its key roles contribute to international peace and security, and to the United Nations goals for social, economic, and environmental development.

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

Association Honors Leaders From Savannah River Site Liquid Waste Contractor

The DOE Savannah River Site Leadership Association named Savannah River Remediation (SRR) President and Project Manager Tom Foster, right, Executive of the Year, and SRR Field Safety and Health Manager Jim Wilson Leader of the Year.

AIKEN, S.C. – The Savannah River Site Leadership Association (SRSLA) last week honored two leaders from EM’s liquid waste contractor for exemplary leadership in site operations.

SRSLA, the local chapter of the National Management Association (NMA), recognized Savannah River Remediation (SRR) President and Project Manager Tom Foster as Executive of the Year, and SRR Field Safety and Health Manager Jim Wilson as Leader of the Year.

Foster and Wilson expressed surprise as the awards were unveiled at the annual SRSLA banquet.

Foster said he was thankful for the recognition. His nomination noted his 35 years of experience managing high-hazard nuclear facility operations.

“I am equally humbled and honored to even be considered, much less to receive the Executive of the Year Award,” Foster said. “Leading people is a responsibility that I take seriously, largely based on my own experience with leaders who have greatly impacted my life, and I recognize my position demands a great deal of care for people. I gladly assume this position for the SRR team.”

After starting his career at SRS, Foster served as director of waste retrievals at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington, and as director of waste effluent disposition at the Sellafield Site in the United Kingdom.

Wilson’s nomination highlighted his continual improvement initiatives involving new technology to make work safer for employees.

“Being in leadership within the safety organization at SRR requires me to value people and their safety above all work,” Wilson said. “I prefer to spend time in the field with the workers understanding their needs so I can make decisions that better serve them.”

For the last 26 years, Wilson has held various management positions at SRS. Prior to that, he served the U.S. Navy for 29 years, working in supervision, operation, and maintenance of nuclear propulsion plants and radiological controls facilities. He was the plant manager of two Navy nuclear facilities, receiving honors such as the Fleet Commander’s Award for Excellence in human resource programs while under command as captain of the US Holland.

SRSLA is a professional organization dedicated to developing leadership skills through education, mentoring, and practice. SRSLA is a charter member of NMA, a professional, nonprofit leadership development association with 35,000 members nationwide.

Like its parent organization, SRSLA is dedicated to improving the performance of people and organizations through effective leadership education. SRSLA encourages people to join in efforts to create an effective workforce empowered by an enlightened leadership.

-Contributor: Maddie Blair

Paducah Site Contractor Gives a ‘Hoot’ Rescuing Injured Owl

The injured owl rests in the arms of Swift & Staley Operations and Maintenance Manager Kyle Gore.

PADUCAH, Ky. – Managing nuisance wildlife on EM’s Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site is part of Kyle Gore’s job, but he never expected to be part of an animal rescue.

A recent call to Swift & Staley, EM’s Paducah infrastructure support services contractor, alerted staff that an injured owl had been found along Dyke Road. Gore, Swift & Staley’s operations and maintenance manager, responded to the call and found a barred owl, also known as a “hoot” owl, laying face-down in a ditch.

“He was still moving,” Gore said. “I walked up to it and he turned his head to look at me. I could tell his leg was broken, so after I calmed him down, I picked him up and took him back to the office.”

Swift & Staley Operations and Maintenance Manager Kyle Gore holds the injured barred owl.

The owl responded well to the gentle approach. In fact, he was so comfortable he soon fell asleep in Gore’s arms.

“It was the most awesome day I’ve had since I’ve worked here,” Gore said. “It was like holding a giant Furby. He just sat in my lap and I petted him and talked to him and kept him calm.”

Gore contacted West Kentucky Wildlife and soon found a rehabilitation center for the bird of prey. Today, the owl is housed at the Broadbent Wildlife Sanctuary in Meade County. He is expected to make a full recovery.

“It’s not every day that we have experiences like this one. Kyle handled the situation like a pro and gave this beautiful bird a second chance at life,” Swift & Staley Vice President and Project Manager Tammy Courtney said.

“Kyle’s concern for the owl is reflective in how he handles all of his projects,” said Jennifer Woodard, Paducah Site lead for EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office.

-Contributors: Amy Abernathy, Judy Roach, and Jessica Vasseur

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