DOE Office of Environmental Management

Assistant Secretary White Attends Portsmouth Site Land Transfer Event, Visits EMCBC; Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Support Buildings Move Into Commissioning Phase; Washington State Elected Leaders Tour Hanford; and Much More!

DOE Office of Environmental Management sent this bulletin at 07/24/2018 02:02 PM EDT

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

EM Update \| Vol. 10, Issue 29 \| July 24, 2018

Assistant Secretary White Attends Portsmouth Site Land Transfer Event, Visits EMCBC Washington State Elected Leaders Tour Hanford Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Support Buildings Move Into Commissioning Phase Internship Program Becomes Major Job Pipeline for SRS Hanford Worker Earns Safety Honors Hanford Fire Department Supports Cleanup with Clean Air Assistant Secretary White Attends Portsmouth Site Land Transfer Event, Visits EMCBC EM Assistant Secretary Anne White, front, center, signs documents transferring the first parcel of land at EM's Portsmouth Site to the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI) during a ceremony July 20. Shown with White are, front, left to right, Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) Manager Robert Edwards and SODI Executive Director Steve Shepherd. Pictured back, left to right, are SODI Counsel Kevin Shoemaker, PPPO Deputy Manager Joel Bradburne, and PPPO's Greg Simonton. PIKETON, Ohio – Looming thunderstorms and intermittent showers failed to dampen spirits late last week as EM Assistant Secretary Anne White signed documents during a ceremony at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant marking the site’s first land transfer to the local community. In her first visit to the Portsmouth Site as Assistant Secretary, White was joined by other federal officials, state and local leaders, and others to commemorate the transfer of 80 acres of site property to the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI). SODI is the community reuse organization representing the four-county area around the former plant. “Transferring excess property for reuse is an important part of the EM mission, and an example of DOE’s commitment to our cleanup communities,” White told the gathered stakeholders. “As I look over at the piece of land that’s being conveyed, I very much look forward to seeing the community benefit from this property.” White also visited EM’s Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) in Cincinnati, where she had in-depth discussions with the center’s leadership and talked with employees over lunch. The Portsmouth Site parcel conveyed to SODI is on the reservation’s southeast portion within Perimeter Road. SODI requested the land in 2015 because of its development potential. EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO), with support from EMCBC, conducted an environmental assessment to analyze potential environmental impacts of a transfer. EMCBC also supported efforts to complete the transfer. EMCBC Director Jeffrey Kash Grimes attended the land transfer ceremony. EM provided the environmental clearance for the transfer in 2017 following a public review process and consultation with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office Manager Robert Edwards addresses the audience at EM’s Portsmouth Site ceremony commemorating the first land transfer to the southern Ohio community. For SODI Executive Director Steve Shepherd, the transfer is a “game changer” for the organization’s ability to attract job creators to the site, and a milestone 20 years in the making. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, this day has finally come,” Shepherd said during his remarks. “We hope that this will be the start of many more great days for our site.” White and PPPO Manager Robert Edwards thanked SODI for its cooperation throughout the transfer process, and acknowledged federal, state, and local leaders who helped make it possible, including Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, Rep. Brad Wenstrup and the rest of the Ohio congressional delegation, and the Ohio EPA for its due diligence on behalf of the state. In 2010, Ohio University began studying the community’s preferences for site reuse among residents of the SODI member counties of Pike, Scioto, Ross, and Jackson. That research has identified a consensus. “Working with SODI and Ohio University, we have aligned the cleanup project with the community’s overwhelming request to see land turned over for reindustrialization,” said Edwards. “We’re pleased to see this property returned to the community and the tax rolls, and we look forward to building on the current momentum.” White later toured the site, including the X-326 Uranium Enrichment Process Building, now undergoing final deactivation; and the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility under construction. “Great site,” she remarked afterward. “The workers here have a fabulous work ethic, and the tour was professional, informative, and very helpful.” The Cold War-era plant, which enriched uranium for national defense purposes beginning in 1954 and later for fuel for commercial nuclear power generation, has been undergoing extensive environmental cleanup since 1989. The plant ceased uranium enrichment in 2001, and the current deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) project commenced in 2011. -Contributors: Yvette Cantrell, Brad Mitzelfelt, Marlo Ridout Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth’s land transfer team attends the Parcel 1 ceremony. Pictured, front to back, Christy Veach, Jill Thomson, J.D. Chiou, Bob Smith, Ashley Jordan, Bruce Phillips, Elizabeth Grubb, and Ken Dewey. *Field Note from Assistant Secretary White* It was a pleasure to cap off my week at the EMCBC and the Portsmouth Site. I want to thank Kash Grimes, Kim Johnson, and the staff at the EMCBC for the in-depth discussions on how EM may be able to further improve its acquisition and contracting practices. With the vast majority of EM’s work performed by the best of private industry, how we compete and manage our contracts plays a vital role in our overall success. We discussed at length our end-state contracting initiatives and I was pleased to see the level of enthusiasm for change exhibited by the group in Cincinnati. I appreciated the invitation from SODI’s Kevin Shoemaker to speak at the Portsmouth land transfer event. Kevin is one heck of a speaker and was a terrific “Master of Ceremonies” — the event went perfectly. The transfer of DOE land is just one innovation EM is looking at as we work toward creating a culture of completion and closure at our sites in rural areas that have served our country so well for so long. We need to show the sites and the communities that surround them that there are significant opportunities for an enduring mission beyond final closure. We owe it to these communities to show them the art of the possible for these locations. It was gratifying to see a number of community leaders present as Steve Shepherd of SODI, Robert Edwards, and I joined in the transfer signing. I spoke to a number of people from the community and heard their thoughts on the site cleanup during SODI’s follow-on reception. With this transfer complete and others to consider, I look forward to seeing SODI’s economic development plans coming to fruition. There are a number of areas within the Department that may already have in place existing programs that may be helpful in these efforts and I’m looking forward to exploring the myriad opportunities to develop and support the communities near our sites for the long run. During my time at the Portsmouth Site, I had a great roundtable with the federal staff and we discussed both what the land transfer may mean to an enduring mission at Portsmouth and also end-state contracting and shaping the federal oversight model within that context. We also discussed what I believe the role of headquarters should be with the sites, and that is to empower them to best achieve progress. Around that issue, Dee Powell was, I’m told, uncharacteristically quiet but she did have her boss chime in on an issue or two where headquarters could do better in its role of empowering the sites. That kind of input is greatly appreciated as I continue to listen, learn, and shape the EM program to manage the contract, not the contractor. Being lucky to have dodged most of the rain, I was also able to tour the site to see the cleanup progress. Robert and PPPO Deputy Manager and Portsmouth Site Lead Joel Bradburne, along with Bob Smith who heads up D&D contractor Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, led the tour. I saw the former K-25 Building at Oak Ridge before it was demolished, and I have visited the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The sheer massiveness of those former enrichment buildings is always awe-inspiring. I was told the Portsmouth plant was built in just four years. That kind of “can-do” spirit is certainly something to be admired and sought after even today. That pride and enjoyment of work is still present and clear from the smiles on the workers’ faces as they were escorting me into the building. You know who you are. The tour focused on the most significant projects. At the X-326 Building, the project team of Jud Lilly, Bobby Leonard, and Gary Hazelwood briefed me on the upcoming completion of deactivation and near-term demolition of the 2.5-million-square-foot facility. Bob Chancey and Scott Raish talked about characterizing the piping through the nondestructive assay process and how they can be cost efficient in the process. I couldn’t help but get a little technical and had fun chatting health physics stuff with the guys. Johnny Reising introduced me to J.D. Chiou and Chris McDay at the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility construction site. Progress continues to be made to prepare for the first demolition waste from the X-326 Building. I want to again thank my hosts and all of our hardworking professionals who truly care about safety and completing our mission. I also appreciate the strong partnerships they have built with the local community. It’s clear this is a responsibility everyone takes seriously at the Portsmouth Site. -Anne Marie White Back to Top Washington State Elected Leaders Tour Hanford Mike Jennings, 324 Building Disposition project director for EM Richland Operations Office contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company, speaks to Washington state legislators and staff members at Hanford’s 324 Building mockup facility about methods to remove contaminated soil under the structure. At left is Kurt Hammond, senior public information officer for the state's House Republican Caucus. RICHLAND, Wash. – A group of Washington state senators and representatives toured the Hanford Site this month as part of a program to increase awareness about cleanup work among state lawmakers. A number of legislators had indicated a desire to see the site following meetings with Hanford officials during the 2018 legislative session. “I had never been to Hanford before, and I didn’t know what to expect,” State Sen. Judy Warnick said. “I learned that there is much work left to do with cleanup, but I was pleased to see all of the emphasis placed on worker safety to ensure that the work will be done right.” It also was State Rep. Tom Dent’s first trip to the site. He grew up across the Columbia River from Hanford in Adams County, but said he was surprised by how enormous the site is when seen in person. He also talked about the innovations and technologies being implemented to clean up Hanford. “It’s amazing what they’re doing,” Dent said. “I was asking myself, ‘Who laid awake at night to come up with these concepts?’ It’s quite a process.” The site tour for elected state lawmakers and staff members is expected to become an annual event. -Contributor: Richard Buel Back to Top Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Support Buildings Move Into Commissioning Phase Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant handed over four major Balance of Facilities buildings this month for commissioning. One of those facilities is the Water Treatment Building, which will distribute Hanford Site water to numerous support buildings and sends process water to the Low-Activity Waste Facility and Analytical Laboratory. RICHLAND, Wash. – Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) is bringing more major utility systems online as the facility continues the transition from construction to startup and commissioning in support of EM’s plans to begin treating tank waste through its Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) vitrification approach. Earlier this month crews finished startup testing of systems for four more WTP Balance of Facilities (BOF) utility support buildings, which were handed over for commissioning. As engineers and construction crews finish all, or specific portions of, plant systems, the systems are transferred to the startup phase where they are verified and tested as complete and in safe working order. After the startup phase, systems undergo a commissioning phase to ensure they are calibrated and ready to support future plant operations. Construction, startup, and testing phases are now complete for five major support buildings: Water Treatment Building Main Site Electrical Switchgear Building BOF Electrical Switchgear Building Fire Water Pump House Non-Radioactive Liquid Waste Disposal System A worker walks through the Water Treatment Building, one of four major Balance of Facilities buildings handed over for commissioning this month. Bechtel National Inc. (BNI), EM Office of River Protection (ORP) contractor for the WTP project, is now focused on completing the commissioning phase for each building ― the final step before operations. “In terms of momentum for the project, this is a step change in our capability to complete utility infrastructure startup and testing,” explained Rick Holmes, BNI WTP Project site director and Waste Treatment Completion Company general manager. “We now have permanent plant electricity and water.” Delmar Noyes, ORP assistant manager for waste treatment operations, agreed. “Having the capability to begin connecting WTP systems to Hanford Site utilities marks significant progress toward our goal to bring Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste vitrification online as soon as possible,” Noyes said. The BOF support infrastructure is housed in 20 buildings. BOF contains a total of 56 systems, including an electrical power distribution system, backup power, water purification, compressed air, steam, communication and control, and fire water systems. Of the 56 systems, 26 have successfully completed startup and testing and have transitioned over to the commissioning phase; 21 are in the startup phase; and nine are nearing construction turnover to startup. The DFLAW approach is expected to allow treatment of low-level waste to begin by the court-ordered milestone date of 2023. -Contributor: George Rangel Back to Top Internship Program Becomes Major Job Pipeline for SRS Savannah River Nuclear Solutions interns gather for a photo during a recent reception where they talked with Savannah River Site executives and other site employees. AIKEN, S.C. – Nearly 170 students from dozens of colleges and universities are gaining professional experience while contributing new ideas during internships with the Savannah River Site (SRS) management and operations contractor and EM’s national laboratory this summer. "Our reputation on college campuses throughout the U.S. is definitely growing," Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Intern Coordinator Nate Diakun said. "We have students working with us from 17 states and U.S. territories including those as far away as California, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Puerto Rico." The primary goal of the intern program is to encourage contributions through meaningful projects and collaborations. "We believe the unique internship experiences provided in many of our facilities help make SRNS and Savannah River National Laboratory compelling places to start a career once students receive degrees and become eligible for full-time, long-term employment,” Diakun said. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Communications & Media Services Intern Caroline Harpring demonstrates her video production skills. SRNS engineering intern Magdalina Hansen of Clemson University said her assigned tasks have added to her skillset. “It involves using a computer-aided design program to help design stretch-wrap covers for radioactive containers stored in K Area,” she said. “I highly value this experience and the opportunity to work with people who are in the occupational field I'm pursuing.” SRNS President and CEO Stuart MacVean noted that SRNS tests the students, who become familiar with the site’s important national security and environmental work. "That combination puts us in the position to graduate about 50 percent of our students into fulltime positions," he said. MacVean added that the timing for career prospects is right. "We are hiring about 400 people a year," he said. Current and former interns accepted 90 percent of SRNS job offers in 2017, up from 83 percent a year prior, according to Diakun. -Contributor: DT Townsend Back to Top Hanford Worker Earns Safety Honors RICHLAND, Wash. – Rocky Simmons, a safety representative with EM Richland Operations Office contractor Mission Support Alliance, was presented with the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Regional Special Government Employee award at this year’s VPP Participants' Association Region X conference in Anchorage, Alaska. This award recognizes employees who exhibit exceptional support in VPP, which Simmons has done for more than 20 years. He has also been a safety leader on the Hanford Site for more than 30 years. -Contributor: Lori Araujo Back to Top Hanford Fire Department Supports Cleanup with Clean Air Carl Tilton with the Hanford Fire Department prepares a self-contained breathing apparatus bottle with breathable air that can be used by firefighters or workers in contaminated areas. Last month, firefighters filled more than 12,000 bottles. RICHLAND, Wash. – Hanford Site workers have critical equipment to keep them safe during cleanup, and one item provided by the site's fire department has been in high demand: the self-contained breathing apparatus. The Hanford Fire Department supplies breathable air, allowing employees to work safely in contaminated and hazardous areas. The bottles, also used by fire responders, are filled with compressed air and dispensed daily by the department. Two firefighters can fill 18 bottles simultaneously — each approximately two feet long and roughly 20 pounds when full. That’s up to 750 bottles each day. “The Hanford Fire Department team makes sure workers have a steady supply of air bottles on hand,” said Corey Low, director of the Security, Emergency Services & Information Management Division with the EM Richland Operations Office. This fiscal year, the department has already filled about 74,000 bottles and is on pace to reach more than 95,000 bottles, which would be the most ever produced by the department in a year. Last fiscal year, the department filled and supplied 78,000 bottles to support site activities. “Keeping workers safe is our number one priority and having an ample supply of bottles on hand protects workers and ensures cleanup work can continue,” Hanford Site Fire Chief Norb Kuhman said. -Contributor: Patrick Conrad Back to Top
Like EM on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DOEEnvironmentalManagement