Hanford Workers Meet Groundwater Treatment Goals Early; Radpiper Robots Crawl to Successful Run in Portsmouth Plant's Enrichment Pipes; and Much More!

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EM Update | Vol. 10, Issue 32 | Aug. 15, 2018

Hanford Workers Meet Groundwater Treatment Goals Early
Radpiper Robots Crawl to Successful Run in Portsmouth Plant's Enrichment Pipes
Hanford Commemorates 75-Year Anniversary With Fireside Chat
State Honors Savannah River Site Prime Contractors With Safety Awards
WVDP Upgrades Rail Spur to Improve Efficiency of Waste Disposal
SRNL, FIU Collaborate on Fixative Testing to Better Stabilize Contamination
EFCOG Recognizes SRS Contractors for Training, Contractor Assurance

Hanford Workers Meet Groundwater Treatment Goals Early

Hanford Site workers Tim Malley, seated, and Steve Rust monitor operations of the groundwater treatment program, which recently treated 2.2 billion gallons of groundwater for fiscal year 2018.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Workers at the Hanford Site met a yearly groundwater-treatment goal nearly two months early, reducing risk to the Columbia River and shrinking the size of contaminated areas, or plumes, of groundwater.

EM’s goal was to treat 2.2 billion gallons of groundwater by the end of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) met this key performance goal seven weeks ahead of schedule, and has removed more than 90 tons of contaminants so far this fiscal year.

Hanford officials say the keys to this year’s success in treating groundwater have been putting worker innovations into practice and improving treatment systems while keeping them running well.

“We continually look for ways to make improvements and ensure our groundwater treatment network continues performing well,” said Michael Cline, federal project director for cleanup of soil and groundwater for EM’s Richland Operations Office.

One employee innovation was reusing containers of activated carbon that filter volatile organic compounds out of the air in treatment tanks. Recycling the tanks decreased potential waste and is a cost avoidance.

“From maintenance, to operations and engineering, the teams have worked great together to continually improve performance and safely treat more groundwater,” said John Rendall, vice president of the soil and groundwater remediation project at CHPRC.

Five pump-and-treat systems along the Columbia River remove a toxic chemical, hexavalent chromium, from groundwater, while a large pump-and-treat facility on the center of the Hanford Site removes more than a half-dozen contaminants, including carbon tetrachloride and radioactive constituents like uranium. The facilities pump contaminated groundwater up through wells and transfer it to treatment systems where contaminants are removed, before the treated water is returned to the aquifer through injection wells.

The groundwater contamination resulted from operations to produce plutonium from the 1940s through the end of the 1980s. The discharge of liquids resulted in large plumes of contaminated groundwater.

Since groundwater treatment facilities began operating in the mid-1990s, approximately 19 billion gallons have been treated and more than 435 tons of contaminants have been removed from groundwater on the Hanford Site.

-Contributor: EM Richland Operations Office

Radpiper Robots Crawl to Successful Run in Portsmouth Plant's Enrichment Pipes

Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth’s (FBP) Rob Allyn demonstrates how to use a tablet to launch the Radpiper robot. From left, EM Fellow Michael DiBono; Carnegie Mellon University’s David Kohanbash and William “Red” Whittaker; Rod Rimando, director of EM’s Technology Development Office; and FBP’s Allyn and Brian Summers.

PIKETON, Ohio – The Radpipers moved at what their creators called an “impressively efficient pace” — up to 10 feet per minute — within the 30-inch and 42-inch-diameter uranium enrichment process pipes. That may seem like a crawl, but it’s what the multitasking robots do while they’re on the move that’s impressive.

During a recent demonstration at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, technicians easily monitored the tracked robots by handheld tablet as they autonomously negotiated obstacles in the plant’s pipes and generated reports using visual imaging and analysis of data from radiometric and distance-measurement systems. In all, two robots accurately collected data on more than 300 feet of enrichment piping, providing precise geometric models of obstructions, uranium deposits, and pipe interiors.

According to the EM/Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) team, which primarily developed the Radpiper, the system performed “unprecedented, safe, efficient, economic, (and) quality” analysis of residual uranium material in the piping during the demonstration.

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) roboticists make adjustments to the program to move the robot. From left, Siri Maley, Heather Jones, Kenji Yonekawa, and David Kohanbash.

The robots and the pipe crawling activity measurement system are being prepared to be commissioned for deployment into the Portsmouth X-333 Process Building’s enrichment “cascade.” The cascade is where uranium hexafluoride was processed for 50 years to separate the uranium isotopes that supported U.S. national security and later commercial energy.

The robotic system is intended to replace the numerous measurements performed using handheld equipment by teams working on elevated platforms underneath and above the miles of process and bypass piping in the cavernous process buildings. When deployed, the Radpiper will improve worker safety and quality of the measurements, lower costs, and shorten the building deactivation schedule.

The Radpiper could also be used in the process buildings of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky, and members of the Radpiper integrated project team believe robots could be useful elsewhere in EM cleanup.

“Once again, a demonstration at Portsmouth has helped fine-tune the DOE-contractor-academia cooperative that’s served as our robotic technologies test bed for the past two years,” said Rod Rimando, director of EM’s Technology Development Office. “We look forward to putting these Radpipers to work on EM’s next major decommissioning project at Portsmouth in the very near future.”

A Radpiper leaves the launch rig to move through the 30-inch pipe at about 10 feet per minute.

Carnegie Mellon University’s Ralph Boirum, left, and EM Fellow Michael DiBono evaluate data.

Chuck Whittaker, CMU field robotics specialist and staff engineer for the Radpiper project, calls the technology the latest example of automation reducing errors and resulting in more efficiency.

“It’s the whole concept of being able to solve a problem, which is the automation and the investigation of these pipes in a way that has not been done before,” Whittaker said. “Because the idea of being able to do the measurements and automate the reporting and the analysis are the things that need to be done.”

Bobby Fuhr, an employee with EM cleanup contractor Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth (FBP) Environmental Remediation/Analytical Services, said the demonstration is a key step toward implementation.

“The demonstration was a major part of the effort for turning the project from a developmental effort to a more finalized production prototype unit,” Fuhr said.

A Radpiper takes a break between test runs in the Portsmouth X-333 Process Building’s enrichment cascade with Carnegie Mellon University and Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth team members. Front row, left to right, Marty Reibold, Keith Banks, and David Kohanbash; back row, left to right, Brian Summers, John Sisler, Kyle Rase, Jason Wheeler, Kyle Mains, Kenny Burnside, Bobby Fuhr, Rob Allyn, Ralph Boirum, Marty Kelley, Russ Riddle, Jim Teza, Siri Maley, Red Whittaker, Heather Jones, Michael DiBono, Kenji Yonekawa, Chuck Whittaker, and Dave Yesso.

Twenty-five representatives from EM, FBP, the Savannah River National Laboratory, and Paducah Site watched or participated in the demonstration. It was the latest in a series involving a dozen research institutions and a consortium of private industry and labor, including Portsmouth United Steel Workers Local 689, that has tested and demonstrated 24 robotic technologies as part of EM’s science of safety and robotic technologies initiatives.

Robert Edwards, manager of EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office, said robotics will become a more integral and common component of the EM tool box with technological developments like the Radpiper.

“We believe this effort will lead to further deployment of robotics technology,” Edwards said. “That we could be using this system on the deactivation of the remaining Portsmouth process buildings, to be followed by Paducah’s, bodes well for safely accelerating the ultimate cleanup of the gaseous diffusion plants.”

-Contributors: Brad Mitzelfelt, Michelle Teeters

Hanford Commemorates 75-Year Anniversary With Fireside Chat

Panelists discuss past and present Hanford at an event titled “Evolution of the Secret City: A Fireside Chat about the Hanford Story.” Left to right, David Reeploeg, event moderator and vice president for federal programs for the Tri-City Development Council; Jack Briggs, former Tri-City Herald reporter and publisher; Mike Lawrence, former Richland Operations Office (RL) manager and community advocate; Doc Hastings, former U.S. congressman; Greg Jones, RL assistant manager for business and financial operations; and Eric Boyle, DOE historian.

RICHLAND, Wash. – More than 100 people recently commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Hanford Site at an event titled “Evolution of the Secret City: A Fireside Chat about the Hanford Story.”

A panel discussion focused on topics ranging from Hanford’s selection as a part of the Manhattan Project to the site’s current cleanup activities and future outlook. The event was televised on Pacific Northwest PBS stations.

Speakers included Richland Operations Office (RL) Assistant Manager for Business and Financial Operations Greg Jones, former RL manager and community advocate Mike Lawrence, former U.S. congressman Doc Hastings, DOE historian Eric Boyle, and former Tri-City Herald reporter and publisher Jack Briggs.

Boyle discussed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers choice of this area of Washington state to build the first full-scale nuclear reactor. He said the area was isolated, and close to cold water and power sources.

“After its selection for the Manhattan Project, the Hanford Site created opportunities that weren’t previously available,” Boyle said. “People came from all over the country to work on a project that would change the course of history.”

From weapons production to its current cleanup mission, the speakers talked about the site’s effect on the region and nation.

“We have a bias toward action,” Jones said. “While we have accomplished a lot of cleanup at Hanford, there is plenty of work ahead of us. We partner with contractors, the national laboratories, and academia to find solutions to cleanup challenges that can be tested in the laboratory, piloted in the field, and eventually used to do the cleanup.”

The fireside chat was hosted by Leidos, the managing partner of RL contractor Mission Support Alliance, the site’s service provider. The event was held at the REACH Museum in Richland. A video of the fireside chat is available here.

-Contributor: Patrick Conrad

State Honors Savannah River Site Prime Contractors With Safety Awards

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions employee Nancy Norris completes a sample analysis in the Savannah River Site F&H Laboratory in support of HB-Line and H-Canyon Operations

AIKEN, S.C. – For the third consecutive year, two Savannah River Site (SRS) prime contractors won the state of South Carolina’s Palmetto Shining Star Safety Award for exemplary safety performance.

The award, which reflects safety achievements in 2017, went to EM’s liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation (SRR) and management-and-operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS).

The contractors were recognized for having injury rates at least 75 percent below the South Carolina average injury rate for similar industries. The calendar year 2017 injury rate for SRR was 0.29 per 100 employees, and SRNS completed the year at 0.32 per 100 employees. The state’s average injury rate is 2.0 per 100 employees.

The SRR operations workforce recently exceeded a company record of 9 million hours without a workday lost to an injury. In June, the SRR construction workforce surpassed another record — 30 million hours, or 20 years, and counting — without injury.

SRNS, the largest employer of personnel at SRS, attained more than 10 million safe hours in 2017 without a workday lost to injury and recently surpassed 15 million safe hours in 2018.

SRR President and Project Manager Tom Foster said he was proud the SRR team puts safety first no matter the task.

“The significance of safety at Savannah River Remediation never changes,” Foster said. “That is why safety is the top value of our company — not just a priority. Winning the Palmetto Shining Star Safety Award again this year demonstrates our continued commitment to safety.”

Stuart MacVean, SRNS president and CEO, said the company's workforce has surpassed more than 10 million safe hours on three occasions while performing highly technical and often hazardous work since becoming the SRS management-and-operations contractor nearly 10 years ago.

“Their safety values speak to the heart of our company’s culture, which provides a strong and reliable foundation for completing our missions at SRS and delivering excellence to our clients each and every day,” MacVean said.

The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation presented certificates at the end of last month to 26 South Carolina-based companies recognizing safety excellence.

-Contributors: Angie Benfield, Colleen Hart

WVDP Upgrades Rail Spur to Improve Efficiency of Waste Disposal

A railroad worker uses a truck-mounted crane to safely place new rail ties along the West Valley Demonstration Project site rail spur tracks to prepare for repairs and straightening.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM is upgrading the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) site rail spur to allow for greater efficiency in shipping waste offsite.

Located south of the Main Plant Process Building, the 8,000-foot track connects to the Buffalo Pittsburgh Railroad’s main line. The spur has not been operational for several years, in part due to its poor condition.

EM would like to use the spur to transport waste for disposal from cleanup activities, including decommissioning of the Main Plant Process Building. Without access to the spur, EM would need to transport waste by truck to the railroad’s main line. The multiple modes of transportation are costlier.

“The completion of this work evolution will bring many benefits to the future cleanup of our EM site,” WVDP Director Bryan Bower said. “This work today will help accelerate decommissioning and remediation activities in the very near future.”

The project is scheduled for completion next month.

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

SRNL, FIU Collaborate on Fixative Testing to Better Stabilize Contamination

JP Pabon of EM’s Technology Development Office joined Florida International University students and Savannah River National Laboratory representatives in a demonstration of fixative techniques for radioactive materials.

AIKEN, S.C. – EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and Florida International University (FIU) are teaming to examine a range of fixative and coating materials that could be a major improvement to help stabilize residual contamination in excess nuclear facilities.

“Once you’ve ‘fixed’ the residual radioactive material in a building and/or a surface, you’ve substantially reduced risk and potential worker exposure,” SRNL engineer Michael Serrato said. “You’ve also created a much more stable envelope for any future disposition activity that may be selected for a facility. Once we can demonstrate the durability of the material we’re using, this can be a very significant tool to use in excess facilities around the world.”

Conventional decontamination and fixating platforms are widely used. Most, however, are inherently flammable. SRNL and FIU tested a number of commercial fixatives and decontamination agents based on parameters that included non-ideal environmental conditions, radiological exposure, and flame testing. FIU performed the flammability testing at temperatures up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

While a number of materials have been tested, the fixative material that looks most promising is a commercially available compound typically used as a fireproof coating in the commercial construction industry.

SRNL staff and FIU students conducted a cold test of the material in July at a mockup facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The mockup is being used as a training and test facility prior to radiological work in the 235-F facility, an inactive SRS facility that was once used in the processing of plutonium-238 for deep space missions. The cold testing allowed team members to demonstrate application techniques (direct pour versus spray coating application) and quality control measures, and gave the FIU students a firsthand look at the remediation challenges at an excess nuclear facility.

A field demonstration in two locations within the 235-F facility is scheduled for later this month.

Performance monitoring of the fixative material is planned over the last several months of 2018. The various demonstrations enable SRNL staff to develop formal testing standards that could be used in future applications. The activity is being carried out through EM's Technology Development Office and as part of the DOE-FIU Science and Technology Workforce Development Program, an innovative program between EM and FIU’s Applied Research Center designed to create a “pipeline” of minority engineers specifically trained and mentored to enter the DOE workforce in technical areas of need.

-Contributor: Will Callicott

EFCOG Recognizes SRS Contractors for Training, Contractor Assurance

Left to right, Kevin Whitt and Darlene Murdoch of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and Aparajita Ellis of Savannah River Remediation were recognized with Energy Facility Contractors Group teamwork awards for delivering solutions to some of the organization’s most pressing needs.

AIKEN, S.C. – An organization of DOE contractor employees recently honored personnel at the Savannah River Site (SRS) for exceptional team performances.

The Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) bestowed the awards on Darlene Murdoch and Kevin Whitt of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) and Aparajita Ellis of Savannah River Remediation (SRR). SRNS is the SRS management-and-operations contractor and SRR is EM’s liquid waste contractor.

The organization recognized Whitt and members of the EFCOG Training Working Group for partnering with other EFCOG members from DOE sites to develop standardized training programs and methods across the complex. Whitt is the SRNS training director.

“By standardizing the training material and teaching strategies across the DOE complex, we are better able to administer industry-leading and, most importantly, uniform training curriculum at every DOE site,” Whitt said. “This also allows greater flexibility for employee mobility between sites and reduces risks associated with various teaching curriculums and instruction methods.”

Their efforts addressed an EFCOG focus to better integrate business and operational practices among sites.

Murdoch is SRNS director of operational excellence and Ellis is SRR director of contractor assurance. They lead the EFCOG Contractor Assurance Working Group. EFCOG honored them for collaborating on a system to measure the effectiveness of DOE sites’ contractor assurance systems.

“The DOE Contractor Assurance System ensures transparency between DOE and their contractors,” Murdoch said. “It is an important program that safeguards the most effective use of taxpayer dollars and assures proper alignment of the DOE and its contractors to accomplish mission needs in the most effective way possible.”

Ellis said their work is beneficial to taxpayers, and DOE and its contractors.

“Ultimately, these tools will allow us greater competency to complete our missions safely and efficiently, which leads to more effective use of federal tax dollars,” Ellis said.

-Contributor: Angie Benfield

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