EM Update | Vol. 10, Issue 46 | Nov. 20, 2018

• Oak Ridge Crews Finish Removing Mercury-Contaminated Equipment
• EM Sites Donate Thousands of Pounds of Food to People in Need
• Robotic Crawlers Inspect Bottom of Hanford Double-Shell Tank
• Hanford Site Workers and Their Families Pitch in for Turkey Drive
• Idaho Site Completes Third Fuel Shipment to Research Reactors in 2018
• Oak Ridge Highlights EM Career Diversity at Local High School
• West Valley Crews Collect 360 Turkeys, Other Food for Area Families
• Infrastructure Improvements Enhance Paducah Safety, Sustainability
• Next EM Update Scheduled for Dec. 4

Oak Ridge Crews Finish Removing Mercury-Contaminated Equipment

Machines take apart former tanks and more than 10,000 feet of piping before disposition at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and cleanup contractor UCOR have completed demolition of the West Column Exchange (COLEX) equipment at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12), reducing the threat of mercury releases into the environment, removing a significant structural risk, and clearing the way for future demolitions. Watch this video about the project. 

   “This project highlights our program’s value and impact to one of the nation’s most important national security sites,” OREM Manager Jay Mullis said. “Through this investment, we directly addressed mercury, our top priority at Y-12, and paved the way for future projects that will eliminate risks and open land for future missions.”

Last used in the 1960s, the mercury-contaminated West Column Exchange equipment became rusted and structurally degraded over the year.

   The mercury-contaminated COLEX equipment was connected to the four-story 500,000-square-foot Alpha-4 building, which was used for uranium separation from 1944 to 1945. Workers finished installing the COLEX equipment in 1955 for lithium separation, a process requiring large amounts of mercury. A significant amount of mercury was lost into the equipment, buildings, and surrounding soils, and its cleanup is one of EM’s top priorities.

   During the 18-month project, crews recovered nearly 6,500 pounds of mercury from the rusted and structurally degraded equipment. The teams also completed asbestos abatement; drained and removed more than 10,000 feet of mercury-contaminated piping; and removed tanks, condensers, heat exchangers, and a 1.6-million-pound mezzanine structure.

A view of the west end of Alpha-4 after teams finished demolishing and removing the West Column Exchange equipment.

   The project posed several unique challenges. The cleanup was conducted in a high-security protected area on a National Nuclear Security Administration footprint, requiring frequent integration with Y-12 personnel. The elemental mercury also introduced a new worker hazard that had not been encountered during major cleanup operations at other Oak Ridge cleanup sites.

   “Our crews were accustomed to addressing the uranium process hazards found at the East Tennessee Technology Park,” said Daniel Beckworth, UCOR’s Y-12 cleanup enterprise program manager. “At COLEX, much of our planning focused on preparing the workforce for the hazards presented by mercury.”

Crews retrieved nearly 6,500 pounds of mercury from the West Column Exchange pipes and equipment before demolition.

   The COLEX demolition project was part of DOE’s Excess Contaminated Facilities Initiative, which is intended to eliminate risks in non-operational facilities with no future mission. These projects improve worker safety and reduce the cost and complexity of future cleanup by removing risks and helping prevent further migration of contaminants.

   “I am proud of this team — how they faced and overcame the new challenges associated with mercury cleanup,” Beckworth said. “The experience gave us a sound understanding of what lies ahead with other mercury-contaminated facilities that we will face in the future.”

-Contributor: Kelly Rhodes

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EM Sites Donate Thousands of Pounds of Food to People in Need

Benjamin Crock served as a team lead for the Office of River Protection’s (ORP) Feds Feed Families campaign. ORP staff donated the equivalent of about 13,566 pounds of food for the local community between food and monetary contributions.

   EM federal and contractor employees across the DOE complex donated tens of thousands of pounds of food for people in need during this year’s annual Feds Feed Families campaign.

   At the Hanford Site, the Office of River Protection (ORP) exceeded its goal of 10,000 pounds of food donations. ORP employees collected 566 pounds of food and donated $2,165 to local food banks. The cash donations equal about 13,000 pounds of food, bringing the ORP campaign total to nearly 13,600 pounds.

   "These donations make a significant difference in our local community, and are especially needed as we get closer to the holidays," ORP Manager Brian Vance said. "I'm proud of our staff for their generosity and for exceeding our goal of 10,000 pounds for the second straight year."

Richland Operations Office employees consolidated food donations for delivery to the local food bank.

   The Richland Operations Office (RL) beat its goal for this year’s campaign and gathered tons more in food donations than the previous year. A final push hauled in 5,000 pounds and brought the RL total to 8,097 pounds, surpassing by far the RL campaign goal of 3,000 pounds.

   “I’m very proud of Richland employees for stepping up for this great cause,” RL Manager Doug Shoop said. “Some friendly competition among our divisions helped boost donations, but the true benefit has been helping others in need together.”

From left, Gary Wilson of cleanup contractor Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, and Jason Story, Chris Moore, and Jeff Burnett of infrastructure contractor Swift & Staley load donated food items onto trucks at the Paducah Site.

Employees of Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion contractor Mid-America Conversion Services load food donations at their Lexington, Kentucky office.

Dewintus Powell, left, of the Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office, with Rob Downard of the Ross County Ohio Good Samaritan Network Food Pantry at a donation drop-off.

   The Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) sent more food to local nonprofits for distribution to people in need this year than ever before, said PPPO’s Susan Sparks, who coordinates the annual drive.

   “Thanks to the efforts of our employees and contractors, we added substantial weight to the shelves of Ohio and Kentucky charity food banks this year,” Sparks said.

   Employees at PPPO’s three locations collected nearly 30,000 pounds of donations. This included 20,333 pounds from the Paducah Site in Kentucky, 6,310 pounds from the Portsmouth Site in Ohio, and 3,089 pounds from PPPO’s office in Lexington, Kentucky.

Corpus Christi Food Pantry coordinators Diane and Phil Arnold accept food donations from EM Consolidated Business Center staff.

   The Feds Feed Families campaign conducted by the EM Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) in Cincinnati supports food pantries across the Cincinnati area.

   EMCBC employees donated more than 1,100 pounds of food. The center noted that three employees each brought in over 200 pounds of items.

   “We have a great organization that shows their generosity and connection to our community in so many ways,” EMCBC Director Kash Grimes said. “Feds Feed Families is a wonderful cause and provides a great opportunity to give back in such a meaningful way.”

-Contributors: Kim Johnson, David Sheeley, Geoff Tyree

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Robotic Crawlers Inspect Bottom of Hanford Double-Shell Tank

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM’s Office of River Protection (ORP) and tank farms contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) are starting to get to the bottom of things when it comes to learning more about Hanford’s double-shell liquid waste tanks.

   For the first time, they recently deployed two visual inspection platforms through the refractory air slots of tank AP-107. Both platforms — one designed and constructed by WRPS subcontractors Veolia and Inuktun, and the other by WRPS subcontractor Adaptive Energy — navigated the full radius of the refractory to the center of the primary tank, a distance of more than 35 feet. The refractory, which sits between the primary tank and secondary liner, has a pattern of 2½-inch slots for cooling of the primary tank. All of Hanford’s double-shell tanks are 75 feet in diameter with a capacity of at least one million gallons.

   “ORP and WRPS are thrilled with the results,” said Jeremy Johnson, ORP deputy federal project director for tank farms. “The inspections revealed that the tank bottom and refractory pad appear to be in excellent condition with no signs of significant degradation.”

Deployment of two crawler systems in the refractory of AP-107 was the culmination of years of research and collaboration with experts in robotics and nondestructive examination, as well as the testing of different tools and technologies. At left is the inspection system designed and constructed by Washington River Protection Solutions subcontractor Adaptive Energy.

This inspection system was designed and constructed by Washington River Protection Solutions subcontractors Veolia and Inuktun.

   For several years, ORP has been committed to gaining a better understanding of existing and emerging tank integrity issues. One of the greatest needs has been to find a technology to visually inspect the bottom of primary tanks. The deployment of the two crawler systems was the culmination of extensive research, collaborating with experts in robotics and nondestructive examination and testing different tools and technologies.

   “It’s extremely rewarding for so many people associated with the effort,” said Jason Gunter, a WRPS engineer. “Developing and implementing the tools to visually inspect the underbelly of primary tanks will help us achieve our ultimate goal to support extended service lives of the double-shell tanks.”

   Both inspection systems feature “marsupial” crawlers, similar to a mother robot carrying and releasing smaller robotic inspection devices. The larger crawler enters the carbon steel tank through a riser, clings to the primary tank wall with magnets, travels along the sidewall, and launches the smaller inspection tools into the air slots.

   One of the crawlers lines up with air slot entrances at the base of the primary tank to send a micro-crawler into the refractory pad. The micro-crawler carries two visual inspection cameras at the front and rear with integrated lighting and temperature and radiation sensors.

   The other inspection system is carried by Hanford’s existing ultrasonic testing crawler fleet used for regular tank inspections. The system features a new cable push-and-pull attachment that guides and pushes a camera via its rigid tether through the air slots.

   While deployment of these technologies is a positive first step, it is only the start of much more work to come, Johnson said.

   “We’re pleased that both crawler systems were highly successful and we’re eager to advance these platforms and develop additional sensors that will help us learn more about the condition of the tank bottoms, much like we currently do for the tank walls,” he said.

-Contributor: Mark McKenna

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Hanford Site Workers and Their Families Pitch in for Turkey Drive

This is the second year employees with EM Richland Operations Office contractor Mission Support Alliance and their family members sorted food for Second Harvest’s Turkey Drive.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Employees from EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) and their families pitched in for people in need this Thanksgiving holiday.

   MSA teamed up with Second Harvest, a community organization focused on fighting hunger, to sort food as part of the annual Turkey Drive.

   The Turkey Drive is one of Second Harvest’s biggest food-collecting events and helps provide 2,600 warm holiday meals to families in the community. Volunteers spent a Friday afternoon sorting apples and onions for holiday meal boxes.

Bruce Pritchard with EM Richland Operations Office contractor Mission Support Alliance brought his three granddaughters, from left, Trista, Sloan, and Haiden, to volunteer at Second Harvest.

   Volunteering is a great team building activity or a nice way to spend an afternoon with your family,” MSA’s Renee Brooks said. “Look up volunteer opportunities in your community — we’re sure you won’t regret it!”

   In a matter of two hours, volunteers sorted more than 20,000 pounds of food, freeing up time for Second Harvest staff members to focus on other projects. The volunteers noted that the experience helped them better understand the need within the community.

-Contributor: Lori Araujo

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Idaho Site Completes Third Fuel Shipment to Research Reactors in 2018

A crew readies a transport cask for the shipment of Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics fuel.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – EM and cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho recently completed the third and final shipment of lightly irradiated fuel elements from the DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory Site this year, supplying material needed to power a research reactor.

   Crews sent the fuel in a cask certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to the University of Texas (UT) in Austin — the second fuel shipment to UT this year. A third shipment earlier this year had gone to a research reactor at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Denver.

   With an additional 39 fuel elements, UT has sufficient fuel elements onsite to continue operations for approximately the next 10 years.

   UT and USGS had expressed a need for additional fuel elements for their reactors. Fluor Idaho personnel identified fuel elements in storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center that were usable in the UT and USGS reactors, and coordinated the effort with NRC.

   “I’m pleased we were able to identify the existence of lightly irradiated uranium fuel within our inventory and provide it to both the University of Texas and USGS for their very important work,” Fluor Idaho Nuclear Project Engineer Alan Robb said.

   The fuel elements are for Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) reactors, which were designed in part by nuclear physicist Edward Teller and mathematician and physicist Freeman Dyson. They are pool-type reactors, which don’t require the kind of containment needed for large commercial nuclear power plants. Several TRIGA reactors are still operated by U.S. universities, government entities, and private companies.

   The TRIGA reactor at UT’s Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory reached initial criticality in 1992 with a licensed power limit of 1.1 megawatt. The facility supports education, research, and other work through elemental analysis, neutron research, and isotope production. In a typical year, the laboratory analyzes 1,000 to 2,000 samples and completes two dozen isotope shipments for other organizations. The UT nuclear program includes hands-on courses using the reactor, and has granted 69 doctoral and 122 master’s degrees since 1997.

   The USGS’s 1-megawatt TRIGA reactor has irradiated nearly half a million rock, mineral, plant, and animal specimen samples to determine their elemental compositions since the reactor first went online in 1969.

   Last year, EM, Fluor Idaho, and DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy worked together to provide TRIGA fuel elements for a University of Maryland research reactor.

-Contributor: Erik Simpson

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Oak Ridge Highlights EM Career Diversity at Local High School

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Employees from DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) spoke with freshmen and sophomores enrolled in computer science classes at a Knoxville high school last week.

   While environmental cleanup is not usually associated with that field of study, Hardin Valley Academy computer science and web design instructor Sandra Blount invited the employees after viewing a 3-D virtual tour created by OREM Graphic Specialist David Brown.

   With public outreach and community involvement as cornerstones of OREM’s mission, the employees were excited to discuss science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects related to DOE and EM.

   They kicked off their presentation with a brief history of DOE and its origin in science and engineering before fast forwarding 75 years to the Department’s current diverse missions. The students then learned about the Oak Ridge’s EM program and all of the STEM careers needed to achieve its cleanup mission from nuclear, chemical, and civil engineers to environmental scientists, biologists, toxicologists, and graphic designers such as Brown.

Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management Graphic Specialist David Brown speaks to students in Hardin Valley Academy’s computer science classes. The screen behind him shows a sample of the coding he uses to create 3-D virtual models.

   Brown shared his education and career background with the students. Years before his career at OREM, he was a student working toward a fine arts degree and a manager of a sign shop. During that time, he bought a computer and discovered a community of developers and an interest in developing video games. The gaming enthusiast was then offered a position at one of the world’s largest video game development companies.

   “Hopefully, they left understanding the importance of embracing learning, and realizing they have the ability to begin pursuing their dreams and refining their craft now,” Brown said. “These students have so many more resources available to help them on their journey than when I began in this field.”

Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) Graphic Specialist David Brown created this 3-D rendering of the Mercury Treatment Facility, which OREM will begin constructing in 2019.

A 3-D model of the planned Equipment Building and Viewing Tower associated with Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management’s (OREM) historic preservation efforts at the East Tennessee Technology Park. OREM Graphic Specialist David Brown produced this model.

   Brown is responsible for all of the graphics and visualization needs for OREM. After joining the organization, he applied his video game development background to transform his role in graphic design into one involving coding, scripting, design, and world building.

   Brown has completed 3-D projects that educate viewers about Oak Ridge’s past and its vision for the future. These projects have ranged from helping OREM promote its cleanup strategy associated with a new mercury treatment facility and engineered disposal facility to recreating a 1950s replica of the former K-25 site for visitors at the K-25 History Center.

   “It was exciting that some students expressed interest in entering web and game development careers,” Brown said. “If some students choose other fields, the main takeaway is that they can create jobs they enjoy by being proactive, growing, and expanding their job description.”

-Contributor: Ben Williams

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West Valley Crews Collect 360 Turkeys, Other Food for Area Families

Crews from EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project Site gather alongside pallets stocked with donated food for delivery to area food pantries.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – Workers at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Site held its annual food drive last week, a tradition that has delivered more than 1.8 million pounds of food to people in need since its inception in 1989.

   “I am honored to be a part of an event that makes a difference in our community,” EM WVDP Director Bryan Bower said. “The amount of food collected year after year demonstrates the generosity and kindness of our employees.”

Volunteers deliver 40 turkeys and other items to the Saving Grace Food Pantry as part of this year’s West Valley Demonstration Project Annual Food Drive.

   This year’s drive collected more than 108,000 pounds of turkeys and other items for nine area food pantries serving hundreds of families — surpassing the goal of 100,000 pounds. The volunteers formed two teams to deliver 360 turkeys plus cases of food to the pantries for this holiday season.

   “The success of our food drive is a direct result of the goodness of our employees, partners, and subcontractors,” said Lettie Chilson, WVDP facility manager and food drive coordinator. “It demonstrates the positive impact that kindness can have on a community. The WVDP Food Drive helps to improve the quality of life for our neighbors serviced by the local pantries.”

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

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Infrastructure Improvements Enhance Paducah Safety, Sustainability

Railcars await shipments scheduled to depart the Paducah Site where extensive repairs and maintenance ensure continued rail availability.

PADUCAH, Ky. – EM recently completed several infrastructure improvements aimed at ensuring safety, health, and security at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site.

   “The Paducah plant was constructed in the early 1950s, so aging facilities need to be addressed from time to time,” Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) Manager Robert Edwards said. “Even though there’s no more uranium enrichment at Paducah, we have approximately 1,200 people who need a safe working environment.”

One section of the miles of new boundary fence at the Paducah Site.

   Swift & Staley, Inc. (SSI), PPPO’s small-business prime contractor responsible for infrastructure support services, recently completed a number of projects to enhance the site’s safe operational environment, including railroad repairs, installation of security fencing, and resurfacing of parking lots and sidewalks.

   Crews replaced more than 2,200 railroad ties, more than 100 switch ties, and multiple sections of worn or damaged tracks to ensure rail integrity and availability. Major site missions, including deactivation and remediation, and conversion of depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) rely heavily on rail to transport materials.

Crews installed new heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning units on an EM office building roof.

   The site’s size — it’s situated on approximately 3,500 acres — and rural location bordering a state wildlife management area require more than 6 miles of security fencing. SSI installed new fencing to delineate the site boundary, along with fence flags and signs to enhance safety for wildlife and the public.

   Continuing its focus on sustainability, PPPO authorized replacement of its site-office roof with an energy efficient roofing system. SSI replaced the building’s aging heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning units, and installed safe walking surfaces for maintenance workers.

A before-and-after view of a repaired sidewalk location.

Swift & Staley employees recently celebrated 1 million safe work hours.

   To further prevent slips, trips, and falls, SSI worked with other site contractors to identify and replace several sidewalks and other uneven surface areas. They addressed broken concrete, raised and depressed areas caused by ground movement, and other similar concerns. Parking lots with deteriorated pavement were milled, repaved, and restriped. Repaving increased useable space and allowed closure of less-safe gravel lots. Handicap parking, pedestrian crosswalks, and signage were brought up to current requirements.

   Project Manager Tammy Courtney said SSI works projects like these while maintaining core infrastructure support services and safety standards.

   “We conducted this work while maintaining our primary focus of safety,” she said, adding that the local company achieved 1 million hours without a lost-work-time injury in September.

   Multiple additional projects are underway, including construction of a new security and badging office, access-control system, and firing range for the site protective force, Courtney said.

-Contributor: Debora Jolly

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Next EM Update Scheduled for Dec. 4

   We will not be publishing an EM Update newsletter on Tuesday, Nov. 27. We will return to our regular publishing schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Happy Thanksgiving!

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