Heavy Lifts Move Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Construction Forward; Oak Ridge’s UCOR Earns 96 Percent of Available Fee for Second Half of Fiscal 2018; and much more!

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EM Update | Vol. 10, Issue 49 | Dec. 18, 2018

Heavy Lifts Move Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Construction Forward
Oak Ridge’s UCOR Earns 96 Percent of Available Fee for Second Half of FY18
Savannah River Site Security Contractor Receives ‘Excellent’ Scorecard Rating
ORP Tank Operations Contractor Earns 93 Percent of Available Fee in Fiscal 2018
SOCRATES Extracts Wisdom from Hanford Groundwater Data
SRS Crews Apply Lessons Learned to Reduce Radiation Exposure Risk
Hanford’s T Plant Legacy Lives on With New Mission
Family Science Saturdays in Oak Ridge Spur Interest in STEM Careers
Hanford Site Contractors in the Giving Spirit This Holiday Season
Paducah Site Workers Educate Girls About STEM Careers

Heavy Lifts Move Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Construction Forward

Using a heavy-lift crane, workers install a 40-ton evaporator unit inside the effluent management facility under construction at Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The module was constructed at ground level as a unit and then lifted into place.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Construction progressed at the EM Office of River Protection’s (ORP) Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) as crews recently lifted major components into place at the effluent management facility (EMF).

Workers used a heavy lift crane to safely install the evaporator unit and two structural steel roof modules — each weighing more than 40 tons.

The placements were key activities toward completing construction of the final Balance of Facilities (BOF) support building required to deliver EM’s direct feed low-activity waste vitrification approach.

During the vitrification process, secondary liquids are generated from the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility melter off-gas system. These liquids will then go to the EMF where excess water is evaporated and transferred to Hanford’s nearby Liquid Effluent Retention Facility, while the remaining concentrate is sent back into the vitrification process.

“The evaporator unit is the primary EMF capability and bringing the equipment into the building is a significant construction accomplishment for the team,” said Jason Young, ORP BOF federal project director.

A 40-ton structural steel roof module is lifted into place atop the effluent management facility under construction at Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The module was assembled at ground level and then lifted into place to increase worker safety and allow other concurrent construction.

The evaporator unit is a 45-ton tower that includes the evaporator vessel, associated shielding plate, and steel structural support. The assembled unit measures 45 feet tall and 20 feet wide. The evaporator is the heart of EMF and allows the plant to operate efficiently by removing excess water while sending the remaining concentrated liquid back into the vitrification process.

The first roof module installed weighs 45 tons, measures 67 foot by 63 foot, and includes more than 500 feet of pre-installed fire protection pipes. The second roof module is 40 tons, 61 feet by 68 feet, and includes more than 600 feet of piping.

Crews constructed the roof modules and pre-installed the piping at ground level, reducing the amount of work performed at heights inside the building. This strategy allowed concurrent work inside the building, made more efficient use of space, and enhanced safety.

-Contributor: Ian Klei

Oak Ridge’s UCOR Earns 96 Percent of Available Fee for Second Half of FY18

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – EM recently awarded its Oak Ridge Site cleanup contractor nearly $10.7 million for its performance from April 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2018, amounting to 96 percent of the total fee available.

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) recently issued its six-month fee determination scorecard for UCOR after completing its evaluation of the contractor. 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.

According to the scorecard and OREM’s correspondence to UCOR regarding the fee determination, the contractor received “excellent” ratings for project management and business systems, and regulatory and stakeholder activity; a “good” rating for worker safety, health, and quality management; and “high confidence” for cost and schedule incentive. Indicators such as cost and schedule indexes reflect a contract that performs well against a cost and schedule plan.

Before and after the Toxic Substances Control Act Incinerator demolition at the Oak Ridge Site: The facility treated more than 35 million pounds of waste during its 18 years of operations. Crews completed the project in September.

The contractor had several significant accomplishments, including:

Partnering with DOE well in advance to prioritize cleanup of the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP).
Developing an innovative approach to remove asbestos-laden transite panels in Building K-633, reducing the time and cost to prepare the building for demolition.
Progressing with site preparations for the Outfall 200 Mercury Treatment Facility despite challenging conditions, including an issue involving installation of process and effluent piping.
Establishing an independent team to study the feasibility of in-situ decommissioning of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment salt tanks as a cost effective solution that could ensure long-term protection of the environment.
Exceeding small business subcontracting goals and recognizing subcontractors for outstanding support in the cleanup.
Organizing productive meetings with the City of Oak Ridge to transfer infrastructure at ETTP to the city.

Additionally, UCOR received the National Safety Council 2018 Community Advancement Award, which recognizes organizational commitment to health and safety programs. The contractor also identified a number of opportunities to reuse materials, minimize waste disposal costs, and maximize waste disposal capacity.

OREM also noted opportunities for improvements. UCOR experienced instances of inadequate hazard identification and inconsistent program implementation. Failure of a backup steam turbine for the Central Off-Gas System at Building 3082 temporarily impacted operations of several Oak Ridge National Laboratory facilities and highlighted inadequacies in the availability of critical spare parts. A DOE assessment of the UCOR electrical safety program found numerous safety hazards.

View the scorecard here.

-Contributor: David Sheeley

Savannah River Site Security Contractor Receives ‘Excellent’ Scorecard Rating

As the Savannah River Site (SRS) security contractor, Centerra-SRS provides access control, property protection, law enforcement, aviation support, alarm assessment, and a tactical special response team with advanced weaponry.

AIKEN, S.C. – Savannah River Site (SRS) security contractor Centerra-SRS earned an overall “excellent” performance rating and $2.97 million, or 94 percent of the available fee for the DOE evaluation period of April 1, 2018 through Sept. 30, 2018, according to an award fee determination scorecard.

“The Centerra-SRS achievements and accomplishments during this performance rating period demonstrate overall excellent practices in protection of SRS national security interests and resources,” SRS Manager and Fee Determination Official Mike Budney said.

During this performance period, Centerra-SRS effectively executed the SRS security mission in law enforcement operations, at the site perimeter barricades, and at sensitive national security facilities in protection of special nuclear materials.

Following are Centerra-SRS achievements detailed in the scorecard:

The perimeter protection department safely conducted over 43,000 random vehicle inspections and completed over 240 incident reports involving violations of site entry and exit requirements, and prohibited and controlled articles.
Law enforcement officers conducted effective traffic enforcement, accident investigations, and responses to calls for service.
Employees successfully completed the procurement and installation of laptops in law enforcement vehicles to provide real-time access to the National Crime Information Center.
The aviation operations department maintained operational readiness in support of the mission. While on a routine security overflight, the helicopter fire team discovered a large plume of smoke on-site. The pilots relayed a visual of the fire scene to the SRS Operations Center to assist in monitoring and managing the threat of danger to site operations, buildings, and employees.
Centerra-SRS employees worked 319 days and more than 1.25 million hours without a lost workday injury.

The scorecard also highlighted the contractor’s proactive training and preparations for response actions, effective recruiting and training of protective force members, and cost control initiatives.

The report also noted performance deficiencies, such as failure to adhere to procedures involving equipment issue and turn-in, inattentiveness to duty, minor vehicle accidents, and unauthorized electronic equipment on post. Each deficiency was addressed with appropriate corrective actions.

Centerra-SRS has soundly demonstrated diligence to both address noted performance deficiencies and meet the challenges ahead in support of ongoing critical missions at SRS, Budney said.

View the Centerra-SRS scorecard here.

ORP Tank Operations Contractor Earns 93 Percent of Available Fee in Fiscal 2018

Washington River Protection Solutions employees remove a failed pump from double-shell tank AW-106.

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM awarded the Office of River Protection (ORP) tank operations contractor $47.9 million of an available $51.3 million fee for the fiscal year from Oct. 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018, according to a recently released scorecard.

EM evaluated the performance of Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) against 11 subjective criteria and 14 performance-based incentives. For the 11 subjective criteria, WRPS received two “excellent” ratings, seven “very good” ratings, and two “good” ratings.

“I saw very good commitment from the WRPS team toward accomplishing its goals this year,” ORP Manager Brian Vance said. “The entire ORP team, including our contractors, is focused on the culture shift toward treatment of low-activity waste, and WRPS’ actions will lay the foundations for accomplishing that mission.”

EM gave the contractor the “excellent” ratings for its focus on safety program implementation and nuclear safety. WRPS employees worked nearly 8.5 million hours, or 600 days, without a lost-time injury, due to the contractor’s continued emphasis on safety, safety culture, and worker engagement. WRPS also demonstrated two new robotic technologies to inspect the primary tank bottom of double-shell tanks during the performance evaluation period.

Other criteria for the award fee included management of single-shell and double-shell tank systems; performance of tank farm project conduct of operations; cost and management performance; the quality assurance program; environmental regulatory management; contractor assurance system; support for direct-feed low-activity waste and Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant commissioning; integration and implementation of comprehensive vapor actions; and management of the low-activity waste pretreatment system.

WRPS’s highest awards for performance-based incentives included improvements to tank farms infrastructure, C Tank Farm retrievals; A/AX Tank Farm retrievals; work done by the contractor’s chief technology office; and the development of a comprehensive vapor action plan.

View the WRPS fiscal 2018 scorecard here.

SOCRATES Extracts Wisdom from Hanford Groundwater Data

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s suite of analytical software uses data to graphically represent groundwater contamination for Hanford Site environmental remediation and management.

RICHLAND, Wash. – One of the largest cleanup challenges in the world is the 580-square-mile Hanford Site. Four decades of nuclear energy production, spanning World War II through the Cold War, left an array of chemicals in soil and groundwater across the site.

As cleanup progresses, site managers need to identify exit strategies for remedies such as groundwater pump-and-treat systems. These decisions require the ability to quantify trends in data and calculate technically-defensible metrics that describe contaminant concentration levels in size and over time.

To help EM evaluate the data, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) developed a set of online software tools that perform multiple types of analyses on environmental data collected from over 2,000 groundwater monitoring wells.

The suite of tools, funded by DOE’s Deep Vadose Zone Program, is called SOCRATES. These tools provide practical results from scientific data and ultimately advance Hanford’s groundwater cleanup mission.

SOCRATES stands for a Suite of Comprehensive Rapid Analysis Tools for Environmental Sites. It’s also a clever reflection of its namesake.

“Ancient Greek philosophers observed and interpreted the world around them, forming the early basis for western science and natural philosophy,” said Vicky Freedman, principal investigator for the SOCRATES tool suite. “We captured all these tools under the name SOCRATES because we can use them to readily analyze and interpret subsurface conditions and support site management.”

Socrates pursued knowledge through questioning, then examining the implications of the answers. The modules in the Socrates tool suite are named after like-minded ancient Greek philosophers. SOCRATES currently includes four modules, each with an instructional user guide:

GALEN: Groundwater AnaLytics for the ENvironment. GALEN analyzes water level data to understand changes over time and to determine groundwater flow directions and gradients. This module was named after Galen, a physician who discovered that arteries carry blood.
PLATO: PLume Analysis TOol. PLATO provides a framework for seamless access to multiple data sources, allowing a user to quickly and consistently perform analyses to quantify groundwater contaminant plume dynamics and answer questions that support remedial decisions. PLATO implements data-driven, quantitative analyses based on published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance and standard statistical methods. Plato, the preeminent Greek philosopher of his time, emphasized the abilities to think and reason rather than depend on the senses to perceive knowledge.
ION: Images ONline. ION provides image visualization capabilities for electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data acquired on the Hanford Site. ERT is a geophysical technique for imaging the subsurface using electrical resistivity measurements made at the surface, or by electrodes located in boreholes. Ion of Chios, a versatile writer, dramatist, lyric poet, and philosopher, placed himself as interpreter of history and the human condition.
ARIUS: A Remote-sensing Image USer Interface. This visualization tool integrates remote-sensing images to reveal changes in surface elevation over time. This information can be used for early detection of waste site subsidence and potential catastrophic events. While land-based routine physical surveys are feasible for monitoring changes in surface elevation, airborne or spaceborne remote sensing methods are more cost- and time-effective. Arius was a teacher of philosophy and advisor to the emperor Augustus who summarized Peripatetic and Platonist philosophy. The term Peripatetic means "of walking" or "given to walking about."

-Contributors: Patrick Royer, Chris Johnson, Paul Weidert, Mike Truex, Jason Bai, Ryan Williams, John Garza, and Vicky Freedman

SRS Crews Apply Lessons Learned to Reduce Radiation Exposure Risk

A 235-F risk reduction team operator works in a glovebox with specialized gloves to reduce the risk of radiation exposure.

AIKEN, S.C. – Savannah River Site (SRS) employees working in the contaminated Plutonium Fuel Form (PuFF) Facility are applying lessons learned and using commercially available products to lower their risk of radiation exposure.

Workers with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s management and operations contractor, now wear surgical gloves and sleeves while conducting EM cleanup work inside gloveboxes in the facility, which is housed within Building 235-F. The PuFF Facility has been inactive for more than 25 years.

The gloves are used in the medical industry to protect surgeons’ hands from radiation generated by x-ray machines or procedures involving nuclear medicine, while the lead sleeves protect their arms.

“Earlier in my career, I was working in another area on-site and we were faced with the potential for significant exposure to the worker’s extremities,” 235-F Radiation Protection Manager Sean Barr said. “SRNS encourages us to have a questioning attitude and, with management support, I started doing research. I found that tungsten gloves and lead sleeves were commercially available products that might be able to help us reduce rates for our workers.” Tungsten is a dense metal used in radiation shielding.

Barr said SRS recognized the need for the additional worker protections after EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) detailed how much plutonium (pu)-238 was left over in the PuFF Facility. SRNL had worked with the 235-F Risk Reduction Team to determine that an estimated 1,500 grams of pu-238 remain within the PuFF Facility's shielded cells.

Combining the gloves, sleeves, and lead aprons while working with pu-238 reduces the potential for external radiation exposure by 97 percent, according to SRS.

“Our employees are encouraged to find new and or improved ways of doing their work,” SRNS EM Operations Senior Vice President Wyatt Clark said. “This is a perfect example of how SRNS employees are empowered to find better ways to do work safely and efficiently.”

Crews are set to clean up the PuFF Facility’s nine cells by removing pu-238 and pu-238-contaminated equipment.

They've prepared the cells for this cleanup by removing fixed combustibles, upgrading the fire detection system, de-energizing unneeded electrical circuits, draining and cleaning shield windows after their partial disassembly, and installing light sources.

Any pu-238 and tools containing pu-238 will be safely stored for eventual packaging and shipment to EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico for disposal.

Building 235-F contains a residual amount of pu-238, which was used as a heat source to power deep space missions. The building is a two-story, blast-resistant, windowless, reinforced concrete building. The PuFF Facility manufactured spheres and pellets out of pu-238 to provide electric power for deep space missions such as the Galileo space probe to Jupiter, launched from the Space Shuttle Atlantis in October 1989.

Because of the way the spheres and pellets were made, the pu-238 was left in some cells as a very fine particulate dust that is easily disturbed. Workers are currently removing materials from the PuFF Facility.

“We are committed to reducing risk by removing as much material from the facility as practical,” Clark said. “But most importantly, we are committed to ensuring the safety of our workers in the process.”

-Contributor: Lindsey MonBarren

Hanford’s T Plant Legacy Lives on With New Mission

RICHLAND, Wash. – A historic building on the Hanford Site has a new mission. T Plant is the oldest continuously operating nuclear facility in the world, and it now plays a key role in EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company’s effort to move highly radioactive sludge away from the Columbia River. This video tells the story.

-Contributor: John Wilkerson

Family Science Saturdays in Oak Ridge Spur Interest in STEM Careers

UCOR Deputy Waste Disposition Manager Clint Mori talks with students at Family Science Saturday about how he uses engineering solutions in his job.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – What does an assortment of spaghetti, scotch tape, marshmallows, and lots of recycled soda cans have in common?

They’re all part of an engaging weekend science outing for elementary and middle school students hosted by UCOR, the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) lead cleanup contractor.

To assist EM in developing the next generation of science professionals, UCOR is sponsoring Family Science Saturdays at the new American Museum of Science and Energy facility.

These events focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics activities. The workshops feature a team activity, construction of mini-robots, and a guest speaker who shares engineering and environmental restoration challenges.

“We are committed to being a valuable STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) resource in the community to help develop the next generation of scientific professionals, and we appreciate UCOR’s innovative efforts to introduce young minds to these fields,” OREM Manager Jay Mullis said.

American Museum of Science and Energy Science Educator Kathleen Lyon measures structure heights in the “marshmallow challenge.”

At each event, guest speakers prepare students to think about how an engineering solution — like a robot — might be developed to assist environmental engineering work. The students analyze goals, challenges, and potential solutions, followed by examples used by UCOR’s employees. These employees discuss challenges and guide students through scenarios based on their actual work in Oak Ridge.

The team building activity, led by Dr. Alicia Laffoon of Tennessee Technological University, divides students into groups for a “marshmallow challenge.” With materials consisting of dry spaghetti sticks, tape, string, and a marshmallow, the challenge encourages teamwork as groups compete to build the tallest freestanding structure with a marshmallow on top.

The mini-robots, which participants construct from recycled cans, introduce students to green concepts, such as repurposing, upcycling, and alternative energy. With robots such as the “Tin Can Edge Detector” and “Solar Rover,” the students learn how to use recycled materials and renewable energy.

UCOR plans to provide a Family Science Saturday for high school students in 2019.

-Contributor: Shannon Potter

Hanford Site Contractors in the Giving Spirit This Holiday Season

Nearly 80 employees with EM Richland Operations Office contractor Mission Support Alliance and their family members helped assemble 1,725 bikes in a matter of a few hours for Bikes for Tikes.

RICHLAND, Wash. – This holiday season, Hanford Site workers and their families are donating their time, energy, and resources to a number of causes to brighten the lives of people throughout their local community.

Nearly 80 employees and their family members from EM Richland Operations Office contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) helped assemble 1,725 bicycles for Bikes for Tikes, at an event sponsored by United Association Local Union 598 Plumbers and Steamfitters.

The bikes, along with helmets, are given to children in eastern Washington for Christmas and throughout the year through children’s hospitals, school reading programs, and a United Way program that promotes consistent attendance in school.

“It’s great to see the community come together, knowing that the end result will put a big smile on a child’s face with a new bicycle for Christmas,” said Bobby Bates, director of MSA’s conduct of operations.

Over the past nine years, Bikes for Tikes has improved the lives of 12,000 local children during the holiday season.

Kelly Harnish, left, and Jill Harvill with HPMC Occupational Medical Services organized a food drive benefiting Second Harvest.

RL contractor HPMC Occupational Medical Services (HPMC OMS) collected 482 pounds of food during its recent food drive.

“These donations equate to over 400 meals that can now be provided to our local community,” said Jill Harvill, HPMC OMS occupational health and wellness manager. “We’re thankful for our generous work community.”

Donations came from HPMC OMS, other Hanford contractors, and community members, benefitting Second Harvest, a local organization focused on fighting hunger in the area.

Dorothy Dunbar, CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company, left, and her sister, Benjie Allen, with their great-nephew, Isaiah, participated in this year’s Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign, supporting the Salvation Army’s mission to provide for the needy in the local community.

CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) workers and their friends and family members rang bells for the Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign.

It was one of CHPRC’s most popular volunteer events, supporting the Salvation Army’s mission to provide for the needy. More than 100 CHPRC volunteers donated more than 165 hours and raised more than $3,100 for the local Salvation Army.

-Contributors: Lori Araujo, Jill Harvill, and Lynn Tegeler

Paducah Site Workers Educate Girls About STEM Careers

Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership employee Elizabeth Wyatt teaches students how to “don” and “doff” personal protective equipment.

PADUCAH, Ky. – More than 120 students recently took part in an interactive learning space hosted by EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) deactivation and remediation contractor at this year’s “STEM 4 Girls” event in Paducah.

Female engineers, scientists, and other professionals from the Paducah Site informed the young women in the fifth through 12th grades about the variety of careers available to them in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

“Until recent decades, careers were limited for women,” Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP) Deputy Program Manager and event volunteer Myrna Redfield said. “This experience is beneficial to young women as they prepare to enter the job market, to see what’s available to them in our region. We were thrilled to be part of such a rich, educational experience for young women in our community.”

Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership Deputy Program Manager Myrna Redfield educates girls on opportunities for them to enter careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Students learn how radiation detection equipment is used at EM’s Paducah Site.

PPPO Paducah Site Lead Jennifer Woodard, who also volunteered, added, “We have several female engineers and managers at the site in leadership positions. This is a great program to showcase STEM careers for young women.”

During the event, students explored hands-on activities designed to educate them on the presence of natural radiation in the world, as well as its history and uses. They also met women working in technical areas and learned about how personal protective equipment helps promote safety at the Paducah Site.

The event was held at the West Kentucky Community and Technical College and is an initiative of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce.

-Contributors: Dylan Nichols, Jessica Vasseur

Next EM Update Scheduled for Jan. 8

We will not be publishing EM Update newsletters on Tuesday, Dec. 25 and Tuesday, Jan. 1. We will return to our regular publishing schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Happy holidays!

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