• EM Assistant Secretary Meets With Hanford Workers, Views Cleanup Progress
• Richland Operations Office Transfers Tribes’ Collection to Heritage Center
• EM Expands Outreach to Tribal Business Community to Tap Expertise for Cleanup
• New Technology Improves Efficiency of Waste Characterization at Idaho Facility
• Coal Ash Cleanup Continues SRS Environmental Restoration, Preservation
• Oak Ridge EM Explores Technologies to Advance Mercury Cleanup
• SRS Workers Reduce Hazardous Materials for Facility's Safe Shutdown
• Japanese Delegation Gains Insight Into EM’s Idaho Cleanup
• Moab Early Career Professional Focuses on Environment, River Health
• Hanford Firefighters Keep Up to Date on Emergency Services Training

EM Assistant Secretary Meets With Hanford Workers, Views Cleanup Progress

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White takes a hands-on approach at the 324 Building mock-up with assistance from operating engineer Warren Baze during her recent tour of the Hanford Site.

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White recently viewed progress in EM’s cleanup at the Hanford Site. Following is her report on the trip:

   Just the other week, I traveled to Washington state where I had a great visit to our Hanford Site. My trip also happened to coincide with my one-year anniversary as Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management. One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to travel to our sites across the country. Over the past year I have had the opportunity to visit quite a few sites across the complex, and have been lucky enough to visit some of these sites more than once.

   For this trip I wanted to focus on getting to know the workers who are enabling our success at Hanford. This is why I spent day one of my trip visiting with the workers on site and hearing their experiences at Hanford firsthand, which proved to be quite insightful.

   During that day, I was able to meet with Jacob Johanns, Travis Beck, Derek Cap, and Greg Kraft, who make up the team from Columbia Energy working on the equipment for our Test Bed Initiative (TBI). This important project is allowing us to get waste out of tanks, and out of Washington state, safely and efficiently. I enjoyed speaking with the team and was impressed with the dedication of everyone I met.

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White, center, talks to Brian Brendel, president of Columbia Energy and Environmental Services, right, as Rob Hastings, assistant manager, Hanford Office of River Protection Tank Farms, looks on. White visited Hanford to get an update as the site is on track to start waste treatment as early as 2022.

   Next I headed over to the 324 Building mock-up. This impressive facility allows our workers to train with remote-operated equipment in preparation for the safe demolition of the 324 Building. Site Operating Engineer Warren Baze showed me how to operate the manipulators, and even let me give it a try myself. Let’s just say I am glad we have such a well-trained and qualified group of operators. I also enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with Mel Williams, the field work supervisor at EM Richland Operations Office contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company. Mel spoke about the importance of this facility, which allows our workers to get hands-on equipment training.

   My first day also included stops at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP), the Maintenance and Storage Facility (MASF), and PUREX Tunnel 2. Jimmer Stringer gave me a view of what was going on in the tunnel. I was able to see workers engaged in training activities at PFP and MASF, and got to see some of the final grout being poured into PUREX Tunnel 2. Once the grouting is completed in the coming weeks, it will represent a significant risk reduction for the site. This risk reduction is only made possible through the hard work of our team, so I’d like to thank them for their commitment to this project.

   I was able to enjoy lunch with the maintenance and snow removal crews onsite. Crew members Ramon Deleon, Dan Phalen, Richard Omta, and Calvin Dudney and I had a great conversation at lunch, and I got a real appreciation for the hard work they do to support our site. The Hanford Site experienced a particularly brutal winter, with lots of snow and ice onsite, and this team worked hard to ensure the site was safe for all of our workers.

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White enjoys the moment with Abby Harlow, from EM Richland Operations Office cleanup contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company, during an event for early career professionals at the Hanford Site.

   My second day at Hanford started with a meeting with the Office of Hanford Acquisition (OHA) staff. This impressive group has been working hard to ensure the success of EM’s new End State Contracting Model. I truly appreciate the hard work these men and women have put in to support this important initiative, and I wanted to take this opportunity to sit down with them and thank them in person. The team asked a lot of great questions that I have brought back to D.C. with me and we are taking a lot of their input into consideration for future procurements. The End State Contracting Model allows us to take a new approach to cleanup at our sites, and will enable us to achieve cleanup faster and more cost effectively, and we couldn’t do it without this team.

   After I met with the OHA team, I headed out to the Wanapum Heritage Center, where I met with Rex Buck, Jr., the Wanapum Leader, and got to see many of the Wanapum artifacts that are being curated at the center. The Wanapum also welcomed me to a delicious lunch where I met with Wanapum Elder Irene Cloud. I was able to visit with Miranda Patterson, a student intern, who showed me the rotating and permanent exhibition at the Heritage Center. It was a truly memorable visit to their beautiful facility and I appreciate the Wanapum for giving me such a warm welcome.

   I wrapped up my time in the Tri-Cities with a meeting with many of the local government and community leaders. I always enjoy meeting with members of the communities that host our sites, and was grateful to have this opportunity to hear directly from them. It was good to hear their perspectives on the cleanup priorities at Hanford and I appreciate their support for the important work we are doing every day.

   Thanks to everyone who made this visit to Hanford so successful!

-Anne Marie White

Back to Top

Richland Operations Office Transfers Tribes’ Collection to Heritage Center

Wanapum Band Tribal Elder Rex Buck, Jr. and EM Assistant Secretary Anne White view a display of artifacts at the Wanapum Heritage Center.

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM’s Richland Operations Office (RL) has transferred nearly 200 boxes of artifacts and records of importance to tribes in the northwest U.S. to the Wanapum Heritage Center for long-term curation.

   “I’m proud of the work that has gone into taking care of these important pieces of Hanford’s history,” EM Assistant Secretary Anne White said while on a recent visit to the center near Priest Rapids Dam west of the Hanford Site. “We’re very lucky to have a facility where they’ll be taken care of with the respect and honor they deserve.”

   Large tracts of the 580-square-mile Hanford Site retain significant historical and cultural significance for the indigenous tribes that called it home for hundreds of years — including the Wanapum Band, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Nez Perce Tribe. These areas have been undisturbed for more than 75 years, spanning the eras of plutonium production and EM’s cleanup.

The EM Richland Operations Office recently transferred nearly 200 boxes of historic and archaeological records and artifacts, such as this projectile point used for hunting, to a nearby long-term curation facility.

   "The archaeological sites and the historic sites are very well preserved,” said Warren Hurley, RL’s cultural resources program manager.

   Built in 2015, the center met significant criteria for such archaeological collections: the tribes want the collection to stay local, and it’s held within a state-of-the-art collection management facility, Hurley said.

   The collection is property of the U.S. government and was previously housed at Washington State University Tri-Cities after it was curated by DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Mid-Columbia Archaeological Society.

-Contributor: Mark Heeter

Back to Top

EM Expands Outreach to Tribal Business Community to Tap Expertise for Cleanup

EM Consolidated Business Center Acquisition Integration Lead Aaron Deckard discusses future EM contracting opportunities during a panel session at the Reservation Economic Summit 2019. Other panelists included, from left, Charlie Smith, director of the DOE Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization; Voltaire Walker, manager, Global Supplier Diversity Programs, Northrop Grumman Mission System Sector; Jon DeVore, vice president, Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot; Leslie Wheelock Of Counsel, Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot; and John Shoraka, co-founder/managing director, GovContractPros.

LAS VEGAS – EM officials met with representatives of tribal owned businesses during the recent Reservation Economic Summit (RES) 2019 to discuss how they can help the cleanup program accelerate the completion of work and move sites closer to their intended end-use faster.

   EM officials met one on one with Indian Country businesses during the high level event, which brings together tribal leaders, members of Congress, federal agency representatives, state and local officials, and CEOs. The event is sponsored by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED), which marks its 50th anniversary this year.

   “EM’s participation in the summit included significant dialogue to develop a better common understanding as to how tribal owned businesses and Alaska Native corporations can support the EM end-state contracting initiative to accelerate cleanup work at DOE-EM sites,” EM Consolidated Business Center Acquisition Integration Lead Aaron Deckard said.

   Deckard noted the importance of EM’s collaborations with Indian Country businesses, as several of EM’s cleanup sites are located near sovereign tribal nations and impact Indian lands and resources. He also highlighted recent contract awards to Indian Country businesses.

   “It was particularly rewarding to participate in panel discussions and ‘matchmaking’ with tribal firms that have unique capabilities to both support the DOE-EM mission and benefit Indian Country,” he said.

   Norbert Doyle, EM Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition & Project Management, highlighted strategic subcontracting as the “sweet spot” — a way to enhance opportunities for small businesses — and stressed the importance of pre-solicitation and pre-proposal conferences.

EM Assistant Secretary Anne White, front row, center, joins other DOE officials and members of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development Board of Directors at the Reservation Economic Summit 2019. Chris James, the center’s president and CEO, is second from right, front row, and Derrick Watchman, board chair, is third from right, front row. 

   EM Tribal Affairs Director Brandt A. Petrasek echoed Deckard’s sentiments.

   “This was the fifth year that EM has participated in RES, and given the level of EM senior leadership engagement at RES 2019, including EM Assistant Secretary Anne White — the signal is clear that EM is serious about doing business with Indian Country and sees NCAIED and RES as an important link with continuing opportunity.”

   During a keynote address at the summit, White emphasized the invaluable role of American Indian tribes in EM’s renewed focus on completing cleanup across the DOE complex.

   EM and DOE officials participated in RES 2019 sessions that focused on contracting and procurement; federal contracting opportunities; doing business with oil, gas and utilities; clean energy; and energy infrastructure. Officials from multiple DOE offices attended, including Indian Energy Policy and Programs, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Economic Impact and Diversity, Legacy Management, Loan Programs, and Fossil Energy.

Back to Top

New Technology Improves Efficiency of Waste Characterization at Idaho Facility

Workers with EM cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho test new technology for characterizing waste containers for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – EM workers at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site are employing an innovative technology to characterize more than 320 drums, boxes, and objects that have been difficult to measure with other equipment used at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP).

   The new in-situ object counting system (ISOCS) allows crews with EM cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho to characterize the containers of radioactive waste and ship their contents to EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico for permanent disposal. The containers come from multiple locations, including INL and the former Rocky Flats and Mound sites.

   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the ISOCS as compliant with WIPP waste acceptance criteria following a recent evaluation at the AMWTP.

   Workers have used non-destructive assay equipment to determine specific radioactive isotopes and quantities in waste containers. However, they couldn’t obtain valid results due to the shape or configuration of waste in several hundred containers. As a result, that waste required more extensive evaluation.

   Fluor Idaho teamed with Mirion Technologies to deploy the ISOCS. To use the system, personnel measure the dimensions of waste containers and enter that information into a computer program. They also use data from a camera that maps gamma rays emanating from the containers and locates portions with high levels of radiation. The system then characterizes the gamma rays and determines specific isotopes and radioactive quantities. The technology also double-checks waste characterization assessments for consistency.

   “Putting the system into use allows us to provide the specific characterization data required by WIPP,” Fluor Idaho Manager Ed Gulbransen said.

   Gulbransen said AMWTP was fortunate that EPA and EM’s Carlsbad Field Office, which is responsible for WIPP, allow for new technologies for waste characterization.

   “We just had to demonstrate the ISOCS system for them to give them a level of confidence that we could provide accurate data each and every time the system was used on the waste containers,” he said.

   Fluor Idaho is scheduled to complete waste treatment at AMWTP later this year. Waste shipments to WIPP and other offsite disposal facilities are expected to continue for another 10 years.

-Contributor: Erik Simpson

Back to Top

Coal Ash Cleanup Continues SRS Environmental Restoration, Preservation

Crews have begun to excavate and relocate an estimated 22,000 cubic yards of soil and ash to protect nearly 10 acres of land near wetlands at the Savannah River Site.

AIKEN, S.C. – Savannah River Site (SRS) workers are excavating about 22,000 cubic yards of coal ash from a now-defunct powerhouse that once created electricity and steam for the P Reactor.

   Removal of the ash, which extends from a basin to nearby wetlands in a layer up to 3 feet thick, is a significant step toward completing EM’s environmental cleanup mission at SRS. Crews will move the ash to a site landfill in a project scheduled for completion within 10 months.

   The basin had been remediated as part of a larger project to decommission the P and R reactors. Ash from the powerhouse was disposed in the basin. For more than three decades, the powerhouse supported plutonium production for the nation's nuclear defense program.

   Workers use heavy equipment to remove the soil and ash one acre at a time to minimize erosion, according to Kelsey Holcomb, the ash remediation project manager at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s management and operations contractor.

   "In all, about 10 acres adjacent to the wetlands area will be cleaned up,” Holcomb said. “Six acres are wooded and will need to be cleared."

Heavy equipment is used to remove soil and ash one acre at a time to minimize erosion. The decommissioned P Reactor is in the background.

   A dominant feature of the cleanup area is the Carolina bay, known locally as Dunbarton Bay. Carolina bays are elliptical depressions in the land typically marshy, rich in biodiversity, and ecologically sensitive. A variety of bay trees grow in and around the depressions.

   "SRS worked with representatives from state and federal regulators to preserve the bay," Holcomb said. "Ash removal is being controlled to protect Dunbarton Bay’s sensitive ecosystem from damage caused by construction activities."

   Workers will grade and stabilize the area in the final project phase.

   "Our plans are to restore the excavation site with the expectation that one day it will return to hardwood forest," Holcomb said.

   Last year, SRNS received the Project Management Institute Award for Project Excellence for another coal ash cleanup project. The contractor was recognized for completing the first of two phases of work at the SRS D-Area Ash Basins ahead of schedule and significantly under budget.

-Contributor: DT Townsend

Back to Top

Oak Ridge EM Explores Technologies to Advance Mercury Cleanup

Employees with EM cleanup contractor UCOR install fogging equipment on a debris container at the Oak Ridge Site.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – EM employees recently began field testing a newly developed fogging fixative and application process aimed at controlling mercury vapors during future deactivation and demolition (D&D) projects at hazardous, mercury-contaminated buildings at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

   This is an important research area because mercury cleanup projects present potential workplace hazards through the generation of vapors, especially in warm temperatures. Employees are testing this method on debris from the West Column Exchange (COLEX) equipment removal project, which was completed outside the four-story, 500,000-square-foot Alpha-4 building last fall.

   Alpha-4 was originally used for uranium separation from 1944 to 1945. The COLEX equipment was installed in 1955 for a process requiring large amounts of mercury. A significant amount of mercury was lost into the equipment, buildings, and surrounding soils as those operations continued into the 1960s, and its cleanup is one of EM’s top priorities.

   Alpha 4 presents an opportunity for EM to test and evaluate various technologies and techniques to safely and effectively D&D buildings contaminated with mercury at Y-12.

Workers relocate a debris container from the Alpha 4 heating area to the fogging demonstration area at the Oak Ridge Site.

   The latest demonstration, which began last month, is evaluating a fixative and application process developed at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory. Testing will help determine if it offers a safe and effective way to suppress mercury vapor and control mercury migration that will occur when major work begins at Y-12’s massive Alpha 4, Alpha 5, and Beta 4 structures.

   The fogging demonstration is the first full scale test using both the fixative and the fogging application process. The fogging process is used to blow a fixative material into a container filled with debris with high mercury vapors and monitoring the impact on mercury vapor generation. The fogging has been completed and now EM is monitoring the results.

   Previous testing in a laboratory showed fogging reduced mercury vapor generation by a factor of 40. While field application may not reach those figures, even a portion of that result would significantly enhance safety, enable longer working hours, and reduce costs during future mercury-related cleanup work.

   “As we transition to address the cleanup scope at Y-12, it is crucial that we identify methods to keep our workforce safe from the hazards presented by mercury and allow us to conduct our projects in an efficient manner to maintain our progress,” said Brian Henry, the Y-12 portfolio federal project director for the Oak Ridge Office of EM.

Idaho National Laboratory and UCOR employees work together during the fogging demonstration at the Oak Ridge Site.

   The COLEX equipment demonstrations take place on the east end of Alpha 4 in conjunction with other mechanical tests to determine more effective methods to remove mercury from the equipment there.

   Crews completed the demolition of the COLEX equipment on the west end late last year. During the 18-month project, they recovered nearly 6,500 pounds of mercury from the rusted and structurally degraded equipment, preventing an environmental release. The teams also drained and removed more than 10,000 feet of mercury-contaminated piping, and they cleared away tanks, condensers, heat exchangers, and a 1.6-million-pound mezzanine structure.

-Contributor: Mike Butler

Back to Top

SRS Workers Reduce Hazardous Materials for Facility's Safe Shutdown

The HB Line facility is located atop the H Canyon facility at the Savannah River Site.

AIKEN, S.C. – EM workers at the Savannah River Site (SRS) have reduced the amount of hazardous material in a facility once used to produce plutonium oxide as part of work to place it in safe shutdown.

   Last year, DOE suspended plutonium oxide production at the facility, known as HB Line, and directed Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the SRS management and operations contractor, to place the facility in a safe-shutdown status while preserving its capabilities for use in future DOE missions.

   SRNS has worked to maintain the facility’s systems and equipment so they are in a ready-to-serve state and reduce hazardous materials by flushing vessels used in oxide production.

   “Reducing inventory allows for more stable plant conditions and minimizes associated surveillances,” DOE Nuclear Materials Manager Maxcine Maxted said. “We appreciate the safe and efficient work done by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions to help reduce the inventory in HB Line and move closer to shutdown status.”

   Crews flushed nine tanks used in chemical processing. Flushing involves adding a coordinated series of non-radioactive solutions to the tanks. The solutions are moved through the processing line, sending the bulk of hazardous material contents into holding tanks in the adjacent H Canyon facility. Flushing continued until each HB Line tank contained less than residual quantities of plutonium. The hazardous materials now located in H Canyon holding tanks will be safely dispositioned through standard waste processing protocols.

   “This was difficult work performed by a group of dedicated employees,” SRNS HB Line Deputy Facility Manager Amanda Barnes said. “We are proud to be a part of HB Line and the work that has been done here.”

-Contributor: Lindsey MonBarren

Back to Top

Japanese Delegation Gains Insight Into EM’s Idaho Cleanup

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – EM and cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho recently hosted a tour at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site for Japanese engineers helping with the ongoing cleanup of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor accident. The delegation from the Tokyo Electric Power Company and Marubeni Corporation visited Radioactive Waste Management Complex facilities and the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. The group also received briefings on past decontamination and demolition projects across the INL Site, including the removal of reactors, hot cells, and buildings and structures. Japanese officials are addressing challenges from the Fukushima Daiichi accident related to cleaning up contaminated water, buildings, soil, and debris, and the long-term management of spent nuclear fuel — work similar to EM’s INL Site cleanup. Members of the Japanese delegation also spoke with project personnel about waste management processes and worker protection measures. At top, members of the delegation observe a drum packaging station at an Accelerated Retrieval Project facility. At bottom, a member of the delegation holds a protective suit used by workers at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project.

-Contributor: Erik Simpson

Back to Top

Moab Early Career Professional Focuses on Environment, River Health

Alex McCarty, pictured here along the Colorado River, joined the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project in April last year. He is the technical assistance contractor’s environmental analyst.

MOAB, Utah – Though Alex McCarty has worked at EM’s Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project only a short time, he is already making significant progress in his career.

   Hired in April 2018 as an environmental technician — an employee of S&K Logistics Services under EM's technical assistance contract — McCarty has since taken the position of environmental analyst.

   As part of his work in environmental sustainability, McCarty recently attended a local government meeting to learn more about the City of Moab’s new single-stream recycling program. McCarty's objectives include staying current on community initiatives and attending community events.

   McCarty was introduced to the UMTRA Project while attending Western Colorado University. A professor referenced the project as a real-life example of waste relocation. After graduating from the university with a degree in natural resource management and environmental biology and ecology, McCarty explored the project’s vacancy for an environmental technician.

   “You don’t see the progress with some environmental jobs, but here you do,” McCarty said. “We are actively moving radioactive waste away from the Colorado River.”

   Soon after starting work at the UMTRA Project, McCarty became heavily involved in groundwater sampling events where dozens of samples are gathered, preserved, and put through quality assurance and quality control. In addition, he has helped operate groundwater extraction and injection wells and prepare reports.

   In his new role, McCarty works to maintain the project’s compliance with environmental management standards and advance sustainability goals. He also focuses on the riparian habitat of the Colorado River.

   “Improving the wildlife habitat and making the water better for downstream users is important,” McCarty said. “I’m glad I can bring my skills to the table.”

   UMTRA Project Federal Cleanup Director Russell McCallister says harnessing young talent is a way to ensure EM’s mission moves forward.

   “Recruiting early career professionals can be a challenge but it’s one that needs our attention. Our hope is that bringing a younger demographic into the fold will not only cultivate energy and new ideas but it will help ease transitions as older generations leave the workforce,” McCallister said. “We can capitalize on learning from each other now and make sure to preserve critical institutional wisdom for EM’s continued success.”

   McCarty enjoys living in southeastern Utah. He spends weekends snowboarding at one of the many area mountains in Utah and neighboring Colorado. As snow season winds down, he looks forward to mountain biking, camping, and fishing.

Editor's note: In an occasional series, EM Update profiles early career professionals across the EM complex.

-Contributor: Honora Thompson

Back to Top

Hanford Firefighters Keep Up to Date on Emergency Services Training

Hanford firefighter David Newman performs a mock hazardous materials decontamination on his colleague, Keith Johnson.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Hanford firefighters are highly trained to provide emergency services across the 580-square-mile site. It’s crucial they receive unique training specific to the site’s complexity and potential hazards.

   The Hanford Fire Academy is 16 weeks of rigorous training that includes written and physical certification in rescue, hazardous material, and fire extinguisher technician training, as well as training in vehicle extrication and emergency vehicle accident prevention.

   “This year we will be training our firefighters on our newest prop, the multi-force forcible entry door simulator, the only one in our area,” said Nick Thomas, Hanford Fire Department assistant chief of training and certifications. “Our firefighters will be receiving the most up-to-date training on the newest prop on the market.”

Hanford firefighters receive rope rescue training in one of the Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Federal Training Center’s state-of-the-art training towers.

   The department does the bulk of its training at the Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Federal Training Center.

   “HAMMER’s tools and resources provide a great combination when developing training scenarios for workers,” said Jill Conrad, program manager at HAMMER for the Richland Operations Office. “We are fortunate that we can provide emergency responders with some of the best and most unique training props in the business.”

   HAMMER offers an array of life-size props on its 80-acre campus that the firefighters use to gain real-life experience and build their confidence performing drills on confined-space rescue, rope rescue, search drills, and a multitude of live-fire scenarios.

   “We are always striving to add new training opportunities and pride ourselves on feedback and lessons learned on what we can do better as techniques and tactics in the fire service continue to evolve,” said Todd Ofsthun, with HAMMER Fire Operations.

-Contributor: Ginger Benecke

Back to Top

Follow EM on Twitter at: @EMAssistantSec

Like EM on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/DOEEnvironmentalManagement