Lower-Risk Demolition Resumes on Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant; EM Moves a Major Step Closer to Completing Idaho Waste Exhumation Project; and much more!

DOE Office of Environmental Management sent this bulletin at 04/16/2019 02:31 PM EDT

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EM Update \| Vol. 11, Issue 15 \| April 16, 2019

Lower-Risk Demolition Resumes on Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant EM Moves Major Step Closer to Completing Idaho Waste Exhumation Project EM’s Vision for Oak Ridge’s East Tennessee Technology Park is Being Realized EM Continues IT Collaboration Transporter Tests Validate Design, Capabilities of Waste Transfer at Hanford Plant 3-D Technology Supports Building Design for Hanford’s DFLAW Program Wounded Veterans, Mobility Impaired Hunters Take Part in SRS Turkey Hunt SRS Contractor Awards Students With Scholarships, Teachers with Grants Military Program Honors Hanford Supervisor for Supporting Citizen Soldier Lower-Risk Demolition Resumes on Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant Demolition began last week on a vault at the Hanford Site’s Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) after contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company finished safely removing debris from around the facility. The demolition is part of the lower-risk activities at PFP that resumed last September with enhanced safety controls. RICHLAND, Wash. – Demolition began last week on a vault at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) at the Hanford Site, after workers finished removing debris that had been on the ground since December 2017, when work stopped after a spread of contamination. Since last September, EM Richland Operations Office (RL) and contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) have safely packaged and transferred nearly 2,500 tons of debris from around the PFP to Hanford’s onsite landfill, the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. The current phase of the work — demolition of the remaining lower-risk portions of the PFP main processing facility and vault — is expected to continue through June. The lower-risk debris removal and demolition activities are being done under a revised demolition strategy and safety measures implemented last fall. “The new strategy and enhanced safety controls have proved effective in protecting workers, the public, and the environment,” said Tom Teynor, RL director for the project. “I appreciate the continued commitment of all involved in this critical risk-reduction effort.” Since last September, EM Richland Operations Office contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company has safely removed nearly 2,500 tons of debris from around the Plutonium Finishing Plant. The debris was packaged and disposed at Hanford’s Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. Remaining work identified as higher risk will require an independent assessment to gauge the team’s readiness to proceed, as well as approval from the DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology. This animation shows the revised demolition approach and enhanced controls, which incorporated the input of regulators, workers, and an expert panel commissioned after the 2017 spread of contamination. Pauses are also built into the schedule to review lessons learned and incorporate additional input. “The team’s progress toward safe completion of the lower-risk work is the result of excellent collaboration between PFP workers, labor organizations, DOE, and our regulators,” said Jason Casper, CHPRC vice president for the PFP closure project. “We will continue to work at a safe and deliberate pace to ensure the protection of our workers, the public, and the environment.” RL will continue to post weekly updates on PFP activities here. -Contributor: Dieter Bohrmann Back to Top EM Moves Major Step Closer to Completing Idaho Waste Exhumation Project Crews have completed targeted waste exhumation at the Accelerated Retrieval Project VIII facility at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory Site. Just 0.69 acres of buried Cold War weapons waste at the site’s subsurface disposal area remains to be exhumed under a 2008 record of decision between the DOE, the State of Idaho, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – EM crews recently finished exhuming radioactive and hazardous waste from a combined area of 5 acres at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. The workers, with EM cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho, will now focus on removing the last 0.69 acres of targeted waste from the Cold War landfill. “With each buried waste exhumation project — eight to date — our crews have applied their waste management experience, as well as additional worker protection measures, to become even more efficient,” Fluor Idaho Manager Jason Chapple said. After exhuming the waste, the workers repackage and ship it to EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico for permanent disposal. The waste was generated during nuclear weapons production at the former Rocky Flats Plant near Denver and was buried at the INL Site from 1954 to 1970. The most recent buried waste exhumation campaign took place in a 1.72-acre enclosure over two pits — the first areas used to dispose of the Rocky Flats waste beginning in the early 1950s. Using specially modified heavy equipment, crews took out radioactively contaminated filters and molds, solidified sludge containing radioactive and hazardous constituents, and a reactive uranium material called “roaster oxides.” Once the waste is removed from the final 0.69-acre area in the year ahead, the entire landfill will be covered with several feet of native gravel and soil as part of a cap to span more than 130 acres. The goal is to prevent the migration of precipitation through the remaining waste toward the underlying Snake River Plain Aquifer. Since 2005, crews have been digging up targeted transuranic and hazardous waste from specific areas of the RWMC’s 97-acre subsurface disposal area in compliance with agreements between the DOE, the State of Idaho, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Back to Top EM’s Vision for Oak Ridge’s East Tennessee Technology Park is Being Realized A rendering of the proposed Coquí Radio Pharmaceuticals Corporation medical isotope production facility at the Oak Ridge Site's East Tennessee Technology Park. OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Employees from Oak Ridge’s EM program and its lead contractor, UCOR, took the stage at the annual U.S. Women in Nuclear (WIN) regional conference last week to discuss the East Tennessee Technology Park’s (ETTP) past, present, and future. A highlight came from UCOR Reindustrialization Manager Sherry Browder, who discussed the latest developments as EM works to transform ETTP from a former government-owned uranium enrichment complex into a multi-use industrial park for economic development. Late last year, EM transferred ETTP’s largest parcel to date, spanning more than 200 acres. During last week’s conference, news broke about a new development that will occur on that land. Coqui Radio Pharmaceuticals Corp. announced that it will build a medical isotope production facility at ETTP to focus primarily on the production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) isotopes. Mo-99 is the most widely used medical isotope in the world, but the U.S. currently does not have a domestic production source. It’s used in 18 million medical procedures a year in the U.S., aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and numerous diseases. “Coqui’s plans to build this major facility at ETTP show the potential of the site as a thriving economic hub for the area,” Browder said. The company expects to construct and begin operating the ETTP facility in 2025, providing more than 200 high-paying, permanent jobs. The facility is being constructed in an area called Duct Island, which was remediated by EM and UCOR. It was named for the numerous electrical ducts that crossed that area to provide power to the main plant area during early operations. “The core of our reindustrialization effort has always been about giving back to the community,” said Browder. “Through EM’s cleanup progress and transfers at the site, we have set the stage for exciting growth and economic development that will greatly benefit the region.” EM transferred a 206-acre parcel of land known as Duct Island to the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee for economic redevelopment. The former Manhattan Project and Cold War site provided enriched uranium for defense and commercial purposes until the mid-1980s. After the site was closed, EM began environmental cleanup and Oak Ridge launched a first-of-a-kind DOE program in 1996 intended to bring new jobs and economic opportunities to replace those lost with the site’s shutdown. Since that time, EM has significantly cleaned up ETTP with the goal of completing all demolition at the complex in 2020. As demolition and remediation projects are finished, the reindustrialization program works with the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee and the City of Oak Ridge to transfer land and infrastructure for redevelopment. This approach has led to the transfer of more than 1,200 acres and 14 buildings totaling 332,000 square feet. So far, 23 companies offering 300 private industry jobs exist on the site. As cleanup advances, larger tracts of land are available for commercial use. WIN is an organization of women and men who work in nuclear energy and technology fields in the U.S. WIN's vision is to position the U.S. for the future of nuclear energy and technology through the advancement of women. -Contributor: Ben Williams Back to Top EM Continues IT Collaboration GERMANTOWN, Md. – More than 55 federal and contractor employees from across the EM complex gathered at DOE headquarters this month to collaborate on information technology (IT), operational technology, and cybersecurity, including how to most effectively enable the cleanup program’s focus on safe, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective risk-reduction cleanup activities. The focus of the EM IT Collaboration Meeting was to finalize EM’s IT strategic plan for fiscal years 2019-2022. DOE Chief Information Officer (CIO) Max Everett joined the group to discuss current CIO priorities and initiatives, and Emery Csulak, the new DOE Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity/Chief Information Security Officer, addressed the group on Departmental cybersecurity initiatives. Everett is pictured at top left with EM Communications Director Jeanne Beard. At top right, left to right, are Hanford CIO Ben Ellison, Savannah River Site CIO and Cyber and Information Technology Division Director Lewann Belton, EM Consolidated Business Center Office of Information Resource Management Assistant Director Ward Best, Everett, Beard, and Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office Cyber and Technical Security Specialist Abraham Getchell. Back to Top Transporter Tests Validate Design, Capabilities of Waste Transfer at Hanford Plant Thermal testing for the immobilized low-activity waste transporter system included heating a mock glass container to simulate the temperature of a container when leaving the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. RICHLAND, Wash. – The test results are in and the conclusion is clear: The immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) transporter system — designed, fabricated, and tested by EM’s Hanford tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) — is capable of safely moving containers filled with a mix of glass and waste from the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to permanent storage. “The ILAW transporter project prototype testing program recently competently validated the design, operational flexibility, and improvements in safety and ergonomics,” said Rick Tedeschi, ILAW transporter project manager for WRPS. The transporter system consists of a standard 18-wheel truck, which pulls a specially designed trailer with three engineered pallets for carrying containers of vitrified waste. The system is designed to safely move waste containers from the WTP to Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Tedeschi said mechanical testing showed the trailer has good maneuverability and the pallets are secure. It also validated the pallets can be loaded and unloaded efficiently using an ILAW container grapple. The mock glass container was heated to more than 400 degrees Fahrenheit using industrial heating pads as part of testing for the immobilized low-activity waste transporter system. The immobilized low-activity waste transporter system consists of a trailer with three pallets, which will be loaded with containers of tank waste mixed with hot glass for transport to Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility. Thermal testing, which concluded in February, involved heating a mock container to more than 400 degrees Fahrenheit using industrial heating pads and then placing it inside a pallet. The test team also used dry ice to ensure the system continued working as designed down to negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit. “In both cases, the transporter performed well and no safety margins were threatened,” WRPS Principal Project Engineer Roger Keller said. The ILAW testing involved all of Hanford’s prime contractors. WTP contractor Bechtel National provided a grapple and simulated waste-filled container. Site services contractor Mission Support Alliance road-tested the trailers. WRPS coordinated the fabrication and thermal testing. Cleanup contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company provided feedback on IDF operations. EM’s River Protection and Richland Operations offices and the Washington State Department of Ecology monitored test progress. “Integration across the complex has been outstanding,” Tedeschi said. “That has been key to the entire testing program.” The final ILAW transporter system design will be finished soon, with minor modifications based on testing. Procurement is planned for 2020 and will consist of three additional trailers and 40 pallets. -Contributor: Hal McCune Back to Top 3-D Technology Supports Building Design for Hanford’s DFLAW Program Mission Support Alliance is using 3-D modeling software to aid in the design of a new water treatment facility to support the planned round-the-clock treatment of Hanford’s tank waste and other cleanup at the site. The software allows the project team to identify and fix potential issues before construction begins. RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Mission Support Alliance is using industry best practices and 3-D modeling software to help design a new water treatment facility on the Hanford Site to support starting treatment of tank waste by the end of 2023, along with other priority cleanup projects. Click here for a short 3-D tour of the water treatment facility. Similar to a 3-D video game, the software allows the project team to walk through a virtual rendering of the facility and look for areas of concern before construction begins. “This use of 3-D software has allowed us to achieve improved design and cost savings,” said Sharee Dickinson, director of the RL infrastructure and services division. Using 3-D modeling software, Mission Support Alliance can take a virtual look inside a new water treatment facility while it is being designed. The contractor is scheduled to begin construction on the facility later this year. This process also enables interactive design reviews with the end users. Operators can conduct virtual walk-downs of the facility, allowing timely and efficient design changes. “With the ability to virtually remove the roof and look inside the facility during the design process, we’ve been able to evaluate how the operators will function in the new building and make adjustments long before construction begins,” said Dan Parr, project manager for the water treatment facility. “This will reduce the number of last-minute changes during the construction process, which can be costly, and ensure a well-functioning facility.” Design of the facility is nearly 90 percent complete and construction is expected to begin late this year. The $10.8 million project will provide reliable water to users in the center of the Hanford Site and will support the Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste program for starting round-the-clock operations to mix waste from large underground tanks with glass during treatment in Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant by the end of 2023. -Contributor: Renee Brooks Back to Top Wounded Veterans, Mobility Impaired Hunters Take Part in SRS Turkey Hunt AIKEN, S.C. – The Savannah River Site recently hosted the Annual Ultimate Turkey Hunt for wounded military veterans and mobility impaired hunters. Twenty-five hunters and their escorts from six states as far as New York participated in event, which is held by SRS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service-Savannah River, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. The next event for veterans and mobility impaired individuals will be the SRS Ultimate Fishing Challenge, set for Saturday, May 18. Back to Top SRS Contractor Awards Students With Scholarships, Teachers with Grants Savannah River Remediation (SRR) President and Project Manager Tom Foster, far right, and SRR Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Project Manager Mark Schmitz, far left, presented scholarships of $3,000 each to local high school seniors at a recent reception. AIKEN, S.C. – Savannah River Site (SRS) liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation (SRR) recently awarded college scholarships to local high schoolers and grants to area elementary school teachers as part of education outreach. SRR gave 15 scholarships to the high school seniors — all children of SRR employees — and 14 Students/Teachers Achieving Results (STAR) grants to 17 teachers in four counties surrounding SRS. At a recent dinner and award reception, the students each received scholarships of $3,000. They were selected on the basis of leadership, extracurricular involvement, community service, grade point average, and scholastic achievement. Tom Foster, SRR President and Project Manager, commended the students for their accomplishments and recognized their parents. “We have the opportunity to reward these students for their hard work during high school and the honor of showing their parents, SRR employees, how much we appreciate them,” Foster said. Savannah River Remediation (SRR) President and Project Manager Tom Foster, far right, and SRR Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Project Manager Mark Schmitz, far left, awarded grants to area elementary school teachers (pictured) at a recent reception. The teachers — from Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina and Columbia and Richmond counties in Georgia — received grants to fund innovative approaches to teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum. Nearly $14,000 in grants were awarded. Foster said giving back to teachers is a priority for the company. “We believe it is important to partner with teachers who frequently give extra time and resources, often their own, to provide their students with opportunities that go above the standard curriculum,” Foster said. “Awarding these grants is our way of investing into a student’s STEM related learning in the classroom and getting them excited about the possibility of a future career in a STEM field.” A team of SRR employees reviewed the grant proposals submitted this year and selected the entries to receive the grants based upon excellence in teaching to enhance elementary school science and mathematics programs. SRR has provided more than $80,000 in grants since the company began awarding STAR grants in 2010. -Contributor: Tina Melton Back to Top Military Program Honors Hanford Supervisor for Supporting Citizen Soldier Jim Rabideau and Judy West, left, of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program, present the Patriot Award to Mark Cranston, an industrial hygiene supervisor for Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) at the Hanford Site. He was nominated for the award by U.S. Army Reserve soldier and WRPS industrial hygiene technician Jerry Saenz, at right. RICHLAND, Wash. – A U.S. Department of Defense program that promotes supportive work environments for members of the National Guard and Reserve recently honored a Hanford Site supervisor. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program recognized Mark Cranston with its Patriot Award for encouraging cooperation and understanding between EM Office of River Protection contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) and its employee Jerry Saenz, a WRPS industrial hygiene technician and staff sergeant with the U.S. Army Reserve. Established in 1972, ESGR supports Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers, and helps resolve conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. Saenz nominated Cranston for the award. During the past six years Cranston has been Saenz’s supervisor, he has helped the employee manage his dual roles as a Hanford technician and a sergeant with the 477th Transportation Company in Marysville, Washington. “The company supports employees taking military leave as needed,” said Cranston, a WRPS industrial hygiene supervisor. “We’ve tried to be very accommodating.” The award recognizes employer efforts to support employees in military service through a range of measures, including flexible work schedules, time off, care for families, and leaves of absence. Saenz’s military career began when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000. Before transitioning to the Army Reserve, Saenz served in the Army National Guard from 2007 to 2016. He was deployed to the Middle East from 2012 to 2013. “Without supervisors like Cranston and companies like WRPS, part time soldiers would have a difficult time coordinating their full time civilian jobs with their military duty,” ESGR representative Judy West said. “WRPS has a history of strong support of its military affiliated employees.” -Contributor: Hal McCune Back to Top
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