EM Update | Vol. 11, Issue 18 | May 14, 2019

• Energy Secretary Perry’s Oak Ridge Tour Highlights Research, Partnerships
• West Valley Advances Facility Deactivation by Relocating Containers for Disposal
• EM Awards WVDP Contractor $346,000 of Available Fee for Six-Month Period
• Upgraded Modeling System Supports Long-Term Hanford Cleanup Decisions
• Researchers Continue EM Support in Transition From University to National Labs
• EM Highlights Essential Role of Small Business in Cleanup Mission
• Idaho Waste Treatment Plant Benefits From Young Engineer's Talent, Dedication
• Oak Ridge EM Integral to Tennessee's Growing Safety Fest
• Hanford Fire Department Prepares for Fire Season and Heavier Vegetation Growth

Energy Secretary Perry’s Oak Ridge Tour Highlights Research, Partnerships

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar visited Oak Ridge last week, where they learned about a partnership between EM and DOE’s Office of Science to identify effective and affordable solutions for mercury cleanup that can be used at the site and elsewhere in the U.S. During their time at the site, Perry and Dabbar toured the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, where EM is funding research to advance technology development for future cleanup projects. In this photo, left to right, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, Perry, and Dabbar listen to environmental scientists Teresa Matthews and Mark Peterson of the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory discuss the EM-funded research.

Watch video coverage of their visit here.

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West Valley Advances Facility Deactivation by Relocating Containers for Disposal

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM and its cleanup contractor at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Site gained ground in the deactivation of a Cold War facility after recently relocating two 69,000-pound containers for eventual offsite disposal.

Workers with CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) are deactivating the Fuel Receiving and Storage facility for future demolition. The work includes removing asbestos-containing material from the facility, which was used to receive and store spent nuclear fuel during fuel reprocessing operations from 1966 to 1972.

“This accomplishment allows for the continuation of the Fuel Receiving and Storage facility deactivation,” EM WVDP Director Bryan Bower said. “By performing this work now, we can use our highly skilled workforce to further reduce legacy risks.”

Using a 200-ton crane, workers return a waste container to its exterior steel shield at its new location at an outdoor storage area.

A crew safely finishes relocating two waste containers to their new location at an outdoor storage area.

The containers, each with a 14-inch-thick inner concrete shield and 2-inch-thick exterior steel shield, were used to store low-level waste left by the facility’s water treatment system.

Workers used cranes and a tractor-trailer to move the containers from a cask loading area inside the facility to a secure outdoor storage area.

“Our team continues to use their combined knowledge to safely and deliberately complete high risk work activities,” CHBWV President Scott Anderson said. “I’m proud of their efforts and accomplishments and the work they continue to do on this project.”

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

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EM Awards WVDP Contractor $346,000 of Available Fee for Six-Month Period

CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley workers remove a 900-pound section of the ventilation exhaust cell duct from the roof of the Main Plant Process Building in November 2018.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Site recently awarded cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) nearly $346,000, or 75 percent, of the available fee for its performance in the first half of the evaluation period of fiscal 2019.

CHBWV’s noteworthy achievements for the period from Aug. 29, 2018 through Feb. 28, 2019 include:

• Surpassing 1 million work hours without lost-time injury or illness;
• Good planning and partnering associated with infrastructure improvements, rail line upgrades, and facility removals;
• Overall increase in effective training, responsiveness, communication, and document production relative to CHBWV safeguards and security operations;
• Good planning in Vitrification Facility demolition and associated waste removal;
• Submittal of exceptional quality environmental and regulatory reports; and
• Excellent support for stakeholder meetings and timely, high quality public communications.

These accomplishments were offset by some areas for improvements. Even though CHBWV achieved 1 million work hours without lost-time injury or illness, its reported work injuries increased. The contractor’s rate for total reportable cases was 1.7, 55 percent higher than EM’s goal.

The contractor took longer than expected to submit quality contract proposals, and did not submit some reports on time. CHBWV also provided limited support to EM to reduce the time required to complete some time-sensitive activities. The contractor also demonstrated weakness in project controls, which could affect project performance issues. Additionally, CHBWV was not proactive in planning for the collection and disposition of stormwater associated with demolition activities.

View the scorecard here.

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Upgraded Modeling System Supports Long-Term Hanford Cleanup Decisions

Mike Cline, second from left, project director for soil and groundwater cleanup with EM's Richland Operations Office (RL), points out the new modeling system during a tour with RL and contractor managers. The enhanced system will inform a technical approach to evaluate environmental cleanup actions and support risk-based decision-making at the Hanford Site.

RICHLAND, Wash. – A recently upgraded computer modeling system with the combined power of more than 1,100 desktop computers significantly improves the analysis of environmental data, allowing EM's Richland Operations Office (RL) and contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) to better evaluate the cumulative effect of cleanup decisions at the Hanford Site.

The advanced system, called Gaia, provides a more comprehensive look at how potential cleanup actions affect one another and evaluates the long-term effect of cleanup progress.

Modeling data input in the system produces lightning-fast calculations, with results coming in days compared with months for the previous system. Data from the enhanced system will enable a technical approach to evaluating environmental cleanup actions.

“The ability to quickly review and evaluate the predicted outcomes of integrated cleanup scenarios is groundbreaking,” said Bill Hamel, RL assistant manager for river and plateau. “Hanford cleanup is incredibly complex, and the enhanced data will improve confidence in our decision-making process.”

William Nichols with EM Richland Operations Office subcontractor INTERA briefs the Richland Operations Office on an upgraded modeling system. The advanced system, called Gaia, provides a more comprehensive look at how potential cleanup actions affect one another and evaluates the long-term effect of cleanup levels at the Hanford Site.

CHPRC and subcontractor INTERA successfully launched the Gaia system in April. The new system is able to run multiple models simultaneously, generating results by as much as 94 percent faster than the previous system.

“I am proud of our team for completing this much-needed upgrade,” said Moses Jaraysi, CHPRC vice president for environmental programs and strategic planning. “The improved tool will provide a better understanding of the impacts of environmental cleanup decisions for years to come and support risk-based decision-making.”

-Contributor: Jennifer Copeland

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Researchers Continue EM Support in Transition From University to National Labs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Three researchers who focused on EM remediation efforts at Florida International University (FIU) have been hired by DOE national laboratories supporting the cleanup program.

Hansell Gonzalez-Ramat has joined Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) as a senior scientist, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) recently hired Hilary Emerson as an earth scientist and Daria Boglaienko as a postdoctorate associate.

“These researchers all exhibit outstanding abilities in scientific research and are to be commended for their successful transition from doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows within academia to employment with the national laboratories in support of the DOE EM mission,” said Kurt Gerdes, director of EM’s Office of Technology Development.

Hansell Gonzalez is a senior scientist with Savannah River National Laboratory.

Gonzalez-Ramat joined FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC) as a doctorate student and became a DOE fellow in 2013 under the DOE-FIU Science and Technology Workforce Development Initiative. This program between EM and is designed to train and mentor the next generation of engineers and scientists to enter the DOE workforce in technical areas of need.

As a fellow, Gonzalez-Ramat conducted EM research at ARC, which supports the cleanup program’s mission of accelerated risk reduction and cleanup. The center’s work includes developing robotic platforms and tools to better detect potential leaks in waste tanks underground at the Hanford Site in Washington state, where PNNL is located.

Gonzalez-Ramat also completed two internships at SRNL, published research in peer reviewed journals, and presented at numerous conferences. He graduated from FIU with a doctorate in chemistry in 2018.

Hilary Emerson is an earth scientist with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Emerson joined ARC as a postdoctoral fellow in 2015 after graduating from Clemson University in South Carolina. She was promoted to the ARC staff in the soil and groundwater remediation group in 2018. Emerson led three project tasks supported by an EM-FIU cooperative agreement and helped spearhead a project sponsored by the DOE Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP).

At ARC, Emerson mentored students in research and provided them professional development training on developing resumes, grant applications, and research presentations. She also published four papers in peer reviewed journals and coauthored more than 40 conference presentations and posters, including those presented by her students. Emerson currently has three papers under review by peer reviewed journals.

Daria Boglaienko is a postdoctoral associate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Boglaienko received her doctorate in environmental engineering from FIU with a grade-point average of 4.0. She graduated with the recognition of an outstanding doctoral degree award and was honored as a “World’s Ahead Graduate.”

Her innovative research led to peer reviewed journals publishing 11 of her manuscripts. After graduation, she joined ARC’s soil and groundwater remediation group as a postdoctoral fellow supporting a MSIPP project. Boglaienko traveled to PNNL twice in 2018 to continue her solids characterization studies with research collaborators there.

-Contributors: Yelena Katsenovich, Leonel Lagos

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EM Highlights Essential Role of Small Business in Cleanup Mission

Partnering with Hanford Site contractor Mission Support Alliance, Watts Construction, a local small business contractor in Kennewick, Washington, is replacing old raw water pumps and constructing a new water line to support the Hanford cleanup mission.

In recognition of National Small Business Week, May 5-11, EM Update is spotlighting some of the companies that work with EM on its renewed focus of driving cleanup toward completion. In fiscal 2018, EM's small business procurements totaled nearly $400 million, allowing small businesses to leave their mark in many critical mission areas, including engineering and technical support; installing, upgrading and maintaining site infrastructure; construction and transportation; and waste cleanup, treatment, and characterization.

CTI and Associates removed a former electrical switchyard at the East Tennessee Technology Park in 2017. The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) program recently awarded CTI and Associates and four other small businesses a new contract with a maximum value of $24.9 million to support environmental cleanup efforts across the Oak Ridge Reservation. Through these contracts, OREM can advance cleanup progress by issuing task orders to conduct characterization, demolish lower hazard buildings, dispose waste, and provide technical support. “These contracts give our program flexibility and the ability to begin new projects quickly,” OREM Manager Jay Mullis said.

Horizon Distribution, Inc. (HDI) is a small veteran owned business located in Yakima, Washington. Since 2002, HDI has supported the EM Office of River Protection Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Project with more than 4,000 purchase orders totaling more than $11.7 million. HDI provides hand tools, power tools, cutting tools, safety, plumbing and electric components, paint, and fasteners.

At DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory Site, EM cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho partners with local fabrication small businesses to develop cleanup equipment. In 2018, Flour Idaho’s contracts with small businesses totaled $67.1 million. Diversified Metal Products, an Idaho Falls, Idaho-based small business, fabricated a 40-foot-high mockup of one of the site’s calcine bin sets. The mockup, pictured, will be used to test robotic technologies, which were also developed by small businesses, to aid in the retrieval of calcine, a granulated high-level waste.

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Idaho Waste Treatment Plant Benefits From Young Engineer's Talent, Dedication

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Allyson Ferry quickly proved her value as a new employee of the EM cleanup at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory Site soon after graduating from the University of Michigan with a chemical engineering degree.

The engineer was excited to begin work for EM cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho on the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) — a facility completed in 2012 to treat 900,000 gallons of radioactive liquid waste from an underground tank farm.

When Ferry came to Idaho for the job interview in 2017, she was told that engineers were experiencing challenges getting the facility started up. But that didn’t deter her interest in the least.

“I liked the idea of working on a first-of-a-kind facility,” she said. “It offered a unique opportunity.”

Integrated Waste Treatment Unit Engineer Allyson Ferry.

The career in the cleanup project would also give her an opportunity to serve another interest of hers.

“I got my minor in environmental engineering and like the idea of cleaning up the environment,” she added.

Ferry’s first role at the IWTU involved improving the fluidization of billions of tiny beads in the facility’s primary reaction vessel. She helped develop a new fluidizing gas distribution system that better fluidizes the beads, which are necessary to convert liquid waste into a solid under the right temperatures and pressure.

In July 2018, Ferry saw the fruits of her labor during the first demonstration run with the new system in place.

Working on the IWTU has been extremely rewarding, Ferry said.

“I’ve really loved my time out here,” she said. “The people I work with have been very receptive to mentoring me in any way they can. That has helped me grow and establish my career. I’ve learned a ton since being here and I continue to learn every day.”

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

-Contributor: Erik Simpson

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Oak Ridge EM Integral to Tennessee's Growing Safety Fest

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Communities across eastern Tennessee continued supporting Safety Fest TN this year, helping expand the weeklong annual program’s national reach through more than 100 free health and safety classes and demonstrations at nine area locations.

With safety as its top priority, DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) has been an instrumental partner in the successful event, providing expertise on important safety insights since the program launched eight years ago.

Michelle Keever, an organizer of the event who works for UCOR, OREM’s cleanup contractor, says the fest equips participants with safety knowledge beyond the workplace. This year, the fest drew 1,487 people representing 278 organizations from 135 cities in 23 states — an increase of about 200 participants over last year. The 100 classes and demonstrations at this year’s fest compare with the estimated 40 classes and demonstrations there six years ago.

Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management Deputy Manager Laura Wilkerson speaks at this year’s Safety Fest TN.

Held from April 29–May 3, the fest offered classes on electrical safety, CPR, trench safety, fall prevention, ladder safety, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration certifications.

“The event has grown so large and reaches so many people, but it wouldn’t be possible without all of the partners, sponsors, and providers,” said James Rochelle, an event organizer who works for Pro2Serve, OREM’s technical support services contractor. “We’ve experienced tremendous support from every sector — academic, business, government, non-profits, and unions — that each see how this event is helping protect the community and the workforce. They’ve made Safety Fest TN what it is today.”

Industry leaders participate in Safety Fest TN’s Safety Forum.

Safety Fest TN participants viewed numerous demonstrations, including one for the University of Tennessee Medical Center medical helicopter.

The fest’s safety expo featured 50 safety equipment and service companies showcasing the latest in safety and health technologies. Their demonstrations highlighted everything from the dangers of live powerlines to avoiding slips using a slip simulator.

“Safety Fest TN is about safety and health at work, at home, and in the community,” said Jenny Freeman of Strata-G, a local company that provides services to government and commercial clients. “This year, our opening session focused on one of the most critical issues today, workforce development. We wanted to explore how shifts in our regional workforce impact safety and what our institutions and industries are doing to address that challenge. Our free safety classes support the community by offering additional training to workers and the public as we face our workforce challenges together.”

-Contributor: Ben Williams

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Hanford Fire Department Prepares for Fire Season and Heavier Vegetation Growth

Preparations by the Hanford Site Fire Department before the wildland fire season begins include burning tumbleweeds and excessive brush, clearing vegetation to stop or slow the spread of fire, and refresher training for firefighters and other organizations that provide support during Hanford wildfires.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Each year, the Hanford Fire Department prepares for the wildland fire season to ensure personnel and equipment are ready and to take preventative actions to reduce the severity and spread of fire in the coming months.

In 2018, nearly 100 Hanford firefighters working varied shifts responded to 11 wildland fires on site that burned approximately 20,000 acres. The department also assisted emergency responders on 15 wildland fires in the local area.

This year is likely to present additional challenges. According to the Hanford weather station, the amount of snowfall this past winter ranked fourth highest since records were kept. Due to excessive snowmelt, the fire department anticipates more vegetation growth than in previous years, and the department is communicating the potential hazard to Hanford employees and outside agencies.

“The fire department does an excellent job of ensuring our workers stay informed about conditions throughout the season,” said Corey Low, director of the security, emergency services and information management division for EM’s Richland Operations Office. “Each year, several bulletins are sent out to the Hanford workforce, sharing information on safety and off-road travel restrictions for the site.”

Fire season preparations include burning tumbleweeds and excessive brush, clearing vegetation to stop or slow the spread of fire, and providing refresher training to firefighters and other organizations that support responses to Hanford wildfires. The fire department also ensures firefighting vehicles and equipment are ready to go when needed.

“Our firefighters work with local fire departments as well as agencies such as the Department of Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife, the Yakima Training Center, and local farmers and land owners in preparation for the season,” Hanford Fire Chief Norb Kuhman said. “Communication is a key part of wildland fire prevention and response.”

-Contributor: Ginger Benecke

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