EM Update | Vol. 11, Issue 26 | July 9, 2019

• Hanford Workers Protect Environment, Further Safety With Tank Farm Barrier
• West Valley Continues Progress in Knocking Down Support Buildings
• Health Physicist Recruits Graduates to Idaho Site
• Oak Ridge Early Career Professional Leads Reactor Closeout Project
• SRS Honors Trainers for Certifying Employees to Help Save Lives
• High School Students Get Real World Experience With Hanford Site Mentors
• Hanford Safety Specialists Earn OSHA Certifications
• Green Electronics Council Awards EM Sites, Contractors for Sustainable Purchases

Hanford Workers Protect Environment, Further Safety With Tank Farm Barrier

Hanford Site tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions recently completed construction of an interim surface barrier that covers SX Tank Farm.

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM’s Hanford Office of River Protection (ORP) took another step forward in protecting the environment and enhancing worker safety by installing an interim surface barrier in SX Tank Farm.

The barrier, constructed by Hanford contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), is a temporary structure that prevents rain and snowmelt from leaching into the underground waste tanks, percolating into the soil and driving contaminants toward groundwater.

“Surface barriers improve tank and soil stability, reduce surveillance and maintenance costs, and create a clean and stable platform for field workers,” said Brian Harkins, ORP deputy assistant manager for tank farms. “The interim barrier, which satisfies a Tri-Party Agreement requirement, will remain in place until a final farm closure plan is determined.”

Made of high-density asphalt, the barrier drains water to an evaporation basin. The project team constructed the barrier in three sections. The team completed the first two sections last fall and the third section a week ahead of its deadline earlier this year.

It took nearly 5,000 tons of asphalt and 6,400 tons of gravel to construct the 230,000-square-foot barrier. Workers also installed three stormwater vaults and 1,100 feet of drain piping.

“Installing the barrier allows us to increase safety and reduce the radiological classification of the area,” said Jim Geary, manager of the WRPS tank farm projects organization.

Prior to constructing the barriers, the team built an evaporation basin roughly the size of two football fields south of SX Tank Farm. The project involved excavating about 28,000 cubic yards of earth and installing a series of drain pipes on a special liner in the basin floor. Crews then installed a mix of native plants and grasses to help evaporate the water.

“As is the case with many large projects, the prep work was the key to success,” Geary said. “Removing all of the old equipment, excavating for the drain lines … there was a lot of hard work that was done even before we could start to lay asphalt. Excellent job by the entire team.”

SX Tank Farm is located in the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site and contains 15 tanks, each with a capacity of 1 million gallons. It is the third of Hanford’s tank farms with surface barriers, T and TY tank farms being the other two.

-Contributor: Mark McKenna

Back to Top

West Valley Continues Progress in Knocking Down Support Buildings

Workers begin demolishing a former utility room extension building at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project. It was one of seven support buildings of the Main Plant Process Building. Three of those structures remain and are scheduled for demolition.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM crews recently demolished a former utility building at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP), bringing the total number of structures removed at the site to 63.

“The completion of this work changes the landscape and footprint of the WVDP site, and is a reminder of the ongoing progress here,” EM WVDP Director Bryan Bower said.

Scott Anderson, president of CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), EM’s cleanup contractor at the site, said his employees used their combined knowledge and lessons learned to safely complete this work.

“The CHBWV team continues to make great progress towards the demolition of these historically significant facilities at West Valley with the completion of the utility room extension building," Anderson said. "Our team continues to complete demolition work at the site in a safe and environmentally sound manner.”

A crew demolishes two boilers at the former utility room extension building. Workers then size-reduced and packaged them for off-site disposal.

A view of debris following completion of demolition of the former utility room extension building.

The 4,500-square-foot utility room extension building was built in the mid-1990s to provide additional power for operations to solidify 600,000 gallons of high-level liquid radioactive waste at the Main Plant Process Building. Those operations ended in 2002.

The utility building housed new equipment to support a decades-old electrical supply system, avoiding the need to replace aging equipment and preventing long outages or other impacts to site operations.

Included in the building were air compressors to supply workers with breathing and instrument air, two boilers to provide steam for heating and process operations, an emergency generator, control room, and an electrical switchgear room to support the building and its equipment.

The utility building was one of seven ancillary structures of the Main Plant Process Building, where vitrification activities occurred. Three other ancillary structures have been torn down, and three remain to be demolished.

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

Back to Top

Health Physicist Recruits Graduates to Idaho Site

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – An early career professional is recruiting college graduates to work in EM’s cleanup at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site as a growing number of employees reach retirement age.

Britt Edquist began work at the Idaho Cleanup Project four years ago and is now a senior health physicist and radiation protection technical specialist for EM cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho.

“Health physics is a specialized field that requires a person to be a problem solver and adaptable to changing conditions,” Edquist said. “Since it’s so specialized, we need to start reaching out to the next generation to replace those who are retiring.”

Edquist enjoys the technical challenges of her job and believes the health physics field is a good fit for students interested in science and engineering fields. Health physicists at the INL Site provide technical expertise to ensure workers, the public, and the environment are protected from contamination from EM’s environmental cleanup, including decontamination and demolition (D&D) projects.

Britt Edquist, senior health physicist at the Idaho Cleanup Project.

Every January, Edquist works with the faculty at Colorado State University (CSU), her alma mater, to bring health physics graduate students to the INL Site for a tour and meetings to discuss potential careers. She also encourages the students to apply for summer internships and positions at the site.

In discussions with students, Edquist promotes the profession’s job security.

“If you’re willing to move, there’s always a D&D project somewhere that will need a qualified health physics professional,” she said.

Edquist has also worked with Idaho State University (ISU) to encourage graduate students to seek careers at Fluor Idaho. She plans to revitalize the society's eastern Idaho chapter to promote professional development and educate the public about radiation. That too, she hopes, will raise the public’s awareness of her profession and its contribution to the EM program.

Edquist's advocacy for her profession is working. Last year, Fluor Idaho hired a health physics graduate student from ISU, first as an intern, then full time as a radiological engineer. A recent CSU health physics graduate has begun working as a radiological engineer and an ISU student working towards a master’s degree will begin a summer position in radiation protection.

-Contributor: Erik Simpson

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

Back to Top

Oak Ridge Early Career Professional Leads Reactor Closeout Project

From left, Tommy Morgan of UCOR, Spencer Cline of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Megan Houchin of Consolidated Nuclear Security, and Carmen Bigles of Coqui RadioPharmaceuticals Corp. serve on a panel at the Millennial Nuclear Caucus in Oak Ridge in June.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Oak Ridge recently hosted the Millennial Nuclear Caucus, where Tommy Morgan, an early career professional, talked about his role leading a complex EM cleanup project.

Launched by Energy Secretary Rick Perry, the caucus regularly brings together innovators between the ages of 18 and 35 from across the country to discuss the future of nuclear energy and other topics across the nuclear field.

Morgan, an employee of Oak Ridge Office of EM cleanup contractor UCOR, is a fast-rising professional. A nuclear engineer by training, Morgan served as a reactor technical reviewer with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, gaining experience in safe reactor operations. Later, he worked at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant.

Morgan currently serves as project manager for the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For the past two and a half years, he has overseen work to prepare the 1960s-era research reactor for eventual deactivation and demolition.

“The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment started and finished before I was born,” he said. “It is a very rewarding feeling to know that I am part of giving this historic facility a respectful send-off after all of its contributions to the nuclear industry. I’m glad to be part of it.”

Tommy Morgan has extensive nuclear experience, working with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Tennessee Valley Authority before joining Oak Ridge Office of EM cleanup contractor UCOR.

Tommy Morgan speaks to visitors at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

The work Morgan oversees, scheduled for completion next year, is minimizing maintenance costs, reducing risk of injury and radiation exposure to personnel, providing reliable electric service, upgrading key equipment, and enabling employees currently stationed at MSRE to move out of the facility.

MSRE operated from 1965 until 1969, earning a legacy as an innovative reactor technology concept. The experiment proved that a molten salt fueled reactor concept was viable for economical production of electricity.

Morgan gives his employer credit for trusting early career managers with important responsibilities.

“UCOR’s senior management, starting with our CEO Ken Rueter, value my energy and commitment to doing a good job, whatever the assignment,” Morgan said. “I am among a number of younger managers who have seen their responsibilities grow over the life of the UCOR contract.”

-Contributor: Mike Butler

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

Back to Top

SRS Honors Trainers for Certifying Employees to Help Save Lives

AIKEN, S.C. – Three members of the Savannah River Site (SRS) training department recently received awards for their work to certify employees in CPR and first aid who have contributed to lifesaving responses at the site and elsewhere.

Dennis Carr, executive vice president and chief operations officer of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s managing and operating contractor, recognized trainers Dr. Lisa Sanders, Kevin O’Donnell, and John Raeth for teaching CPR and first aid classes that helped 30 SRNS employees respond to coworkers, family members, and others in need of assistance since 2013.

Among the SRNS employees trained in CPR and first aid is Tim Cieniewicz, who was working in his front yard one day when he saw a vehicle crash into a home. The driver had fallen from the vehicle and was dragged until the vehicle crashed. Cieniewicz responded, using his training from his SRS certification course to control the driver’s excessive bleeding and direct response actions at the crash scene.

Cieniewicz was recently recognized as an American Red Cross Hero at a ceremony in Augusta, Georgia.

“It is humbling to see the significant number of employees who voluntarily seek out CPR and first aid training and the trainers who strive to provide as many classes as possible,” said Rick Sprague, SRNS senior vice president of environmental, safety, health, and quality. “The work of the SRNS trainers and the compassion of employees frequently come together to save lives. These cases serve as a reminder of the importance of this valuable certification, and those who are committed to teaching the course.”

SRNS trainers certified 2,164 SRS employees in CPR and first aid between July 2018 and June 2019. More than 10,000 people work at SRS.

“There’s no app for CPR, and it’s necessary to have the training when seconds can mean the difference between life and death,” said O’Donnell, a former U.S. Navy corpsman and paramedic.

Trainees in the CPR and first aid certification course also learn how to respond to a person choking and other emergencies.

“CPR classes will give trainees the tools and the confidence they need to transform from the role of bystander to a lifesaver,” said Sanders, a 20-year emergency room physician. “I get excited when I see the lightbulb go on for a student and it’s even more meaningful when we see a trainee respond and save a life. It’s important to know we can help others and protect ourselves in a medical emergency.”

-Contributor: Angie Benfield

Back to Top

High School Students Get Real World Experience With Hanford Site Mentors

RICHLAND, Wash. – Employees from EM Richland Operations Office contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) worked with the nonprofit Washington STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to develop a school-based internship.

Students from Chiawana High School in nearby Pasco learned about the complex cleanup work at Hanford during a site visit to the 324 Building mock-up and were challenged with finding solutions to a real-world problem.

The five-week classroom internship allowed students to develop skills such as communication, time management, and building a professional attitude, and provided them an opportunity to network with STEM professionals.

Watch this video for highlights of the program, part of CHPRC’s “Highway to Hanford” commitment to engage and encourage the next generation of Hanford workers.

-Contributor: Rochelle Twomey

Back to Top

Hanford Safety Specialists Earn OSHA Certifications

The Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council team of safety specialists includes, from left, Gregg Doss, Don King, Jason Green, Pete Graham, Ron Galpin, Don Slaugh, Brian Ivy, and John Peoples.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Six safety representatives with EM’s Office of River Protection tank farms contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) recently received Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certifications.

Don King, lead safety representative for the Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council, a union that represents employees on the Hanford Site, said the new safety specialists received their OSHA certifications after lots of classroom time and dedication.

“Gaining this certification ensures our safety specialists are well prepared for the job,” King said. “I’m proud of them. It took a lot of time and effort.”

The WRPS representatives took classes monthly at Hanford’s Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Federal Training Center. King said WRPS allowed the representatives to fit the classes into their work schedules so they could complete what is normally a two-year program in about 18 months.

The OSHA training provides the latest in safety research, standards, and techniques for supporting safe and healthful working conditions, including information on the safety and health regulatory framework in general industry, supervisory safety and health duties, incident investigation, health management, and more.

University of Washington educators provided the training, which includes 82 classroom hours. The school is the only OSHA-certified trainer for the certificate in the region, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska.

-Contributor: Hal McCune

Back to Top

Green Electronics Council Awards EM Sites, Contractors for Sustainable Purchases

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Green Electronics Council has recognized two EM sites and several contractors at Hanford for purchasing sustainable information technology products. The 2019 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Purchaser Award winners include the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) at the Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee; the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio; and contractors Mission Support Alliance, CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company, Washington River Protection Solutions, HPM Corporation, and Wastren Advantage, Inc. at the Hanford Site in Washington state. They were among 59 organizations honored by the council for their purchases from five categories, including computers and displays, imaging equipment, mobile phones, servers, and televisions. Winners earned one star for each product category in which they purchased EPEAT registered products. ETTP received a four-star award; the Portsmouth Site won a three-star award, and the EM contractors from the Hanford Site were recognized with a five-star award. Pictured are several representatives from EM’s contractors and other award winners who attended the award event. Click here for more information about the awards.

Back to Top

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