EM Update | Vol. 11, Issue 34 | Sept. 3, 2019

• More Than 10,000 Samples Guide Cleanup at Oak Ridge's ETTP
• Idaho Site Finishes Landfill Cap Design as Waste Removal Nears Completion
• DOE Offices Partner With Nonprofit to Advance STEM in Indian Country
• SRS Deploys Innovation to Clean Up Groundwater Contamination
• Collaboration Results in Reliable Power for West Valley Cleanup
• Hanford Contractor Engages Future Workforce
• West Valley Employees Paint, Landscape, and Build for Nonprofits
• DOE, Contractors Focus on Safety Topics at Summit

More Than 10,000 Samples Guide Cleanup at Oak Ridge's ETTP

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Cleaning up Oak Ridge's East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) encompasses more than emptying and demolishing old, contaminated buildings. Another phase involves sampling, and lots of it, for EM teams to identify and remove contaminated slabs and soils.

Since 2015, workers have collected more than 10,000 samples at the former uranium enrichment complex to map all remaining remedial actions needed to complete ETTP’s cleanup and transfer to the community for development. Nearly half of those samples were collected in fiscal 2019 as the sampling initiative nears completion.

In addition to identifying areas requiring remediation, the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) uses the sampling results to determine how crews can safely excavate and manage the waste.

Soil samples are packaged and sent for testing in a laboratory.

Crews use sampling data to determine areas requiring soil remediation, such as this location.

The samples include soil taken from depths up to 30 feet, concrete, which supports building slab removal, post-remediation confirmations, and others involving water, sediment, and sludge.

“Sampling is an essential element of our cleanup operations,” said James Daffron, ETTP portfolio federal project director. “It helps us understand where contamination exists, the type of contaminants, and how much remediation is needed to complete our mission at ETTP.”

So far, OREM and its contractors have removed more than 136,000 cubic yards, or approximately 11,000 truckloads, of soil and concrete slabs.

OREM is working to complete all building demolitions and major cleanup at ETTP in 2020 — a goal known as Vision 2020. Crews will then address remaining soil and groundwater remediation projects.

Soil remediation is essential to reducing risks and ensuring a safe environment as OREM transforms the site into a multi-use industrial park. Nearly 1,300 acres have already been cleaned and transferred to the community for new industrial development and economic growth.

-Contributor: Wayne McKinney

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Idaho Site Finishes Landfill Cap Design as Waste Removal Nears Completion

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – EM and cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho have completed the design for the cover to a 97-acre Cold War landfill as workers move closer to removing all targeted transuranic waste there.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state of Idaho recently approved the design for the Subsurface Disposal Area cover, which will protect the underlying Snake River Plain Aquifer.

Workers are about eight months ahead of schedule in the waste removal project, with 88 percent of the targeted waste removed and 0.68 acres of the landfill remaining to exhume.

Since 2005, crews have removed more than 9,000 cubic meters of targeted radioactive and hazardous waste from a combined area of more than 5 acres of the landfill in compliance with a 2008 record of decision between the DOE, EPA, and state of Idaho. The landfill received waste in unlined pits and trenches from the former Rocky Flats Plant near Denver from 1954 until 1970.

A current view of the Subsurface Disposal Area, at top, compares to a rendering of what the site would look like upon completion of the cleanup project. EM recently received approval for the design of the cap for the 97-acre Cold War landfill.

A cover that prevents the migration of rain and snowmelt through the landfill’s remaining debris and contaminated soil is key to the record of decision and crucial for long-term protection of the aquifer located 585 feet below ground. The cover also was designed to withstand a 1,000-year flood event with a canal system that channels excess water away from the landfill.

A cover consisting of native soils and gravel was chosen due to the desert climate and low rainfall conditions in eastern Idaho. Two ancient dry lake beds near the landfill will provide a portion of the more than 3.5 million cubic yards of material — the equivalent of 250,000 commercial dump truckloads — needed to build the cover.

Construction of the cover will begin after completion of waste exhumation and demolition of the buildings where exhumation takes place. The cover is scheduled for completion in three years.

-Contributor: Erik Simpson

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DOE Offices Partner With Nonprofit to Advance STEM in Indian Country

Representatives from DOE, Idaho National Laboratory, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, 100Kin10, and others gather for a photo after meeting to discuss challenges and opportunities in advancing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and careers.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – The past, present, and future came together when Shoshone-Bannock Tribes member Talia Martin explained the history, cultural significance, and continued environmental protection at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

The areas in and around INL are part of the tribes’ aboriginal lands. Martin's cultural resources tour was part of a site visit to INL and Fort Hall Reservation sponsored by 100Kin10 to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and DOE lead a project team in partnership with 100Kin10 titled, "Supporting STEM Education in Tribal Communities." Through 100Kin10’s national network, partners form teams to work on projects with the goal of adding 100,000 more STEM teachers to America’s classrooms by 2021.

A tour for DOE representatives and others at the Idaho National Laboratory Site stopped to view Big Southern Butte, which holds spiritual significance for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.

In Idaho, the team is examining the STEM and workforce needs of both DOE and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, whose independent assessments of air and water quality are being impacted by retirements.

“The timing of our visit coincided perfectly with the Fort Hall Indian Festival, which allowed us to experience many social and traditional aspects important to the tribes,” said Albert “Brandt” Petrasek, EM tribal affairs director. “Firsthand experience with tribes in their homelands is a critical step in both federal and private entities working to build enduring partnerships.”

EM and Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) partner with STEM-based organizations to provide tribal communities with greater access to STEM resources, technical skills training, internships, and long-term employment opportunities. That work is endorsed by DOE’s Nuclear Energy Tribal Working Group and State and Tribal Government Working Group, and aligns with the federal strategy for STEM education.

“To solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions in the energy and environmental sectors, we must build a diverse, future-ready STEM workforce,” said Melinda Higgins, NE STEM advisor. “We now consider workforce development to begin in the K-12 space, introducing students and educators to a plethora of careers so that they can build the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to excel in their professional lives."

From left, Talia Martin with Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Melissa Thibault with 100Kin10, and LaRae Bill with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes discuss the topography of the land and its rivers during the Idaho National Laboratory Site tour.

Foundation for Indigenous Education, Leadership Development, and Sustainability (FIELDS) founder Doyle Anderson guided the EM, NE, INL, and 100Kin10 tour group through the FIELDS laboratory at the Shoshone-Bannock Junior and Senior High School.

FIELDS runs a trades and technology program that includes electrical, hydraulic, mechanics, and other learning stations, providing Fort Hall Indian Reservation students with the equivalent of 1.5 years of college experience.

“These programs are designed to build a robust student pipeline into higher education and employment in the skilled workforce,” Anderson said.

From left, EM Tribal Affairs Director Albert “Brandt” Petrasek, Foundation for Indigenous Education, Leadership Development, and Sustainability (FIELDS) CEO Doyle Anderson, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Tribal STEM Advisor Melinda Higgins, and 100Kin10’s Kathy Hoppe, at the FIELDS laboratory.

LaRae Bill, a Shoshone-Bannock cultural resources specialist, said young people in the tribal communities need to expand their knowledge of science and technology.

“Technology could play an important role in protecting our cultural resources so that it isn’t lost. The old-school archaeologists and anthropologists refer to it as pre-history, but I’d rather term it as pre-contact (before Europeans settled in North America) because we, as the indigenous people, have a long history going back more than 15,000 years on this continent,” Bill said.

Earlier this summer, EM and NE representatives visited the Nez Perce, Wanapum, Yakama, and Umatilla tribes near the Hanford Site.

-Contributor: Giancarlo Casalino

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SRS Deploys Innovation to Clean Up Groundwater Contamination

AIKEN, S.C. – The EM program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has launched an innovative process using silver chloride, a conventional industrial product, to clean up contaminated groundwater.

The goal is to indefinitely immobilize the contaminant iodine-129 underground near its original source through the cleanup process developed by SRS management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS).

“In this case, the silver lining is silver chloride, a common industrial product,” SRNS Engineer Jeff Thibault said. “It can capture and lock into place a high percentage of the iodine nuclides, reducing the amount of contamination in the groundwater within our treatment zone.”

The silver chloride is milled to create ultra-fine particles with highly irregular edges, which greatly increases the surface area of the particles. The material is mixed with water and injected into the water table 30 to 60 feet below surface. A total of 240,000 gallons of water and 165 gallons of silver chloride were used.

“Working with Savannah River National Laboratory scientists and geologists, we’ve found that over a short time period the silver chloride can permanently bind with the dissolved iodine-129, becoming silver iodide, which is an immobile solid,” Thibault said.

Extensive studies confirmed up to a 50-percent reduction in iodine-129 where silver chloride was injected beneath a portion of the site during pilot and field tests.

One of the most impressive aspects of this cleanup technology is that no waste is generated and no power is required, DOE-Savannah River Physical Scientist Philip Prater said.

“The reduction in operation and maintenance costs with this passive technique versus more traditional environmental cleanup methods is significant,” Prater said. “Employing more sustainable methods of corrective action helps SRS achieve its environmental remediation objectives, while reducing overall cleanup costs.”

-Contributor: DT Townsend

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Collaboration Results in Reliable Power for West Valley Cleanup

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM workers recently installed a new electrical service and distribution system at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP), providing more reliable power to cleanup operations.

“The completion of this work evolution will not only bring many benefits to the future cleanup of our EM site but also to the West Valley community,” EM WVDP Deputy Director Craig Rieman said. “This infrastructure upgrade will greatly increase the site’s electrical power reliability during future decommissioning and remediation activities now and will provide a reliable source of power for future cleanup activities.”

Rieman added that the infrastructure investment will make electrical power more dependable for the surrounding West Valley area, too.

Workers perform tests at the West Valley Demonstration Project’s new switchgear station.

EM and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) collaborated with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the local gas and electricity utility to relocate transmission lines, remove a decades-old electrical substation, and install modern equipment. EM and CHBWV conduct cleanup at the site in cooperation with NYSERDA.

“Our employees and subcontractors did an excellent job in planning and executing this work,” said Linda Michalczak, CHBWV projects manager. “This accomplishment speaks volumes on the importance of solid communication, teamwork, and best practices.”

Crews installed new poles, overhead power lines, and a protective fence. They also built a new electrical substation and switchgear station.

The latest electrical service and distribution system upgrades add to other recent infrastructure improvements at WVDP, including a data center, potable water system, and natural gas distribution system.

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

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Hanford Contractor Engages Future Workforce

Norma Aguilera-Vazquez left, shown with her mentor, Dharmendra Rana, participated in the Mission Support Alliance co-op internship program before being hired as a full-time civil engineer in the spring.

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) is looking to the future as it prepares the next generation of employees.

MSA’s college co-op, or cooperative, intern program offers local students an opportunity to work at the Hanford Site while earning their degrees. Co-op students work year-round — part-time during the school year and full-time in the summer — in areas such as engineering, finance, and project management.

“MSA’s co-op internship is a great opportunity for students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-world situations,” said Kyle Rankin, RL chief engineer who has mentored students in the program. “For Hanford, it provides fresh, out-of-the-box thinking from students who want to contribute to the cleanup efforts.”

After graduating this past spring, Angelika Bergman, pictured, was hired at Mission Support Alliance as a full-time electrical engineer.

This year’s co-op program included 24 students, and seven of those students were part of the MSA engineering organization. Five spring 2019 graduates were hired out of the program into full-time positions.

“MSA Engineering has used the program because it gives us a chance to identify, train, and recruit high-quality employees,” said Grant Ryan, MSA’s chief engineer. “Each intern we select becomes part of an integrated team through training, facility familiarization, and activities of increasing complexity and responsibility.”

Since 2010, 26 co-op students have been hired as full-time employees at MSA.

-Contributor: Lori Araujo

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West Valley Employees Paint, Landscape, and Build for Nonprofits

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – Employees at EM West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) recently helped two local nonprofits with landscaping, maintenance, and other work as part of United Way volunteer efforts.

One WVDP team painted three classrooms at Delevan Head Start, and removed weeds, raked leaves, and added mulch to the school’s playground. A second team installed a new 120-foot-long wooden fence at Springville Youth, Inc., which offers recreational activities.

West Valley Demonstration Project employees cleared weeds, cleaned, and placed new mulch on the playground at Delevan Head Start.

West Valley Demonstration Project employees construct a fence at the Springville Youth, Inc. facility.

Lettie Chilson, a United Way Day of Caring coordinator and facility manager with WVDP cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), said the volunteering speaks to the generosity and kindness of employees and local businesses.

“It shows the positive impact that kindness can have on a community,” Chilson said.

Scott Anderson, CHBWV president and general manager, said he was grateful that employees work hard all week and then give a day’s worth of their free time to worthy causes.

“This clearly demonstrates the commitment our employees have for their community,” Anderson said.

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere

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DOE, Contractors Focus on Safety Topics at Summit

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Safety challenges, nuclear materials and transportation, and emergency response were among the topics discussed at the recent Savannah River Safety Summit. Representatives of DOE headquarters, Savannah River Site (SRS), cleanup contractors, and others attended the second-annual event. DOE-Savannah River EM Deputy Manager Thomas Johnson welcomed attendees and emphasized that making SRS safer encourages employees to improve safety at their homes and communities. The summit featured 25 speakers and panelists came from the National Nuclear Security Administration; EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory; SRS management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions; SRS liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation (SRR); and local businesses. The summit was hosted by the Savannah River Safety Partnership, Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association, and Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness. “We want to support and encourage safety programs at the SRS and reach out to the community with the safety message,” said Mark Ellison, a principal at Jacobs and chair of the summit’s organizing team. In this photo Amar Raval with TerranearPMC pauses for a photo with Patricia Allen of SRR. Raval and Allen presented at the event.

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