EM Update | Vol. 11, Issue 44 | Nov. 12, 2019

• EM Addresses Risks at ORNL Facilities, Prepares for Next Cleanup Phase
• Building EM’s Future Workforce: Students Inducted as New DOE Fellows
• SRS Deer Hunt for Wounded Veterans, Mobility Impaired Marks 20th Year
• Military Veteran Finds Rewarding New Career at Oak Ridge
• EM Hanford Tanks Team Honored for Veteran Hiring, Support
• Celebrating 30 Years of EM: Employee Spotlight
• Annual Safety Expo Draws More Than 3,000 SRS Employees
• SRS Contractor Wins National Cyber Award for Innovation

EM Addresses Risks at ORNL Facilities, Prepares for Next Cleanup Phase

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – EM workers have successfully moved two former nuclear facilities at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to the “cold and dark” stage in the deactivation process.

The work marks the beginning of Oak Ridge’s next major cleanup phase at ORNL and the Y-12 National Security Complex as crews near completion of major cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park next year.

Deactivating Buildings 3010 and 3026 paves the way for future demolition, removing a significant risk from the heart of ORNL while opening land for future research and science missions.

Getting a building to "cold and dark" involves isolating all utilities and ensuring a structure is safely configured for crews to take it down.

Buildings 3010 and 3026 are located in ORNL’s central campus, which includes the oldest facilities that require significant cleanup in the years ahead. Only two hot cells remain at the Building 3026 site after workers tore down the facility’s outer structure and four hot cells contained inside using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“We are excited to begin ramping up efforts at ORNL to start EM’s next major phase of cleanup,” said Bill McMillan, ORNL portfolio federal project director. “The projects we have planned and underway will eliminate risks and clear the way for growing missions at one of the nation’s most important scientific research sites.”

Employees with UCOR, EM’s Oak Ridge cleanup contractor, designed tools to characterize a 27-foot-deep reactor pool, pictured here. The pool is located inside Building 3010 at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Building 3010, known as the Bulk Shielding Reactor, was declared "cold and dark" in April. EM and contractor UCOR achieved cold and dark status for the remaining structures at Building 3026, which once housed the Radioisotope Development Laboratory, in September.

Workers in Building 3010 have completed characterization of a pool that houses irradiated items from the former research reactor. Drawing from innovation, employees designed underwater tools that allowed them to collect the characterization samples from components contained in the 27-foot-deep pool. Now, the team is preparing to safely and carefully remove the irradiated items from the reactor pool. Additionally, crews are working to remove all asbestos from the building.

At the Building 3026 area, employees recently finished pumping and grouting a 47-foot-long underground transfer tunnel formerly used to load radioactive material into a hot cell. This crucial step ensures there is no pathway for contaminant migration during demolition of the two hot cells.

This month, workers at the Building 3026 hot cells will begin building a protective tent to cover the area during demolition. Demolition of the hot cells is scheduled to begin in 2020.

-Contributor: Suzanne Dupes

Back to Top

Building EM’s Future Workforce: Students Inducted as New DOE Fellows

The DOE Fellows Class of 2019 gathers for a photo with participants and guests of the DOE Fellows Class of 2019 induction ceremony last week. Front row, from left, DOE Fellows Daniel Martin, Jeff Navidad, Aurelien Meray, Anilegna Nunez Abreu, Derek Gabaldon, Philip Moore, and Michael Thompson; middle row, from left, DOE Fellow Edward Nina; Marissa Morales of Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and DOE Fellows Rocio Trimino Gort, Gisselle Gutierrez, Heily Revoll Caballero, Natalie Tuya, Olivia Bustillo, and Beatriz Perasso; back row, from left, Florida International University (FIU) Associate Vice President for Research William Anderson; EM Program Manager Jean Pabón; EM Senior Advisor Leonard Spearman; FIU Applied Research Center (ARC) Director of Research and DOE Fellows Director Dr. Leo Lagos; FIU Vice President for Research Andres Gil; FIU Provost and Executive Vice President Kenneth Furton; DOE Office of Legacy Management Office of Site Operations Director David Shafer; DOE Fellows Program Project Manager Ravi Gudavalli; FIU College of Engineering Dean John Volakis; Raider Systems, Inc. Vice President for IT Ramesh Sundaresan; and FIU ARC Executive Director Inés Triay.

MIAMI – A program that helps shape future candidates for EM’s workforce inducted 12 Florida International University (FIU) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students as the DOE Fellows Class of 2019 last week.

Under a new initiative this year, two other FIU STEM students were installed as DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) Fellows. They will learn about both EM and LM technical areas.

Officials from DOE gathered with FIU leaders at the 13th annual induction ceremony for the students who join 25 current fellows in FIU’s Science & Technology Workforce Development Program, also known as the DOE Fellows program.

EM works to attract, train, and retain the next-generation cleanup workforce in fields such as nuclear, engineering, science, and construction. The ability to address EM's many long-term scientific and basic research needs, and ultimately tackle complex cleanup challenges, is rooted in partnerships EM has forged with FIU and other colleges and universities.

"I was extremely impressed by the caliber of the DOE Fellow students,” said Leonard Spearman, EM senior advisor. “FIU is developing outstanding professionals with firsthand knowledge of DOE EM’s environmental mission.”

Spearman, a keynote speaker at the ceremony, discussed success stories from the EM-FIU partnership, notably DOE Fellows who now work at DOE and its national laboratories, including Rosa Elmetti-Ramirez, and Edgard Espinosa with EM, and Hansell Gonzalez-Raymat with Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL).

Florida International University DOE Fellow and doctorate student Mackenson Telusma discusses his robotic wall crawler for inspection of nuclear facilities during a tour of Florida International University’s Applied Research Center for participants and guests of the DOE Fellows Class of 2019 induction ceremony.

The Fellows program results in a 98-percent hiring rate for students who complete the program, including three Fellows hired by DOE, eight hired by DOE contractors or national laboratories such as SRNL and Pacific Northwest and Argonne national laboratories; 19 hired by other government agencies; and 70 hired by the STEM industry.

Since its inception in 2007, the Fellows program has inducted 164 students. Fellows are mentored in research, development, and deployment of new cleanup technologies. They participate in 10-week summer internships at facilities across the DOE complex and present their research at the Waste Management Symposia in Phoenix and other conferences around the world.

“FIU continues to train and mentor future leaders,” said DOE Fellows Director Dr. Leo Lagos, the DOE-FIU Cooperative Agreement’s principal investigator. “This program provides the opportunity for many first-generation students to complete their degrees at FIU, obtain hands-on research and work experience, and participate in internships across the DOE complex.”

Roger Boza of the DOE Fellows Class of 2018 speaks during the DOE Fellows Class of 2019 induction ceremony.

Ceremony participants and guests also heard research presentations by Lagos and Fellows Silvina Di Pietro, Tristan Simoes-Ponce, and Roger Boza, and toured FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC) laboratories focused on deactivation and decommissioning and robotics, and other areas.

Also at the ceremony, undergraduate Fellows Katherine Delarosa, Anilegna Nunez Abreu, Christopher Excellent, and graduate Fellows Michael Thompson, Boza, and Simoes-Ponce received awards for their research after participating in the DOE Fellows Poster Exhibition and Competition.

Yelena Katsenvich, an ARC research scientist, was honored as the 2019 Mentor of the Year. Simoes-Ponce of the 2017 class won the DOE Fellow of the Year Award.

ARC supports EM’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, developing hydrological models to predict the fate and transport of contaminants at Savannah River Site, and developing digital elevation maps for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

-Contributors: Angelique Lawrence, Clint Miller

Back to Top

Editor's Note: In honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, 2019, EM Update is featuring the following stories about veterans across the EM complex, including wounded veterans who participated in a deer hunt at the Savannah River Site; a veteran who began a new career at Oak Ridge; and EM's Hanford tank operations contractor, which was recently recognized for its efforts to hire veterans.

SRS Deer Hunt for Wounded Veterans, Mobility Impaired Marks 20th Year

AIKEN, S.C. – Twenty-five hunters recently participated in the 20th annual deer hunt for wounded military veterans and the mobility impaired, held at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

“I understand their commitment and devotion to duty due to my previous military service,” said Joe Solesby, the deer hunt program manager for EM contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), which manages the hunt. “Over time, I have come to fully realize the high value each of our guests place on attending this event held in their honor and for their enjoyment.”

The day begins with an early morning safety meeting and breakfast before the hunt takes place. Participants are assigned escorts who ensure their safety and provide assistance as needed. Meanwhile, volunteers work at a large outdoor grill to prepare a meal for when the hunt is finished.

Last year’s hunt saw a record number of harvested deer and hogs. Each harvested animal is prepared for the hunters to take home, or delivered to a charitable organization of their choice.

The mobility-impaired hunters are typically from the southeast U.S., while many of the wounded veterans are local residents.

Robert Starnes served in the U.S. Army for 30 years and has extensive back-related injuries. Getting out in the forest is an important experience for him.

“This was a wonderful opportunity, and we really appreciate it," Starnes said. "Getting to this hunt was a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to do this for years.”

His son, Rob Starnes, an SRNS employee, served as his father’s escort.

“I really like to hunt and especially enjoy time in the woods with my son," the elder Starnes said. “Last year, I got a hog. I’m hoping for a deer this year.”

SRS offers over 150,000 acres of forest for hunting. The hunt helps reduce the site’s deer and hog population, decreasing the potential for auto and truck accidents.

“We experience a significant number of animal-vehicle collisions annually at SRS, and the hunts help to prevent these collisions,” said Tony Towns, natural resources program manager with DOE-Savannah River’s environmental quality management division. “Partnering with SRNS and our dedicated volunteers, we work to ensure a safe and controlled environment for our hunters.”

-Contributor: DT Townsend

Back to Top

Military Veteran Finds Rewarding New Career at Oak Ridge

Marines board a KC-130 aircraft. Henry Mutka, a military veteran and engineer with the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, oversaw the repair and maintenance of engines, propellers and fuel systems on these aircraft in his previous career as a powerplant mechanic (Photo courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps).

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – It’s 5:30 a.m. As most employees’ alarm clocks are repeating their dreaded sound, Henry Mutka is already in the office starting a pot of coffee to begin his day at DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM).

While Mutka’s surroundings have changed considerably since he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, his wake-up time and focus on keeping people safe remain the same.

In his previous role in the Marine Corps, Mutka served as a powerplant mechanic on the KC-130. It’s a large, four-propeller military aircraft used to provide multi-mission tactical and transport support. He oversaw repair and maintenance of engines, propellers, and fuel systems, keeping aircraft ready for missions.

After seven years with the Marines, Mutka began working as a national service officer with the nonprofit Disabled American Veterans organization, where he assisted veterans in receiving benefits and health care.

He then pursued a career in engineering, a field familiar to him after his time in the military. After finishing his degree in mechanical engineering, Mutka joined OREM’s engineering branch in October 2018.

Instead of performing maintenance on multi-million dollar planes, Mutka is now responsible for the challenging task of overseeing maintenance on numerous aging facilities at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

"There is so much variation in this job from day to day. We are working to keep everything safe and clean until we can take them down safely in the years ahead,” he said of the aging facilities.

After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Henry Mutka earned a mechanical engineering degree and joined DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management in 2018. He is pictured here with infrastructure he helps oversee at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Oak Ridge is home to many excess contaminated facilities, and the most high-risk facilities of any DOE site. ORNL has 127 excess contaminated buildings and 33 high-risk buildings.

Mutka provides oversight to projects that are placing buildings in safe standby mode until they are decommissioned — such as the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment — and ensures maintenance is performed properly on facilities vital to ongoing missions at the lab, such as the liquid and gaseous waste operations.

Mutka also serves as a ventilation subject-matter expert, ensuring safe operations continue in sensitive facilities, such as the Transuranic Waste Processing Center’s Process Building ventilation system.

Mutka has found the perfect fit working with Oak Ridge’s EM program.

“I love it. It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” he said.

-Contributor: Ben Williams

Back to Top

EM Hanford Tanks Team Honored for Veteran Hiring, Support

EM Hanford tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) receives a YesVets award for being a veteran-friendly employer. From left, Jerry Kurtz, WRPS radiological controls manager; Lisa Bunch, WRPS workforce resources; Art Espinoza and Maribel Dominguez, WorkSource Columbia Basin; and John Eschenberg, WRPS president and CEO.

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Hanford tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) was recently recognized for its efforts to hire veterans and promote veteran employment.

WRPS received a YesVets award, part of a statewide campaign that recognizes employers who hire veterans. Several agencies, including the Employment Security Department of Washington state, the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, the Washington State Military Transition Council, and chambers of commerce across the state are part of the YesVets campaign. The company also received a Hire-A-Vet award, in support of the Washington governor’s Hire-A-Veteran Month proclamation.

“We are proud to call ourselves a military-friendly company, and we find that so many of the people who are right for the job are veterans,” said John Eschenberg, WRPS president and CEO. “Veterans are hardworking, innovative problem-solvers who bring a team-first attitude to the job each and every day. We are grateful to have the opportunity to help those who have done so much for us all.”

Many WRPS representatives who engage with job-seeking veterans are veterans themselves.

Jerry Kurtz, a manager in the company’s radiological controls organization who served as a submarine reactor operator in the U.S. Navy, is one of those representatives. He and his colleagues take part in several job fairs each year to recruit veterans. Each month they run a workshop where they share their experiences, review resumes, show how to translate skills learned in the military to the civilian world, and conduct mock job interviews.

“I know what these guys are going through as I’ve walked in their shoes,” Kurtz said. “For many of them, it’s been a long time since they put together a resume or had a job interview. I love helping.”

Over Veterans Day weekend, several WRPS veterans took part in a local parade to honor those who served.

“We were thankful for the opportunity to participate,” said Lisa Bunch, a WRPS human resources manager. “We greatly appreciate opportunities to work with organizations to help veterans, and we certainly won’t pass up the chance to celebrate and honor veterans.”

-Contributor: Mark McKenna

Back to Top

Celebrating 30 Years of EM: Employee Spotlight

Annual Safety Expo Draws More Than 3,000 SRS Employees

Savannah River Site Safety Expo attendees take part in demonstrations, such as maneuvering objects in a glovebox.

AIKEN, S.C. – More than 3,000 employees attended the Savannah River Site (SRS) Safety Expo this fall, featuring 70 informational booths designed to educate and engage them in the site’s safety culture and performance.

Hosted by EM contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the annual two-day event brought participation from Savannah River Remediation, EM’s SRS liquid waste contractor; DOE’s Savannah River National Laboratory; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service-Savannah River; and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.

“Every year, the SRS Safety Expo brings individuals from across the site together to engage in our workforce’s strong safety culture,” SRNS President and CEO Stuart MacVean said. “Involvement in these events is what empowers personnel with the knowledge necessary to continuously improve safety and health both on- and off-site.”

Employees sign in at the Savannah River Site Safety Expo.

Continuous development of the SRS safety culture is a longstanding legacy at the site. The SRS workforce established a strong commitment to safety performance when the site was developed in 1951 and despite changing missions over the decades, it remains an enduring core value for the more than 12,000-person workforce. The expo plays an important role in continuing that legacy with its focus on sustaining safety excellence through teamwork, education, and engagement.

This year’s event covered a variety of safety topics meant to increase employee awareness, ranging from cybersecurity and fire safety to driver and car seat safety.

-Contributor: Angie Benfield

Back to Top

SRS Contractor Wins National Cyber Award for Innovation

AIKEN, S.C. – Barry McIntosh, a cybersecurity engineer for EM contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), received the Government Innovation Award for Public Sector Innovation last week for his work on a new cyber degree program at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken).

The Government Innovation Awards organization described the Nov. 7 awards ceremony as a celebration of transformative government projects, individual change agents, and industry partners reimagining public-sector information technology.

McIntosh helped develop the degree program as part of an SRNS team at the Savannah River Site (SRS) that included Dan Farmer, John Walker, and John Bobbitt.

“The team was able to blend the perspectives of cyber operations, industrial controls cyber operations, software development, and cutting-edge cyber research conducted in the Savannah River National Laboratory,” McIntosh said.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions cybersecurity engineer Barry McIntosh recently received the Government Innovation Award for Public Sector Innovation due to his contributions towards the creation of a cyber degree program at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

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

Follow EM on Twitter: @EMcleanup