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EM Update | Vol. 13, Issue 43 | Nov. 2, 2021

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Oak Ridge Upgrades Waste Shipment Tracking System

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A truck loaded with waste shipments crosses the scale at the East Tennessee Technology Park at Oak Ridge. Each truck used by Oak Ridge contractor UCOR is equipped with a unique radio frequency identification card that logs its movements and weights, and registers data within a database.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn.Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) contractor UCOR recently transitioned to a new waste tracking system that improves how shipments are tracked from work sites to disposal locations.

The new system includes an upgraded radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking system for trucks and new hardware and software, allowing for a seamless, automated tracking operation that delivers up-to-the-minute waste disposal data.

“The new system reduces manual processes through automation considerably,” said John Wrapp, UCOR waste management manager.

Waste management is a major element of UCOR’s cleanup operations. The contractor has completed more than 120,000 on-site and off-site shipments that account for 1.7 million cubic yards of waste, and UCOR has logged 7.6 million miles safely since it began work in Oak Ridge in 2011.

Watch this video about Oak Ridge’s waste management and disposal operations.


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Crews installed a new truck scale at the Oak Ridge Reservation Landfill earlier this year as part of upgrades to waste management operations at Oak Ridge.


RFID technology is the linchpin of this modernization effort. Each truck is equipped with a unique card that identifies it in a database. As a vehicle moves between locations, the card logs those moves and registers data within the database. These unique identifiers streamline the process and save time at disposal sites by eliminating the need for manual identification and data input by waste management personnel.

The RFID technology is being rolled out in phases, and the entire fleet of vehicles will be upgraded by the end of the year.

The most significant physical upgrade was the installation of a truck scale at the Oak Ridge Reservation Landfill. It can accommodate full-size semi-trucks and complements the two existing scales at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility and the transportation hub at the East Tennessee Technology Park.

When linked with RFID technology, the scales deliver information directly to the database. The database accepts weight data collected at the scales and uses the associated RFID information to track trucks from empty to loaded as they cross the scale at a disposal location.

The database was the final piece of the upgrade. The custom-designed software consolidates eight legacy database and tracking functions, delivering a standardized data format that eliminates incompatibilities between systems. The new database also reduces the need for data to be transmitted manually, decreasing the potential for input error.

-Contributor: David Branton



Crews at Hanford Site’s 324 Building Prep for Winter Progress

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Workers with EM contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company are preparing to add structural support in Room 18 at the 324 Building at the Hanford Site to allow for the safe removal of contaminated soil under the building.


RICHLAND, Wash. – With Old Man Winter knocking at the door, EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) is preparing the Hanford Site’s 324 Building to continue important risk-reduction work as the weather turns colder.

Crews installed electric heaters to replace the building’s steam boiler. The new heaters are more efficient and effective, and they eliminate the need for costly maintenance of aging steam-system components in a facility being prepared for demolition. These weatherization activities are expected to help pave the way for additional progress during a bitter winter forecasted for the Pacific Northwest.

Progress includes making significant structural modifications to the facility over the next several months, as CPCCo prepares to remove contaminated soil from under the building. The team is currently focused on an area of the facility known as Room 18, where team members are installing structural supports — called micropiles — needed to ensure structural integrity of the building during soil removal.


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Workers with EM contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company install electric heaters at the 324 Building at the Hanford Site. The heaters will provide a temperature-controlled environment to allow cleanup progress to continue through the winter.


The 324 Building supported research on highly radioactive materials during operations from 1966 to 1996. Removing the contaminated soil is a priority in Hanford’s risk-reduction mission and will allow for safe demolition of the facility.

“The team is doing a great job working in complex conditions to get this work done. Completing the work in Room 18, where we just finished grouting the first micropile, is a key step in this project, and doing so safely is key to our success,” says Rob Cantwell, CPCCo Outer Area End States director. “Our team has done a tremendous job preparing for this work, including training and practicing at our mock-up facility, so we ensure we do the job right.”

The mock-up of the 324 Building plays a key role in ensuring worker safety, as employees train, test equipment, and develop and familiarize themselves with procedures before performing work in a radiological environment.

“I’m proud of our team’s continued attention to detail and commitment to maintaining a deliberate pace to ensure a safe path forward on this challenging project,” said Michael Walker, CPCCo facility modifications manager. “Completing preparations inside Room 18 will be a key step to accessing the contaminated soil and reducing risk to the nearby Columbia River, moving us one step closer to completing one of the last two remaining projects along the river corridor.”

-Contributor: Dieter Bohrmann



EM Contractor Wins Two Telly Awards for Savannah River Site Videos

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The Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Communications & Media Services Department was honored with Telly Awards earlier this year. Members of the department are, from left, Robin Adney, Ian Rojas-Godoy, Brad Bohr, Nathan Lester, Steve Ashe, and Laura Russo. Not pictured are Tom Kotti, who has retired, and Andrew Harrell.


AIKEN, S.C. – Joining well-known entertainment such as Jennifer Garner’s “Pretend Cooking Show” and Nickelodeon, an EM contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has been named a winner in two categories of this year’s Telly Awards.

The Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Communications & Media Services Department won a Gold Telly for “Savannah River Site Overview” in the non-broadcast, corporate image category, and a Bronze Telly for “SRNS Now: September 2020” in the non-broadcast, employee communications category.

“This team — their talent is unparalleled,” SRNS President and CEO Stuart MacVean said. “We rely on their expertise to help us tell our story to the workforce and to the community. Even though the subject matter of SRS missions can sometimes be fairly technical for the average audience, the team continues to produce entertaining, informative, visually appealing, and high-quality videos.”

Founded in 1979, the annual Telly Awards are the world’s largest honor for video and television content across all screens. The program receives more than 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents, representing advertising agencies, television stations, production companies, and publishers. Entries for the Telly Awards are judged by a group of more than 200 industry leaders who have previously won Telly Awards.

“We are proud to be recognized amongst such high-profile winners as Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company, HBO, Playstation, and ViacomCBS,” SRNS Corporate Communications Director Dawn Haygood said. “We are thrilled to be awarded these Telly Awards, which symbolize the quality of the team that earned them and our commitment to keeping the public and our employees informed on how we are making the world safer.”

“Savannah River Site Overview,” was produced by Brad Bohr and Nathan Lester of the SRNS Communications & Media Services Department. “SRNS Now: September 2020” was produced by the entire SRNS Communications & Media Services Department, including Bohr, Lester, Laura Russo, Andrew Harrell, Ian Rojas-Godoy, and Steve Ashe. Tom Kotti, who is retired, was the manager of the Media Services Department during the production of the award-winning videos.

Watch “Savannah River Site Overview” here.

-Contributor: Lindsey MonBarren

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