EM Update | Vol. 14, Issue 40 | Oct. 11, 2022

• Savannah River Site Delivers EM 2022 Priority With Disposal Unit Progress
• Hanford Starts Heating Up First Melter at Waste Treatment Plant
• EM’s White Sees Projects Advancing During Oak Ridge Visit
• Explore the National Cleanup Workshop on EM’s New Multimedia Webpage
• Denmark Technical College Graduate Puts Her Passion to Work at SRS
• Annual Inspection of Idaho Cleanup Sites Goes Paperless
• Virtual Museum Catalogs History of Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
• Hanford Tank Farms Go Green
• Portsmouth Leadership Meets With Retirees From Cleanup Program

Savannah River Site Delivers EM 2022 Priority With Disposal Unit Progress

AIKEN, S.C. − The liquid waste contractor at Savannah River Site (SRS) met an EM 2022 priority with the recent completion of concrete placements on Saltstone Disposal Unit (SDU) 9.

The construction team for Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) performed the work ahead of schedule and under budget.

SRMC SDU Project Manager Tim Hammond praised the effort of the liquid waste construction team for safely meeting the priority within the specified timeframe.

“Completing our concrete placements on SDU 9 is another major accomplishment for the overall SDU Program,” Hammond said. “These units continue to be a success story, and I am proud to be part of a great team. Achieving this priority while moving forward with other construction projects demonstrates our team’s dedication to doing our job — and doing it safely and doing it well.”

SDUs are massive, 34-million-gallon units that hold a grout that’s a mixture of decontaminated salt solution (DSS) combined with dry materials called slag and fly ash. This grout hardens like cement. SDUs are the final disposal location for the decontaminated waste stream and are integral to closing the remaining liquid waste tanks at SRS.

DOE-Savannah River Assistant Manager for Waste Disposition Jim Folk said construction of SDUs is crucial to the liquid waste mission.

“With the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) processing rates continuing to increase, these larger SDUs will be needed to keep up with the increased output,” Folk said.

SWPF has processed more than 900,000 gallons of waste since July.

An SDU closely resembles a large, cylindrical water tank that sits on the ground. Construction includes the placement of 25 wall sections, 208 support columns and seven roof sections — all made of concrete. Altogether, more than 20,000 cubic yards of concrete is needed to build each SDU, using approximately 700,000 total labor hours.

Before the SDU is ready to receive DSS, several additional tasks must be performed. Among the major work yet to be performed in SDU 9 is wrapping the SDU in high-strength cable, spraying it with concrete and installing top-of-tank pipes and electrical wiring.

Afterward, the tank will be tested for leaks and final construction punch-list items before being given clearance to operate.

Remaining tasks are expected to be completed within the next year, ahead of schedule. The first large-volume SDU built at SRS — SDU 6 — began receiving grout in 2018 and the second began receiving grout in October last year.

SDU 9 will be the fourth mega-volume unit to be built at SRS, with construction of units 10, 11 and 12 just getting underway. SRS has five smaller SDUs that hold about 3 million gallons each.

SRMC is also constructing SDU 8, entering the final stages before the new unit is tested for leaks.

To be most efficient, SDUs are being built “in series.” As a construction team finishes its specific task on one SDU, the group moves to another SDU and performs the same work. In-series construction saves on demobilization costs and capitalizes on ordering materials and equipment in bulk.

-Contributor: Jim Beasley

Hanford Starts Heating Up First Melter at Waste Treatment Plant

Watch this 3D animation about melter heatup, a crucial step in commissioning the Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Crews at the Hanford Site have begun heating up the world’s largest melter that will transform radioactive and chemical tank waste currently stored in underground tanks into a vitrified glass form safe for disposal. Initiating and completing heatup of the melter is a critical step in commissioning the site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP).

Last week, workers began heating up the first of two 300-ton melters inside WTP’s Low-Activity Waste Facility. The melters represent the heart of the process for vitrifying the waste by immobilizing it in glass. It could take several weeks to finish heating up the melter to its commissioning and operational temperature of 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Over the last two years, the Department and its One Hanford contractors have made significant progress in the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) Program to prepare for treating tank waste,” said Brian Vance, manager of EM’s Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office. “We are building on this progress by beginning to heat up the first WTP melter using a disciplined approach.”

Contractor Bechtel National, Inc. will follow a comprehensive process to ensure the temperature increases slowly and insulation inside the melter dries out slowly. Temporary startup heaters have been inserted into the top of the melter, and glass beads, called frit, will be added. As the beads melt and a molten glass pool rises to cover electrodes inside the melter, the melter’s permanent heating equipment will take over to maintain the operational temperature. The process can be viewed in this 3D animation.

“When we finish heating up the first melter, that will be another significant step in commissioning the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant for future operations,” said Project Director and Bechtel National Inc. Senior Vice President Valerie McCain. Bechtel is the prime contractor building, starting up and commissioning the plant for EM. “I’m proud of our team and our alumni who made this possible.”

After heatup, the first melter will remain active using nonradioactive materials, and lessons learned from the first melter will be used to begin the process to heat up and commission the second melter. When both melters are at operating temperature, the facility will run simulated waste through them as they continue preparations to vitrify waste.

The DFLAW Program is a system of interdependent projects and infrastructure improvements, managed and highly integrated as a program, that will operate together to vitrify the waste.

Information on the commissioning process is available on the Journey to Melter Heatup website.

The plant facilities can be viewed using the self-guided Hanford Virtual Tour.

-Contributor: Staci West

EM’s White Sees Projects Advancing During Oak Ridge Visit

Oak Ridge federal and contractor leadership show EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White how uranium-233 processing will occur in Oak Ridge’s newly upgraded Building 2026. From left are Operations Manager Dale Caquelin, Oak Ridge Office of EM Acting Manager Laura Wilkerson, White and Isotek President Jim Bolon.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – EM Senior Advisor William "Ike” White traveled to Oak Ridge last week, where he had a full agenda speaking to government and industry leaders, observing cleanup progress and meeting with local officials and advisory board members.

His tour began at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he saw deactivation and demolition projects in the central campus area, a focal point for many of EM’s near-term cleanup projects.

Local leadership with EM and Oak Ridge cleanup contractor UCOR took White to the Bulk Shielding Reactor. Demolition began on the building last month, marking the first teardown of a former reactor in the central campus area.

White also observed work happening at the adjacent Low Intensity Test Reactor and Oak Ridge Research Reactor. The test reactor is scheduled for demolition later this year, and deactivation is progressing at the research reactor. Removing those buildings eliminates risks, opens land for reuse and enhances accessibility to a central attraction of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park — the Graphite Reactor.

UCOR Cleanup Manager Dan Macias, left, and EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White discuss cleanup progress underway in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s central campus. The Low Intensity Test Reactor, pictured, is the next building slated for demolition in the central campus area.

Next, the head of EM toured Building 2026, where employees just finished all facility upgrades, safety reviews and other steps needed to begin processing uranium-233 this week. EM’s highest priority at ORNL is processing uranium-233, which will eliminate an inventory of nuclear material stored in the world’s oldest operating nuclear facility.

White also traveled to the Y-12 National Security Complex, where he viewed two demolition projects recently completed. Demolition just wrapped up at the former Criticality Experiment Lab, and workers finished removing the slab of the former Biology Complex in past weeks, allowing that 18-acre site to be returned to the National Nuclear Security Administration in the coming month.

Local EM leaders and project managers also took White to the future site of the Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF). That project crossed a major threshold at the end of September when officials from DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation signed a record of decision.

That document allows EM to move forward on a final design and begin site preparations for EMDF. The facility is needed to continue advancing cleanup at Y-12 and ORNL because Oak Ridge’s existing waste disposal facility has exceeded more than 80% of its capacity.

EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White met with Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board (ORSSAB) leadership during his visit to Oak Ridge. Pictured from left are Oak Ridge Office of EM Acting Manager Laura Wilkerson, ORSSAB Chair Leon Shields, White, and ORSSAB Vice Chair Amy Jones.

White served as the keynote speaker at this year’s Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association Business Opportunities Conference. He noted how EM’s level of progress would not be possible without the cleanup program’s industry partners, both large and small. The conference was held nearby in Knoxville, with participants from government agencies and numerous contractors of all sizes from across the region.

Before returning to Washington, D.C., White took time to meet with the chair and vice chair of the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board. He was able to hear their perspective and express his gratitude for their time and service with the board.

-Contributor: Ben Williams

Explore the National Cleanup Workshop on EM’s New Multimedia Webpage

ARLINGTON, Va. – Relive or catch up on the most recent National Cleanup Workshop by visiting a new EM webpage, where you’ll find a video of EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White’s keynote address, EM Update newsletter coverage and a gallery of photos showcasing everything from the reception kicking off the event to a variety of speakers and panels.

Held Sept. 21-23, the annual event attracted about 630 in-person and 91 virtual attendees. It’s considered the premier annual gathering to discuss progress in environmental cleanup of former government weapons sites and nuclear research facilities. Energy Communities Alliance, with the cooperation of EM and the Energy Facility Contractors Group, hosted the workshop.

In his keynote address, White announced EM’s release of its EM Program Plan, a 2022 priority outlining a decision roadmap the cleanup program will use as a guide over the next two decades.

“Cleanup progress has now reached a level that lets us focus on clearing the decks and tackling remaining hurdles to sustained success,” EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White said as he kicked off the first full day of the workshop. “As the cleanup mission approaches a crossroads, we're down to some of the toughest and most difficult challenges.”

Another major EM announcement soon followed during a panel session titled "The Next Phase of EM Progress" in which leadership from EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project in New York came on stage and told the audience that demolition has begun on the Main Plant Processing Building, also fulfilling an EM 2022 priority.

Speakers and panelists focused on an array of topics, including perspectives from Capitol Hill, regulatory relationships, developing EM’s workforce, improving project performance, maximizing reuse of EM sites and a new era for the Hanford Site and the Tri-Cities in Washington state.

-Contributor: David Sheeley

Denmark Technical College Graduate Puts Her Passion to Work at SRS

AIKEN, S.C. – A graduate in welding from South Carolina’s only historically black technical college is pursuing her passion in the Savannah River Site’s (SRS) Liquid Waste Program.

Denmark Technical College (DTC) graduate Tyjhanera Brown is taking the next step in her journey by becoming a welding intern for Savannah River Mission Completion’s (SRMC) welding shop in the site’s H Tank Farm. The welding shop is where all welders must be tested and certified before starting work for the Liquid Waste Program at SRS. SRMC is EM's liquid waste contractor at SRS.

Brown’s internship is a product of a memorandum of understanding signed in July between SRMC and DTC. One of the partnership’s goals is to prepare students for their future careers through internships and apprenticeships.

Brown’s interest in welding “sparked” in high school, where she was able to attend a course on welding.

“I was interested in welding when I first heard about it,” Brown said. “Once I attended those initial classes, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue for my career.”

In her internship, Brown assists weld-test administrators, prepares weld test material, and performs necessary housekeeping. She also practices her skills by welding up to three plates a day under the supervision of the team at the welding shop.

An internship with SRMC is a great way to start a welding career, according to Brown’s mentor, SRMC Welding Inspector Randy Rimes.

“This program allows for interns to receive the hands-on experience they need for a successful career at SRS or any other industry,” Rimes said. “We don’t just teach interns how to weld; we teach them how to work.”

Brown believes internships are important for gaining real-world experience in an industry.

“I see this internship as a chance to grow, not just as an intern but as a future worker,” Brown said. “Having an experienced team to show me the ropes is a one-of-a-kind opportunity.”

In the future, Brown would like to become a welder in the aerospace or automotive industries.

-Contributor: Lindsey Kennedy

Annual Inspection of Idaho Cleanup Sites Goes Paperless

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – EM is using an innovative system at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site to streamline an annual inspection process and reduce resources needed to complete reports.

EM contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition’s (IEC) Environmental Restoration (ER) program monitors approximately 122 sites with restricted access where cleanup has been completed across the 890-square-mile INL Site.

Until recently, personnel inspecting those sites filled out paper forms and took photographs. Then they scanned the forms and downloaded and sorted images of each site they inspected upon returning to their offices. It was a time-consuming process that generated a lot of paperwork.

Knowing there could be a better way, ER technical support staff members Kristina Alberico and Rick Powell created an application for computer tablets that converted the entire process from paper files to electronic folders.

Auditors recently identified the automated inspection method as a specific system strength.

It’s a streamlined system that ER Director Rich Abitz says saves time and uses significantly fewer resources.

“The new app helps everyone involved with annual inspections by capturing the photos and data and transferring them to a server in real time,” he said.

Chris Vilord, a technical specialist with the Environmental Restoration program for EM contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC), surveys a landfill site at the Test Area North at the Idaho National Laboratory Site using an automated inspection process developed by IEC employees.

Donna Nicklaus, Waste Area Group 10 manager for IEC, said data collected from the automated inspection method goes into an annual report, and the state of Idaho and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can go online to download a report to see the status of all sites.

“The agencies love it,” she said of the automated inspection method. “They went out to the site with us, and they were pretty impressed.”

EM is a partner with the state of Idaho and EPA to implement the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order signed in 1991. It outlines a plan to investigate and clean up, if necessary, more than 500 individual waste areas within the INL Site.

Nicklaus said the ER program must replace signs at sites with restricted access due to the harsh desert weather. She said employees also monitor for soil subsidence — which is the gradual caving in or sinking of soil — vegetation and even animal intrusion by badgers and other burrowing animals.

She said the automated inspection method makes everything much easier and eliminates the potential for human error in filling out the many data fields.

“It’s really slick,” she said.

-Contributor: Erik Simpson

Virtual Museum Catalogs History of Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant

A virtual museum featuring the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant was developed through a collaboration between DOE and the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research’s Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and Environment.

PADUCAH, Ky. – A virtual museum cataloging the history of EM’s Paducah Site is available online here.

The virtual museum commemorates an important era in western Kentucky’s history. The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) was built in the 1950s to enrich uranium for military nuclear reactors and weapons development, and later supported the nation’s commercial nuclear power program.

The site manufactured low-enriched uranium, which was further enriched and processed at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio and the K-25 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Upon entering the virtual museum, visitors can learn about the processes used at the PGDP, as well as find detailed information on why Paducah was chosen as an enrichment site.

Virtual museumgoers can also expect to find a comprehensive history of the PGDP ranging from how it all began, life at the plant, timelines, missions at the site and more. The virtual museum incorporates personal accounts from past employees on what it was like to work at the PGDP through the museum’s “Faces of PGDP.” Another feature of the virtual museum is the Sights and Sounds section, which highlights dozens of photos and videos that encompass the rich history of the site.

“After World War II, nations around the world began advancing their nuclear arms capabilities, and Paducah played a vital role in protecting our nation’s interests and securities against these foreign threats,” EM Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office Site Manager Joel Bradburne said. “The virtual museum honors the legacy of the many workers whose hard work contributed to the advancement of science and the protection of our national security during those uncertain times.”

By the 1960s, the Paducah plant was dedicated to supplying enriched uranium for nuclear power plants and operated within that mission until 2013. The plant was returned to DOE in 2014.

The virtual museum was developed in collaboration with the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research’s Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and Environment, through funding provided by DOE.

Hanford Tank Farms Go Green

Hanford Site tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions is “going green” by using new battery-powered electric generators for some fieldwork.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Workers with EM Office of River Protection (ORP) tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) are “going green” with new battery-powered electric generators on the Hanford Site.

Crews at the site are working to retrieve and treat radiological and chemical tank waste. Many of the original tank farms, where the waste is stored in underground tanks, were built without the power infrastructure necessary to support modern-day cleanup and monitoring efforts. In the past, workers used small, gas-powered generators to operate things like air samplers, cameras, lights, vacuums and other equipment.

“We have a great interest in addressing environmental, safety and cost-related concerns,” said Ricky Bang, ORP Tank Farms Program Division director. “With the new battery-powered generators, you eliminate gas generator exhaust fumes, and reduce the hazards to the workers and the environment.”

Washington River Protection Solutions is changing out gas-powered generators for new “green” battery powered generators on the Hanford Site.

The zero-emission generators are also lighter and quieter than their gas-powered counterparts. They require less upkeep and crews do not need to keep gasoline on hand, eliminating a potential hazard.

“They use batteries to supply power, and the battery packs are good for more than 500 charges,” said Barry Orth, a WRPS field crew manager. “Additionally, they charge from a standard electrical outlet and can be outfitted with up to four solar panels.”

Initial field use suggests a fully charged electric generator can last an entire shift and requires minimal maintenance. The one-time purchase of an electric unit nearly equals the annual maintenance costs of a gas-powered generator.

New, zero-emission electric generators being used in the Hanford Site tank farms are quieter than their gas-powered counterparts, require less upkeep and eliminate potential exposure to exhaust fumes.

“Our switch to battery-powered generators started with an employee identifying a possible area of improvement, researching the issue, then following the proper channels to help further our mission in a way that reinforces WRPS core values,” said Jim Geary, WRPS chief operating officer. “Our focus is reducing the environmental risk posed by 56 million gallons of hazardous waste stored in underground tanks; our commitment includes doing the job safely with a strong focus on innovation, employee involvement and environmental protection.”

The successful implementation has since improved efficiency, mitigated potential hazards and prompted discussion about utilizing other electric-powered equipment at the Hanford Site.

-Contributor: Derek Miceli

Portsmouth Leadership Meets With Retirees From Cleanup Program

Fluor-BWXT Site Project Director Greg Wilkett, far left, and EM Portsmouth Site Lead Jeremy Davis, far right, talk about the site’s cleanup progress with retirees Bob Winegar, Bob Mollette and Teresa Mollette, who formerly worked at Portsmouth.

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