EM Update | Vol. 15, Issue 13 | April 4, 2023

• Community College Helps Oak Ridge Build Pipeline of Qualified Workers
• Hanford’s Vit Plant Shares Passing of Project Director Valerie McCain
• EM Announces Upcoming Departure of Senior Leader Hendrickson
• West Valley Citizen Task Force Members Meet With EM Representatives
• Hanford Invests in Lab’s Future with New, Modern Office Building
• EM Knockdown: Another Reactor Coming Down at Oak Ridge
• Investment in Small Businesses at SRS Builds Jobs Locally and Beyond
• Hanford Plant Shift Operations Managers Reach Full Qualification

Community College Helps Oak Ridge Build Pipeline of Qualified Workers

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Community college partnerships can help EM sites build their workforces, providing a pipeline of local qualified workers needed for cleanup.

Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management lead cleanup contractor UCOR has experienced such success through a collaboration with Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Established in 2017, UCOR’s partnership with Roane State began with support of the college’s efforts to create an associate degree in chemical engineering technology.

To address a shortage of skilled workers needed to perform cleanup in Oak Ridge, UCOR partnered with the AFL-CIO Metal Trades Department to work with the college to offer a chemical operator program that provides students coursework and hands-on training through apprenticeships.

Haley Glandon had been working as a nanny after completing her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She planned to continue her education.

“My father encouraged me to consider career options on the Oak Ridge Reservation that would utilize my love for math and science,” Glandon said.

She and three other students were chosen to participate in the pilot apprenticeship class in 2019. It led to a career change for Glandon and many others who have since completed the program.

During the apprenticeship, Glandon worked during the day and attended classes in the evening. Though Glandon’s apprenticeship was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she and the rest of the pilot class are now journeyman chemical operators supporting the Liquid Gaseous Waste Operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Twelve students have joined the apprenticeship program since the inaugural class.

Joe Kuykendall, left, instructs Alyssa Piece on a new system at Liquid Gaseous Waste Operations, which supports waste treatment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The success of the chemical operator program and apprentices like Glandon paved way for a new Roane State collaboration to enhance UCOR’s environmental health technology program. That program trains students for careers in the growing field of environmental protection, health and safety, and site remediation.

In addition to hosting industrial hygiene interns and radiological protection technician apprentices through that program, UCOR offers guest lectures and demonstrations with state-of-the-art equipment not available in classrooms.

Emma Richesin was UCOR’s first industrial hygiene intern through this collaboration. After completing her internship in 2022, she became a senior industrial hygiene technician trained to identify, measure and analyze workplace hazards to enhance the safety of workers.

Richesin’s work on demolition projects at ORNL shows the payoff of having well-trained industrial hygienists enable successful completion of cleanup activities across the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The collaboration with Roane State has drawn from the surrounding community and expanded UCOR’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by providing a pathway to education and career opportunities for underserved communities in the area. The company welcomes the next class of apprentices and interns this fall.

-Contributor: Shannon Potter

Hanford’s Vit Plant Shares Passing of Project Director Valerie McCain

RICHLAND, Wash. – Valerie McCain, project director of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) and a Bechtel senior vice president at the Hanford Site, died on March 26 following a short illness. “Val was highly respected, exemplified our One Hanford spirit and consistently inspired all who were lucky enough to serve with her,” said Brian Vance, manager of EM’s Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office. “She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered for her profound influence on our team and our important work.” Since joining the WTP in October 2018, McCain led a team of 2,250 employees in completing all construction for the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Program. The team transitioned to commissioning and ramping up the commissioning workforce before shifting to a 24/7 operational culture. Team members managed through the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to advance the mission. McCain’s leadership recently culminated in the highest-ever rating for the project’s performance from DOE just a week prior to her death. McCain also served on the boards of organizations such as the Energy Facility Contractors Group, Tri-Cities Development Council, STEM Foundation and Columbia Industries. McCain passed away while surrounded by her family.

EM Announces Upcoming Departure of Senior Leader Hendrickson

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EM headquarters announced today that Randy Hendrickson, a senior leader with extensive background and experience in military and civilian service, has accepted a position in the private sector. Hendrickson has served as EM’s acting associate principal deputy assistant secretary for regulatory and policy affairs since January. “His knowledge of the DOE and EM program, as well as his extensive leadership experience in the Department of Defense and DOE, contributed significantly to EM’s sustained cleanup progress across the complex,” EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery said. “We thank Randy for his many contributions to the DOE and EM missions and wish him the best in his new role, and next step of his career.” Hendrickson moved to a civilian career in 2015 after completing 30 years of service in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a rear admiral. Hendrickson began his career at DOE as associate administrator for management and budget in the National Nuclear Security Administration. In 2018, he became the Department’s deputy chief financial officer (CFO) before serving as the acting CFO, a position he held until early 2021 when he joined EM as the deputy for corporate services.

West Valley Citizen Task Force Members Meet With EM Representatives

Hanford Invests in Lab’s Future with New, Modern Office Building

In front, from left, are Delmar Noyes, Office of River Protection assistant manager for Tank Farms Project; Ray Geimer, Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration general manager; and Wes Bryan, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) president and project manager. They are joined, in back, by WRPS and Fowler General Construction workers at a recent ribbon-cutting for the 222-S Laboratory’s new office building.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Two EM Office of River Protection (ORP) contractors invested in advancing the waste cleanup mission with a new, state-of-the-art office building for the Hanford Site’s 222-S Laboratory support staff.

Tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is wrapping up construction on the 17,600-square-foot office space for contractor Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration (HLMI), which manages and runs the laboratory.

The primary mission of the laboratory is to provide analysis of radioactive samples to support projects on the site. This includes studying samples to enable tank-waste management and, soon, the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) Program.

“It gives the 222-S team more office space to move forward as they prepare to support DFLAW startup and continue the tank-waste mission,” said Ricky Bang, ORP Tank Farms Program Division director. “It’s part of an ongoing investment and an indication to the workforce of the long-term mission that we have to clean up the Hanford Tank Farms, and the importance in completing that mission.”

The site of a new office building for the 222-S Laboratory on the Hanford Site is pictured in November 2021 when construction started on the 17,600-square-foot space, and in February 2023, a few months before the project’s completion.

The new office building will house administrative and technical staff and replaces a nearby decades-old office building that will later be demolished.

“This new office building is one step toward the future of developing the laboratory into a facility that’s going to last for at least another 50 years,” said HLMI General Manager Ray Geimer during a recent ribbon-cutting. “It’s a commitment to our workforce to have nice premises that are energy efficient and have state-of-the-art technology.”

WRPS and subcontractor Fowler General Construction in Richland, Washington, built the facility over the past 1 ½ years at an estimated cost of $13.5 million.

“What we were able to do here was literally turn a field into a brand-new workspace. This asset allows the team to perform the mission the best way possible,” said Wes Bryan, WRPS president and project manager. “We did it safely and efficiently with great teamwork.”

View a time-lapse video of the building construction and ribbon-cutting here.

-Contributor: Kristin M. Kraemer

EM Knockdown: Another Reactor Coming Down at Oak Ridge

Crews have started demolishing ancillary structures attached to the Low Intensity Test Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The project is an EM 2023 priority.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – The skyline in the heart of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is changing again as workers begin to demolish a once world-famous reactor.

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and its cleanup contractor, UCOR, began tearing down the Low Intensity Test Reactor, also known as Building 3005, in late March.

The training reactor became world-famous when a photographer first captured a blue glow caused by radiation in the pool above the reactor. That photo appeared on the cover of the October 1951 issue of Scientific American. The facility is now highly deteriorated and contaminated, requiring demolition.

With demolition underway, Oak Ridge is set to accomplish this EM 2023 priority by the end of the year.

“We’re pleased to make headway on the removal of this old reactor facility, which is an EM priority for 2023,” said Nathan Felosi, ORNL portfolio federal project director. “Our progress is helping eliminate hazards and open land for reuse at ORNL.”

Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management workers have begun tearing down support structures of the Low Intensity Test Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The project follows the recent demolition of the Bulk Shielding Reactor, which marked the first removal of a former reactor from ORNL’s central campus area. It was adjacent to the Low Intensity Test Reactor.

Getting to the first bite in demolition of the Low Intensity Test Reactor required nearly five years of planning and deactivation work due to unique conditions associated with the facility.

Employees identified structural concerns associated with the facility that posed significant challenges to standard deactivation and demolition practices.

As workers removed the concrete shield blocks around the reactor, they discovered the slab floor structures were not adequately supported, creating a potentially unstable work environment.

“Great kudos to our workers in the field for discovering the structural concerns, pausing the work, and bringing it to the attention of our management team and engineers, allowing the project to remain safe,” said Dan Macias, ORNL site integration and cleanup manager.

The Low Intensity Test Reactor played a critical role as a training facility. It was built in 1951 and operated until 1968.

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and contractor UCOR are changing the skyline in the heart of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Pictured at center is the cleared footprint of the former Bulk Shielding Reactor demolished last year. Now, demolition is underway on the Low Intensity Test Reactor, pictured at bottom right.

Additional factors complicated the cleanup process. In some cases, the facility’s original drawings did not include all necessary information to help inform workers as they perform characterization, a process that determines the types and levels of contamination in and around a facility to support work planning, worker safety and waste management. Nonetheless, they used high-tech equipment to detect radiological material that had not been previously documented in some areas of the facility.

Crews are currently taking down ancillary facilities. The goal is to demolish all structures surrounding the reactor, remove and sample additional shield blocks to support waste disposal and tear down and package the reactor for transport and disposal.

This work continues through the spring and summer with completion set for later this year.
Though the Low Intensity Testing Reactor is not one of the largest reactor sites, it played a critical role in training.

Built as a mock-up of the Materials Test Reactor that was being constructed at the Idaho National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge training reactor operated from 1951 to 1968.

-Contributor: Carol Hendrycks

Investment in Small Businesses at SRS Builds Jobs Locally and Beyond

AIKEN, S.C. – An EM contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is dedicated to advancing small, diverse businesses, committing nearly $1.3 billion to them at the local, regional and national level over the past five years.

“Sixty cents of every dollar we spent last year went to a small business, a significant percentage of which are women- and minority-owned,” said Lisa Tanner, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) senior manager of Supply Chain Excellence and small business liaison officer. “When we work to place a service contract or make a purchase, we begin at the gates to our site and work outward. We want to create jobs and grow our local businesses.”

Since 2018, funding allocated by SRNS to small businesses to procure materials and services to operate SRS supported the creation of 15,700 local jobs and 82,800 regional positions.

“The current long-term expansion at SRNS is unprecedented, and the key to that expansion
and economic growth has been our community and the foundation on which we have always built, which is small business,” said Lance Waddell, SRNS senior vice president, Business Services.

The small businesses provide SRS support through services such as environmental consulting and engineering, information technology, maintenance and human resources.

According to Tanner, SRNS support of small business includes helping the companies grow through the award-winning SRNS Mentor-Protégé Program.

“Our company not only recognizes a monetary responsibility to support local and regional companies and industry, but we also have a genuine concern for their maturing and well-being,” said Tanner. “And our mentor-protégé program accomplishes this goal.”

SRNS recognizes the integral role mentor-protégé companies play in filling specialized job functions and finding cost efficiencies for the site.

“Key members of our management team have played a vital role in mentoring through the SRNS Mentor-Protégé Center of Excellence Program, providing their perspective to small businesses on how to maximize their capabilities and impact at SRS,” said Jay Johnson, SRNS deputy vice president, Contracts and Supply Chain Management. “This unique experience has increased the value they add to DOE missions.”

-Contributor: DT Townsend

Hanford Plant Shift Operations Managers Reach Full Qualification

Eight shift operations managers at the Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant are now fully trained and qualified for their positions. Top row, from left: Nic Callihan, Mat Davis, Coley Colwell and Ron Kielbasa; bottom row, from left: Matt Bartley, John Zoulek, Jake Brumfield and Kameron Sanders.

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