  EMTV: Crews at the Hanford Site Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant began removing temporary startup heaters from a second 300-ton melter after initiating its permanent heating system.
RICHLAND, Wash. — Crews at the Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) recently started the permanent joule heating system in the second of two melters in the plant’s Low-Activity Waste Facility.
Mat Irwin, Office of River Protection acting assistant manager for the WTP Project, highlighted the significance of both melters reaching operating temperatures.
“The WTP team is now operating the two largest glass melters in the world on a 24/7 schedule,” said Irwin. “This is another important step in our preparations to start treating radioactive and chemical waste from Hanford’s large underground tanks by immobilizing it in glass for disposal.”
In joule heating, electrical current passes through a pool of molten glass in the melter to create and maintain heat. After the melter reached operating temperatures, WTP crews began removing startup heaters. They replaced them with bubblers that circulate air in the molten glass to help maintain an even temperature.
“Our team will continue building operational proficiency as we prepare to pour clean test glass from Melter 2 into a container,” said Rick Holmes, Bechtel National Inc. principal vice president and general manager for WTP. “These achievements set the stage for several months of ‘cold commissioning’ using simulated waste to test the Low-Activity Waste Facility’s processing and exhaust treatment systems.”
When “hot commissioning” using actual tank waste begins in 2025, the plant will treat millions of gallons of waste using vitrification, which is when waste is mixed with glass-forming materials in the two 300-ton melters, poured into containers, and transferred to Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility for safe disposal.
-Contributor: Tyler Oates
 A community member asks questions during the April 18 Environmental Management Cleanup Forum at SALA Event Center in Los Alamos.
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — More than 100 in-person and virtual attendees gathered at a recent Environmental Management Cleanup Forum to hear leadership from the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) discuss a mutual initiative for a hexavalent chromium groundwater plume beneath the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
EM-LA legacy cleanup contractor Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos hosted the forum at the SALA Event Center in Los Alamos. The event served as an overview and introduction to the Hexavalent Chromium Project Expert Technical Review Team, which has been tasked to evaluate the effectiveness of the chromium plume interim measures.
The purpose and necessity of the review team was explained by Inés Triay, interim dean, College of Engineering and Computing, and executive director for the Applied Research Center of Florida International University. Triay is the appointed lead of the review team.
The team will evaluate five lines of inquiry, including the ability of the interim measures to hydraulically control the plume, state of plume modeling, NMED’s proposed corrective actions and conditions, readiness to propose and begin evaluating remedial alternatives, and monitoring of well design.
 Pictured on screen is Inés Triay, interim dean, College of Engineering and Computing, and executive director for the Applied Research Center of Florida International University. Triay shares details about the Hexavalent Chromium Project Expert Technical Review Team. On stage at table, left, is Ellie Gilbertson, acting manager for the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office, and John Rhoderick, director, Water Protection Division for the New Mexico Environment Department. Gilbertson and Rhoderick provide agency perspectives on the technical review.
EM-LA and NMED jointly agreed on the review team members, which include environmental engineers, hydrologists, geologists and geophysicists. They come from the Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship, industry, academia and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6. The 15 team members will provide unbiased recommendations and lead technical discussions of its findings and conclusions to help EM-LA and NMED on a path forward regarding the chromium project.
The second half of the forum was open to a public Q&A. Residents of Los Alamos County and Northern New Mexico and stakeholders asked questions about the technical review and the hexavalent chromium plume that exists in the regional aquifer beneath LANL.
The team expects to complete its review and a report by the end of the year.
-Contributor: Marilyn Matthews-Gordon
 Participants at DOE’s recent Spent Nuclear Fuel Working Group meeting are pictured at the Savannah River Operations Office.
AIKEN, S.C. – Marking 10 years since its formation, the DOE Spent Nuclear Fuel Working Group recently toured the Savannah River Site (SRS) and conducted a two-day meeting where its members discussed efforts to focus on going forward.
“As we commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Working Group, we can look back to great accomplishments, solving spent nuclear fuel problems together, and implementing an effective strategy to manage DOE spent nuclear fuel,” said Bill Hartman of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM), who co-chairs the working group along with a representative from the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). “However, we cannot rest on our laurels. We need to continue to identify new game plans to address the challenges ahead with teamwork, consistency and flexibility.”
The working group addresses policy and cross-cutting issues impacting the handling, storage and disposition of DOE-managed spent nuclear fuel.
Participants in the meeting, hosted by the Savannah River Operations Office, represented a variety of entities across the DOE complex. In-person attendees included representatives from EM, NE, Savannah River Operations Office, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Idaho Operations Office, Idaho National Laboratory, Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, Argonne National Laboratory, and staff from the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. Representatives from the Office of Naval Reactors, Office of Science Oak Ridge Site Office, and EM’s Richland Operations Office, among many others, participated virtually.
Tour attendees learned about the Mobile Plutonium and Mobile Melt Consolidate Facilities, toured H-Canyon Chemical Separations Facility and received an overview of the Engineering Development Lab at SRNL.
Meeting participants summarized and provided results of many ongoing efforts related to spent nuclear fuel. One part of the meeting focused on advanced nuclear reactors and the production of a fuel that is enriched between 5% and 20% with uranium-235, known as high-assay low-enriched uranium. Attendees also discussed infrastructure planning and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) considerations relevant to spent nuclear fuel.
The working group intends to form teams to look into infrastructure planning, NEPA, challenging spent nuclear fuel at SRS and coordination of technology development between programs, among other efforts.
Later this summer, the co-chairs of the working group expect to announce the proposed location and date for the next meeting.
 Knoxville Utility Board employees give a demonstration about power line safety, helping inform Safety Fest TN participants about the hazards associated with electricity.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Nearly 1,000 people from across the United States attended Safety Fest TN last week to take advantage of free safety and health training. The four-day event offered more than 130 courses, seminars and demonstrations on a wide range of topics.
“We have everything from CPR and automated external defibrillator training to high-end electrical safety classes, rigging, welding, human and organizational performance, and safety culture,” said James Rochelle, an event organizer who works for Pro2Serve, a technical support services contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM).
Since launching in 2012, Safety Fest TN has grown significantly through support from federal, state and local governments; large and small businesses; and nonprofits.
 The Tennessee Army National Guard black hawk helicopter was a crowd favorite at Safety Fest TN.
This year was notable because it marked the return of Safety Fest TN for the first time since 2019, following the coronavirus pandemic. With safety as its top priority, OREM and its contractors have been instrumental partners in the successful event, providing expertise on important safety insights over the years.
The goal of Safety Fest TN is to share the expertise and knowledge of employees at DOE sites in Oak Ridge and provide access to training to promote safety and health in businesses and homes across the region.
“We feel it’s our responsibility to not only keep our people safe at the site, but through this free platform, our experts can share their knowledge to help the community,” said Gene Patterson, an event organizer who works for Y-12 National Security Complex management and operations contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security.
 Nearly 1,000 people attended training sessions at this year’s Safety Fest TN. A variety of government entities, businesses and nonprofits support the event, which is free to the public.
Chris Roscetti, deputy director for Environment, Health, and Safety in DOE’s Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security, was the keynote speaker and kicked off a session called “Safety Culture – Boomers to Zoomers.” This panel, which featured OREM Manager Jay Mullis and UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter, focused on generational aspects of safety culture. UCOR is OREM’s cleanup contractor.
Some of the demonstrations at this year’s event included the Tennessee Valley Authority slip simulator, Knoxville Utility Board power line safety, Tennessee Army National Guard black hawk, University of Tennessee Medical Center Lifestar helicopter, and Tennessee Highway Patrol rollover simulation.
“The safety and health information shared at this event is an invaluable tool for our workforce, the local community and for those attending from other states,” said Clint Wolfley, UCOR chief safety officer. “We’re proud to once again help make this event possible to ensure safety and health remain a key focus in our lives.”
-Contributor: Wayne McKinney
 The Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) recently enlarged its electric vehicle fleet and installed charging stations at one of its Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site facilities. These upgrades are part of ICP’s strategic effort to achieve environmental sustainability objectives for the INL Site.
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) program has added three electric vehicles and six charging stations to its Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site and Idaho Falls facilities, part of the cleanup program’s efforts to adopt clean energy solutions that help lower greenhouse gases and reduce its carbon footprint.
Since 2022, EM’s INL Site cleanup contractor, Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC), has established a culture that prioritizes energy and water conservation. Its most recent achievements include replacing water meters and compressors at key locations, and installing low-flow water conservation devices and energy efficient lighting at several facilities across the INL site.
“Environmental stewardship is at the core of EM’s cleanup mission. We continually support that mission as we develop strategies and perform activities that lead to energy, water and waste reduction,” IEC Environmental Programs Senior Manager Scott Reno said. “Our team’s efforts are one part of the equation; we must all do our part in protecting our natural resources.”
-Contributor: Jessica Vasseur
American Association for the Advancement of Science elects Olin “Gene” Rhodes as fellow
AIKEN, S.C. — Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) Director Olin 'Gene' Rhodes was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of three University of Georgia (UGA) faculty members recognized in the organization’s recent announcement.
The AAAS Council elects fellows annually to acknowledge contributions that advance scientific progress. Since 1874, AAAS has recognized fellows, a distinguished group that includes notable figures such as Thomas Edison, Steven Chu, Ellen Ochoa, and others who have significantly advanced science in their respective fields.
Rhodes, who also serves as a UGA Athletic Association professor at the Odum School of Ecology, conducts diverse research that informs wildlife management and conservation. His work spans wildlife ecology and genetics, the application of genetic tools in conservation, refinement of reintroduction programs, and mitigation of wildlife diseases and human-wildlife conflicts.
Rhodes has longstanding connections with SREL and the Savannah River Site. He first joined SREL as a master's student in the 1980s, studying white-tailed deer populations, and later returned as a postdoctoral researcher in the 1990s to focus on theoretical population genetics. He became the director of SREL in 2012 following a recruitment initiative for new leadership.
“I am honored to have received this distinction and am thankful to the Department of Energy and our partners within the local community for providing the kind of career opportunities that merit such national recognition,” Rhodes said.
-Contributors: Katrina M. Ford, David Mitchell
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RICHLAND, Wash. — Small Business Program managers from the One Hanford team recently hosted the 17th annual Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium, which fosters communication and relationship development between Hanford procurement offices and local and regional small businesses. This event guides small business owners through the subcontracting process and gives them an idea of how they can play a part in Hanford’s cleanup mission. The event was sponsored by the Hanford Small Business Council and the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce and attracted nearly 300 attendees this year. A One Hanford exhibit was a featured display showcasing information about Hanford Site cleanup progress, with representatives from all six Hanford prime contractors speaking with small business owners about potential subcontracting opportunities.
 Hunters gather with their harvested turkeys at the end of the second hunt day at the Savannah River Site. U.S. Department of Agriculture image
NEW ELLENTON, S.C. — As the sun was just starting to rise, hunters and their assigned escorts settled down in their assigned hunt zones on Savannah River Site (SRS), looking and listening for the prize-winning turkey on the first day of a two-day hunt recently.
For one of the three hunters that harvested a turkey that day, his dream came true with the large bird weighing just over 19 pounds. Eight of the 15 hunters taking part in the hunt had never hunted on SRS before, something they will remember for a long time. At the conclusion of the two-day hunt, nine turkeys were harvested with four being first-time harvests.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service has been managing the forests on SRS for over 70 years. Limited human interaction over such a large area allows wildlife, birds and other animals to range freely across the roughly 170,000 acres of pine trees, bottomlands and swamps.
“For hunters, it’s like stepping back in time,” said Hank Forehand, Forest Service senior wildlife biologist at SRS. “You can spend hours in these forests and never hear another voice or human noise. It’s like a local wilderness area.”
The most critical element to events like the annual turkey hunt is the safety for everyone involved. Hunters and staff begin each day with a safety briefing where weather conditions, firearm and site safety protocols, hunter movement control and radio communications are covered. Each hunter is paired with an escort familiar with site security and safety protocols for added precautions. Radios are given to each hunt group to help track the movement of hunters across hunt areas and allow for coordinating response efforts or evacuation protocols should an emergency arise.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy – SRS, Forest Service, National Wild Turkey Federation, and recent new partner Outdoor Dream Foundation, this annual turkey hunt has gained special notoriety among turkey hunters for the outstanding hunt opportunity and upbeat camaraderie. As Tal Mims, Forest Service wildlife biologist at SRS and event organizer said, “Of course I want everyone to get a turkey, but my real goal at the end of day two is to have 100% smiles.”
To learn more about how the Forest Service – Savannah River supports the Energy Department mission on SRS, contact Joe Orosz, Savannah River, public affairs specialist, at josef.orosz@usda.gov.
-Contributor: Joe Orosz
 Idaho Environmental Coalition volunteers Cory McRae, left, and Chad Phillips lead students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities during the Idaho Falls Earth Day Celebration at the Idaho Falls Zoo. McRae and Phillips were among the many volunteers from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Idaho National Laboratory Site cleanup contractor who served during this year’s event.
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — A U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) contractor at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site recently helped make a long-held community-wide Earth Day celebration a reality for families in a southeastern Idaho community.
This support is part of the investment in environmental education and community engagement by the Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC) since IEC began as the environmental cleanup contractor at the INL Site in 2021.
In part because of the financial support of IEC and other contractors, the Earth Day event is free to children ages 12 and under, and parents receive half-price admission to the Idaho Falls Zoo, which hosts the celebration. The event attracts about 1,000 people every year.
“As the environmental cleanup contractor for the INL Site, the Earth Day Celebration is a natural fit for IEC’s mission,” IEC Pollution Prevention Coordinator Sue Vilord said. “While the role companies play in environmental stewardship is vital, if we take care of our own corner of the world, which includes the places we live, work and play, we’ll find that even small efforts can result in huge benefits.”
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In addition to learning how to be good stewards of the Earth, Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC) volunteers and attendees took time out for a zoo-themed photoshoot to commemorate their day. Pictured is IEC Human Resources Generalist Maribel Ochoa Martinez, left, with her family. |
For more than 30 years, representatives and contractors from EM’s Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP), Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and INL have combined resources to host the community’s annual Earth Day celebration at the Idaho Falls Zoo. The event includes hands-on activities focused on teaching children and their families the benefits of environmental stewardship.
This year, volunteers with IEC’s weSTEAM program led activities to demonstrate how science, technology, engineering, art and math can help advance environmental cleanup at INL. IEC employees also provided social media and marketing support.
“The public-private partnership that formed and helped build this event into what it is today allows us to keep costs low to families who want to participate in the Earth Day Celebration,” Eastern Idaho Environmental Education Association President Michell Walker said.
As part of IEC’s diverse cleanup mission, environmental protection and public education continue to be priorities helping to drive waste management that is protecting the Snake River Aquifer for future generations.
-Contributor: Jessica Vasseur
 Kimberly Fickling, left, University of South Carolina Aiken Ruth Patrick Science Center (RPSEC) director of Environmental Education, and Beth Eberhard, RPSEC Student Programs specialist, teach viewers about a box turtle found in the forests of the Savannah River Site. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Education Outreach uses virtual field trips to showcase the site’s unique attributes and species to students locally and abroad.
“I Spy Math in Nature” offers online learning opportunity for budding students
AIKEN, S.C. — The Savannah River Site (SRS) is now sharing its vast forests with students as young as kindergarteners throughout the world, thanks to recently reintroduced virtual field trips.
Managed by U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the online field trips are a cooperative effort between SRNS Education Outreach and the University of South Carolina Aiken Ruth Patrick Science Education Center (RPSEC).
SRNS Education Outreach hosts in-person student field trips as part of the Science and Technology Enrichment Program, which provides hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) opportunities through real-world investigations and responsible environmental stewardship. Restrictions for onsite tours limit the team’s capacity to reach children below the third grade.
“Age restrictions at SRS created a huge need for virtual opportunities so our younger audiences could experience the Savannah River Site,” said Taylor Rice, SRNS Education Outreach specialist. “We are now impacting kindergarten through third grade from inside the classroom.”
Filmed in what became the first national environmental research park in 1972, SRNS virtual field trips correlate to academic math and science standards. Approximately 280 square miles of forests are home to many rare, endangered species and serve as the perfect setting for age-appropriate learning material.
“Not only is this a free resource for educators and the National Science Teaching Association, but SRNS virtual field trips can also be used to support grade-specific standards and pacing guidelines,” said Kimberly Fickling, RPSEC director of Environmental Education. “I love seeing our themes, scripts and film come together to create a timeless video that will be utilized by hundreds of educators across the world.”
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Educators that apply for the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions virtual field trip experience receive a themed student worksheet, teacher key, vocabulary list and state standards for the focused material. |
In the virtual field trips, students follow along to observe animals and changes in nature, identify shapes and solve nature math. Featured species include the white-tailed deer, bess beetle, box turtle, armadillo and loblolly and longleaf pines.
Three previous virtual field trips have been released at the middle and high school level. “Wet Wonders” studies macroinvertebrates through biotic testing. “Feathers in the Forest” includes an assessment hike that determines the best habitat for the previously endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. “A Trip Down Under” uncovers the mysteries of soil.
“I love that we can introduce nature to children in a fun, multi-sensory way that builds excitement in exploring the outdoors,” said Beth Eberhard, RPSEC Student Programs specialist. “Even things that are a commonplace to us as adults — such as a beetle or a pine needle — can open the eyes of our next generation to the unique environment around them.”
Educators that apply for the virtual field trip receive a student worksheet, teacher key, vocabulary list and state standards for the focused material.
Click here to request the virtual field trip experience, or contact Taylor.Rice@srs.gov for more information.
-Contributor: Mackenzie McNabb
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