  Billy Starnes currently serves as a uranium-233 specialist with Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management contractor Isotek. His knowledge is vital to preparations needed for processing operations as crews downblend the material into a form safe for shipment and disposal.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Billy Starnes recently celebrated his 50th anniversary working in the oldest operating nuclear facility in the world, located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Starnes walked into Building 3019 for the first time in February 1974 as an engineering technician, tasked with testing uranium-233 processing. His career over the past five decades has transitioned from making the material safe for storage to now making it safe for disposal.
“I was one of the first engineering technicians they brought in when they started ramping up the number of people to really go into production,” said Starnes.
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Billy Starnes began working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1974. His first job in Building 3019 was as an engineering technician testing processing with uranium-233. |
Starnes began by extracting radioisotopes to reduce uranium-233’s radioactivity as it was prepared for storage. His role and responsibilities continued expanding over the years, becoming operations manager and facility supervisor.
“I think I’ve been in pretty much every compartment, every cell, every tunnel, even in the bottom of the stack,” Starnes said. “I’ve probably seen a few of the places that most people will not see.”
One of the largest processing campaigns Starnes supported was the Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project. As part of that effort, highly radioactive uranyl nitrate solutions of fuel cores from other facilities across the country were sent to Building 3019 in liquid form to be converted into a safer, solid form for storage.
“There were a lot of projects going on that had meaning, and it was an accomplishment to finish those,” Starnes recounted.
 Isotek holds a celebration recognizing Billy Starnes’ 50 years of work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is pictured with Isotek President and Project Manager Sarah Schaefer.
Given his experience with the radioisotope and his aversion to leisure, Starnes joined Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) contractor Isotek in 2003, coming out of retirement from ORNL after only two weeks.
Today, he relies on his unmatched familiarity with the uranium-233 inventory to support OREM’s highest priority project at ORNL, which is focused on eliminating that material from storage in Building 3019. The project is also advancing cancer treatment research and providing material needed to start clinical trials for a promising form of treatment.
Processing and disposition of uranium-233 canisters is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management 2024 priority.
Starnes currently serves as a uranium-233 specialist, vital to extensive preparations needed for processing operations that are downblending the material and converting it to a form safe for shipment and permanent disposal.
“The level of knowledge that he retains is incredible,” said Karl Thomas, Isotek processing manager. “From a cost perspective, having that value on the project, it’s hard to calculate how important that is.”
 Billy Starnes, second from left, is shown with a team of employees preparing to process a portion of a low-dose inventory of uranium-233 in gloveboxes. That phase of the project is complete, and employees are now processing the high-dose portion of the inventory in hot cells, which are large concrete enclosures with shielded glass and mechanical manipulators that allow operators to safely handle highly radioactive or hazardous materials.
His subject matter expertise and remarkable memory helps with analysis of uranium-233 canisters and maintenance of Building 3019. One could reliably say that no one alive knows more about uranium-233 and Building 3019 than Starnes.
“He’s so focused, not only on the technical details; he’s focused on the people details,” said Linda Gilpin, Isotek data manager. “He can look at people’s names, and he remembers what their roles were.”
Starnes has no public plans to retire, and the team has expressed gratitude that he will continue providing his insight to support the Uranium-233 Disposition Project.
-Contributor: John Gray
AIKEN, S.C. — Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) last week marked the 20th anniversary of being designated as a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory.
To help mark the occasion, Laboratory Director Vahid Majidi, Deputy Director of Operations Sharon Marra and Deputy Director of Science and Technology Sue Clark celebrated with SRNL employees at three different SRNL locations on May 7, the official date of the two-decade anniversary.
“Thank you for everything you do for the laboratory to make us great in what we do,” said Majidi. “Thank you for having the best interest of the American people in mind every day you come to work and thank you for being a great member of the community.”
As the DOE Office of Environmental Management’s national laboratory, SRNL applies its unique expertise and applied technology capabilities to assist DOE sites across the nation in meeting their environmental and legacy management missions.
 EMTV: Watch this video of a celebration marking 20 years since Savannah River National Laboratory was designated as a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory.
Marra remarked that SRNL employees have a bright future at the laboratory.
“Glad you all are a part of it,” Marra said. “I hope you feel a part of it and will continue to contribute to our mission for 20-plus more years to come.”
Clark emphasized to the SRNL employees that they are essential to everything being done at the lab, whether they were there 20 years ago or just arrived two days ago.
“We all are in pursuit of excellence in science and technology,” Clark said. “That’s what we’re here for: serving the nation.”
The May 7 celebration was the first of three events to celebrate SRNL’s 20th anniversary.
On Saturday, May 18, from 4 to 8 p.m., the public is invited to Meet SRNL at Highfields Event Center, Aiken. Those attending can enjoy live music featuring Low Country Locals, Chip Herring and Jack McCarthy; tasty treats from 10 area food trucks; and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities for all ages. Admission is free and open to the public.
The third celebratory event, SRNL Day at SRP Park, Augusta, Georgia, is planned for Aug. 30.
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Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Director Vahid Majidi speaks to laboratory employees at an event marking the 20th anniversary of SRNL being designated as a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory. |
“We are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of our national laboratory designation, but that designation doesn’t mark the start of SRNL’s journey,” Majidi wrote in an earlier message to employees. “Our legacy spans seven decades. It’s a legacy forged at the onset of the Cold War to produce nuclear materials in support of our national nuclear deterrent and ultimately leading to the inevitable end of the Cold War.”
An outgrowth of immense investment in scientific research initiated by the U.S. government during World War II, the national laboratories have served as the leading institutions for scientific innovation in the United States for more than 70 years.
The Energy Department's 17 national labs tackle critical scientific challenges — from combating climate change to discovering the origins of the universe — and possess unique instruments and facilities, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. They address large scale, complex research and development challenges with a multidisciplinary approach that places an emphasis on translating basic science to innovation.
 Members of eight local advisory boards that make up the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) pose for a group photo during a tour of the Portsmouth Site. The group viewed progress of the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility as part of its biannual EM SSAB National Chairs meeting.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Stakeholders from eight cleanup sites recently met for the biannual two-day Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) National Chairs meeting in Chillicothe, Ohio, where they heard about progress across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) complex from EM leadership.
EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery expressed gratitude for the representatives of the eight local EM SSABs.
“The EM SSAB is a tremendously important and influential group,” Avery remarked. “We are much healthier when we have diverse views and perspectives to inform the Environmental Management program. The EM SSABs provide us with a window into their respective communities to help us better understand perspectives and concerns.”
 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery provides a programmatic update on recent successes and future plans throughout the EM complex during the EM Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) Spring Chairs meeting. During his address, Avery expressed gratitude for the EM SSABs.
Avery shared themes important to the EM program, including safety and a focus on the future. He also covered progress updates for cleanup projects.
Also at their spring meeting, the group of advisory board members discussed topics such as waste and transportation, DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative and per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). The board members received a briefing on the status of the recommendations they’ve made over the past five years. They also were briefed on consent-based siting.
 Members the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board pose for a group photo during a tour of the Fernald Preserve in Hamilton, Ohio, to discuss the site transition from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management to DOE’s Office of Legacy Management.
Some meeting attendees toured EM’s Portsmouth Site where they viewed the site’s cleanup progress. They also toured the Fernald Preserve in Hamilton, Ohio, with a primary objective to discuss lessons learned on the site’s transition from EM to DOE’s Office of Legacy Management in 2006.
The SSAB was created in 1994 to involve stakeholders more directly in EM’s cleanup decisions, providing advice and recommendations from a community perspective on site-specific and cross-complex cleanup activities.
The boards are composed of local community representative members including Native American tribes, state and local governments, and community and public interest groups.
The Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board was created to involve stakeholders more directly in the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s cleanup decisions, providing advice and recommendations on cleanup and environmental management activities.
The local boards are the Hanford Advisory Board, Idaho Cleanup Project Citizens Advisory Board (CAB), Nevada SSAB, Northern New Mexico CAB, Oak Ridge SSAB, Paducah CAB, Portsmouth SSAB and Savannah River Site CAB.
The next EM SSAB National Chairs meeting is planned for September, hosted by the Oak Ridge SSAB in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
-Contributor: Melissa Green
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) crews at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site continue to make progress using repurposed Cold War-era facilities to treat potentially hazardous metals, rendering them safe for offsite disposal.
Workers with the Waste Management Program of EM contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition are using “hot cells” at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) to treat the contents of 130 canisters containing metal with uranium and plutonium fines, and sodium and potassium, all of which can be reactive and ignite in air or water. The hot cells — large concrete enclosures with shielded glass and mechanical manipulators that allow operators to safely handle highly radioactive or hazardous materials — were constructed to assist in the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing mission at INTEC until 1992.
At left, crews treat a potentially hazardous metal inside a hot cell at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center to render it safe for offsite disposal.
The waste containing the challenging metals undergoing treatment originated from the former Argonne National Laboratory-West, now called the INL Site’s Materials and Fuels Complex, and liquid metal fast breeder reactor programs from the 1960s through the early 2000s. At one time, the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II, which operated from 1965 to 1994, provided nuclear power to all INL Site facilities.
Treating and repackaging the waste involves opening an overpack, which serves as a secondary layer of protection, to access an inner waste can. The waste can is transferred to a hot cell and opened in a plexiglass chamber filled with argon gas to make it an oxygen-poor environment to allow for controlled waste treatment.
Because sodium and potassium react vigorously in water, they’re treated with water spritzing, in which extremely fine mists of water are introduced in the chamber. Operators immerse more complexly shaped metals containing sodium or potassium in water while maintaining the oxygen level at or below 3.3%. Infrared cameras and monitors gauge the level of reaction, allowing operators to adjust the oxygen level or water usage.
Uranium and plutonium fines, which are reactive in air, are treated by adjusting the oxygen level in the chamber. Testing is performed to ensure all reactive metals have been treated and the material is safe to ship for disposal.
“What sounds like a relatively simple process is only achieved through the teamwork of the operators, radiological protection personnel, engineers, maintenance staff, shipping experts and many others,” INTEC Nuclear Facility Manager Travis Barney said. “The controlled reactions can extend from minutes to hours. Everyone operates with safety in mind.”
Once treatment of the waste is complete, it is packaged and placed in a 55-gallon drum and transferred to a shielded cell. Crews then complete a process to determine the shipping technique and final waste disposition facility.
-Contributor: Erik Simpson
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 Workers at the Hanford Site recently used cameras to operate a robotic arm during a proof-of-concept demonstration of removing a hydraulic pump from Tank AP-102.
RICHLAND, Wash. — Workers with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) recently demonstrated two improved methods they intend to use for removing an old hydraulic pump from a large, underground tank storing radioactive and chemical waste at the Hanford Site.
This proof-of-concept simulation was done in a nonradioactive environment, which supports safe progress on complex cleanup projects in the field. It also showcased worker proficiency, equipment reliability and adherence to safety procedures needed for a planned removal of a pump from Tank AP-102. Engineers adapted a previously used robotic arm to assist on this job and employed an improved bag system which encloses the pump as it’s pulled out of the tank to protect workers from contaminants.
“The work DOE and WRPS do to manage Hanford’s underground tanks is highly specialized,” said Harold Stafford, Office of River Protection Tank Waste Operations project engineer. “By using methods that have been successful at other sites and modifying them to fit our specific needs, we help ensure that crews continue to complete projects safely and efficiently.”
 Crews with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Washington River Protection Solutions demonstrate bagging and retrieving a hydraulic pump from a tank in a simulated, nonradioactive environment, then packaging it for disposal after its pipes are drained of fluid.
Workers will use cameras to guide the robotic arm to drain oil from hydraulic lines before fully extracting the pump from the tank. This method enhances safety and efficiency by reducing potential radiation exposure and keeping excess waste in the tank. Previously, operators drained fluids only after removing the contaminated pump from the tank.
Crews will then remove the pump using a large, flexible bag. The disposable bag works as a protective sleeve to block contaminants that might be on the pump while protecting the workers handling it.
 EMTV: Watch this video to learn more about a recent demonstration for safely removing a hydraulic pump from Tank AP-102 at the Hanford Site.
“We routinely remove equipment, and before disposal it needs to be drained of any liquids,” said Peter Griffin, a WRPS Tank Farm Projects engineer. “This robot further advances our journey of optimizing and deploying robotic technology effectively. We’re leveraging a blend of existing products and our own custom builds to meet Hanford’s specific needs and applications.”
Crews plan to use the equipment early this summer, supporting a pump replacement project that will enable future waste transfers in and out of the tank.
 Work is now underway for the second phase of construction for the Environmental Management Disposal Facility. Site development continues as part of a groundwater field demonstration.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR have completed the first phase of construction for the Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF).
EMDF will provide the waste disposal capacity OREM needs to complete cleanup at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Field work for early site preparations began in August following a groundbreaking ceremony with congressional leaders and officials from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).
Tasks in this subproject included tree felling, clearing 27 acres of land, rerouting of two roads and site preparation. That work, with a project cost of $27 million, was completed safely, under budget and ahead of schedule.
The kickoff for this work followed a decade of planning, regulatory decision-making and preparation, culminating in a record of decision signed by DOE, EPA and TDEC in September 2022.
“Early site prep completion is a big milestone for us,” EMDF Director Sean Dunagan said. “It paves the way for the next phase of work and keeps this critical project on schedule. All parties involved worked together to get to this point and I’m excited that the EMDF project is moving into the next phase.”
 Early site preparation for the Environmental Management Disposal Facility included rerouting portions of Bear Creek Road and the private Haul Road, which is used to ship waste from cleanup sites to the disposal facility. Workers, seen here, hydroseed berms near the facility’s construction area.
The completion of early site preparation is a major milestone for EMDF and sets this critical project on a solid path to timely completion.
The current onsite disposal facility, the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility, is nearing capacity after supporting cleanup of the East Tennessee Technology Park and ongoing demolition projects at Y-12 and ORNL.
While the first phase of field work for EMDF is complete, work continues.
The second phase, a groundwater field demonstration, is underway. It includes continued development of the site, earthwork and installation of groundwater monitoring wells. This phase will continue over the next two years, leading to the final phase of EMDF construction.
The facility is slated for completion in 2030.
-Contributor: David Barton
 Workers at the West Valley Demonstration Project use a large crane to load one of eight containers of legacy waste into an engineered overpack for safe shipment to an offsite disposal facility.
WEST VALLEY, N.Y. — Crews with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) recently met a fiscal year goal at the West Valley Demonstration Project by shipping eight containers of legacy waste each weighing up to 94,000 pounds for offsite disposal.
The effort by EM and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) involved comprehensive planning, engineered safeguards, continuous communication and teamwork.
“The West Valley Demonstration Project team continues to use planning, teamwork and deliberate execution to complete challenging work safely,” said Stephen Bousquet, EM West Valley assistant director of Project Management. “By removing legacy wastes, we continue to position the site for future cleanup activities.”
Workers used a large crane to pick up and lower each container into an engineered overpack, which serves as a secondary layer of protection. They loaded the overpack containers onto trailers and transported them by truck to a local rail transload facility. There, the shipment was securely loaded onto rail cars for transportation to an approved disposal facility in Texas.
The legacy waste was removed from the former Fuel Receiving and Storage Facility. The building was used from 1965 to 1972 to receive and store spent nuclear fuel before it was reprocessed to recover reusable plutonium and uranium.
“Our team members continue to use their combined knowledge to safely and deliberately complete high risk work activities,” CHBWV Waste and Site Operations Manager Peggy Loop said. “I’m proud of their efforts, accomplishments and work they continue to do on this project.”
This latest achievement joins a list of fiscal year goals EM crews have completed at West Valley, including the removal of old locker rooms and the original guardhouse, installation of new walkways, construction of a new access roadway between the north and south parking lots, and collection of a sample in an underground tank that stored high-level liquid waste from spent fuel reprocessing operations.
-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere
 Zach Suess, an industrial hygiene technician with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company, hands a heat-stress monitoring armband to co-worker Amanda Wolfe. Hundreds of workers at the Hanford Site will begin using the battery-powered devices to help protect against heat stress during summer months.
RICHLAND, Wash. — Safety professionals with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) recently deployed a small device intended to have a big effect when it comes to worker safety at the Hanford Site.
A monitor and band worn on the upper arm by workers checks heart rate and core body temperature and relays the information to safety personnel supporting the work. The device is an early warning system used to prevent injuries and illnesses related to heat stress.
“Heat mitigation is critical at the Hanford Site, where workers perform physically demanding work daily, often in temperatures exceeding 90 degrees in the summer,” said Stan Branch, EM Safety and Health Division director for the Hanford Site. “We’re always looking for tools and technologies that can help us protect our workers.”
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A battery-powered, heat-stress monitoring armband was tested before being deployed at the Hanford Site. The device allows safety professionals to monitor a worker’s heart rate and core body temperature on a computer screen in real time in the field. |
The battery-powered monitor sends data to a website, allowing the contractor’s safety and industrial hygiene team to observe worker conditions on a computer screen. Safety specialists can monitor an entire work crew. The device is equipped with LED lights and pulses notify the worker and the safety team when alert thresholds are reached and protective action is needed, such as heading to a cooling station.
The monitor is similar to a system EM uses at Oak Ridge. A team from Hanford traveled to Tennessee to get a firsthand look at the system before deciding to implement it at Hanford.
While the device normally connects to a cellular network, it can also connect to Bluetooth, which is a key feature in facilities where cellular service is unreliable or even nonexistent.
“The new monitor is a significant upgrade over the system we used in the past and will play a significant role in enhancing worker safety across our projects,” said Courtney Smith, CPCCo’s Occupational Safety & Industrial Hygiene Programs manager.
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