 
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) has updated its popular “By the Numbers” feature, illustrating cleanup progress at EM sites through crisp, succinct infographics.
EM's progress is the direct result of the expertise of the people of EM and their continued commitment to the cleanup program's mission — its workforce, community and industry partners, tribal nations, and congressional and intergovernmental partners. Through collaboration, EM has achieved another year of successful cleanup and is poised for continued success.
Facts and figures on each major EM site can be found here. New to the graphics this year is an interactive feature that allows readers to take a deeper dive into some statistics. By clicking on the plus icons in each graphic, users can explore additional photos, EM Update articles and videos of some of EM’s most significant accomplishments across the complex.
As the largest environmental cleanup program in the world, EM has been charged with the responsibility of cleaning up 107 sites across the country whose area is equal to the combined area of Rhode Island and Delaware. EM has made substantial progress in nearly every area of nuclear waste cleanup and has completed cleanup at 92 of these sites. There are 15 sites where cleanup work is currently ongoing.
 By June 2024, workers had removed about 346,000 gallons of radiological and chemical waste from AX-101, completing retrieval of the Hanford Site’s second tank farm, or group of underground storage tanks.
RICHLAND, Wash. — Workers have finished removing radioactive waste from the 21st large underground storage tank as part of the massive cleanup of the Hanford Site in southeast Washington state.
Tank AX-101 is also the last of four emptied in a group of tanks, called the AX Farm. Waste removed from the 21 tanks totals about 3 million gallons.
“This is another important moment in our Hanford cleanup work,” said Brian Vance, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s (EM) top manager at Hanford. “Safely and efficiently transferring waste from older to newer tanks continues to reduce risks to our workforce and our community as we progress our cleanup mission on behalf of the nation’s taxpayers.”
 A photo from inside AX-101 before retrieval activities started in January 2023 shows radiological and chemical waste in the tank and collected on walls and other in-tank equipment.
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Preparations, like installing equipment into the tank to mobilize waste, are nearly complete to allow retrieval of radiological and chemical waste from A Farm, the site’s third tank farm, to begin this month. |
From 1944 to 1989, Hanford produced 74 tons of plutonium for the country’s nuclear weapons program. To store the radioactive and chemical byproducts, the site built thick, reinforced concrete tanks lined inside with steel and buried under several feet of soil to shield workers from radiation. The tanks held up to a million gallons each, and when production stopped at the end of the Cold War, 56 million gallons of waste was in 177 of the large tanks.
EM and its contractors are moving the waste out of the older tanks with a single steel liner into newer tanks that have a second liner for leak protection. Those tanks will feed the waste to the nearby Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant that will treat the waste for safe disposal starting next year.
To empty the 21st tank, contractor Washington River Protection Solutions, supported by other Hanford contractors, removed about 350,000 gallons of waste from the million-gallon single shell Tank AX-101.
 Workers use remote-operated equipment to mobilize waste and direct it toward a pump for transfer to a double-shell tank for eventual pretreatment and vitrification.
“The work is some of the most challenging and complex in the Department’s mission to clean up sites across the country that supported our national security objectives from World War II to the end of the Cold War,” said Delmar Noyes, EM Hanford assistant manager for Tank Waste Operations. “Hanford teams removing the waste are meticulous in managing radiological, chemical and industrial hazards while progressing our cleanup mission.”
“The retrieval teams are successful because they have taken ownership of the work and our risk-reduction mission,” said Peggy Hamilton, Retrievals manager for Washington River Protection Solutions. “We continue to make great progress in retrieving tank waste because the teams are dedicated to working safely, efficiently and keeping up their skills through continuous training.”
View a video of workers talking about this achievement here.
Hanford workers won’t stop at 21. They will start removing waste from the 22nd tank later this month.
CARLSBAD, N.M. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) recently crossed a major milestone: the 14,000th shipment of defense-generated transuranic (TRU) nuclear waste was delivered to its Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and emplaced in the underground repository.
“This marks an important milestone in our mission to clean up the country’s legacy waste dating back to World War II and Cold War eras. Achieving 14,000 shipments is the result of the hard work and dedication of the WIPP employees, as well as the staff at all the cleanup sites,” said Mark Bollinger, EM Carlsbad Field Office manager. “It also reflects DOE’s continued focus on safely and compliantly cleaning up the environment for future generations.”
EM has successfully cleaned up TRU waste from 22 nuclear production sites across the U.S., reducing risk for millions of Americans and the environment.
TRU waste, a byproduct of the nation’s nuclear defense program, consists of materials like clothing, rags, tools, gloves, debris and residue leftover from handling items with radioactive properties. At the generator sites, these items are packaged and then secured inside TRUPACT containers, which are solid, shielded vaults. The waste is then transported to the WIPP underground repository and emplaced in perpetuity.
Every WIPP shipment meets all U.S. Department of Transportation requirements, and must pass an inspection to ensure the shipment is fully free of defects when it departs the generator site. WIPP’s driver teams are highly trained and must meet stringent requirements prior to transporting a shipment. Shipment protocols were developed through cooperative efforts with states, tribal governments and DOE. All shipments are monitored and tracked using a satellite tracking system. To date, WIPP drivers have logged more than 16.5 million safe loaded miles.
“The employees who transport these shipments from the generator sites to WIPP deserve a lot of credit,” said Tammy Hobbes, vice president and operations/National TRU Program manager with Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, WIPP’s management and operations contractor. “Their attention to detail and focus on safety has a direct correlation to the success of WIPP.”
-Contributor: Bobby St. John
 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-Savannah River Deputy Manager Edwin Deshong, left, with 2023 DOE Safety System Oversight Engineer of the Year Nino Travljanin, at the DOE Nuclear and Facility Safety Programs Workshop.
AIKEN, S.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has named Nino Travljanin its 2023 Safety System Oversight (SSO) Engineer of the Year.
Travljanin, a safety system oversight engineer and nuclear safety specialist in DOE-Savannah River's Waste Disposition Engineering Division, was presented the annual award at the DOE Nuclear and Facility Safety Programs Workshop in New Orleans.
The SSO annual award recognizes superior or exemplary service by an employee who performed SSO functions. Nominees are submitted from each field office and the recipient is determined by a panel representing the chief health, safety and security officer and managers from the DOE offices of Environmental Management, Science and Nuclear Energy, and the National Nuclear Security Administration.
In his role at the Savannah River Site (SRS), Travljanin is responsible for overseeing the safety bases, safety systems and contractor engineering programs at the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), Saltstone Production and Disposal Facility, and Effluent Treatment Facility.
In a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Joyce Connery, chair of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, recognized Travljanin for the award, noting that he demonstrated superior leadership and technical safety oversight at the SRS facilities.
"The Board joins DOE and its field office managers in acknowledging the important contributions made by the DOE safety system oversight engineers and extends its sincerest congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Travljanin," the letter says.
 Garrett Smith, left, director, Office of Nuclear Safety, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security, presents Nino Travljanin with the 2023 Department of Energy Safety System Oversight Engineer of the Year award.
Throughout 2023, Travljanin performed exceptional oversight of the liquid waste contractor and contributed to multiple initiatives to improve and accelerate the liquid waste mission at SRS.
“Mr. Travljanin exemplified engineering oversight by maintaining a wide view of his facilities' activities and focusing on specific areas with his documented assessments,” said Keith Sandroni, director of the Waste Disposition Engineering Division.
Travljanin was directly involved with several processing improvements essential to completing the SRS liquid waste mission by 2037.
He completed the safety evaluation report for directly transferring decontaminated salt solution from SWPF to the Saltstone facility and led two DOE implementation verification review teams for reducing the concentration of monosodium titanate and increasing the allowable curie concentration of the waste received into SWPF.
In addition, Travljanin was recognized for dedication to his peers and the organization.
After finishing a site-specific SSO qualification, Travljanin completed the DOE SSO qualification and created study guides for the qualification standard competencies to help others complete their qualifications.
In a notable best practice, Travljanin coordinated regular SWPF and Saltstone Integrated Project Team meetings to review operational and engineering issues and challenges, as well as programmatic concerns or initiatives affecting the facilities. These meetings ensured a clear and well-coordinated DOE oversight effort.
-Contributors: Bryan Cox, Keith Sandroni
RICHLAND, Wash. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management’s (EM) Hanford Site is this year’s recipient of the Presidential Migratory Bird Federal Stewardship Award, in recognition of the site’s migratory bird protection and artificial burrow systems for burrowing owls.
The award from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Council for the Conservation of Migratory Birds honors the Hanford team for noting a negative trend for the western burrowing owl population and taking steps to reverse it.
Taking action, the team created artificial burrows, increasing opportunities for breeding. To date, the team has installed and updated more than 70 burrow systems, leading to a tenfold increase in the number of active nests. This made 2024 the year that Hanford recorded the largest count for breeding pairs of western burrowing owls.
The annual award recognizes an action conducted by, or in partnership with, a federal agency, which meets the intent and spirit of Executive Order 13186 by focusing on migratory bird conservation. The council oversees implementation of the executive order.
The environmental team with EM contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions produced highlights of the project for this year’s nomination, which can also be seen in the slideshow above.
The collaborative effort has produced a program of avian protection, sensitive species conservation, education and habitat improvement that far exceeds the expectations of the executive order, making Hanford a leader in migratory bird protection and conservation across the DOE complex.
-Contributor: Cerise Peck
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 A radiation protection technician at the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Radioactive Waste Management Complex performs contamination surveys of the overhead structure and fabric inside the Accelerated Retrieval Project VIII.
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) crews are working to safely demolish the largest remaining structure used in a project to retrieve targeted buried waste at a Cold War-era landfill at the Idaho National Laboratory Site.
The efforts by EM and cleanup contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC) to remove the facility are essential to eliminating risk to the workforce, public and the environment. The work also helps pave the way to the eventual closure of the 97-acre landfill, known as the Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA), returning the site to its native desert landscape.
The structure undergoing demolition, known as Accelerated Retrieval Project (ARP) VIII, is a large, soft-sided facility, enclosing more than three acres of the landfill. It was constructed to contain radiological and hazardous elements of buried legacy waste as it was exhumed.
Crews decontaminated the structure’s inner lining, which spanned several thousand square feet. Next, radiological control technicians ensured the material met stringent radiological control standards. Workers then applied a thick paint-like fixative to effectively “trap” remaining contaminants. That fixative has been effective in containing contaminants during demolition of other ARP structures.
Crews also conducted additional radiological surveys and regular air samplings to ensure any contamination remained fixed.
Nathan Bridges, Radiation, Protection, Safety and Health (RPS&H) senior manager at IEC, said such efforts are essential to safely completing demolition of ARP VIII.
“From radiological surveys to active decontamination, everything we do is focused on removing risk,” Bridges said. “And our workforce is successful, having safely demolished four similar ARP structures since 2022 without any incident.”
Water is applied to the facility’s floor and surrounding area to reduce the likelihood of dust travel during demolition.
“These steps are an important part to preventing unwanted dust and debris dispersion when the ARP is eventually pulled down,” Bridges said.
Debris generated from ARP demolition activities is immediately placed and buried in the landfill. Crews will place a protective overlay of nearly 25,000 cubic yards of soil — approximately 2,000 truckloads — over the ARP VIII demolition area.
ARP deactivation and demolition is a complex process that takes several months, but the workforce is experienced and able to work safely and address challenges efficiently. Bridges noted that the key to a successful and uneventful demolition is close coordination among employees.
“From the planning stage to completion, it will take approximately one year and tens of thousands of work hours from dozens of employees to demolish ARP VIII,” said Bridges. “In my 20 years of experience, I have not worked with a crew as skilled, efficient and productive as the people we have in Idaho.”
The ARP VIII demolition is scheduled for completion this summer. Crews will then work to demolish ARP IX and VII. EM and IEC expect to complete demolition of all remaining ARP facilities by the end of this year. There were seven in total.
Demolition of the ARP structures is necessary before construction can commence on an estimated 130-acre earthen cover over the landfill. The project will require an estimated 250,000 dump-truck loads of soils and rocks to be installed as the final step in remediation of the area.
In 2008, the DOE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state of Idaho agreed to exhume targeted waste — such as plutonium filters, graphite molds, sludges, and a potentially reactive form of uranium — from a combined area of 5.69 acres from the SDA footprint. This remediation was completed in early 2022, approximately 18 months ahead of schedule.
-Contributor: Carter Harrison
 Members of the Northern New Mexico Citizens’ Advisory Board along with Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office and Newport News Nuclear, BWXT-Los Alamos (N3B) staff visit Overlook Park in White Rock, New Mexico, overlooking the Rio Grande, where N3B Surface Water and Stormwater Manager Karly Rodriguez, far right, leads discussions about geography and the processes of water sampling and remediation.
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — Members of the Northern New Mexico Citizens’ Advisory Board (NNMCAB) recently saw firsthand the work of the legacy cleanup mission at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). NNMCAB members visited several sites at LANL and one in White Rock, learning about the progress being made by the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) and Newport News Nuclear, BWXT-Los Alamos (N3B), the legacy cleanup contractor at LANL, in water and soil investigation and remediation; installation of groundwater wells for hexavalent chromium monitoring; and retrieval and size-reduction of corrugated metal pipes (CMPs) containing cemented, radioactive material.
 The contact-handled transuranic waste team from Newport News Nuclear, BWXT-Los Alamos staff multiple briefing stations at Technical Area 54, Area G at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where Northern New Mexico Citizens’ Advisory Board members learn about the process of retrieving buried corrugated metal pipes (CMPs), tools used for safety management and detection, the process of size reducing each 20-foot-long CMP using a hydraulic shear, and loading size-reduced pieces into waste boxes and preparing them for eventual shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
 Northern New Mexico Citizens’ Advisory Board members hear from Newport News Nuclear, BWXT-Los Alamos Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Deputy Program Manager Ellen Gammon and Waste Management Senior Director Carolina Soaterna at Technical Area 54, Area G inside Dome 375, about loading cut pieces of corrugated metal pipes into standard waste boxes.
 Northern New Mexico Citizens’ Advisory Board members visit Mortandad Canyon in Los Alamos, where Troy Thomson, Environmental Remediation program manager, Newport News Nuclear, BWXT-Los Alamos (N3B), discusses the geography of the area along with the challenges and accomplishments the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office and N3B have had while drilling and installing wells in this terrain.
 Tom McCrory, senior geologist, Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office, far right, in front, speaks to the geology of the layers of rock in Mortandad Canyon, including Bandelier Tuff, Cerros del Rio Basalt and the Puye Formation, and the challenges in drilling 1,000-foot wells at the site. Standing in front of well R-45 in Mortandad Canyon, McCrory discusses the purposes of the wells installed throughout the Los Alamos National Laboratory site shown on a map displayed for the group.
 An Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management crew member works to install one of three bridges to support the relocation of utilities away from the Alpha-2 facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Each bridge weighs over 2,000 pounds.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) crews at Oak Ridge are moving closer toward completing the first-ever demolition of a former uranium enrichment facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex as crews reroute utilities around the structure.
Workers are slated to begin demolition on the Alpha-2 building this fall. Initiating teardown of the facility is an EM priority for 2024.
The 325,000-square-foot Manhattan Project-era facility is one of nine uranium enrichment process buildings constructed at Y-12. Its removal by the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR will eliminate a high-risk excess contaminated facility, enable modernization and clear land to support national security missions.
 Numerous active utilities, including steam, air, gas and water, are located around the Alpha-2 facility. Those utilities support ongoing operations at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management crews must move the utilities before demolition of Alpha-2 can begin.
The Alpha-2 project has presented challenges, but workers continue making progress on one of the biggest EM projects to date at Y-12.
Among the challenges: removing legacy materials from the building, the presence of mercury contamination, the need to reroute utilities and Alpha-2’s proximity to other operating facilities.
“Getting this building ready for demolition has been a major undertaking,” OREM Project Manager Morgan Carden said. “With this project happening at an active national security site, we’re working carefully to make headway without impacting ongoing operations.”
 A yearlong effort to design and install bridges enables the relocation of utilities away from the Alpha-2 building and the subsequent demolition of the facility. The bridges will accommodate future vehicular traffic even after the Alpha-2 teardown is complete.
Crews are relocating several key Y-12 utilities — including steam, air, gas and water — around Alpha-2 to support demolition of the building. UCOR crews have installed three structural steel bridges to support the relocation of utilities.
“Each bridge weighs over 2,000 pounds and took over a year to design and build,” UCOR Project Manager Harrison Boyd said.
The yearlong effort to design, inspect, modify and install the bridges accommodates future vehicular traffic even after demolition is complete.
Relocation of the utilities is expected to be complete later this summer.
-Contributor: Carol Hendrycks
 Savannah River Site (SRS) Apprenticeship Program graduates Terrence Tillman, far right, and Shanterra Hughes share their recent apprenticeship experience with National Public Radio (NPR) Host David Brancaccio, center, and NPR Sound Engineer Rebekah Wineman.
National Public Radio’s ‘Marketplace Morning Report’ features Savannah River Site in new series
AIKEN, S.C. — “Jobs IRL: Looking at Jobs on a More Atomic Level,” a new radio series on National Public Radio’s (NPR) “Marketplace Morning Report,” recently highlighted unique career opportunities and job training offered at Savannah River Site (SRS).
“Marketplace Morning Report” is a daily business-news program that airs six times a day as part of NPR’s Morning Edition. With over 14 million weekly listeners across 800 local public radio stations and a significant digital audience, it is one of the most popular business and economic news programs in the country.
Rick Sprague, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) senior vice president, Environment, Safety, Health and Quality, expressed excitement about the exposure, saying, “This was a terrific opportunity to showcase our apprenticeship opportunities and recruitment efforts on a national platform.”
 Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Senior Vice President Rick Sprague, right, discusses Savannah River Site missions and workforce recruitment efforts with National Public Radio’s Rebekah Wineman, far left, and David Brancaccio.
The series focuses on organizations that create physical, well-paid jobs during a digital age.
“We aim to hire over 9,000 new employees in the next five years,” continued Sprague. “This program is essential in securing full-time employees with the critical skills needed at the Savannah River Site.”
The SRS Apprenticeship School has formed successful partnerships with the Aiken Technical, Augusta Technical and Denmark Technical colleges. The program offers 27 registered occupations that include paid on-the-job training and networking opportunities.
“Apprenticeships are an effective way for our organization to address the nation’s workforce shortages and support our future missions,” SRS Site Training Director Dorian Newton said. “These are valuable and competitive career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math.”
On May 29, NPR’s broadcast team — which included David Brancaccio as host, Nic Perez as director and producer and Rebekah Wineman as sound engineer — visited SRS for field reporting. The team conducted interviews with current apprentices, program graduates, the SRS Apprenticeship School team, Augusta Technical College personnel and more.
To listen to the radio segment covering the SRS Apprenticeship School, click here.
-Contributor: Mackenzie McNabb
 The attendees of this year's Girls Rock in the Trades camp are pictured at Tri-Tech Skills Center in Tri-Cities, Washington.
RICHLAND, Wash. — An after-school camp in Tri-Cities, Washington, is giving young women the tools to build a foundation — literally and figuratively — for a career in construction, strengthening the local pipeline for the next generation of Hanford Site workers.
The camp, known as Girls Rock in the Trades (GRITT), invites girls in grades 8–12 to explore and develop skills in fields traditionally marketed to men. Campers gain hands-on experience working alongside skilled tradespeople, while guest speakers offer inspiration and serve as role models by sharing their experiences working in construction.
Among the speakers were nine women from Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Project who volunteered at this year’s camp, sharing their experiences and highlighting the range of occupations available in the construction industry.
Following the camp, the WTP volunteers expressed excitement about having a positive effect and leaving lasting impressions on the campers.
For Desi Swart, an expediting specialist for WTP lead contractor Bechtel National Inc., GRITT’s positive influence hit close to home.
“My oldest daughter, Drea, participated in GRITT last year and it sparked her love for working with her hands,” said Swart. “Prior to GRITT, she struggled with an individualized education program, self-confidence and low grades. She’s now an honors student and one of six admitted into the second year of the pre-electrical program at the local trade school, Tri-Tech Skills Center.”
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Joni Weamer, Hanford Site Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant mission integration manager, speaks to Girls Rock in the Trades campers about her experience and career in the construction industry. |
Bechtel was the GRITT camp’s premier sponsor for a second year in a row.
Mat Irwin, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management acting assistant manager for the WTP Project, emphasized the importance of programs like GRITT.
“These opportunities are an important part of developing the next generation of skilled tradespeople and I salute the WTP volunteers who are investing in the future,” said Irwin. “Without this workforce, large-scale projects like the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant and the Hanford cleanup mission would not be possible."
Bechtel Senior Vice President and WTP Project Director Brian Hartman echoed Irwin’s support of workforce development.
“Bechtel and the WTP team are committed to helping our community develop the next generation of tradespeople through partnerships with local schools, trade organizations and unions,” Hartman said. “Together we can provide students with the information, resources and hands-on experience that will prepare them for a successful career in construction.”
The GRITT camp was created by the Tri-Cities chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction and has been hosted each year by Tri-Tech Skills Center.
-Contributor: Tyler Oates
 The Savannah River Mission Completion “superior” team included, top row, from left, Maggie Clark, Fred Angel, and Steve Hommel; and bottom row, from left, Eric Barrowclough, Sarah Bauske, Ryan Lentsch and Timothy Baughman.
AIKEN, S.C. — Employees with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s (EM) liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) have been recognized nationally for “superior” technical papers presented at Waste Management (WM) Symposia held earlier this year.
WM recently announced that three papers authored by eight Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) employees achieved “Superior Paper” recognition. WM established the “Superior Paper” award to recognize authors and co-authors for distinguished contributions to the advancement of radioactive waste and radioactive material management.
EM participates in the annual WM conference, which provides an international forum for discussing solutions to the management and disposition of radioactive waste and decommissioning of nuclear facilities.
“The liquid waste program is operating at a very high level with valuable contributions from an extremely talented group of skilled employees,” said Wyatt Clark, SRMC chief operations officer. “We are honored that Waste Management recognized these individuals for their significant impacts to the nuclear industry that may be applied to other DOE sites across the complex.”
Steve Hommel, in SRMC’s Environmental Compliance and Waste Disposal Authority group, achieved his third “Superior Paper” award since 2019 for his submission, “Development of Special Methods for Estimating Waste Concentrations Sent to Saltstone.” In this paper, Hommel described how he examined the history of radioactive waste concentrations that had been transferred to the Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF) at SRS since disposal operations began in the 1990s. Using various analyses to quantify radionuclide concentrations, he was able to improve waste disposal estimates at SDF.
A team from SRS Tank Farm Engineering — Sarah Bauske, Fred Angel, Timothy Baughman and Eric Barrowclough — ranked superior for their paper, “PAR for the Course: Evaluation of Passive Autocatalytic Recombiner Technology in Savannah River Site Liquid Waste Tanks.” The Passive Autocatalytic Recombiner (PAR) is being investigated as a potential control to deplete hydrogen in the SRS waste tanks. Successful implementation of PAR technology could be a game changer in reducing risk and accelerating waste removal and tank closure.
A third SRMC team, from Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), also achieved the “Superior Paper” award. Maggie Clark, Nick DesRocher and Ryan Lentsch were honored for their paper on the topic “Operational Enhancements at the Salt Waste Processing Facility.” Some of the SWPF enhancements discussed in the paper include improved key equipment cleaning, reduced solids concentration and better filtration of solvents.
-Contributor: Dara Glass
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