  The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and contractor UCOR will continue demolition on the massive three-story 325,000-sqaure-foot Alpha-2 building at the Y-12 National Security Complex in 2025. This is the largest demolition project to date at Y-12.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and its contractors are advancing the momentum achieved during a successful 2024.
This year, Oak Ridge projects on the docket will tear down high-risk structures, remove inventories of nuclear waste, prepare numerous buildings for demolition and open a new center to share the site’s history. Watch a video previewing OREM's year ahead here.
OREM will continue its focus on taking down excess contaminated facilities across the Oak Ridge Reservation, which eliminates risks and opens land for reuse to support research and national security missions.
In 2025, contractor UCOR will continue demolition on the massive three-story 325,000-sqaure-foot Alpha-2 building at the Y-12 National Security Complex. That project, which marks the first removal of a former enrichment building and the largest demolition to date at Y-12, clears away a high-risk excess contaminated structure.
 Oak Ridge crews lift and remove heavy shielded plugs from the roof of a hot cell structure at the former Radioisotope Development Laboratory to conduct demolition preparation activities inside. The final hot cell, located under a six-story protective cover, is scheduled for demolition this year.
Teams will also demolish the final hot cell at the former Radioisotope Development Laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) this year.
The contaminated cell, located in the heart of ORNL’s central campus, is a highly shielded concrete room that provided researchers protection from radioactive material as they conducted research. The laboratory was built in 1945 to support isotope separation and packaging, and was later used to examine irradiated reactor fuel experiments and components.
Workers will also advance efforts that are preparing more than a dozen facilities for future demolition. That list includes the Oak Ridge Research Reactor, Graphite Reactor support facilities, Isotope Row facilities at ORNL, and the massive Beta-1 former uranium enrichment building at Y-12.
Work is also moving forward on OREM’s highest priority at ORNL — eliminating the remaining inventory of uranium-233 stored onsite. Contractor Isotek processed more than 90 canisters of high-dose material last year and will continue pushing that effort forward as employees work to process and dispose of all that material.
The project will also continue providing medical isotopes to support next-generation cancer treatment research. A company receiving the isotopes is now producing at a commercial scale to supply clinical trials across the globe.
OREM is also steadily eliminating Oak Ridge’s inventory of transuranic waste stored onsite. To date, 94% of the site’s contact-handled debris waste and 78% of its remote-handled debris waste has been processed and shipped offsite for permanent disposal. Those shipments will continue to the DOE Office of Environmental Management’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant over the next year.
 Crews will continue advancing construction of the Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Tasks involve installing structural steel at the facility’s treatment plant, pictured here.
In 2025, OREM will advance two critical infrastructure projects essential for future cleanup projects.
Progress will continue on the construction of the Mercury Treatment Facility at Y-12. Tasks involve pouring concrete at the headworks facility and installing structural steel at the treatment plant. When operational, this plant allows OREM to begin addressing Y-12’s large, mercury-contaminated facilities and sources of mercury in the soil, thereby protecting against releases into a nearby creek.
With field work completed on the second phase of the Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF) late last year, OREM is now gathering data for its groundwater field demonstration study for the facility.
The study involves monitoring groundwater elevations over the course of the next two wet seasons through 2026. That data will inform the final design and enable the final phase of the project, which includes EMDF’s construction.
 The K-25 Interpretive Center, located at the East Tennessee Technology Park, will open to the public this year. It will provide visitors of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park a sweeping, elevated, panoramic view of the K-25 building’s 44-acre footprint through 10-foot-tall wraparound glass windows.
OREM is also set to complete and open the new K-25 Interpretive Center this year. The facility will provide visitors of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park a sweeping, elevated, panoramic view of the K-25 Building’s 44-acre footprint through 10-foot-tall wraparound glass windows.
The public will be able to learn more about the former uranium enrichment facility that helped end World War II while viewing the area from a new perspective.
-Contributor: Ben Williams
 An aerial view from the northwest corner of the X-333 Process Building. The building footprint is 33 acres, which compares to 24 football fields.
PIKETON, Ohio — Portsmouth Site personnel ended 2024 by accomplishing a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) priority for the year: completion of deactivation of the 33-acre X-333 Process Building, the second of three massive process buildings at the site to be deactivated to prepare for demolition.
Watch a video about the project.
“The deactivation of the X-333 Process Building marks a milestone for the cleanup mission of the Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO),” said Joel Bradburne, PPPO manager. “We are continuing our mission to safely demolish the site’s three massive former enrichment process buildings safely and compliantly, emplacing the debris in the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF).”
 Deactivation involves characterizing the building and equipment from a radiological standpoint; disconnecting process equipment; segmenting, crushing and preparing waste for shipment or disposal; removing asbestos and other hazardous waste; isolating and disconnecting utilities; and other work.
Crews finished deactivating and demolishing the first of the three process buildings — X-326 — in June 2022. As part of deactivation work, crews took over 1 million measurements of the quantities of uranium deposits that remained from enrichment operations in dozens of miles of process pipes, and removed over 7,000 process components.
To compare, the X-333 deactivation involved taking more than 130,000 characterization measurements over 208 miles of piping, disconnecting and segmenting 626 massive enrichment converters, and disposing of 13,000 cubic yards of deactivation debris at OSWDF.
 Project Worker Tony Kinnamon works inside the X-333 Material Sizing Area to segment converters. The area was created to expedite resizing efforts, save on disposal costs and space, and reserve portions of the equipment for potential nickel recovery efforts.
“The personnel at the Portsmouth Site are commended for their successful deactivation while making improvements to the processes with lessons learned and maintaining diligence in safety,” Portsmouth Site Lead Jeremy Davis said. “We have made sure that lessons learned in the X-326 Process Building deactivation were applied to X-333 Process Building and will be shared across PPPO for deactivation of remaining process buildings.”
One of the main challenges at X-333 was the size of the equipment. The conversion equipment in X-326 fit in shipping containers for disposal offsite. However, X-333 was the entry point for feed material and had the largest equipment for uranium enrichment, with some converters more than 20 times larger than those in X-326.
“Due to the larger size of the components in the X-333 Process Building, deactivation was very different. In the X-333 Process Building, we had the challenge of removing, segmenting and then compacting massive converter components,” Federal Project Director Jud Lilly said. “The team had to figure out and perfect each step as we proceeded but were able to continuously improve their work practices to maintain safety and get the job done.”
 Laborers Daniel Jordan, left, and George Roberts apply fixative to cable trays in the basement of the X-333 Process Building. The trays are being removed as part of the facility’s deactivation process.
Another X-333 challenge was incorporating a system that measures equipment up to 12 feet high, 12 feet wide and 20 feet long.
“The strategic placement of the Large Component Assay System (LCAS) adjacent to the X-333 Process Building was instrumental in efficiently completing more than 1,750 measurements,” said Greg Wilkett, site project director for Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, the Portsmouth Site deactivation and demolition contractor. “The focus tends to be on the larger deactivation tasks, such as the converters, but every auxiliary process gas system must be deactivated and addressed before declaring deactivation complete.”
 Deactivation and demolition crews lower a compressor in the X-333 Process Building track alley for transport to the X-326 pad for size reduction. The compressors are some of the largest process gas equipment used in the building during uranium enrichment operations that ceased in 2001. Crews surveyed and evaluated the compressors to determine the appropriate path for disposal before removing them.
Crews disconnected and disassembled more than 600 converters in the Material Sizing Area. Following disassembly, they measured internal components, such as tube bundles, from the converters in LCAS to verify compliance with disposition requirements. Workers crushed and placed a total of 623 tube bundles in containers in the nearby X-343 Feed Facility for potential nickel recovery efforts.
Deactivation crews collected and staged containers of excess materials for segregation and inspection by Waste Operations personnel who determined the proper disposal path — OSWDF or for shipment offsite.
Demolition of X-333 is set to begin this spring.
-Contributor: Michelle Teeters
 Crews downsize small pieces from a converter shell during segmentation at the Paducah Site. Segmentation was among the many deactivation activities that took place in the C-333 Process Building in 2024.
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) achieved significant priorities, goals and milestones in 2024, advancing cleanup and preparing its two sites for future use.
“Our ultimate goal is to decontaminate and decommission these legacy uranium enrichment facilities as well as reduce the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) footprint so our local communities may benefit from reindustrialization,” PPPO Manager Joel Bradburne said. “We made great strides toward that goal this past year.”
PPPO met two EM 2024 priorities. Paducah Site personnel disposed of 1 million pounds of R-114 refrigerant, a legacy environmental hazard stored at the site. The site has safely shipped for disposal more than two-thirds of its 8.5 million-pound inventory of the coolant used in past uranium enrichment operations. This not only removes an ozone-depleting greenhouse gas but provides environmental benefits equivalent to the removal of thousands of vehicles from the road.
 Light-emitting diode lighting illuminates the exterior of the Portsmouth Site’s X-333 Process Building. Completing deactivation of this building to prepare it for demolition was a top priority at the Portsmouth Site in 2024.
The Portsmouth Site checked off an EM priority on Dec. 19 by completing deactivation of X-333, a former uranium enrichment process building. That work involved characterizing the building and equipment from a radiological standpoint, and disconnecting, segmenting, crushing and packing waste for shipment or disposal. Read more about this accomplishment in a related story in this EM Update issue.
Crews placed the final load of deactivation waste from the X-333 Process Building in the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF). Additionally, teams completed construction of a 1 million-gallon storage tank for wastewater and leachate from the disposal facility, and finished other infrastructure work to support OSWDF activities at the site.
At the depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) plants at both sites, crews processed more than 1,000 cylinders in 2024. They also completed several modifications and upgrades to allow all seven lines in these facilities to convert DUF6 to more stable coproducts for disposal or beneficial reuse.
 Mechanical maintenance technicians Jay Shelton, left, and Eric Kent change a cylinder valve on a depleted uranium hexafluoride feed cylinder at the Portsmouth Site.
Portsmouth and Paducah also completed a number of other initiatives, such as light-emitting diode (LED) street light upgrades at Paducah — a DOE sustainability initiative that saves costs by reducing electric usage.
Paducah crews tore down 14 excess facilities, including a 300-foot-tall high-pressure fire water tower. Additionally, they continued deactivation activities at the C-333 Process Building, including segmenting more than 170 converters.
“All of these accomplishments demonstrate the Portsmouth Paducah Project Office team’s dedication to the cleanup mission,” Bradburne said. “This work sets up a bright future for our local communities in Kentucky and Ohio.”
-Contributor: Sarah Marko
RICHLAND, Wash. — Alvaro Iniguez Ruiz, the first in his family to earn a college degree, leveraged the benefits of a college internship to secure a career at the Hanford Site.
His values, combined with opportunities provided by Hanford contractor Navarro-ATL’s internship program, enabled him to overcome obstacles and achieve full-time employment at the site’s 222-S Laboratory.
Iniguez's story is one of resilience, determination and growth. His journey begins with his parents, who each moved from Michoacan, Mexico, to Sunnyside, Washington, in 1995. It was in Washington that they met, fell in love and started a family, all while working in the agricultural industry.
Growing up in a household where Spanish was the primary language, Iniguez did not start learning English until he attended school at the age of 7. This initial language barrier posed challenges, but his determination and eagerness to learn helped him quickly adapt.
Iniguez's hard work and dedication were evident as he excelled in his studies. He graduated from Sunnyside High School in 2016, where he established a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. His passion for STEM subjects fueled his desire to pursue further education and explore new opportunities. Throughout his childhood, his family instilled in him the strong values of hard work and education.
With a goal to be the first in his family to obtain a college degree, Iniguez began studying applied management at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington. As Iniguez prepared for the next chapter in his life, he carried with him the lessons learned from his parents' perseverance and his own experiences overcoming challenges. He secured an internship with Navarro-ATL in June 2024, and by September the contractor offered him a full-time position as a work planner.
In his current role, Iniguez assembles work packages that provide staff with instructions on performing tasks. Work control planners collaborate with subject matter experts to assess hazards and define methods to do the work safety. They also work closely with workers and engineers to create a document that provides detailed instructions on how to perform technical tasks. He and his team help ensure all work at the laboratory is conducted safely and in a controlled and technically sound manner to protect the health and safety of the workforce.
Ray Geimer, general manager at Navarro-ATL, recognizes the benefits of fostering young talent.
“Navarro-ATL is committed to developing the next generation of workers at the Hanford Site. The transfer of knowledge from experienced workers to interns is invaluable and can lead to exciting opportunities,” Geimer said. “Alvaro is the perfect example of how dedication, persistence and talent can transform an internship into a full-time career."
Iniguez says working at Hanford is a pleasure.
“I appreciate the support of Navarro-ATL and the trust my teammates have in me at the 222-S Laboratory,” he said. “I am hopeful that I will advance in my new position.”
Iniguez’s journey is a testament to the power of hard work, the importance of education and the impact of supporting the next-generation workforce.
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 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions committed $798 million to small businesses in fiscal year 2024. That includes $141 million to service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses.
AIKEN, S.C. — A Savannah River Site (SRS) contractor and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) co-hosted a virtual forum as part of their ongoing commitment to hiring veteran-owned small businesses.
Over 250 participants joined the forum, led by DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS). Key speakers from DOE, SRNS, EM liquid waste contractor Savannah River Mission Completion and SRNS parent company Fluor provided insights into government contracting, compliance requirements and project scopes for fiscal year 2025, which began in October last year.
The event demonstrated the alliance between SRNS and OSDBU in their mission to champion veteran-owned small businesses, contributing to national defense and economic growth.
“SRNS is proud of its longstanding partnership with OSDBU,” said Jay Johnson, SRNS deputy senior vice president of Business Services and former Air Force captain. “To advance our nation’s defense capabilities, we look for new, innovative businesses that bring fresh perspectives. Their success translates into greater value for DOE customers and unlocks new opportunities across the complex.”
Dave Dietz, SRNS procurement senior director and former Navy captain, shared the company’s record-breaking commitment of $798 million to small businesses in fiscal year 2024. That total included $141 million to service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses.
“We encourage small businesses to contribute to our upcoming projects supporting DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration, such as new building constructions and a decade-long expansion plan,” said Dietz. “Veteran business owners are often well equipped with leadership, logistical skills and operational experience, which are transferrable to industries such as contracting, construction and security.”
OSDBU Director Ron Pierce said the organization’s awards to small businesses jumped from $8 billion in fiscal year 2022 to over $12.2 billion in fiscal year 2024. He added that OSDBU is ready to meet ambitious goals for fiscal year 2025.
SRNS Small Business Liaison Officer Lisa Tanner introduced the company’s new portal designed for supplier self-registration and opportunity forecasting, set to launch this year. She also introduced a pilot platform aimed at improving supplier performance through qualitative and quantitative factors.
“We take pride in giving veteran-owned businesses another way to serve our nation, now as entrepreneurs,” said Tanner. “Their unique traits, like discipline and mission commitment, are invaluable to our industry and national security.”
-Contributor: Mackenzie McNabb
 Underground Test Area Chief Geologist Chris Lewis inspects Innovative Wireless Technologies equipment at the Rainier Mesa groundwater corrective action unit on the Nevada National Security Site.
LAS VEGAS — The Environmental Management (EM) Nevada Program is implementing technology that will aid data collection and reduce environmental impacts at groundwater wells at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).
Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT) equipment has been added to 16 groundwater monitoring locations on the NNSS and the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). Together these wells will create the Automated Telemetry Data Collection Long-Term Water Level Monitoring system network.
The equipment works by sending data via radio waves; information is transferred from wells via the network and uploaded to a secure server. The data is recorded daily and can be accessed offsite, even from the building in Las Vegas where EM Nevada has its offices.
“The idea behind it is instead of having to physically go to the site and hook up the computer and download the data, we are setting up technology where that information is automatically transmitted,” said Ken Rehfeldt, Underground Test Area (UGTA) manager.
 A closer look at an Innovative Wireless Technologies-equipped well head, node and solar panel.
The technology can transmit any kind of data, but the network locations are being used to measure, collect and transmit groundwater levels. This is important for scientists in part to understand if there are changes in groundwater movement or behavior. It also helps to inform flow models and projections.
Previously, UGTA crew members would collect data from monitoring wells about every three months. While this will remain the case at selected locations, the network will offer time, energy and cost savings at the locations it is used. Many of these wells, particularly on the NTTR, are positioned in remote areas and take time to reach. The automated process will save crew members lengthy trips and provide quicker access to critical data.
The technology will also allow the UGTA team to be more efficient with the trips they choose to take. In the past if there was a malfunction with equipment, scientists were unaware until they made their quarterly visits. With the equipment uploading information daily, UGTA will learn almost immediately if there is an issue with data collection.
“We’ll be able to limit the amount of data loss and it saves us vehicle trips. So it’s better for the environment, fewer miles on the vehicle and less staff time,” Rehfeldt said. “Instead of having to go to these locations every three months, we expect to make fewer trips per year and only as the need arises.”
EM Nevada implemented a pilot version of the technology at four wells early in the summer and expanded to 12 additional wells in late September. The data transmitted to the server is encrypted to ensure security. Each physical IWT node has a memory card, which backs up the data and allows it to be collected manually, if needed. Each location also has a solar-powered charger and extra heavy-duty batteries, all protected in an all-weather enclosure.
The installation of the network at the NNSS was supported by DOE’s Climate Action Plan. The federal effort is aimed at furthering climate mitigation efforts at DOE sites. The UGTA team conducted months of research on the technology and submitted a detailed proposal to DOE leadership. EM Nevada received $700,000 in fiscal year 2022 to support the installation.
Since DOE’s launch of the NNSS groundwater investigation program in 1989, three of four groundwater corrective action areas have been brought to regulatory closure under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Pahute Mesa, the final remaining groundwater region at the site, advanced to the “model evaluation” phase in 2023, a major step toward achieving closure. The phase calls for additional drilling, water level measurements and sampling to compare field data to groundwater model projections.
Seven of the network wells are positioned on Pahute Mesa and will help support model evaluation. The other locations will support long term monitoring elsewhere on the site and NTTR. Regular measurement of groundwater levels is part of the long term monitoring requirements agreed upon between DOE and the State of Nevada.
“It’s a little bit of both,” Rehfeldt said of the technology usage. “Right now we’re implementing it and using it for long term monitoring, but we’re also going to use the technology for model evaluation.”
Crews will go to the network wells a minimum of once a year. All data collected will also be sent to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Click here for more about the NNSS groundwater program.
-Contributor: Grant Johnson
 Officials display plaques highlighting the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project’s removal of a cumulative 15 million tons of tailings from the Moab Site during a ceremony in Moab, Utah, late last year. Pictured from left are U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center Director Jack Zimmerman, Moab Tailings Project Steering Committee Chair Mary McGann and DOE Office of Legacy Management Office of Site Operations Director Jay Glascock.
MOAB, Utah ― A Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project ceremony held late last year commemorated the removal of a cumulative 15 million tons of radioactive uranium tailings, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) 2024 priority.
EM crews began removing tailings from the Moab Site in 2009. In recent years, they have transported approximately 1 million tons of tailings for disposal per year, resulting in an accelerated closure schedule. Currently, the site is projected to reach cleanup completion in 2029, with DOE looking at beneficial reuse plans for the land.
The ceremony was held in downtown Moab and was open to the public. Guest speakers included local community leaders and representatives from EM and DOE’s Office of Legacy Management.
The highlight of the celebration was the moving of a tile inscribed with the date that the 15th million ton was reached — Oct. 14, 2024 — from one plaque to another. The plaques are a set, representing the project’s two worksites: the Moab Site with the uranium tailings pile, and the Crescent Junction Site with the disposal cell.
The tile was moved from the Moab Site plaque to the Crescent Junction Site plaque by Mary McGann, chair of the Moab Tailings Project Steering Committee.
-Contributor: Barbara Michel
 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management crews at the Submarine 1st Generation Westinghouse carefully demolish the facility’s hot cell, an important support structure that aided the prototype during operation.
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho —The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) and its contractor at the Idaho Cleanup Project have removed an important support structure of the Submarine 1st Generation Westinghouse (S1W) naval propulsion prototype as they prepare for the facility’s demolition.
EM contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC) recently completed demolition of the S1W hot cell, the 7-foot-thick concrete structure where workers performed high-radiation work and materials inspections while the prototype operated at the Naval Reactors Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site.
Due to the thickness of the hot cell, S1W deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) crews originally planned to deploy targeted explosive charges to delaminate the outer few feet of the concrete. Delamination is the process of separating materials like concrete by its layers, a common practice in the demolition industry used to weaken some materials that are otherwise difficult to manage.
Crews conducted inspections to remove contaminated materials from the hot cell and ensure the safe deployment of the explosives. This essential step protects the workforce and the environment from the potential spread of any contaminants during demolition while ensuring risks are reduced.
During the inspections, crews investigated if the concrete walls could be removed more simply using heavy equipment, such as excavators and hydraulic hammers, eliminating the need for explosive demolition.
This adjustment proved to be successful, as the excavators and hydraulic hammers broke the concrete into manageable pieces. Crews used a spray truck to soak the concrete and control the spread of dust during demolition, a measure protective of the workforce and environment.
IEC D&D and Capital Projects Senior Director Mike Swartz commended the crews for improving the demolition plan and successfully completing this phase of D&D at the S1W.
“Our workforce has rapidly advanced through each stage of demolition at the S1W because they have been able to adjust to the demands of the project,” said Swartz. “Their commitment to safety has not only allowed us to successfully perform the work at S1W, but to do it while remaining true to our priorities to protect our workforce, the public and the environment.”
In coming weeks, D&D crews will continue to prepare for demolition of the high bay facility housing the prototype.
D&D of the S1W protype facility is expected to be completed in November.
-Contributor: Carter Harrison
 A red-cockaded woodpecker is shown peeking out from a nest box within the Savannah River Site forests.
AIKEN, S.C. — Following Hurricane Helene, wildlife biologists from Savannah River Site (SRS) and the Francis Marion and Sumter national forests have been working together to create new habitats for the site’s most famous resident species — the federally protected red-cockaded woodpecker.
Generally, these woodpeckers prefer mature pine forests compared to those found on SRS. To help in the species recovery effort onsite, a team of researchers and biologists from the U.S. Forest Service developed artificial cavities to place into younger longleaf pines, creating a ready-made place for the woodpeckers to nest and raise their young.
Forest Service biologists installed 125 new cavity inserts into longleaf pines within established habitats for the woodpeckers on SRS to replace cavities damaged by the storm.
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A wildlife biologist inserts a red-cockaded woodpecker cavity box into a longleaf pine tree on Savannah River Site. |
These habitats, called cluster areas, consist of an open park-like pine tree setting where trees have been removed through thinning operations. The areas are maintained by the application of prescribed fire, eliminating hardwood growth and slowing the development of forest understory, which is the layer of trees and shrubs between the forest floor and forest canopy.
These open areas were particularly vulnerable to the hurricane-force winds from Helene. Fifty-four of the 201 cluster areas received damage from the storm, and in those areas, 73 trees with cavities were destroyed. Two woodpeckers died because of storm damage.
“Sound, active management ensures continued red-cockaded woodpecker population growth. This stewardship of our federally protected species is an important piece of the U.S. Department of Energy missions, which the U.S. Forest Service has supported on SRS since the 1950s,” National Nuclear Security Administration Savannah River Natural Resource Program Manager Andy Horcher said. “This working forest is a vital part of SRS.”
The red-cockaded woodpecker was listed as an endangered species in the 1970s. Its population has grown significantly across the southeastern U.S., and the species was recently downlisted to threatened. On SRS, the population of the woodpeckers has grown from one potential breeding group in 1985 to over 150 in 2024, with a total population over 500 woodpeckers.
-Contributor: Josef Orosz
 Tony Jimenez, standing at the front of room, is a member of the Hanford Site’s Volpentest HAMMER Federal Training Center Emergency Support Function #12 team. He shares an update on restoration efforts after Hurricane Helene, at the National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C.
RICHLAND, Wash. — When disaster strikes across the country, teams with the Hanford Site’s Volpentest HAMMER Federal Training Center can be found on the front lines of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) efforts to restore critical energy services such as electricity and fuel supplies.
Last year proved especially challenging as members of HAMMER’s Emergency Support Function (ESF) #12 team provided critical support to response efforts for six hurricanes and two tropical storms; severe flooding in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana; and a wildfire in New Mexico.
“Since 2003, HAMMER has directly supported DOE’s ESF #12 team to meet its responsibilities for energy restoration assistance during emergencies,” said Paul Vandervert, director at HAMMER, which stands for Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response. “Providing response expertise and hands-on custom training to the ESF #12 team is one of the cornerstones of our national programs.”
 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Emergency Support Function #12 Coordinator Bill Eaton, left, talks with Elaine Ulrich, senior advisor for the DOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, during his deployment to North Carolina to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Hurricane Milton.
Emergency support functions are part of the National Response Framework, which guides the nation’s response to all types of disasters and emergencies. An ESF’s purpose is to unify the community and coordinate capabilities, services, technical assistance and engineering expertise during disasters and incidents requiring federal responses.
Such incidents include Hurricane Helene, which packed winds topping 130 mph as it made landfall in Florida in September before moving north and bringing heavy rainfall to Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Nearly 6 million people lost power during the storm.
Hurricane Milton followed a few weeks later, also making landfall in central Florida, with winds over 110 mph. In the aftermath of both storms, the ESF #12 team supported response and restoration activities for 28 consecutive days.
“It sounds crazy, but we send our ESF #12 team members into those areas before a storm hits and get them set up in a safe location,” said Tony Jimenez, an ESF #12 deployment coordinator at HAMMER. “They ride out the storm and then serve as our eyes and ears on the ground, giving us reports and assessing what’s happening to help us determine where our resources will be needed most.”
HAMMER staff work long hours to coordinate deployments and support the team in the field with safety oversight, logistics and finance tracking to help restore energy supplies and services so communities can move forward after an energy emergency.
-Contributor: Shane Edinger
 Savannah River Misson Completion awarded nearly $180 million of its goods and services acquisitions to small businesses in fiscal year 2024.
AIKEN, S.C. — The liquid waste contractor at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management‘s (EM) Savannah River Site (SRS) continued its commitment to giving big business to small business in fiscal year 2024.
Savannah River Misson Completion (SRMC) awarded nearly $180 million of its goods and services acquisitions to small businesses in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, surpassing EM’s goal for subcontracting to small businesses.
SRMC is the EM contractor responsible for treating and safely disposing of millions of gallons of radioactive waste remaining in underground tanks at SRS.
SRMC awards subcontracts and procurements to other businesses needed to help complete the mission. Those businesses provide items such as pumps for the Defense Waste Processing Facility, chemicals for the Salt Waste Processing Facility, and rental equipment used in construction. They also support Saltstone Disposal Unit construction, as well as project controls support and system modeling for process improvements.
Spending at this level shows SRMC is serious about supporting our socioeconomic community through small business efforts, according to Chief Administrative Officer Mark Barth.
“Savannah River Mission Completion has such a specialized and technically challenging scope that requires unique support,” Barth said. “We know the value that regional and small businesses bring, so we make sure to use our dollars in a way that helps advance our mission while also having a positive impact on the surrounding communities.”
SRMC also met all other socioeconomic small business category goals with subcontracts to women-owned small businesses; small, disadvantaged business; historically underutilized business zone businesses; veteran-owned small business; and service-disabled, veteran-owned small business.
Ashley Hannah, SRMC’s Small Business Program manager, said it’s rewarding to see meaningful work be awarded to small businesses.
“SRMC has a tremendous track record in working alongside small businesses, and we will keep it up as we continue to work toward completing our mission,” Hannah said.
Also in fiscal year 2024, SRMC welcomed another small business, InfoTech NorthStar, to participate in the company’s mentor-protégé program.
-Contributor: Colleen Hart
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