Hanford Forward - Fall/Winter 2015 Flipbook PDF

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ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 QUARTERLY PUBLICATION COVERING HANFORD CLEANUP NEWSHFOARNWFOARRDD COVER STORY SITEWIDE Hanford Recognized for Safety Efforts RIVER CORRIDOR Completing Chromium Cleanup along the Columbia River CENTRAL PLATEAU Iconic Glove Boxes Removed


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 AABBOOUUTT HHAANNFFOORRDDABOUT HANFORD HANFORD REACH The Richland Operations Office (RL) oversees cleanup along the RIVER Columbia River and in Hanford’s Central Plateau, including groundwater CORRIDOR and waste site cleanup, management of solid waste, spent nuclear fuel CENTRAL and sludge, facility cleanout, deactivation and demolition, environmental PLATEAU restoration, plutonium management, and all site support services. TANKSCH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) is the The Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval,prime contractor for the safe, environmental cleanup of the Central treatment and disposal of Hanford’s 56 million gallons of radioactive tankPlateau at the Hanford Site. This task includes decommissioning and waste, currently stored in 177 underground tanks in the central part ofdemolishing the Plutonium Finishing Plant that once stored secret the site. In support of this mission, ORP manages the Tank Operationsmaterial for the nation’s defense, cleaning up plumes of contaminated Contract and the Waste Treatment & Immobilization Plant Project.groundwater beneath the site, and removing highly radioactive“sludge” away from the Columbia River.HPMC Occupational Medical Services (HPMC OMS) provides Wastren Advantage, Inc. is a remediation services small businessoccupational medical services to the Department of Energy and specializing in the disciplined management of complex operations inHanford prime contractors and subcontractors. HPMC OMS has high-hazard environments, with project offices throughout the Unitedclinics in Richland and in the 200 West area of the site and is States. WAI, headquartered in Piketon, Ohio, manages the 222-Sresponsible for the medical surveillance, medical qualification, Nuclear Laboratory. Their clients include the U.S. Department of Energy,health, and wellness needs of more than 7,500 Hanford workers. Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Reclamation, and numerous commercial entities. WAI is the recipient of Mission Support Alliance multiple VPP Star of Excellence and Legacy Star Awards.A joint venture between Lockheed Martin, Jacobs Engineering Bechtel National Inc. is designing, building and commissioning theand Centerra Group, Mission Support Alliance (MSA) is responsible for world’s largest radioactive and chemical waste treatment plant. URS issafely and effectively managing and operating the infrastructure of the BNI’s principal subcontractor. The Waste Treatment and ImmobilizationHanford Site. MSA provides an array of services, including training, site Plant is being built for the U.S. Department of Energy at the Hanford Sitesecurity, roads and utilities, logistics and transportation, information in southeastern Washington state. When completed, it will be used toresources, information technology and other services, enabling Hanford solidify the radioactive liquid waste stored in 177 aging undergroundcontractors to focus on their cleanup efforts. tanks using a process called vitrification.Washington Closure Hanford manages the 220-square-mile Maintaining the underground waste storage tanks at Hanford falls underRiver Corridor Closure Project for the Department of Energy’s Richland the jurisdiction of Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS). ThisOperations Office at the Hanford Site. The project is the largest environ- organization is responsible for storing and retrieving the approximatelymental cleanup closure project in the nation. Washington Closure, 56 million gallons of nuclear and chemical waste stored in these tanksowned by AECOM, Bechtel and CH2M, is responsible for demolishing at the Hanford Site. WRPS is owned by AECOM and Energy Solutions,320 contaminated buildings, cleaning up an estimated 590 waste sites, with AREVA as the primary subcontractor.placing two former plutonium production reactors and one nuclearfacility in interim safe storage, and managing the Environmental 02Restoration Disposal Facility.


ISSUE 081 – FSAPLRLI/NWGIN20TE1R3 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE of CONTENTS 04 Iconic Glove Boxes Removed from McCluskey Room. 05 06 Workers recently finished removing three pieces of history from one of 07 the most hazardous rooms at the Hanford Site. 08 09 Dramatic Progress in the 300 Area. To date more than 170 09 10 facilities have been demolished. 11 11 Record Amount of Groundwater Treated at Hanford. 12 12 Workers at DOE’s Hanford Site treated a record amount of groundwater 13 to remove contamination in the last year. 14 15 Hanford 2015. Workers reach many accomplishments during fiscal 16 year 2015. Completing Chromium Cleanup along the Columbia River. As Washington Closure’s contract nears completion, major progress is being made. Capabilities of the 200 West Pump and Treat System Expanded. CHPRC expands the capabilities of the 200 West Pump and Treat System. Hanford Earns Safety Honors. Hanford contractors were recognized with DOE and national safety awards. WRPS Recognized for Innovation. WRPS receives the VPP Innovation Award. Bechtel Earns Highest Award for Safety Performance. Bechtel National, Inc. was awarded the DOE-VPP’s Star of Excellence for its 2014 safety statistics and mentoring efforts. Washington Closure Hanford Reaches 6 Million Safe Hours. Washington Closure and its subcontractor employees reach 6 million hours without a lost workday due to injury. Washington River Protection Solutions Names New President. Mark Lindholm takes over the helm as president and project manager of WRPS. Washington Closure Named Finalist for International Project of the Year. Washington Closure was recognized as one of three finalists for the international Project of the Year Award. Augering of Vertical Pipe Units at the 618-10 Burial Ground has Begun. Washington Closure has begun remediation of 94 vertical pipe units that contain moderate- to high-activity waste. MSA Hands Out its 2015 Environmental Leadership Awards. MSA teams recognized for environmental innovations. HAMMER & NTC Collaboration Improves Worker Safety and Training. The director of the National Training Center visited HAMMER to discuss the ongoing collaboration. Hanford Gives Back to the Community. Hanford contractor employees volunteer their time and raise thousands of dollars for local organizations. 033


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 CENTRAL PLATEAUWorkers RemoveIconic Glove Boxes from Hanford’sHistoric McCluskey RoomWorkers recently finished removing three pieces of that glove box was among the more challenging taskshistory from the “McCluskey Room,” one of the most for cleanup workers because of residual contaminationhazardous locations on the Hanford Site. remaining from the incident.During the Cold War, workers in the McCluskey Roomrecovered americium, a highly radioactive byproduct of A crew with Department of Energy (DOE) contractorplutonium. In 1976, a vessel inside a glove box burst, CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC)exposing Harold McCluskey to radioactive material and began final cleanout of the McCluskey Room ingiving the room its nickname. McCluskey, who was 64 September 2014. Numerous hazards from the 1976at the time, lived for 11 more years and died from accident remain, including airborne radioactivity andcauses unrelated to the accident. surface contamination. Workers improved ventilation,That glove box and two others in the room are now applied fixative to limit the spread of radioactivegone. Removing the damaged components from inside contamination and conducted numerous surveys to determine the extent of radiological hazards. Workers The damaged 1976 glove box. cut apart the three contaminated glove boxes and packaged each piece for future offsite disposal. Kenton Debrine works in the fifth and final McCluskey Room glove box to be cut up and disposed of. This, the largest of the “Safely removing these three glove boxes represents three glove boxes recently removed, measured about 30 feet continuing progress in cleaning out and demolishing long by about 10 feet tall. the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP),” said Mark Whitney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) for the DOE. “The demolition of the PFP will remove a significant Hanford Site risk and will allow cleanup funds to be used elsewhere on the site.” “Using protective equipment never before used on the Hanford Site, the team did a great job carefully preparing and safely executing the hazardous work inside the McCluskey Room,” said Mike Swartz, vice president of the PFP Closure Project. “Our experienced workforce is making solid progress preparing the facility for demolition by Sept. 30, 2016.” Several chemical processing tanks remain in the room; workers will now focus on preparing those for removal. Overall, the plant is about 84 percent ready for demolition; the remaining critical-path work will be removing the exhaust ventilation ducting and plutonium processing equipment. 04


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 RIVER CORRIDORHanford’s 300 Area SeesDramatic ProgressThe 300 Area, located 1.5 miles north of the City of All that remains in the 300 Area is the highlyRichland, was once the center of Hanford’s radiological contaminated 324 Building, the fire station and someresearch and nuclear fuel fabrication facilities. These Pacific Northwest National Laboratory research buildings.activities left highly contaminated buildings and waste The six research reactors that once stood in the 300sites. It also is the most publicly visible sign of progress Area have been remediated and buried at ERDF.on the Hanford Site. In September 2015, 51 acres of cleaned up 300 AreaOver the last 10 years, the 300 Area Washington Closure sites were backfilled and revegetated with native seeds,Hanford (Washington Closure) team demolished more signaling the on-time completion of a major regulatorythan 170 facilities and cleaned up more than 100 waste milestone.sites at the 1,700-acre site. The contaminated buildingsand soil from the waste sites have all been safely “The progress in the 300 Area has been incredible, withdisposed of at the onsite landfill, the Environmental the amount of work that has been done to eliminateRestoration Disposal Facility (ERDF). hazards close to the Columbia River and city of Richland,” said Stacy Charboneau, manager of the DOE Richland“We all can take pride in the tremendous progress by Operations Office.our River Corridor team, which includes both regulatorsand the Department of Energy (DOE). By working The area is now designated as an industrial area that istogether, we have seen safe and efficient progress at anticipated to provide future economic opportunities forthe 300 Area and along the entire Hanford river corridor,” the community.said Scott Sax, president, Washington Closure.Photos of the Hanford 300 Area from 1982 and 2015 show dramatic changes visible after cleanup of more than 220 facilities and300 waste sites. One facility, the 324 Building, remains for remediation, and a few retained buildings will continue to support thePacific Nothwaest National Laboratory and Hanford Support Services. 05


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 RIVER CORRIDORWorkers Treat Record Amount ofHanford GroundwaterIn 2015, workers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) The groundwater contamination resulted from operationsHanford Site treated a record 2.4 billion gallons of to produce plutonium from the 1940s through the end groundwater. of the 1980s. Since 2009, CHPRC has more than quadrupled the site’s groundwater treatment capacity“We’re treating more groundwater and removing more from 500 million gallons to 2.1 billion gallons a year.contamination than any year in the past two decades of cleanup,” said Michael Cline, director of the soil and Ion exchange resin columns manufactured to treat uraniumgroundwater division with the DOE Richland Operations contamination in Hanford groundwater arrive at the 200 WestOffice (DOE-RL). “Not only are we treating more Pump and Treat Facility for installation in the radiological building.groundwater each year, we’re also removing morecontamination and expanding the area we’re pumping Hexavalent chromium tints contaminated groundwater yellow.from to remove contamination.”DOE-RL set a goal for contractor CH2M Hill PlateauRemediation Company (CHPRC) to treat 2.1 billiongallons by the end of the fiscal year, which ran fromOctober 2014 through September 2015. CHPRC metthis key performance goal in mid-August, more than amonth ahead of schedule, removing more than 75 tonsof contaminants from groundwater.CHPRC also exceeded last year’s treatment record of1.9 billion gallons. To date, Hanford contractors havetreated more than 13 billion gallons of groundwater and removed more than 200 tons of contaminants,including nitrate, carbon tetrachloride, hexavalentchromium, uranium and technetium-99.“Our groundwater treatment programs are designed toprotect the river by slowing the spread of contaminationnear the river and preventing contamination in thecenter of the Site from making its way to the river,” said Karen Wiemelt, CHPRC vice president of soil and groundwater remediation.Six pump-and-treat systems pump groundwater upthrough wells and treat it to remove contaminantsbefore the water is reinjected into the ground.“We continue to find innovative ways to increasetreatment capacity,” said Wiemelt. “As a whole, oursystems are operating at about 113 percent of theirdesigned capacity and, with several upgrades we’llfinish this year, that number will be even higher.” 06


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 SITEWIDEHANFORD2015At the Plutonium Finishing Plant, employees have been doing As resolution continues on the technical issues with thesome of the most hazardous work on the Hanford Site. Pretreatment Facility at the Waste Treatment Facility, theThey’re getting closer to having the facility ready for Department of Energy (DOE) has approved a path forwarddemolition starting this spring. Milestones in cleanup this past for the Office of River Protection (ORP) to begin vitrification year were the removal of 52 pencil-shaped tanks and of tank waste as soon as 2022, through the Direct Feedremoving highly contaminated equipment from the Low-Activity Waste process.McCluskey Room (Americium Recovery Facility). With the completion of retrieval of tank C-102, DOE-ORPIn groundwater, a record 2.4 billion gallons were treated this comes closer to completing retrieval of the entire C Tankyear to remove chemical and radiological contamination, and Farm to regulatory requirements. ORP has taken the lessonsnew equipment was added at the site’s largest treatment learned from retrieval at C-Farm and applied that to thefacility to add the capability to remove uranium from infrastructure development and installation for retrieval of thegroundwater. next tank farms, A/AX.Along the Columbia River, crews are planting native seeds to Since returning to service in the fall of 2014, the 242-Arevegetated areas where millions of tons of soil contaminated Evaporator has created nearly 2 million gallons of wastewith chromium were removed. As of the end of this year, storage space in the double-shell waste tanks through thelarge areas had been backfilled, contoured, and planted to evaporation of excess water from the tank waste stored inresemble a natural landscape. the double-shelled tanks.In Hanford’s 300 Area north of Richland, Wash., workersfinished backfilling and revegetated areas where more than200 facilities had been demolished and more than 300 wastesites had been cleaned up over the past several years.SQUARE MILES 504 of 586 square miles of 82 sq miles activeWASTE SITES active footprint completed cleanup remainingFACILITIES 1,282 of 2,028 waste sites 746 waste sitesTANKS remediated remainingCLEANUP DEBRIS 850 of 1,668 facilities 818 facilitiesGROUNDWATER demolished/removed remaining 14 of 177 tanks 163 tanks retrieved remaining 17.5 million tons of soil, Ongoing debris sent to ERDF* 13 billion gallons of Ongoing groundwater treated Future 1989 – FY15*Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility 07


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 RIVER CORRIDORWashington Closure CompletesChromium Cleanup alongColumbia RiverAs Washington Closure Hanford’s (Washington Closure) Energy’s (DOE) federal project director for the Rivercontract at the Hanford Site nears completion in Corridor. The form of chromium contaminatingSeptember 2016, workers are making major progress. groundwater beneath the Hanford Site is a knownWashington Closure has completed cleanup of the carcinogen and is particularly toxic to fish and otherchromium-contaminated soil sites along the Columbia aquatic life.River.The work is part of the $2.9 billion River Corridor Over the years, large quantities of sodium dichromateClosure Project. The 220-square-mile River Corridor were transported to the site by railcar or tanker truckwas home to Hanford’s plutonium production reactors and distributed among the reactors throughand fuel development facilities, and hundreds of underground piping. Leaks from pipes or spills resultedsupport structures that operated during the Manhattan in massive amounts of contaminated soil.Project and Cold War eras.In all, Washington Closure has removed about 129 tons Workers near Hanford’s D and DR Reactors completedof chromium from waste sites in the River Corridor. remediation and backfill of the largest source ofMore than 2.1 million tons of chromium-contaminated chromium contamination near the Columbia Riversoil were hauled to Environmental Restoration Disposal earlier this year. The work involved digging 85 feet toFacility, Hanford’s onsite landfill for low-level, radioactive groundwater at three waste sites, two of whichand hazardous mixed waste, for disposal. eventually merged, leaving two massive dig sites.“Removing the chromium contamination is a criticalstep in maintaining the quality of the groundwater and Because of their size, the dig sites were engineeredthe Columbia River,” said Mark French, Department of using the same techniques used for open pit mines. One of them – D-100 – covered more area than seven Photo shows the progression of the chromium cleanup along and a half football fields at ground surface and about the Columbia River. one football field at the bottom of the cleanup excavation. Once workers hit groundwater at D-100, they dug another 10 feet of material from within the aquifer to remove groundwater-saturated soil. “Eliminating more source term will greatly reduce groundwater treatment costs,” French explained. The deep digs at D Area marked the second time Washington Closure dug 85 feet to groundwater to remove chromium-contaminated soil. In 2012, they successfully used the approach near C Reactor in two deep digs. Early last year, Washington Closure completed backfill of the cleaned up sites, and replanted them with native vegetation. 08


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 CENTRAL PLATEAUHanford’s Groundwater Treatment SystemExpands Already Impressive CapabilitiesCH2M Hill Remediation Company (CHPRC) expanded contaminated with chemicals and radionuclides, to the capabilities of the 200 West Pump and Treat soil disposal sites resulted in a plume of contaminatedSystem in early September when construction was groundwater approximately 102 acres or about 134completed on a treatment system that will remove football fields in area.uranium from groundwater. Additionally, the 200 West Pump and Treat System willThe 200 West Pump and Treat System started treat about 2 million gallons of water from the 200 Eastoperating in 2012 and has already removed numerous Area. Contaminants in this water are not currentlycontaminants. Biological treatment removes nitrates, migrating downward into Hanford’s aquifer, but thisair strippers remove carbon tetrachloride and volatile action is needed to prevent future migration.organic compounds, and ion exchange removesradiological contaminants. Pipefitters install equipment that is being added to the 200 West“We were already removing more contaminants, Pump and Treat System to remove uranium from groundwater.including technetium-99, than any other water treatmentsystem in the complex,” said Curt Wittreich, CHPRCproject manager. “This expansion allows us to targetgroundwater from sources with higher concentrations ofuranium.”The uranium contamination in the groundwater targetedby the system primarily came from U Plant, a facilityused to recover uranium from waste sludge stored inunderground tanks. The discharge of liquids, some SITEWIDEHanford Earns Safety HonorsThe Voluntary Protection Program Participants said Stacy Charboneau, DOE-Richland OperationsAssociation (VPPPA) recently recognized Department of manager. “I commend them for these awards and thankEnergy (DOE) contractors at the Hanford Site and one them for the safe work that led to this recognition.”individual employee with DOE and national safety In addition, MSA’s Kevin Schoonover received theawards. national VPPPA Safety & Health Achievement ProgramContractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) received Award, presented to non-managerial employees whoVoluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star of Excellence have taken the initiative to learn and apply safety andawards for both the Volpentest HAMMER Federal health best practices.Training Center and Safeguards and Security group. The VPP Star of Excellence is awarded to sites that goWashington Closure Hanford, CH2M Hill Plateau beyond the Star criteria and demonstrate excellence inRemediation Company and Washington River outreach and mentoring efforts, along with exemplaryProtection Solutions also received VPP Star of employee involvement and management leadershipExcellence awards, and CHPRC also garnered a related to VPP.national Safety & Health Outreach Award for its The awards were announced at the VPPPA NationalAfter School Matters program. Conference in August.“Our workers on the site are performing some of themost complex and hazardous work in the department,” 09


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 TANKSWRPS Recognized forSafety InnovationWashington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), Members of the project team (left to right): Ben Davis, Karenthe Department of Energy’s (DOE) Tank Operations Engebretson, William Hughes, Marco Nicacio, Ches Phillips andContractor, received the Voluntary Protection Program Dennis Riste. Not pictured: Pete Carlson and Mike Copeland.(VPP) Innovation Award at the Voluntary ProtectionProgram Participants Association national conferencein Grapevine, Texas.The VPP Innovation Award is presented to anindividual, company or worksite that has developedand implemented an innovation, encouraged others to try new approaches and emphasized the value ofcreativity and flexibility in the resolution of worker safetyand health problems.WRPS was recognized for designing, fabricating anddeploying a tool that reduces worker exposure whilesurveying long-length pieces of equipment used toretrieve highly radioactive and chemical waste from the Hanford Site’s tank farms.A Team Effort“This award demonstrates the tank farm team’sdedication to identifying innovative solutions that helpus perform hazardous work safely and efficiently on aneveryday basis,” said Mark Lindholm, WRPS presidentand project manager. “It’s an excellent example of howcommitted our employees are to keeping each othersafe.”The tool was developed and constructed by workersfrom WRPS’ radiological control, waste managementand construction organizations. The team consisted of Pete Carlson, Mike Copeland, Ben Davis, KarenEngebretson, William Hughes, Marco Nicacio, ChesPhillips and Dennis Riste. The new tool and the associated process allow workers to perform characterization surveys from lower dose areas. This includes the health physics technicians, who now remotely record equipment dose rates from positions behind shielding concrete blocks away from the highly radioactive long-length equipment. 10


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 CENTRAL PLATEAUBechtel Earns Department of Energy’sHighest Award for SafetyBechtel National, Inc., received the Department of “Safety is a core value in conducting our business,”Energy (DOE) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star said Bechtel’s Peggy McCullough, project director forof Excellence for its 2014 safety statistics and the Vit Plant. “Our employees have done an excellentmentoring efforts at the Hanford Waste Treatment and job taking ownership of their safety, as well as theirImmobilization Plant, also known as the Vit Plant. The coworkers’ safety, through grassroots, employee-Star of Excellence is the highest of the DOE-VPP developed programs. This recognition shows that ourannual achievement awards. employees made a commitment to safety and areThe Star of Excellence is given to any site that achieves performing to that expectation.”a rate of recordable injuries at least 75 percent below In 2014, the Vit Plant construction site reported its bestthe Bureau of Labor Statistics national average for its safety performance to date with a total recordable caseindustry. The site also must meet annual DOE-VPP rate of 0.66. For the third consecutive year, Vit Plantgoals and show strong involvement in mentoring and employees reported a rate lower than the nationaloutreach. DOE presented the award to Bechtel at the average rate of 3.8 for the construction industry.31st Annual Voluntary Protection Program Participants “The safety culture at the Vit Plant continues to improveAssociation National Conference. as management and staff work together toward a common goal of zero accidents,” said McCullough. RIVER CORRIDORWashington Closure Hanford Team Reaches 6 Million Safe Work HoursFor the second time since beginning work on the River of detailed preparation. In other activities, teamCorridor Closure Project in 2005, Washington Closure members have isolated unexploded ordnances from Hanford (Washington Closure) and its subcontractor a former Hanford firing range, excavated chromium-employees have worked more than 6 million hours contaminated waste sites to an 85-foot depth, andwithout a lost workday due to injury. transported more than 3 million tons of contaminatedThe River Corridor is a 220-square-mile section of material to the site landfill – also managed bythe Hanford Site and Department of Energy’s (DOE) Washington Closure.largest environmental cleanup closure project. Washington Closure is regularly recognized for its safety“To achieve 6 million safe working hours in the hazardous accomplishments. The team has received the DOE-environments in which they work is remarkable in our Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star of Excellencecleanup industry and is a tribute to our highly skilled or Legacy of Stars Award every year since achievingworkers,” said Scott Sax, president of Washington DOE-VPP Star status in 2009. Washington Closure isClosure. “Their efficiencies and ability to get work done the first Hanford Site contractor to receiveahead of schedule would not be possible without our companywide VPP Star status.dedicated and focused workers looking out for each “I’m very proud of the strong safety culture our teamother on a daily basis.” has built over the past 10 years and they deserve anyDuring the current three-year streak, Washington recognition they can receive for this accomplishment,”Closure completed several complex cleanup projects, Sax said. “But our goal is to finish our cleanup work onincluding removing an underground test reactor and a a strong note and we must remain diligent as we safelyconcrete vault used to store highly contaminated liquid complete our cleanup mission along Hanford’swaste. Each project involved a lift of approximately Columbia River corridor.”1,100 tons, or 2.2 million pounds, and required months 11


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 RIVER CORRIDORWashington Closure Recognized as a Finalistfor the International Project of the Year AwardAt the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Global “Tremendous progress has been made in cleaning up theCongress 2015 Washington Closure Hanford (Washington Columbia River Corridor area of the Hanford Site due toClosure) was recognized as one of three finalists for the Washington Closure’s dedication to performance, safetyinternational Project of the Year Award. Washington Closure and quality in delivering this project ahead of schedule andfinished in second place. First place went to the El Segundo under budget,” said Department of Energy RichlandDrum Reliability Project in Los Angeles, California. Operations Office Manager Stacy Charboneau.“This was a very special honor for me to attend the Washington Closure was notified this summer that theyPMI Global Congress award ceremony on behalf of our were selected as a finalist for the PMI International Projectamazing team at Washington Closure,” said Scott Sax, of the Year Award. The finalists were introduced and thepresident and project manager. “Our highly skilled and winner was announced at the PMI Global Congress Awardsefficient workers have made tremendous progress and Gala in October.I am humbled to be a part of this fantastic team.” “To accomplish so much under the challenging conditions“Congratulations to the other two finalists, and I want they face every day is a tribute to the project managementto thank PMI for their professionalism and recognition of tools and skills our workforce applied to their work everyWashington Closure’s great cleanup progress performed day,” said Sax. “These tools and a teamwork approach byby our amazing workforce,” said Sax. our employees, DOE customer, local communities andWashington Closure won the local 21st Annual Project of regulators alike, played a key role in our cleanupthe Year award from the PMI Columbia River Basin Chapter successes.”in March 2015. TANKSWRPS Begins Fiscal Year With New LeadershipOn Oct. 1, 2015, Mark Lindholm took the helm as “I am humbled by thepresident and project manager of Washington River opportunity to lead thisProtection Solutions (WRPS), Hanford’s tank operations team,” Lindholm wrote contractor. Lindholm follows Dave Olson, who retired in in a message to WRPSSeptember after more than 30 years of service to employees. “I know, fromAECOM, WRPS’ majority owner, and its predecessor my earlier positions here companies. as single-shell tank retrieval“This is a great team, and I’m excited about what we’ll manager and chiefbe able to accomplish,” Lindholm said. operating officer, howLindholm most recently served as WRPS’ chief capable and successfuloperationg officer. Prior to that he managed you have been in movingcommissioning, readiness and operations at the forward to achieve our tankHanford Site’s Waste Treatment Plant and served as cleanup mission. This pastexecutive vice president and chief operating officer at fiscal year was no Mark Lindholm, WRPS presidentthe Idaho Cleanup Project.Lindholm also managed the Single-Shell Tank Retrieval exception. You and project managerand Closure for WRPS from 2008 to 2010 and held anumber of management positions at the Savannah River accomplished the greatestSite from 1989 to 2007. His more than 30 years of amount of work ever during our contract, and you did experience in government nuclear facilities operations it safely. You performed tremendously, and I realize thatwill serve him well as he begins his new position. couldn’t have happened without the contribution of each and every one of you.” Lindholm holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental and hazardous material management from the University of Maryland. 12


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 RIVER CORRIDORAugering of Vertical Pipe Units at 618-10 Burial Ground has BegunWork is underway to auger vertical pipe units (VPU) at nonintrusive radiological characterization could bethe 618-10 Burial Ground. The burial ground is one of performed. By taking dose rates inside the tubes atHanford’s most complex and challenging cleanup areas incremental heights, workers could model theand one of the most highly radioactive waste sites in the radiological composition of the contaminated waste Department of Energy complex. Washington Closure in each VPU.Hanford (Washington Closure) crews have successfullyaugered nine of the (VPUs) since work began in the fall. Washington Closure installed 80 over-casings for the 94 VPUs last spring. An over-casing is a large pipe placedVPUs once were thought to all be five bottomless around a VPU where workers can mix (auger) the waste55-gallon drums welded together end-to-end and buried inside the casing to homogenize it for removal. Once thevertically. During an assessment, workers discovered over-casings were in place, the augering could begin.two other types of VPUs—14 inch corrugated pipes and Washington Closure will auger and cleanup the10- to 12-inch steel pipes. remediated VPUs until its contract is complete at the end of the fiscal year.Extensive preparations were needed before the VPUwork could begin. Workers had already mapped the The 7.5-acre burial ground received highly radioactivelocations of all 94 VPUs and installed four cone waste from Hanford Site laboratories and reactor fuelpenetrometer tubes (4 inches in diameter and about development facilities across the United States from25 feet long) around the outside of each VPU so 1954 through 1963.The photo shows the auger in place as it mixes the Workers are surveying the auger for contamination levels.contaminated materials in one of the VPU at the 618-10 Extensive training and approvals occurred before VPUBurial Ground. The over-casings were installed to target remediation began on September 28.depth (~28 ft.) with a vibratory hammer. 13


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 SITEWIDEMSA’s 2015 EnvironmentalLeadership Award WinnersDepartment of Energy contractor, Mission Support The Family Picnic Committee back row from left: HeatherAlliance (MSA) prides itself on being the site’s Goldie, Ginger Benecke, and Meghann Simpkins. Front rowenvironmental steward, working to improve energy from left: Maura Oldfield, Elizabeth Lugo and Heather Maples.efficiencies and encourage recycling. Recently, MSA Not pictured: Jim Chandler.recognized its 2014 Family Picnic committee with theannual Environmental Leadership Award “Best Overall MSA’s Message Reader Board Reengineering teamAchievement” for planning and successfully executing received a second Honorable Mention Award fora zero-waste company picnic. The committee ensured replacing lead acid batteries with gel sealed batteries that bottles, cans, paper plates, and food were sorted in electronic reader boards. This replacement lowersinto separate bins for proper recycling. By selecting maintenance requirements and costs, and minimizesmenu items without bones or shells, the committee potential battery leaks to the environment and workercould properly dispose of all food items. The picnic exposure to acid.committee also donated more than 500 pounds ofleftover food to a local pig farmer.MSA’s Environmental Leadership Awards recognizeindividuals or groups that implement projects or actionsthat result in the prevention of pollution or demonstrate a commitment to sustainable environmental stewardshipassociated with performing work.HONORABLE MENTION AWARDSMSA’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) PhoneRecycling team received an Honorable Mention for takingadvantage of a CISCO® trade-in program to recyclebroken and damaged phones and receive a significantdiscount on replacements. In addition to the costsavings, the new phones use less energy, contributing to the company’s Environmental Management Systemobjective to reduce overall energy use.Recipients from left: Erik Anderson and Michael Kohlhoff. Recipients from left: Toby Greer and Chris Brown. 14


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 SITEWIDEHAMMER and National TrainingCenter CollaborationIn late summer of 2015, the Director of the National The partnership between DOE-RL and EA representsTraining Center (NTC), Karen Boardman, visited the the commitment to worker safety and health. “TheHAMMER Federal Training Center, which is owned by the HAMMER partnership is important to the NTC,” Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (DOE- said Boardman. “By partnering with DOE contractorsRL) and operated by Mission Support Alliance, to meet and labor communities, training initiatives and sharing with DOE-RL Manager Stacy Charboneau and HAMMER of training materials has been greatly enhanced.”Director, Karen McGinnis to discuss their partnership, Ashley Morris, DOE-RL’s senior advisor for HAMMERwhich had begun three years earlier. echoed Boardman’s sentiments. “Providing the knowledge and preparedness of the workers is core In 2012, the NTC, DOE-RL, and what was then known to our commitment to the mission.”as DOE’s Office of Health, Safety and Security (which Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz issued the Health has since been reorganized into the Office of Enterprise and Safety Training Reciprocity policy, making thisAssessments and the Office of Environment, Health, voluntary program a high priority across the DOESafety and Security), began to collaborate on training complex. Secretary Moniz praised the partnership in programs. a memorandum to the heads of DOE offices saying HAMMER and NTC have “provided an importantBased on labor input and DOE needs, the partners resource to the Department and to other federal anddefined three goals: reduce redundancy in training, state agencies that have contracted with them to provideimprove training consistency and quality, and implement safety, security and emergency response training.”elements of the HAMMER model at other DOE sites. Ted Giltz (HAMMER) and Karen Boardman (NTC) holding theOver the last several years, NTC and HAMMER have Reciprocity plaque.embarked on a collaborative effort to avoid redundanttraining, saving on duplicate training costs, reducingtraining hours, and improving work mobilization. Thereciprocity program improves worker safety bystandardizing fundamental content and encouragingcontractor-specific content and delivery to allow forimproved emphasis on local work practices andhazards. Reciprocity also reduces redundant trainingwhen workers, including DOE staff, move betweencontractors or move between sites in the complex.The latest development in the HAMMER/NTCpartnership is known as Training Reciprocity andCollaboration (TRAC). One element of TRAC is thefranchising of HAMMER courses to better serve smallsites, which will eliminate or reduce the development and maintenance costs for training at the sites, andcontractors can use up-to-date HAMMER trainingcourses. This is a significant opportunity for improvingtraining quality for small sites or small subcontractorspreparing to work at a DOE site. 15


ISSUE 08 – FALL/WINTER 2015 SITEWIDECommunity Giving at HanfordVolunteers help children ride horseback during the 2015 Partners In August, 53 team members from Washington River Protectionn’ Pals day in West Richland. CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Solutions rode together in the cystic fibrosis Cycle for Life andCompany sponsors the event, allowing children with disabilities helped raise more than $30,000 to fight the inherited disorderto ride horses, play games and work on art and crafts. that damages the lungs and digestive system.Washington Closure Hanford donated more than 800 pounds More than 40 Mission Support Alliance employees, familyof food and over $11,000 to the Second Harvest Feeding members and friends participated in the Making StridesFamilies Food Drive in May 2015. Against Breast Cancer walk, benefitting the American Cancer Society. MSA employees raised more than $6,500 and were the third highest fundraisers for the event.Bechtel National, Inc. helped celebrate the 10th anniversary of Badger Mountain by donating $100,000 to the volunteer groupinstrumental in the creation of the popular hiking area. The donation will help Friends of Badger Mountain’s fundraising campaign tobuy more than 200 acres on Candy Mountain. The land purchase is part of a larger plan to build a 20-mile ridge trail system acrossLittle Badger, Badger, Candy and Red mountains. 16


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