ECA Update, 9/30/24 —

 In ECA’s transition paper to the next Administration, “Ensuring Long-Term Success: Recommendations for the Next Administration on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Mission” (https://www.energyca.org/publications), ECA provides multiple recommendations to tackle challenges the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) faces. A key challenge that the DOE-EM must address is ensuring there is sufficient safe and effective disposal capabilities and pathways for ALL classes of waste which DOE is legally required to dispose of. Without it, DOE cannot cleanup all EM sites. 

This includes disposal of Greater-than-Class-C (GTCC) low-level waste (LLW). There is currently no disposal path for this material, which is impacting cleanup of EM sites such as the West Valley Demonstration Project (https://www.energy.gov/em/west-valley-demonstration-project-wvdp) in New York state, along with commercial nuclear power plants. The lack of a GTCC disposal site also has the potential to hamper EM’s use of its high-level waste interpretation, which can accelerate the cleanup of tank waste, given that some of the material that could be covered by the interpretation will require such a disposal pathway. 

Read the full article here.

Construction & Demolition Recycling, 9/25/24 —

 The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) and its cleanup contractor for the West Valley Demonstration Project in Buffalo, New York, recently achieved a cleanup priority ahead of schedule for the second consecutive year. 

Crews safely shipped more than 40 million pounds of debris from the demolition of the Main Plant Process Building since launching the project in fall 2022. 

The site, owned by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is home to the only commercial spend nuclear fuel reprocessing facility to operate in the U.S. 

Crews with CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) have packaged and shipped by rail more than 1,000 waste containers from the project for safe disposal offsite. They loaded each container with about 40,000 pounds of debris. 

Demolition of the Main Plant is 67 percent complete, with more than 40 of 60 cells within the facility demolished. Watch a video created earlier this summer to mark the halfway point in the project. EM officials attribute the latest achievement to extensive planning, an experienced and dedicated workforce and a commitment to safety. 

“The West Valley team did an excellent job in their planning and preparation for this achievement,” says Stephen Bousquet, EM West Valley assistant director for the Office of Project Management. “The adherence to our protected assumptions and deliberate speed led to this successful milestone completion. Site crews were outstanding in performing the work safely, compliantly and efficiently.” 

By the end of the Main Plant demolition project, the site is expected to ship about 500 additional waste containers by rail for disposal offsite. 

“The team was deliberate in the planning and execution of this work and worked closely with the onsite demolition crew and offsite disposal facilities, resulting in the safe and compliant disposition of demolition waste,” says Peggy Loop, CHBWV waste and site operations manager. 

Last year, West Valley crews accomplished an EM 2023 priority ahead of schedule after safely shipping more than 9,000 tons of Main Plant demolition debris for disposal offsite. 

The Main Plant, a 35,100-square-foot reinforced concrete structure, is one of the last remaining major facilities at West Valley to be torn down by EM. Its successful demolition, which is expected to be completed next summer, will further reduce environmental risks and position the site for the next phase in cleanup: soil remediation and demolition of remaining facilities. 

EM Update, 9/24/24 —

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – Two U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) cleanup sites are expected to save taxpayers an estimated $1 million by sharing highly specialized equipment. 

The West Valley Demonstration Project in New York transferred the equipment to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. The equipment is used to handle hazardous materials remotely, ensuring safety as crews process and package the materials. 

“Repurposing highly specialized equipment like this helps save money for taxpayers and the government,” West Valley Project Management Office Assistant Director Stephen Bousquet said. “It also saves cost on schedule because the equipment is already built and available for immediate use.” 

Read the full article here.

Office of EHHS, 9/17/24 —  In August 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy Voluntary Protection Program (DOE-VPP) recognized annual award recipients and promoted knowledge-sharing during the DOE preconference workshop at the Voluntary Protection Program Participants’ Association Safety+ Symposium in Aurora, CO. 

Read the full article here.

EM Update, September 17, 2024 —

 AURORA, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and an association that helps worksites advance safety and health goals recently presented 21 awards to contractors across the cleanup complex — from Washington and New Mexico to New York and South Carolina — for achievements in safety, health, innovation and outreach. 

Alfred G. Traylor, director of the DOE Office of Worker Safety and Health Assistance, presented the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) awards to DOE Office of Environmental Management contractors at the DOE-VPP Preconference Meeting, held at the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association annual Safety+ Symposium, which marked its 40th anniversary this year. 

Working through cooperative efforts among labor, management and government at DOE contractor sites, VPP promotes improved safety and health performance through public recognition of outstanding programs. The program recognized the contractors for going above and beyond the basic requirements of its safety and health regulations, orders and standards. 

Contractors are eligible to be VPP participants if they meet specific safety related criteria, such as injury rates meeting the DOE standard of 50% below industry average and performing mentoring and outreach activities. Participants also exemplify the five VPP elements: management leadership, employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training. 

VPP’s Contractor Champions Award, which honors outstanding performance and leadership in furthering the advancement of VPP, went to Richard “Tom” Perkes with UCOR at Oak Ridge. 

“As a former European professional basketball player, Tom is the epitome of a team player and VPP ambassador,” said Michelle Keever, UCOR Safety and Health Program specialist. “His talents and passion are evident in the workplace and the community.” 

VPP’s Superior Star was awarded to Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration at the Hanford Site. The Superior Star recognizes a leader in safety and health performance that has achieved a consistently superior level of performance in meeting established safety and health goals, actively conducting outreach to others, and achieving an injury and illness rate significantly below the average of similar businesses and operations. 

Through their full dedication and total commitment to the principles of VPP, recipients of the Star of Excellence have achieved an outstanding level of performance in meeting established safety and health goals, actively conducting outreach to others, and achieving an injury and illness rate significantly below the average of similar businesses and operations. This award went to: 

• Central Plateau Cleanup Company, Hanford Site; 

• Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Mission Support Services, Hanford Site; 

• Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Safeguards and Security, Hanford Site; 

• Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Federal Training Center, Hanford Site; 

• Washington River Protection Solutions, Tank Operations, Hanford Site; 

• Waste Treatment Completion Company, Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Project, Hanford Site; 

• UCOR, Oak Ridge; 

• North Wind Dynamics, Portsmouth Site; 

• Battelle Savannah River Alliance, Savannah River National Laboratory; 

• Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Savannah River Site; 

• Savannah River Mission Completion, Savannah River Site; 

• Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; and 

• CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, West Valley Demonstration Project. 

The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association honored EM contractors with six awards. 

The association’s Emerging Safety Leader Excellence Award, which recognizes outstanding individuals with less than 10 years of experience in the environment, health and safety field, went to: 

• Ginger Benecke with Hanford Mission Integration Solutions; 

• Daryl Butler Jr. with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions; and 

• Jade Nealious with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. 

Central Plateau Cleanup Company’s safety team received the Safety and Health Outreach Award, which honors individuals, companies or worksites that excel in extending their safety, health, technical and management knowledge to other departments within their site. 

The association honored Washington River Protection Solutions and UCOR with the VPP Innovation Award, which recognizes an individual, company or worksite that has developed and successfully implemented an innovation, encouraged others to try new approaches and emphasized the value of creativity and flexibility in the resolution of worker safety and health problems.