EM Update, October 15, 2024 —

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – Disasters can occur at any time, and a knowledgeable, well-trained emergency response team can significantly improve the outcome of any event. 

That’s why the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management and its cleanup contractor at the West Valley Demonstration Project recently undertook an exercise in response to a hypothetical emergency scenario. The mock event provided real-world training and constructive feedback for improvement. 

Held annually at the West Valley site, the large-scale exercise was based on a hypothetical incident involving a contamination event due to sabotage by an insider threat. The exercise was designed to validate the team’s response to the unannounced hypothetical incident and its ability to minimize the potential impact on employees, the public and the environment. 

Read the full article here.

Springville Journal, October 3, 2024 —

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

The West Valley Demonstration Project transferred the equipment to the Idaho National Laboratory 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. 

Niagara Frontier Publications, October 2, 2024 —

 Geological organizations from Western New York will celebrate National Earth Science Week, informing the public of what geologists and earth scientists do, their importance to society; and the various career opportunities that are available. Western New York Earth Science Day will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Heritage Discovery Center, 100 Lee St. Buffalo. The event is sponsored by the Buffalo Geological Society. 

Talk to WNY geologists from some of the following companies that will have exhibits: 

• AECOM 

• Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists 

• Buffalo Geological Society Mini-mine for children – Buffalo Geological Society Mining for minerals 

• Buffalo Museum of Science 

• Earth Dimensions with drill rig 

• Erie County Parks 

• Heritage Discovery Center 

• Independent Oil & Gas Association of NY 

• Jerry the Geologist and his dinosaurs 

• New York State Council of Professional Geologists – New York State Professional Geological Services – Parsons 

• “Past & Present” 

• Quarry prospectors 

• SUNY at Fredonia geology department 

• UB geology department 

• West Valley Demonstration Project 

Organizers said this event is “Excellent event for students, families, scouts, geologists, and anyone interested in geology and the earth and environmental sciences.” 

Free admission and parking. Rain or shine, with a tent for exhibitors and the public. Food vendor and bathrooms available. 

For more information, contact Jerry Bastedo at jcbastedo@gmail.com or 716-864-2701. 

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.