EM Update, July 23, 2024 —

 WEST VALLEY, N.Y. — Crews with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) recently removed a large steel bridge crane from the Chemical Process Cell Crane Room as part of the ongoing demolition of the Main Plant Process Building at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). 

Workers with cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) used heavy equipment to safely pull the crane from the former nuclear reprocessing cell and lower it to the ground for packaging. 

EM West Valley Project Management Assistant Director Stephen Bousquet commended the team for its work. 

“The CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley team used lessons learned to safely remove this large piece of equipment, while reducing employee exposure to job-related hazards. They put their collective knowledge into practice. Their safe and compliant removal of the crane is another important step in the ongoing demolition of the Main Plant,” said Bousquet. 

The crane was equipped with one 13-ton hoist; two 2-ton hoists; and a power-actuated robotic arm for remote work. It was used inside the Chemical Process Cell during fuel reprocessing operations. After work was completed in that cell, the crane was moved to the Crane Room to prevent contamination, a move that also shields workers from a high-dose area to perform maintenance in a low-dose area. 

CHBWV President Jason Casper said his employees continue to perform work in a controlled and deliberate manner to ensure safety. 

“This and other work at the West Valley Demonstration Project only happens because of the skills and commitment of our employees to complete work in a safe and compliant manner,” said Casper. “This work, safely performed, benefits the ongoing cleanup mission at West Valley and in the complex.” 

The bridge crane will be reduced in size, packaged and shipped offsite for disposal. 

Salamanca Press, July 18, 2024 —

 WEST VALLEY — CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), the prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy at the West Valley Demonstration Project, was recently announced as a Leader in Sustainable Electronics Procurement with a 2023 EPEAT Purchaser Award, celebrating leaders in sustainable electronics procurement. 

The award comes from the Global Electronics Council (GEC), the non-profit organization that manages the EPEAT ecolabel. EPEAT allows CHBWV to efficiently address the lifecycle impacts of the electronics they purchase, including computers, displays, printers, copiers, network equipment, mobile phones, servers, photovoltaic modules, inverters and televisions. 

CHBWV uses EPEAT in purchasing contracts to require that our vendors only provide electronics that meet strict sustainability criteria. These products are more energy efficient, less toxic, longer lasting and easier to recycle than products that do not meet EPEAT criteria while addressing labor and human rights issues along the entire supply chain. 

Read the full article here.

Herald Courier, July 18, 2024 —

The International Organization for Standardization has recertified the West Valley Demonstration Project’s Environmental Management System, a management practice that allows organizations to conduct work in a systematic manner to minimize impacts of operations on the environment. 

“The West Valley Demonstration Project conducts its work in a safe, compliant and cost-effective manner by integrating environmental requirements and pollution prevention into our work planning and execution,” U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management West Valley Technical Services Assistant Director Jennifer Dundas said. “We also take actions to minimize the environmental impacts of our operations.” 

Read the full article here.

EM Update, July 16, 2024 —

Six U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) sites are among a group of award winners who collectively cut greenhouse gas emissions last year by more than 565,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, which equates to taking 121,000 average U.S. passenger cars off the road for a year.

EM winners of the 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Award include the:

• Hanford Site, winner in five product categories;
• Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project, winner in four product categories;
• Paducah Site infrastructure support services contractor Swift & Staley, winner in two product categories;
• Portsmouth Site infrastructure support services contractor North Wind Dynamics, winner in three product categories;
• Savannah River Site, winner in four product categories; and
• West Valley Demonstration Project cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, winner in two product categories.

The annual EPEAT Purchaser Awards honor organizations demonstrating outstanding leadership in and commitment to sustainability by procuring EPEAT registered products. The awards highlight the substantial impacts resulting from prioritizing environmentally responsible purchasing. EPEAT stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool.

“EPEAT has been instrumental in helping the DOE Office of Environmental Management achieve our sustainability goals by providing a reliable standard for sustainable electronics procurement,” said Jeanne Beard, chief information officer and director of Information Systems for EM. “Through EPEAT’s rigorous criteria and global recognition, we have significantly reduced our environmental footprint and promoted responsible purchasing practices across our projects. Our field site participation in this program is especially noteworthy in that it is voluntary and reflects well on their continued commitment to the cleanup mission.”

EPEAT is an ecolabel for the electronics sector that helps purchasers, manufacturers, resellers and others buy and sell environmentally preferable electronic products such as computers, displays, imaging equipment and mobile phones that have been independently verified to meet its criteria. EPEAT is owned and operated by the Global Electronics Council, a nonprofit that advocates for purchasing practices that improve the environment.

In addition to greenhouse gas emissions reduction, 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Award winners collectively reduced:

• 2,133 gigawatt-hours of energy, comparable to the annual electricity consumption of 175,000 average U.S. households;
• 400 metric tons of hazardous waste, equivalent to the weight of 3,300 refrigerators; and
• 4.4 billion liters of water consumption, saving enough to fill 1,756 Olympic sized swimming pools.

The 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Awards virtual ceremony will be held July 25.

-Contributor: David Sheeley

Springville Journal, June 27, 2024 —

The Ashford Town Board, at its June 12 meeting, heard updates from Communications and External Affairs Manager for CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, LLC Joe Pillittere regarding recent projects and updates at the West Valley Demonstration Project.

In his presentation, Pillitiere showcased many accomplishments since the May meeting, including completing the demolition and waste packaging of the remaining portion of the Upper Extraction Aisle; completing the demolition and waste packing of the remaining section for the Lower extraction Aisle and Extraction Cell 2 and Extraction Cell 3 north walls; completing demolition of the Vent Wash Room west wall, removing accessible sections of vent duct and packaging them; completing demolition and packaging of the Vent Wash Room south and west walls, ceiling and floor, Ram Equipment Room walls, Instrument Room, remaining section of Cell Access Aisle and Lower Extraction Aisle; completing demolition and packaging of the Uranium Product Cell and removing all tanks 5D-15A1/A2 and 5D-15B; Packaging Vent Wash Room vent ducts that were removed during demolition; and continued demolition and packing of the Process Mechanic Cell south wall.