GovConWire — August 30, 2023

The Department of Energy has released a draft request for proposals for a potential 10‐year, $3 billion contract to carry out cleanup work at a nuclear waste remediation site in West Valley, New York.

DOE said Tuesday the indefinite‐delivery/indefinite‐quantity contract is intended to continue deactivation, demolition and soil remediation activities at the West Valley Demonstration Project site.

The winning contractor will deactivate and demolish the remaining near‐grade and below‐grade components, remediate contaminated soils, dispose of legacy waste and perform environmental monitoring and surveillance.

A joint venture between CH2M and BWX Technologies performs waste management efforts at the WVDP site under a contract slated to expire on Feb. 28, 2025.

DOE intends to conduct a pre‐solicitation conference, site tour and one‐on‐one sessions for the WVDP Phase 1B cleanup project in late September.

Legacy.com — August 15, 2023

Cleveland W. “Worth” Bateman died on August 6, 2023 in Washington, DC at the age of 85. He had cancer. Born on May 1, 1938, on a small farm in Carroll County, Maryland, Worth graduated from McDaniel College, and earned a PhD in economics at Harvard University. He believed deeply in the power of government to improve citizens’ lives. He served at the U.S Department of Defense in the Johnson administration, working on troop effectiveness, compensation, and the military draft, and at the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare where he focused on poverty issues.

He helped implement an anti‐poverty program that continues today as the Earned Income Tax Credit which aids low and moderate‐income families.

Leaving government in 1969, Worth became Senior Vice President at the newly‐established Urban Institute, where he led research on social policy affecting urban areas. In 1977, he returned to government at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Carter administration, where he worked on nuclear waste policy and became Acting Under Secretary. He was instrumental in passing legislation requiring the Energy Department to clean‐up a nuclear waste site in West Valley, New York. Following government service, he was an energy consultant.

Worth was a good and generous man with a broad array of interests. He was a skilled carpenter, an avid sailor, and an accomplished chef. He loved opera and baseball, serving what he sometimes called a “life‐sentence” as a Baltimore Oriole fan. After he retired, he operated a wine‐grape vineyard on the Maryland farm where he was born, and when his vineyard days were over, he wrote plays and published several volumes of poetry. Most important, he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend.

Worth was predeceased by his parents, Worthington and Rheda Bateman, and sons John and Robert Bateman.

He is survived by his wife, Grace Bateman, children Matthew and Patrick Bateman, Sarah Dawson, and Elizabeth Dangio, and seven grandchildren.

The funeral and the inurnment at Holy Rood Cemetery are private. Contributions in Worth’s honor may be made to the Social Justice Ministry at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, https://trinity.org/donate‐holy‐trinity/socialjustice/community‐relief‐fund, or to Save the Children, https://www.savethechildren.org/.

Published by The Washington Post on Aug. 15, 2023.

EM Update — August 15, 2023

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – The EM program at the West Valley Demonstration Project conducted its annual Safety Day to reinforce and highlight the importance of safety through demonstrations, hands-on activities and guest lectures.

The event organizers held demonstrations on electrical safety, heat-stress monitoring, procedural compliance, and three-way communication, and they provided information on nutrition and staying healthy. A “Jeopardy” style game tested employees’ knowledge of safety controls, tools and procedures in a fun, competitive manner. Cheryl Wozniak, safety engineer with CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, EM’s cleanup contractor at the site, coordinated the event for all employees. She thanked them for making safety their No. 1 priority. “Thank you for all your hard work in helping us to maintain our Voluntary Protection Program Superior Star status,” Wozniak said. “Your involvement and proactive approach to safety continues to promote a safety culture that is continuously improving the work environment and reducing risks. Together, we help each other stay safe and healthy.”

EM Update — August 8, 2023

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – It’s been said that during an emergency, you always fall back on your training. EM and its cleanup contractor at the West Valley Demonstration Project recently conducted a full‐scale exercise testing the skills and response of site and local emergency responders to a simulated equipment fire. All EM team members at the site participated.

“Exercises allow us to safely test the knowledge and response of an organization through a real‐life scenario that includes challenging situations,” said West Valley Office of Technical Services Assistant Director Jennifer Dundas, who served as an evaluator for the exercise. “We understand the importance and benefit of having trained emergency responders working at West Valley.”

Read the complete article here.

WBEN 930 am, Buffalo — July 31, 2023

The Golden Rule, a ship originally used by Quakers sailing to the Marshall Islands to try to stop the U.S. nuclear bomb testing, is now being utilized by Veterans for Peace, doing a “great loop” with a stop at Canalside in Buffalo to stand in solidarity with those against nuclear warfare.

Read/listen to the complete story here.