MINNPOST, October 25, 2023

Minnesota has a deadline to meet. By 2040, a mandate signed earlier this year requires all of the state’s energy generation to come from carbon‐free sources. Renewables like wind, hydro, and solar are part of that path forward, but industry experts say a steady source of baseload energy production will likely be needed to offset their inevitable intermittency. In other countries, carbon‐free baseload production has often come from nuclear power.

Hoping to gain a better understanding of nuclear — its potential and its problems — Project Optimist sat down with Xcel Energy President Chris Clark (whose company operates the only nuclear plants in the state of Minnesota), well‐qualified academics, and advocates representing both sides of the issue.

Read the full article here.

October 24, 2023 — EM Update

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) recently held a graduation ceremony for six security police officers who completed a seven‐week course through a unique partnership with the local sheriff’s office.

Normally, the officers take the course at DOE’s National Training Center (NTC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

However, in 2021 the WVDP management team — which consisted of representatives from EM, its cleanup contractor CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), and security subcontractor Paragon Energy — developed a plan for the officers to be trained by instructors from Paragon and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office using sheriff’s office facilities. The training plan was approved by the NTC.

Read the full article here.

EM Update — October 17, 2023

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) recently organized over 200 “matchmaking” meetings with more than 98 small businesses that shared their capabilities with 22 government and industry representatives and learned about EM prime contracting and subcontracting opportunities.

EMCBC hosted the second‐ever EM Small Business Thursday event as part of the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association (ETEBA) Business Opportunities & Technical Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee.

A mix of government and industry entities took part in the small‐business outreach event, from the DOE Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and DOE

Savannah River Operations Office to EM cleanup contractors such as CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley, Idaho Environmental Coalition and Four River Nuclear Partnership. The U.S. General Services Administration and the Savannah and Nashville districts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also participated.

Read the full article here.

EM Update — October 10, 2023

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – Crews at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) recently accomplished an EM 2023 priority after safely shipping more than 9,000 tons of debris from the demolition of the Main Plant Process Building this year. Read the full article here.

Olean Times Herald — September 6, 2023

WEST VALLEY — The West Valley Demonstration Project recently conducted its annual Safety Day for employees of CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV), the Department of Energy’s cleanup contractor there.

The purpose of Safety Day is to reinforce and highlight the importance of safety through demonstrations, hands on activities and guest lectures.

This year included demonstrations on electrical safety, heat stress monitoring, procedural compliance and three-way communication along with information on nutrition and staying healthy. A Jeopardy‐style game was also used to test employees’ knowledge of safety controls, tools, and procedures in a fun, competitive manner.

Cheryl Wozniak, CHBWV Safety Engineer, coordinated the event for all employees and thanked them for making safety their number one priority.

“Thank you for all your hard work in helping us to maintain our VPP Superior Star status,” she 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.”

Jennifer Dundas, Office of Technical Services Assistant Director, congratulated WVDP employees during this year’s Safety Day.

“This award belongs to every employee here today,” she said. “Our team continues to demonstrate that safety is at the forefront every day as we work in and around challenging and high‐risk areas. I am proud to work with this team and congratulate all of you on a job well done.”