Below are articles and other news published since the last West Valley Citizen Task Force Meeting. They relate to the West Valley Demonstration Project, nuclear waste cleanup or are otherwise relevant or of potential interest to stakeholders interested in the Project. After each Citizen Task Force Meeting, these articles are compiled into a single document and may be found with the meeting materials for that month.
August 10, 2020 – On land once part of the Seneca Buffalo Creek Reservation, dancers, drummers and singers from the Haudenausaunee confederacy showed some of their cultural traditions and values on Sunday at the Buffalo History Museum. They were there as part of the United Nations International Day of World Indigenous Peoples and NuclearFree Future Day. Link to article
August 7, 2020 – U.S. Rep. Tom Reed visited the West Valley Demonstration Project Thursday to tour the facility, review the latest developments on the nuclear cleanup efforts and discuss funding increases for the program.
The House of Representatives’ recent appropriations bill allocated $88 million for the West Valley cleanup program, a nearly $13 million increase from the previous fiscal year. Reed has been a long‐time advocate for the cleanup effort. Link to article
August 6-12 – A Facility Disposition crew at EM’s West Valley Demonstration Project replaced the hoist in the Equipment Decontamination Room during essential mission‐critical operations.
This was the first work activity that involved both COVID‐19 protocols and radiological personal protective equipment and is associated with the future demolition of the Main Plant Process Building — an EM2020 Priority.
The site is currently in Phase 2 of its Work Resumption Plan.
“This is a good example of what can be accomplished when issues are discussed and ideas are shared,” said Dale Macklem. “Open communication allows employees and supervisors to be more engaged, and understand that what they do matters in our future success.” Link to article
August 4, 2020 – West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) crews resumed waste disposal shipments in late July as part of cleanup efforts after the site moved into the second phase of its operations plan in response to COVID-19.
The waste being shipped is from the demolition of a former utility building that began in July. The 6,955-square-foot building is an ancillary structure to the Main Plant Process Building, the facility at the West Valley site. Teardown of the Main Plant is among EM’s 2020 priorities. Link to Update
July 30, 2020 – The West Valley Demonstration Project enhanced its security and safety by purchasing digital trunked radios that can assign frequency channels to various groups of users. The new devices can communicate with existing radios at the WVDP, as well as fire departments, local and state police and emergency medical services. WVDP programmed the new equipment to allow interaction with those emergency response organizations.
“Our old radios were more than 20 years old, and needed to be replaced,” David Schuman said, CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley Safeguards and Security Manager. “These new radios enhance our security posture and improve officer safety. Improving our ability to share and communicate information more accurately will help us to better handle any situation that may arise.” Link to article
