CH2M Connection
Final gaseous diffusion plants coming down at East Tennessee Technology Park... Page 5
In this issue... 2 CH2M Safety Breaking Records 3 A Decade of Cleanup Success in Idaho 5 What’s Next? - Major Milestones 6 C(H2M)ommunity
Leadership Perspective So far, 2015 has been full of great accomplishments for CH2M and our teams across the US Department of Energy Complex. From celebrating ten successful years of cleanup at the Idaho Cleanup Project to getting one step closer to demolishing all of the gaseous diffusion plants at the East Tennessee Technology Park, our teams are working efficiently, effectively, and most importantly, safely. I am also thrilled to be able to announce that the Government-owned Contractor-operated contract to manage and operate Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) will be joining our family of projects. On June 29, it was announced that the Canadian National Energy Alliance (CNEA), a CH2M-led consortium was chosen as the preferred bidder for this work. Congratulations to our team who worked diligently over the last few years to make this a reality! In the following pages you will learn more about our record-breaking safety statistics, ahead-of-schedule project milestones and exciting news to look for in the coming months. Congratulations to all of our employees on their hard work - I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish together in the second half of 2015.
Dyan Foss CH2M Nuclear Sector Global Managing Director
CNL’s Chalk River Laboratories
What do you want to see in the next issue of CH2M Connection? Submit your comments and suggestions to the CH2M Environment & Nuclear Communications Team at ENCommunications@ch2m.com 1 July 2015
CH2M’s Nuclear Sector a Leader in Safety Being safe every day is not just a goal at CH2M.
Being safe every day is not just a goal at CH2M. It’s a way of life. And our Nuclear Sector employees are living it to the fullest. Currently, our safety rates on nuclear projects across the US Department of Energy Environmental Management (DOE-EM) complex are among the best. Our TRC (Total Recordable Case) rate is 0.40 compared to a DOE-EM average of 0.71 and our DART (Days Away/ Restricted or Transfer) rate is 0.18 compared to a DOE-EM average of 0.31.
CH2M is on five of the top six performing (DOE-EM safety rankings for TRC/DART) teams in the complex. We are also leading three West Valley celebrating 1 of these teams – CH2M HILL - BWXT West Valley, LLC working million safe work hours on the West Valley Decommissioning Phase I in New York; CH2M • WG Idaho, LLC performing the Idaho Cleanup Project; and CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company performing the Hanford CH2M HILL West Valley, LLC and its subcontractors achieved 1 million work hou Plateau Remediation in Washington State. In addition, all ofB&W our sites August 2014. The participating in the Voluntary Protection Program are Star Sites. accomplishment, which took over 20 months to achieve, was comm WVDP’s annual Safety Week celebration. Two of our teams - CH2M HILL - BWXT West Valley, LLC and National Security Technologies - are currently reporting unprecedented safety performance with both a TRC and DART rate of 0.0. Congratulations to all of our teams performing safe work and leading by example across of our Department of Energy-Environmental Management projects. Below is a table comparing the safety rates of each of the prime contractors where CH2M is part of the team with the DOE-EM average. All of our sites participating in VPP, are Star Sites
Safety Rates for CH2M Teams 0.27
DOE-EM Complex Average
0.63
0 0
Nevada Security Technologies
0.49
URS - CH2M Oak Ridge 0.22
Savannah River Remediation
0.43
0.14
CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Washington Closure Hanford
0
CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley
0 0
0.42 0.28
0.18
CH2M - WG Idaho 0
0.9
0.1
0.27 0.2
0.3
0.4 DART
0.5 TRC
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
A Decade of Cleanup Success in Idaho On May 1, 2005, CH2M • WG Idaho, LLC (CWI), assumed responsibility for the Idaho Cleanup Project. Making history from day one, we launched a plan to significantly accelerate cleanup activities. With a list of core values and expectations, and the absolute premise that where safety leads production follows, employees were empowered and incentivized to deliver measurable results. They have accomplished more than anyone ever thought possible. CWI is celebrating 10 years of safe and measurable cleanup progress, the greatest and most quantifiable cleanup progress in the Site’s history. Employees have met milestones, come up with innovative cleanup solutions and efficiencies that saved the taxpayers millions of dollars, and worked more safely than ever before, continuing to be noticed by our client – US Department of Energy, our stakeholders and elected officials in Washington, D.C. With the extra precautions and care and strong, employee-owned safety programs CWI uses to perform their work, they’ve proven that ‘safety 24-7’ results in greater productivity and even greater accomplishments. In addition, to outstanding performance at work, CWI has also been a tremendous asset to their community through your generous donations and unwavering volunteerism.
Radioactive Waste Management Complex
Environmental Restoration
Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center
• Completed the remediation of the infamous Pit 9 for just $34 million – a fraction of the $500 million estimate established prior to CWI’s arrival
• Treated over 600 million gallons of groundwater from the aquifer beneath Test Area North
• Transferred 3,186 spent fuel units from wet to dry storage, and reduced the active spent fuel storage basin inventory to just 30% capacity
• Exhumed over 3.0 acres of targeted buried waste at the Subsurface Disposal Area • Completed original 2.55 acres one year ahead of schedule and $31 million under budget (ICP-I) • Completed additional .51 acres (ICP-II) ahead of schedule and under budget with ongoing exhumation authorized and continuing
3 July 2015
Since co recorda we ar Pro
• Removed and disposed of 2,600 pounds of explosives, 3,400 munitions, and 217,000 pounds of munitions debris • Reduced 184,400 acres of potential unexploded ordnance areas to 6,300 acres, which protects crews that work in the field
• Washed and grouted 11 of 15 underground storage tanks, 7 of which held high-level radioactive liquid waste from historic spent nuclear fuel reprocessing activities • Dispositioned 652 special nuclear material items $2.5 million under budget • Completed 364 shipments of remote-handled transuranic waste out of Idaho
Safety
ontract start, we have reduced able injuries by 50 percent and re recognized as a Voluntary otection Program Star Site.
Decontamination, Decommissioning and Demolition • DD&D of 221 facilities including 5 reactors and 1 reactor vessel a year ahead of schedule and $311 million under budget • Reduced the overall environmental footprint by 2.2 million square feet
Efficiency
CWI completed ICP Phase I in 2012, $520 million under budget.
Integrated Waste Treatment Unit • Completed construction of IWTU, a 53,000 square-foot, first-of-a-kind facility to treat liquid waste • Performed comprehensive testing and analysis to document and confirm results leading to a successful simulant run • Implementing modifications and prepping for second simulant run this year
Community
In 2014, CWI was awarded the Freedom Award by the US Secretary of Defense for our support of Guardsmen and Reservists
Meeting Milestones; Reinvesting Cost Savings • Met over 700 regulatory milestones; missed only 4 • Reinvested more than $510 million in cost savings to additional cleanup beyond our original target scope
What’s next? - Major Milestones Demolition of Uranium-Enrichment Facility Complete in Tennessee CH2M is making major progress on completing the demolition of the final uraniumenrichment facilities at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
“The government’s uranium-enrichment dinosaurs in Oak Ridge are gradually becoming extinct.” Frank Munger, Atomic City Underground. During the World War II Manhattan Project, the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) was a host to several of these “dinosaurs” enriching uranium. These gaseous diffusion plants remained in operations to support nuclear power through 1987 before cleanup began at the site in 1989. In December 2013, CH2M completed the historic demolition of the K-25 former gaseous diffusion plant (link to K-25 completion story) which was also once the largest building in the world. The project was completed one year ahead of schedule and US$300 million below the federal baseline allowing our team to reallocate resources to the demolition of sister facilities K-31 and K-27, the last remaining gaseous diffusion plants at ETTP. CH2M has now completed the demolition of K-31 and is about 70 percent complete with pre-demolition work at K-27. The 130 crew members on the K-31 project and 270 crew members on the K-27 project are riding the success from the K-25 project, making great progress. K-31 demolition only began in October 2014 and was completely demolished June 26, months ahead of schedule.
Savannah River Starts Grouting of Tank 16
CH2M has started the grouting and operational closure of our fifth liquid waste tank at the Savannah River Site. Recently, our team at the Savannah River Site, started the grouting of Tank 16, signifying major progress toward operational closure of the tank and reducing risks to the environment. Last year, grouting and closure of Tanks 5 and 6 were completed approximately two years ahead of schedule on December 18, 2013. Along with Tanks 18 and 19, which were operationally closed in October 2012, Tank 16 is the fifth radioactive liquid waste tank CH2M is taking out of operation at the Savannah River Site. To close the tanks, more than 1.8 million gallons of specially formulated grout is delivered by 1,150 cement trucks and poured into the tanks over several months. Currently, about four trucks deliver grout each hour, increasing from there during peak times. In addition to the aggressive schedule to close the tanks at the Savannah River Site, last year our Tank Closure Team was presented with the Secretary’s Honor Award from the Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.
5 July 2015
In the C(H2M)ommunity
CHBWV Donates to Three Local Charities
A check is presented to West Valley Fire Department
CH2M HILL - BWXT West Valley, LLC (CHBWV), along with the U.S. Department of Energy and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) presented checks to three local charities on behalf of the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). The Springville Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, Mercy Flight and the West Valley Fire District 1 serve as valuable resources for WVDP employees and the surrounding community. The Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and its staff provide medical support, Mercy Flight provides air ambulance service to the Project in the event of an emergency and the West Valley Fire District volunteers provide fire and emergency services. “We are fortunate to have these services available within our community should the need arise”, said Dan Coyne, CHBWV President and General Manager.
A check is presented to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital
“The fire and emergency services provided by West Valley Fire District 1 are essential for the safety and security of the West Valley Demonstration Project,” said Paul Bembia, NYSERDA Program Director. “We appreciate the time and dedication of the first responders and medical staff who ensure that WVDP, and the surrounding community, receive outstanding care and services in the event of emergency situations.”
UCOR Awards 33 Mini-Grants for STEM in Local Schools Since 2012, our team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation, URS | CH2M Oak Ridge, LLC. (UCOR) has run the Education Mini-Grant Program. UCOR recently announced the award its 2015 mini grants to 33 local teachers and schools to enable new instructional methods for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in the classroom. Schools in counties neighboring our East Tennessee Technology Park project submitted proposals for $500 (single classroom), $750 (a grade or several classes), and $1,000 (school-wide) grants. “The Mini-Grant Program was designed to recognize and support excellence in teaching by providing funds to assist classroom teachers for specific projects or curricula, focusing primarily on science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM,” the UCOR press release said. By offering these grants, our project team is helping to provide creative and innovative school activities, which not only encourage learning, but gives students a greater insight into today’s science and technology in fun and exciting ways. Giving students’ opportunities they may not otherwise have, the UCOR Mini-Grant committee selected the projects focusing on robotics, math, ecosystem studies, and projects seeking to connect girls to STEM.
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CH2M Environment & Nuclear Communications Team ENCommunications@ch2m.com +1.720.286.0391