IN THE NEWS
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PORTS
Community Commitment
DASHBOARD
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ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
Saves Time,
Money Preparing for Demolition
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Portsmouth's X-326 Process Building.
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PIKETON, Ohio - An alternative approach to determine how much remaining uranium is in piping and equipment should reduce time safely preparing the EM Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant's three massive process buildings for demolition.
Original plans called for traditional quantitative nondestructive assay (NDA) measurements of all process equipment and piping. But Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth (FBP), EM's D&D contractor, proposed the systematic monitoring approach, which provides the same level of assurance that the deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) can be safely completed, while saving considerable time.
Successfully deployed in D&D of the K-25 Building at Oak Ridge, the systematic monitoring approach uses gamma-ray scans to determine which piping contains uranium levels significantly below pre-determined conservative limits. Piping that falls below those limits may be left in the building for demolition, and quantitative NDA measurements will not be needed.
"Where appropriate to use, this new approach saves considerable project resources," said FBP Nuclear Safety and Engineering Director Heatherly Dukes.
The 30-acre X-326 Process Building processed millions of pounds of uranium from the 1950s until 2001. Although equipment was cleaned, the process gas components that produced enriched uranium for national defense and commercial power generation still contain small amounts of residual uranium.
Almost all of the X-326 converters, compressors, and coolers have now been removed and shipped off site, but more than a hundred miles of process piping and thousands of pieces of support equipment remain in the building. The remaining items, along with surface contamination, will be characterized and surveyed before the building can be demolished to ensure nuclear criticality safety.
Testing showed the gamma-ray scans are effective in identifying uranium deposits in piping. More complex components, such as valves and expansion joints, will still be measured using traditional NDA measurement methods. To provide additional confidence, additional sections of piping are selected for traditional quantitative measurements. These measurements will be used to further verify the effectiveness of the scans.
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NDA technicians perform the systematic monitoring approach. |
Federal Project Director Jud Lilly said EM is encouraged by the alternative approach.
"FBP first
got their arms around the NDA process and the quality requirements, then FBP developed, demonstrated, and verified a more efficient approach to performing
some of this work while still meeting those same quality requirements," he said.
Lilly added that the project hopes the systematic monitoring approach can be implemented in other areas to maintain quality requirements and improve efficiency.
EM Update
Vol. 8, Issue 20 | Oct. 31, 2016
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CELEBRATING the 10th ANNIVERSARY
of a Successful EM Cleanup
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Participants in the 10-year anniversary celebration of the Fernald Site cleanup completion.
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HAMILTON, Ohio - DOE hosted an event Oct. 29 marking the 10th anniversary of the Fernald cleanup, drawing former site workers, neighbors, regulators, activist groups, contractors and others to celebrate the project's successful completion a decade ago.
EM and contractor Fluor Fernald finished the project in 2006 at a cost of $4.4 billion - saving more than $8 billion - and 12 years ahead of the original estimated completion date. It was one of the largest environmental cleanups in U.S. history at the time.
Close to 400 people attended activities for the celebration, "Weapons to Wetlands: A Decade of Difference" at the Fernald Preserve Visitors Center. Guests noted a spirit of pride and cooperation that helped make the cleanup a success. Building demolitions, soils mitigation and other work transformed the 1,050-acre former uranium production plant into the Fernald Preserve and its natural wetland, prairie and forest habitats.
"I'm proud to be part of the success of this project. This was the largest cleanup project in Ohio's history and the largest waste shipping program in the Department of Energy," said Dennis Carr, former deputy site manager with Fluor Fernald. "Our key to success is that no corners were cut and no rules were changed for us. It was all about the incredible people sitting in front of you and beside you that got this job done and we appreciate everything you did."
Speakers included representatives from DOE, current and former stakeholder groups, site contractors, regulators involved in the cleanup and the Cold War Patriots. That group advocated for the creation of the National Day of Remembrance for nuclear weapons program workers, which takes place Oct. 30 every year.
"The Fernald Preserve is an amazing place. I see how this site has grown, changed, and healed itself and we did it all together," said Lisa Crawford, a former Fernald Citizens Advisory Board member with Fernald Residents for Environmental Safety & Health (FRESH). "The Fernald Preserve has taken us back to our roots and has become a huge community asset that carries on the legacy of Fernald."
Participants in the celebration toured the site by bus, viewed Cold War history exhibits at the visitors center and walked miles of trails now available to the public with scenic views of restored land.
"We're here today to celebrate what is truly a unique cleanup project - a great partnership that involved a lot of creativity, perseverance, pragmatism, and, most importantly, a team that never lost focus on the end goal. The Fernald cleanup is the gold standard of the cleanup mission of this country," said Tom Winston, who is retired from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). "In the '90s we set a tone that we had a focus on a timely and successful cleanup at Fernald and that is the message we sent to the Department of Energy. The Department of Energy responded that this was a site worth investing in and a site that could show a skeptical public that this was a program that was worth investing in."
The environmental cleanup was carried out in accordance with legally binding agreements that directed site cleanup and established final remediation standards. The agreements were developed by the U.S. and Ohio EPAs, DOE and the public. DOE also worked closely with the Fernald Citizens Advisory Board, FRESH, local elected officials and plant neighbors to develop and execute cleanup plans.
Cleanup achievements by DOE and Fluor Fernald and its partner companies Jacobs Engineering, Nuclear Fuel Services and EnergySolutions, included:
- Eliminating the world's largest source of radon gas by safely removing and treating radioactive waste from three large concrete silos and shipping it offsite for disposal;
- Dismantling 323 buildings, including 10 major uranium production complexes and administrative structures;
- Excavating and shipping 1 million tons of waste from six waste pits;
- Building an on-site disposal facility to hold 3 million cubic yards of contaminated dirt and debris from facility demolition;
- Treating a 225-acre plume of uranium contamination in the underlying aquifer;
- Removing over 100,000 drums of waste and 31 million pounds of uranium product from the site; and
- Designing, building, operating and dismantling over $300 million in waste treatment and handling infrastructure.
The Project Management Institute named the Fernald Closure Project its 2007 Project of the Year, citing superior
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Before-and-after photos of the Fernald Site cleanup.
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project management and project controls employed in the safe cleanup and closure efforts by DOE and its contractors.
Fernald was transferred to DOE's Office of Legacy Management in 2006, and the mission changed from environmental remediation to ongoing groundwater cleanup, maintenance of an onsite disposal facility, ecological restoration,
environmental monitoring and public access.
EM Update
Vol. 8, Issue 20 | Oct. 31, 2016
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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WELCOME HOME
VIETNAM VETERANS
Parade & Luncheon
Saturday, November 12
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LUNCH & LEARN
Resources to Grow Your Business
Thursday, November 17
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November 18 - 20
Waverly, Ohio
Events Include
Quilt Show
Beef and Noodle Dinner
Holiday 5K Run
Holdiay Craft Show
Queen tours
Various Shops Open
Pike Heritage Museum displays and Music
Wine tasting and Art Exhibit
Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull
Queen's Luncheon
Luminary Parade
Meet Santa and Friends
Lantern Tours
plus lots more...
Visit the Jingle Bell Website for more Information
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JINGLE BELL JUMBLE
Rummage Sale
November 18 & 19
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SONS of the AMERICAN LEGION
6th Annual Drive for the Y
Reverse Raffle
Saturday, November 19
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RETIREMENT CELEBRATION
Pat Nichols
National Church Residences
Thursday, December 8
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PIKE COUNTY SENIOR CENTER
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Company Offers
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OPEN ENROLLMENT for MEDICARE
Ends December 7th
AAA7 Available for Assistance and Help
Are you a Medicare beneficiary? Are you aware that open
enrollment for some Medicare benefits ends December 7th? Open
enrollment is the time of the year when changes can be made in the
plans and providers you've chosen for your Medicare Part D prescription
drug coverage and/or Medicare Advantage option. If you wish to make
changes, you can only do so between October 15th and December 7th. Open enrollment is also a good time to run drug comparisons to make sure the Medicare Part D plan you are on is still your best option as Medicare Part D plans do change from year to year.
Individuals who receive the Low Income Subsidy (LIS) can change their plans anytime of the year. Even if you are receiving help through LIS, it is a good idea to check your plans to make sure all of your medications will be covered on your current plan for 2017.
The Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA7) is a local resource you can utilize for assistance with the open enrollment process and can be reached by calling 1-800-582-7277.
To be eligible for Medicare health insurance plans, you must be at least 65, or be on Social Security disability for two years, and be a US resident or legal citizen for at least five years.
Original Medicare, sometimes referred to as Part A and Part B, helps with hospital, doctor and outpatient services. More than likely, a Medicare supplement is needed in order to cover the costs not covered by Part A and Part B. Medicare Advantage, or Part C, combines Part A, B and D in to one plan. During open enrollment, beneficiaries have the opportunity to make changes to these plans that provides better support for their health and well-being. It's a time to change what doesn't work and keep what does.
More information about Medicare plans and options is available at www.medicare.gov.
Locally, the AAA7 is available as a resource to those in its ten-county district who would like assistance with Medicare or open enrollment. Counties covered by the AAA7 include Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton. For questions or assistance, call toll-free at 1-800-582-7277, extension 250.
Pamela K. Matura, Executive Director, Area Agency on Aging District 7
October 2016 Monthly Column
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AMERICAN RED CROSS OFFERS
FREE
Smoke Alarm Installation
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Community Rewards Programs
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Training Opportunities
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INTRODUCTION to QUICKBOOKS
Training Workshop
Wednesday, November 16
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Employment Opportunities
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Employment Opportunity
Are you looking for a part-time job with opportunities for growth? Join our American Savings Bank family! There is an opening for a part-time teller in our Waverly Branch. Responsibilities include banking and customer service, providing a friendly and welcoming environment for our customers. 1-2 years of experience in these fields is preferred as well as a high school diploma or equivalent.
Must be 18 or older to apply.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
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AT&T
Employment Opportunities
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FLUOR-BWXT PORTSMOUTH
Employment Opportunities
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