SRSCRO January 2021 Update

Evaluation of Potential Opportunities of HLW Interpretation

We have had numerous newsletter articles about the Department of Energy's (DOE) efforts to identify waste based on its radiological characteristics rather than its origin. A demonstration of this (High Level Waste) HLW interpretation, recently occurred at Savannah River Site (SRS) where 8 gallons of stabilized (grouted) recycle wastewater from the SRS Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) was disposed at Waste Control Specialists’ commercial Low Level Waste (LLW) disposal facility in Andrews County, Texas instead of being classified as HLW with no disposition path.

In a long overdue and highly awaited report from DOE to the U.S. Congress shows that the interpretation of high-level radioactive waste based upon composition could save more than $200 billion in treatment and disposal costs across the DOE complex while allowing DOE sites to be cleaned up sooner—all still without jeopardizing public health and safety.

The report, Evaluation of Potential Opportunities to Classify Certain Defense Nuclear Waste from Reprocessing as Other than High-Level Radioactive Waste - link, identifies potential opportunities for the DOE to reduce risk to public and environment while completing its cleanup mission more efficiently and effectively.

Under the DOE’s interpretation of HLW, waste from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel may be determined to be non-HLW if the waste (1) does not exceed concentration limits for Class C low-level radioactive waste as set out in federal regulations and meets the performance objectives of a disposal facility; or (2) does not require disposal in a deep geologic repository and meets the performance objectives of a disposal facility as demonstrated through a performance assessment conducted in accordance with applicable requirements.

“Classifying these reprocessing wastes as non-HLW could enable DOE to begin disposition of such waste earlier; reduce costs; and lower the risk to workers, the public, and the environment,” the DOE report states.

The DOE report specifically evaluates the inventory of reprocessing waste that is currently in storage or expected to be produced at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the Idaho National Laboratory, and the Hanford Site in Washington. Based on its evaluation, the DOE found the following potential benefits:

At SRS, in addition to more gallons of DWPF recycle wastewater being disposed, older batches of vitrified waste from SRS have sufficiently low radionuclide content to be candidates for alternative disposal in a LLW repository, potentially saving approximately $3 billion to $4 billion by eliminating the need to build additional storage capacity. Reportedly, this could include over 2,000 canisters of vitrified waste.

But more importantly, this action could remove waste out of our community, SRS, and the State of South Carolina instead of storing it here indefinitely with no identified disposition path. Additional work may be needed on the legislative front and in educational forums but we all should applaud and support DOE’s efforts in this endeavor.

SRNL New

Contract Award

A year ago, this month, we reported on Department of Energy's (DOE) acquisition planning phase for a potential new Management & Operating (M&O) contract for the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). On December 22, 2020, DOE announced its intent to award the SRNL Management and Operating (M&O) contract to Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC (BSRA) of Columbus, OH. BSRA was selected over two rival bidding teams.

The Cost-Plus-Award-Fee contract will include a 5-year base period (inclusive of 120-day transition period) and potential award terms of up to 5 more years, for a total period of up to 10 years. The anticipated contract value is approximately $3.8 billion over the potential 10-year period of performance.

BSRA is a single member LLC, with Battelle Memorial Institute being the sole member. BSRA’s teaming subcontractors includes Clemson University, Georgia Tech Research Corporation, South Carolina State University, University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., and University of South Carolina as well as Longenecker & Associates, Inc. and TechSource, Inc.

As reported in the award news release, BSRA’s teaming arrangement with regional universities will further DOE’s goal to increase academic involvement in the management of the Laboratory. It has also been reported that the BSRA proposal included keeping Dr. Vahid Majidi, the current SRNL director, as the key personnel to help manage BSRA.

Contract challenges must be received by the Government Accountability Office within 10 days after losing bidders learn details of the DOE contract selection decision through debriefs currently being scheduled. Once this is completed, the transition period can begin.

Battelle now plays a management role at eight national laboratories. They previously had a management role at seven DOE national labs including Pacific Northwest National Lab, Brookhaven National Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, National Renewable Energy Lab, Idaho National Lab, Los Alamos National Lab and Lawrence Livermore National Lab.

End-State Contracting Model (ESCM) Review

Earlier this month the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released its report called the Review of Effectiveness and Efficiency of Defense Environmental Cleanup Activities of the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM): First Report (2021) - link

This study was in response to a request in the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2019 (P.L. 115-232) to conduct a review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the management of the various Environmental Management (EM) projects. Congress asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to consider the following: (1) project management practices, (2) project outcomes, and (3) the appropriateness of the level of engagement and oversight by the DOE-EM organization. The committee entered into an agreement with EM that divided the work into two phases, with the first phase of study being focused on the execution of projects, the appropriateness and effectiveness of the controls and oversight applied to these projects, and the effectiveness with which these projects are realized through contracts.

The second phase will address how EM manages and measures progress on cleanups both at the site level and those of programs that cut across more than one site (e.g., for Portsmouth and Paducah). The committee will also look at how these pieces are rolled-up into an EM-wide portfolio. The second phase will also consider how the policies and directives described by EM headquarters during the work on this first report are realized in projects at the sites. It will also consider further issues that obtain when considering the larger suite of EM activities, such as the cleanup and disposal liabilities ascribed to EM’s (currently 17) sites.

Per the study, the EM contracting model has evolved over time to meet changing requirements. Initially, Management & Operating (M&O) contracts prevailed, embodying a unique relationship between the Government and contractor where the contractor was expected to apply its management expertise to implement the full suite of activities at a particular site within a general work scope established by the government. These were cost-type contracts with fees paid either on a fixed fee schedule or incentive basis.

Future large DOE contracts will be implemented under a new end-state contracting model (ESCM). The “End State” is defined as the specified situation, including accomplishment of completion criteria, for an environmental cleanup activity at the end of the Task Order period of performance. This end state concept will be implemented using single-award contracts of a certain type—Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)—with a 10-year draw period during which task orders with very specific work scope and 5-years’ duration may be issued as either firm fixed price or cost reimbursable.

The committee reviewed the rationale for the new end state contracting model (ESCM), reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of different types of contract types, and then compared the previous cleanup contract models for Fernald and Rocky Flats with the end-state contracting model in use today by EM.

In short, the committee found that the ESCM is neither outcomes-based nor completion-focused. Rather, ESCM is focused on delivery of a set of discrete outputs that are not clearly mapped by contract to achievement of either a clearly defined intermediate or final end-state. This significant deficiency deprives EM and the IDIQ contractor of the benefits of having a completion-oriented contract fully integrated throughout the supply chain and the fostering of innovation at the scale the program requires.

The committee noted that the IDIQ task order structure will create a significant number of task orders, triggering a pro rata increase in the project management burden to EM. The anticipated size of the task orders in the IDIQ clean-up contracts, averaging about $100 million, will result in EM having to manage potentially 100 task orders over the life of one clean-up contract. This process carries greater risk for EM, requiring the possible management of an unwieldy number of task orders and a significant amount of DOE oversight.

Finally, the committee noted that the ESCM single award IDIQ contracts may not achieve the desired streamlining in the procurement process. The protest of the Hanford central plateau End State contract, which ultimately was decided in DOE’s favor, necessitated significant and lengthy corrective actions. Contractor key personnel had to be maintained from date of award (December 2019) until notice to proceed in mid-September 2020.

The ESCM IDIQ procurement process is underway at Savannah River Site (SRS) with the Integrated Mission Completion Contract (IMCC) Procurement. Final proposals were due December 1, 2020. In addition to the key personnel issue addressed above, the SRS Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO) has voiced its concern about the impact of such a procurement to the rank-and-file workforce. Perhaps the committee will expand its study to include a review and how the workforce issues will be handled on the potentially 100 task orders over the life of one clean-up contract.

Nuclear Workforce Remains Strong During Pandemic

The global pandemic has impacted workers across industry sectors, including the nuclear industry. Yet, there is reason for confidence despite the COVID-19 challenges. According to a recent report produced by global workforce solutions provider Airswift and Energy Jobline, a leading jobsite for the energy and engineering industries, the nuclear workforce remains strong.

As noted in Nuclear Engineering International’s January 2021 article, “There is no denying that this has been a challenging year for the energy industry, and COVID-19-related instability is certainly being felt by the workforce,” said Janette Marx, chief executive officer at Airswift. But she notes that nuclear is a “relatively stable sector and that is giving its workforce cause for optimism.”

The nuclear workforce topic remains in the spotlight as organizations such as Energy Communities Alliance are hosting virtual programs that focus on workforce development challenges and solutions across the Department of Energy complex.

In the SRS Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO) region, hiring and expected attrition are reportedly on track for the nuclear sector. Since the 2021 fiscal year began, one Savannah River Site employer reports hiring more than 150 people with additional offers in progress to support on-going missions. At Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4, Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear have made significant adjustments to work practices at the project site since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, designed to protect the health and safety of the project workforce while maintaining productivity. As units 3 and 4 begin to come on-line over the next two years, construction workforce is expected to decline though an ongoing need for electrical, mechanical, instrumentation & controls technicians and security officers is expected to remain steady.

Nuclear workforce development activities in the SRSCRO region continue to provide local citizens the opportunity to develop industry skills through the Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers (WORC) grant program. The SRSCRO serves as fiscal agent for the WORC program that is supported by SRS leadership from the Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, and the National Nuclear Security Administration. Because of WORC, students have access to scholarships at area colleges and universities in programs of study that align with long-term workforce needs for the nuclear industry.

In This Issue

Evaluation of Potential Opportunities of HLW Interpretation

SRNL New Contract Award

End-State Contracting Model (ESCM) Review

Nuclear Workforce Remains Strong During Pandemic

Fun Facts

Back to Normal

High Heels Were Originally Men's Shoes

Sometime around the 10th century, some enterprising soul in a horse-riding culture figured out that your foot would stay more firmly in the stirrups if your shoe had a bit of a raised heel. The innovation spread quickly, and soon whole armies—of men—rode into battle wearing pumps.

More People Have Cell Phones Than Toilets

According to a UN report from 2015, 2.5 billion of the world's 7 billion people lack access to a toilet, particularly in areas of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Since another report put the number of mobile phone users at 6 billion, that means more than twice as many people have phones as proper plumbing. This is not to say there are too many cell phones but to say that we still have a long way to go when it comes to providing sanitation to everyone.

The Blob of Toothpaste on a Toothbrush is Called a Nurdle

That artfully wavy bit of toothpaste that sits atop toothbrushes in ads has its own name ("nurdle"), and its own lawsuit, as well. In 2010, Colgate Palmolive sued its largest toothpaste manufacturing rival, GlaxoSmithKline, for claiming that it owned the exclusive rights to use a picture of the nurdle on its packaging. Glaxo, makers of Aquafresh, countersued, and the matter was settled confidentially out of court.

Dog's Aren't Actually Colorblind

Though you may have heard the myth that dogs don't see colors, the truth is that they do, but in a more limited spectrum than humans. They can see yellows, blues, and violets very well, but have a harder time distinguishing reds, oranges, and greens. However, decreased vision of color allows dogs to have more of the receptors that let them see well in low light and track movement. If you're thinking of redecorating your dog house, stick to blue and purple.

The Mom of a "Monkees" Singer Invented White-Out

Mike Nesmith of The Monkees, a pop quartet on television in the late 1960s and one of the original "boy bands," was the son of an unsung inventor. While Betty Nesmith was working as an executive secretary at a bank in 1951, she began using white tempera paint to cover up typing mistakes. After perfecting the formula and naming it "Liquid Paper," she offered to sell her invention to IBM, but they passed, so she began marketing it herself. It wasn't until the mid-'60s that she started making substantial money from it; then, when she sold the rights to the Gilette Corporation in 1979, she received a $47.5 million paycheck, plus royalties on future sales.

The First Webcam Was Created to Check a Coffee Pot

Nowadays, people use FaceTime and Skype to see and chat with friends all over the world. However, webcam technology originated with a slightly less ambitious goal. In 1993, researchers at the computer science department at the University of Cambridge just hated getting up from their chairs to check the coffee pot only to find that it was empty. They wired up a system that would stream images—three per minute—from the Trojan Room where the pot was kept to the internal computer network. By the end of the year, the stream made it onto the new World Wide Web and the Trojan Room coffee pot briefly attained international fame.

Albert Einstein Co-Invented the Refrigerator

Although the very first refrigerators were manufactured by General Electric in 1911, the coolants they used to keep the insides frosty were very toxic. In fact, leaking refrigerator coolant killed a sleeping family in Berlin in the 1920s. None other than Albert Einstein read about this tragedy in the paper and set about devising a solution. Together with his former student Leo Szilard, he created a refrigerator design with no moving parts, so there were no seals with the potential to leak. Though their design was abandoned in the 1950s for newer technological developments, Stanford scientists are revisiting it today as a way to bring refrigeration to areas without electricity.

Bubble Wrap Was Supposed to Be Wallpaper

In 1957, two engineers came up with the idea to glue two shower curtains together, trapping tiny bubbles of air in between them. They were trying to come up with a type of textured wallpaper, but it didn't take off. Then they marketed their creation as greenhouse insulation, but again, it went nowhere. Finally, in 1960, IBM needed to ship some delicate data processors, and a phenomenon was born. The beloved tradition of popping the individual bubbles might even have mental health benefits—a recent study showed that one minute of popping Bubble Wrap was as relaxing as a 30-minute massage.

Your Keyboard Was Designed to Slow You Down

Have you ever taken a close look at your computer's keyboard and wondered why the letters seemed to be randomly strewn across the keys? In reality, it's not random at all. This QWERTY design (named for the top left row of letters) was invented in 1872 for the typewriters of the time. Typists were getting faster than the machines they used, which would cause the typewriters to jam, so slowing them down actually saved time in the long run. There's no need for the same result now, but everybody's so used to QWERTY keyboards that they've even made the leap to smartphones.

Croissants Aren't French

Though many think of them as the quintessentially French baked good, the croissant originated in Vienna, Austria, as early as the 13th century. Back then, it was a denser pastry known as a kipferl, but it was made in a distinctive crescent shape. There are many apocryphal tales of how the croissant made its way to France, but the first documented appearance of the modern croissant—now made with flaky, buttery puff pastry—didn't occur until the early 1800s, when a Viennese baker began selling his crescent-shaped creations in Paris.

The Computer Mouse Was Originally a Turtle

It's not hard to imagine how the computer mouse got its name—it's small and quick, and the cord that connects it to the computer resembles a tail. However, manufacturers of early versions referred to it as a turtle, with its hard shell on top and moving parts underneath. Although early computer experts weren't sure they'd catch on, computer mice (or mouses—the Oxford English Dictionary accepts both plurals) are here to stay.

Amazon Box Sizes Aren't Random

Most of us have probably had the experience of ordering something small from Amazon—a single book, CD, or even pen—and had it arrive in a box that seems way too big. So wasteful. However, it's been reported that this is a result of Amazon's complex shipping algorithm that takes into account the size of the shipping vehicle and the size of other packages going to the same place. The small item is assigned a box size that will fit with the other packages and keep everything from sliding around, thus saving on fuel costs and ultimately being more environmentally friendly.

Mapmakers Prevent Plagiarism with Fake Cities

As useful as Google Maps can be, paper maps still have their place in the world, and mapmakers have a long tradition of putting copyright traps in their work to keep others from stealing it. This often takes the form of "paper towns" or phantom settlements—places that appear on maps but don't actually exist. However, there's at least one case of a paper town becoming real. Agloe, New York, was just such a phantom settlement, but when a general store was built in the corresponding location, the owner read the map and named it Agloe General Store, assuming that was the area's name.

Microwaves Were Discovered by Accident

More accurately, the discovery that microwaves could cook food was an accident. In the 1940s, engineer Percy Spencer was building a magnetron for some radar equipment when he noticed that the chocolate bar in his pocket had started to melt. Inspired to conduct further tests, he directed microwaves at popcorn (which popped) and eggs (which exploded). Incidentally, scientists don't agree on how, exactly, microwaves heat food, but they do agree that they use much less energy than conventional ovens.