DOE-Idaho Deputy Manager Jack Zimmerman, right, and Fluor Idaho President and Project Manager Fred Hughes.
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – It's now been a little more than a month since Fluor Idaho, LLC, officially took over as the new contractor for the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) at DOE's Idaho Site. EM Update recently spoke with DOE-Idaho (DOE-ID) Deputy Manager Jack Zimmerman and Fluor Idaho President and Project Manager Fred Hughes on the successful transition and plans for the year ahead.
1. The transition to Fluor Idaho, LLC, marks the first time in more than 10 years that management of the cleanup work at DOE's Idaho Site has changed hands. How would each of you assess the transition? Are there lessons that DOE and contractors can learn and apply at other EM sites?
ZIMMERMAN: The transition was probably one of the smoothest transitions I have been a part of. Both sides were well prepared for transition.
DOE-ID designated personnel having been involved with the Source Evaluation Board for two years prior to work directly on the transition. DOE-ID prepared for and scheduled kickoff meetings for Day 1 of transition involving DOE and all affected organizations. This pre-planning and early execution energized a quick start; DOE-ID also established an Integrated Project Team (IPT) staffed from all functional areas to engage the incoming contractor and incumbents. Each IPT member was the lead of a sub-team for their specific area.
In addition, DOE-ID constructed a counterparts matrix prior to the Notice to Proceed (NTP) that delineated across functional areas and across DOE-ID, Fluor Idaho, CH2M-WG Idaho, Idaho Treatment Group (ITG) and Battelle Energy Alliance names and contact information. This tended to blow the communication channels wide open from the very beginning, allowing personnel the knowledge of who key interfaces would be during transition from Day 1 of transition. And Fluor Idaho prepared a detailed transition plan expressly for the ICP Core Contract and delivered it to DOE-ID prior to the NTP+10 day deliverable requirement.
HUGHES: I thought the transition went very well. It was clear that DOE was very prepared for the transition. And at the start, DOE went out of their way to introduce the team members from DOE and each of the contractors. In addition, Fluor started preparing for the transition process ahead of time, setting it up as a project and developing a plan that we implemented during transition.
Our approach going into transition was that the incumbent employees have an outstanding safety and performance record and we wanted to build on that. We went out of our way to communicate our approach and address their questions to try to alleviate their stress during this unsettling time.
In terms of lessons learned, working closely with each other is key. Make sure you have frequent communication and solve problems early so there are no surprises. Be prepared going in and set an objective to finish a couple weeks early so you can address last-minute issues. It's also important to be nimble throughout transition so you can adapt as necessary and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
Our approach to town hall meetings also proved to be a good example. We delayed the meetings by a couple weeks to ensure we had detailed information to provide. In addition, we included spouses so they could hear the information and get their questions answered. It helped calm some of the stress. And we took the meetings on the road, holding them in all the towns where our employees live, rather than making them come to us.
2. What new and innovative approaches is DOE looking to see the Fluor team bring to Idaho?
ZIMMERMAN: DOE is looking for integration of the best and most efficient parts of the two programs managed by the previous contractors (ITG and CH2M-WG Idaho) to be combined into a single program executed by Fluor in a more efficient manner. Another key aspect is how Fluor integrates the workforce from each predecessor contractor to build on performance.
3. Fluor is part of several cleanup contractors across the EM complex. What experience and lessons learned can Fluor bring from other sites to aid the cleanup mission at Idaho? What personal experiences can you bring from your time at the Portsmouth Site to Idaho?
HUGHES: Each member of the management team brings a wealth of management experience from a variety of DOE sites. For example, we brought in expertise from the Savannah River Site to head up the spent fuel program — Mike Swain has decades of experience running similar programs. Peggy Davis has vast experience at Savannah River and at Hanford running business programs. Hoss Brown and Tom Dieter have a great history from Rocky Flats and the Idaho Site as well as a great relationship with the unions. Marc Jewett brings outstanding regulatory experience from three different DOE sites.
My background provided a unique path that led here. At Portsmouth, I worked with multiple contractors on site and a large represented workforce. I worked on spent fuel at Hanford, ran the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, built the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Facility, worked in both DOE and the commercial industry, and most recently, served as the deputy site director at Portsmouth. That trajectory brought me here. Plus, I've worked with almost all of my leadership team at other projects so I knew they would be a great team together and we gelled together almost immediately.
4. For each of you, what is your top objective for the first full year of Fluor Idaho's contract? What do each of you see as the main challenge of the first year?
ZIMMERMAN: There are at least two top objectives and they fall across different areas of the site. In the area of TRU (transuranic) waste progress, I see improved focus on retrieval and processing of the above-ground TRU waste stored at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, while responding to changes in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Waste Acceptance Criteria and certification process, as critical.
The other top objective is working through the commissioning approach to the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) to manage the startup issues we have experienced on that project. The technical issues with IWTU will remain the top challenge for the project. Finding a solution to the process stability issues will require a more methodical testing approach to identifying the underlying chemistry and fluidization issues that have been experienced to date.
HUGHES: Clearly, getting IWTU expeditiously into operations is a key objective. But at a broader level, consolidating, accelerating and delivering on the contract. We want to gain efficiencies by successfully combining the two workforces, creating a seamless organization. We want them to feel that they are part of Fluor Idaho and the bigger Fluor. The challenge is combining two different workforces that have different procedures and different cultures.
We started off the contract focused on combining the workforces. We had small-group meetings the first day to talk about their specific group goals and then brought the full team together at the two site facilities on the second day to learn more about Fluor Idaho, talk about the five goals in five years, participate in safety exhibits, tour the various facilities and have lunch together. We also have a strong partnering relationship with DOE. We participated in a partnering session early in transition and signed a formal partnering agreement noting our approach to work together.
5. Lastly, the workforces that Fluor Idaho will be managing have exceptional safety records. Both the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project and the Idaho Cleanup Project are VPP Star Sites. How will Fluor Idaho improve on this safety record and what are the Department's expectations for safety going forward?
HUGHES: I hold my management team accountable for the safety of their people, so if there is an incident, they have to be actively involved in investigating what happened and being part of the solution. Fluor Idaho is continuing to strongly support the employee safety teams. We are taking the best of both the safety programs to develop one best-of-the-best program for Fluor Idaho. We are pursuing VPP Start Status so we will continue to maintain that credential. Fluor Government Group has an excellence committee that includes representatives from the projects so we can share lessons learned from our sites. We are linked in closely to Fluor Corporate's safety program including worldwide lessons learned and other safety programs, such as the Fluor Corporate Environmental, Safety Health and Quality Assessment Team.
ZIMMERMAN: I expect the Fluor senior management and leadership team to be engaged in every aspect of safety and recognize that doing work safely is our number one priority. That is the only way to maintain the safety culture that has led to the world-class safety performance we have experienced in Idaho.
Centerra's special response team and aviation operations department are important elements of the SRS protective force.
AIKEN, S.C. – Centerra-SRS, the security contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS), earned an overall "excellent" performance rating for the most recent evaluation period of Oct. 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016. DOE's award fee determination allows the company to receive $2.8 million, or 95 percent of its total fee of nearly $3 million, for the six-month period.
View the award fee determination scorecard for Centerra here.
Centerra-SRS personnel demonstrated an exceptional level of performance this period, meeting or exceeding most of the performance goals and objectives and supporting the site's security posture at various SRS operating facilities.
The award fee determination scorecard noted key achievements and accomplishments in the performance areas of protective force operations and training; management and support; environment, safety, health and quality assurance; and cost control.
The Centerra Protective Force responded well to several security incidents during the period, applying the appropriate response plan activities and exercising command and control. Reliably executing routine and emergency duties while following DOE directives and site-specific security requirements, Centerra demonstrated proficiency and a commitment to ensure the overall safety and security of SRS.
The report also noted the Centerra Law Enforcement Department and Canine Section's support to the site security mission, local law enforcement agencies and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Department. This support included explosive detection searches at local schools and venues used by presidential candidates for speaking engagements.
In addition, Centerra was commended for exceptional protection of special security interests stored in SRS critical facilities.
Scoring 15 of a possible 15, Centerra's cost control performance was especially noteworthy. The company was significantly under budget for the six-month period and is on track to do the same for the entire fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2016.
The contractor's aviation operations department was commended for its high level of proficiency and operational readiness through training and maintenance.
Centerra's environment, safety, health and quality assurance department continued to make sure integrated safety management system adherence is a part of all work performed by the company, ensuring a focus and commitment to safety in all operations.
The work of the Centerra Training Division was also noted, specifically a program to enhance the skills and readiness of the site's protective force.
Overall, Centerra's achievements and accomplishments during the rating period demonstrate solid practices in protection of SRS national security interests and resources, the report said.
Eugene Waggoner poses for a portrait in the C-300 Central Control Building at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
Numerous officials from the Atomic Energy Commission, the predecessor agency to DOE, and then-plant-operator, Union Carbide, had gathered at the C-333 process building as the first valve was opened to introduce uranium hexafluoride into the enrichment equipment at what was known as Unit 1.
"[We were] not sure if it would even operate," said Waggoner, now 93. "It was sort of exciting to get that building going."
Waggoner returned to the Paducah Site this year for the first time in 34 years when he participated in an EM site public tour coordinated by cleanup and deactivation contractor Fluor Federal Services. EM is offering the tours to inform the public about the site's new mission, history and current activities. More than 500 people have signed up for this year's tours, which are now filled. More tours are planned next summer.
"The response to the tour program has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from former employees like Mr. Waggoner," said EM Paducah Site Lead Jennifer Woodard. "This program is an excellent opportunity for the community to see firsthand the site and understand the progress we are making in the cleanup of the site."
Waggoner retired from the Paducah plant in 1982 after a 30-year career, just as the plant was completing a multimillion-dollar upgrade project.
"When you work [at the plant] for 30 years, certain things on a tour like that just brought so many things to mind," said Waggoner. "I had no comprehension whatsoever of what it looked like now with the action going on in the cleanup operation."
Waggoner began his professional life as a teacher after serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II and completing a degree in agriculture.
"We had our lives all set for being teachers," he said. After four years of teaching vocational agriculture, Waggoner was making $1.60 an hour — less than the $1.80 an hour being offered at the plant.
"My plans for my life were teaching," Waggoner said, "[but] when they started building this plant out here money does talk, you know?"
Waggoner drove 45 miles from his home in Fulton County, Ky. to downtown Paducah to interview for a job at the Paducah plant. After speaking with the interviewer, Waggoner returned to his car and told his wife, "'They've offered me a job already,' and my wife asked, 'Doing what?' I [told her] 'cascade operator; I have no idea what that is.'"
The secrecy surrounding the gaseous diffusion process at that time meant that Waggoner would not know the duties of his job until he had accepted the position, received a security clearance and spent three months in training.
Waggoner accepted the position and was assigned to the C-333 process building where he worked four years monitoring and maintaining the equipment used in the enrichment process until his promotion to project engineering.
"I was amazed at how well the divisions and departments worked together," he said. After 10 years in project engineering, Waggoner took the professional engineer state board test and passed. "I bet I was the only professional engineer in the state of Kentucky with a degree in agriculture," he said.
In 1970, the Atomic Energy Commission issued a mandate requiring the plant to have a full-time quality assurance (QA) manager. "At that time, before they had a QA program, each department was responsible for its own quality control," said Waggoner.
Waggoner applied for the position and, after receiving training at Oak Ridge, he became Paducah's first QA manager, as well as the first QA manager in any of the three gaseous diffusion plants across the country. "I wound up having to do a lot of lectures to the other sites to bring them up to par," he said.
As the plant's QA manager, Waggoner's task was to audit the manufacturers of the critical components to ensure their QA programs met the requirements of the plant and DOE for the upgrade program.
"[We audited] compressors, barriers, motors, wiring, cylinders, everything that was involved in the [upgrade] program," he said. Waggoner led QA at Paducah until his retirement. Moving forward, the lessons learned from the plant upgrade program, on which Waggoner worked, could be important resources when making crucial decisions on decontamination and decommissioning.
Returning to the plant during the first public tour, Waggoner reflected on the scale of what was accomplished during his tenure. "The feeling that existed at that plant existed in the country at that time. The country was united at that time, a common purpose. I think that feeling carried out through my years."
"It was really enlightening to me. I just had no idea about the enormity of what is going on and what still is facing [EM]," said Waggoner. He is one of many former plant workers who have taken the tour and shared their experiences at the plant.
A handful of EM cleanup sites across the DOE complex recently conducted a wide range of intricate emergency response exercises, and initial reports show the practice scenarios were successful, with employees trained and prepared to respond quickly and safely.
They tested their abilities in a multitude of simulated events, including a contamination incident resulting from a collision involving a tanker truck containing nitric acid; an altercation between employees that escalated into gunfire; an earthquake that led to a radioactive waste spill, injuries and a dam failure; and an underground fire and radiological release.
Members of the WIPP mine rescue team prepare to respond to a simulated emergency in the WIPP underground during the annual exercise. WIPP has two mine rescue teams, and they regularly drill to ensure they are prepared to respond in the event of an actual underground emergency.
Members of the WIPP Emergency Operations Center listen to a briefing describing the events during the recent annual exercise at the WIPP facility. These exercises are designed to demonstrate that the emergency response organization is prepared to respond in the event of an actual emergency.
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
WIPP's exercise on June 22 was held to demonstrate the capability of employees to recognize, respond, and mitigate emergency situations.
More than 100 external evaluators assessed the performance of WIPP safety management programs at the day-long exercise, including a simulated underground fire and radiological release. Participants were evaluated on their ability to follow and implement plans and procedures and their overall response to simulated events. Post-exercise critiques identified activities that went well and areas where there are opportunities for improvement.
The exercise required the activation of the WIPP Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC), and included involvement of WIPP's emergency responders in the field and various offsite agencies, allowing these organizations an opportunity to work together on a coordinated response.
Many significant improvements have been made to the Emergency Response Organization to ensure that WIPP will be able to safely resume waste emplacement operations later this year. Improvements include the new, state-of-the art EOC facility in Carlsbad, which was used during this exercise. An official report will be developed in the next few weeks that will highlight the strengths and areas for improvement in the WIPP response, as observed during the exercise, and recommend improvements.
Participating organizations included the DOE Headquarters Emergency Management Team; National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center; DOE Region IV Radiological Assistance Program Team; New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management State EOC; Mine Safety and Health Administration; New Mexico State Mine EOC; Regional Emergency Dispatch Authority; Eddy County EOC and Office of Emergency Management; Lea County EOC and Office of Emergency Management; Carlsbad Fire Department; and Carlsbad Medical Center. Argonne National Laboratory's Center for Integrated Emergency Preparedness provided support for the JIC, including simulated media interest.
In a mock scenario, a tanker truck carrying nitric acid overturns near the West Valley Demonstration Project site.
In this mock scenario, EM West Valley Demonstration Project employee Joe Grice plays the role of a contaminated worker with a life-threatening injury sustained during the exercise.
Emergency responders take control of an individual in a simulated physical altercation in the West Valley Demonstration Project exercise.
West Valley Demonstration Project
Home to an EM cleanup site, West Valley is a quiet hamlet in western New York.
Nevertheless, West Valley seemed to be the center of attention on a sunny afternoon on June 21 when the community participated in an emergency training exercise, which is conducted every three years. EM, its cleanup contractor and subcontractors, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, county emergency services, a hospital, medical center, sheriff's office and several other organizations took part.
The site exercise involved multiple scenarios with several entities in different locations. A tanker truck containing nitric acid collides with a vehicle driven by a WVDP employee (offsite). A road closure allows for cleanup and medical assistance. An employee falls from an elevated surface, injuring and contaminating himself. A coworker assists and becomes contaminated in the process. An employee is injured while exiting a work location and suffers profuse bleeding from a leg laceration and chest puncture. The employee is contaminated and subsequently transported to a medical center. Radiological surveys are performed on all contaminated individuals.
In each scenario, participants responded in a timely manner, creating an example of how the community can successfully work together to prepare and respond to an unplanned event.
"It took a coordinated effort with the entire community," said Emergency Coordinator Vito Czyz. "Overall the exercise was viewed as a success by the Core Exercise Team. Thanks to the many individuals who contributed hours to the extensive planning for this."
In this simulated event, SRS Fire Department personnel prepare a potentially contaminated victim for transport to a medical facility in the mock emergency.
The SRS Fire Department Command Post manages the response actions at the scene of the mock incident.
Savannah River Site
More than 300 people in the SRS emergency response organization (ERO) successfully responded to the mock magnitude-6.9 earthquake near Charleston, S.C., that led to a radioactive waste spill, injuring three employees and causing a dam failure at an on-site lake on May 18.
"Although the scenario was very complex, this exercise demonstrated significant improvement since last year, and also demonstrated some emerging best practices. Correcting deficiencies from the last exercise and having senior management engagement and sponsorship are all hallmarks of operational excellence in emergency preparedness," EM Safety, Security and Quality Programs Deputy Assistant Secretary Jim Hutton said.
Though the final analysis is not yet complete, the initial indications show proof that SRS is trained, prepared and ready to respond to any emergency successfully.
"The response was outstanding, especially given the complex scenario and many moving parts," DOE-Savannah River Deputy Manager Terry Spears said. "In addition, the use of our aerial assets and the Radiological Assistance Program Team, use of realistic looking wounds and injuries, and the training of drill-injured personnel to enhance realism were best practices used in the response."
The exercise was the culmination of more than six months of detailed planning involving multiple organizations.
"Emergency response is a team effort," said Spears, who observed the drill response. "An activity of this scope requires tremendous coordination between everyone involved."
Once the exercise began, facility-level responders immediately took action to stop the simulated release of radioactive waste and to provide first aid to employees playing the role of injured victims. The SRS Fire Department provided more advanced medical assistance and transported the victims to other medical facilities.
Shortly after, the site-level ERO was notified of the emergency and directed to report to the Emergency Operations Center. Upon arrival, the ERO received a briefing of the known information and assumed command of the site's response efforts, modifying plans and strategies as the event progressed to ensure the safety and health of all site employees.
Once enough information was gathered, SRS executives held a mock news conference for ERO members acting as the media to allow the executives to demonstrate how they would answer media questions in a real event. The ERO also developed a comprehensive plan to address the damage caused by the earthquake and return the site to normal operations.
Participants in the exercise included Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the SRS management and operations contractor; Savannah River Remediation, the liquid waste contractor; DOE-Savannah River; National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA)-Savannah River Field Office; NNSA Region 3 Radiological Assistance Program Aerial Measuring System; Centerra-SRS; Aiken County Emergency Medical Services; Augusta University Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Aiken Regional Medical Center; and several agencies from Georgia and South Carolina. A team of evaluators from DOE headquarters provided an independent assessment from DOE's perspective.
SRNS' Ashley Shull uses the Environmental Compliance Sampling Collection Tool to record data from samples taken at SRS.
AIKEN, S.C. – An innovative data collection technology for environmental compliance sampling developed and used by the Savannah River Site is now being deployed at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio to increase the efficiency of cleanup operations as EM continues to promote sharing lessons learned and new technologies across DOE sites.
The Environmental Compliance Sampling Collection Tool was developed by SRS management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) to provide electronic data management of environmental compliance monitoring and sampling locations. This new technology scraps the traditional pencil-and-paper method for data collection that had been used since the start of SRS environmental monitoring activities.
"This is exactly the kind of technological innovation we need from our sites," EM Assistant Secretary Monica Regalbuto said. "The more we can take our successes at one site and build on them at other sites across the complex, the more efficient and effective the cleanup program will be."
The Environmental Compliance Sampling Collection Tool is a hand-held tablet that allows for real-time data collection and sharing from sampling sites.
Chris Bergren, director of the SRNS Environmental Compliance and Area Completion Projects Division, likened the technology to a smartphone.
"This new tool is essentially a smartphone for environmental samplers," Bergren said. "We no longer have to take notes and go back to desks to transfer data into systems. Now, we are able to upload information from our sampling sites, making the data available instantly. What's more, we can print labels for samples from the device while in the field, greatly diminishing the risk of human error in logging samples."
In a memo to the Department, EM Portsmouth Site Lead Joel Bradburne said deployment of the technology at Portsmouth is already making a difference in the environmental compliance efforts there. He credited Savannah River Operations Office Infrastructure and Environmental Stewardship Deputy Assistant Manager Angelia Holmes for her support in ensuring the technology is shared with other sites.
Bergren believes the tool, which was displayed at the 2014 Waste Management Conference, could benefit sites across the DOE complex in addition to the Portsmouth Site.
"This technology translates into value to the customer and taxpayer. Continuous improvement is an important element in remaining cost conscious and quality driven, and that is exactly what this technology provides to organizations that work in environmental compliance and stewardship," Bergren said.
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LEAP member Jeff Bickley (left) pitches an idea to improve rotameters in H Canyon during the inaugural LEAP into the Shark Tank event.
AIKEN, S.C. – Proposing to increase efficiency at H Canyon and attract job candidates, early-career professionals for the Savannah River Site's (SRS) management and operations contractor put their ideas to the test before judges at an inaugural innovation event recently.
Drawing parallels to the Shark Tank reality television show, in which entrepreneurs get a chance to bring their dreams to fruition, the first-of-a-kind competition for the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Leaders Emerging Among Professionals (LEAP) group was designed to pulse the contestants for ideas to improve SRS.
The five teams that made it to the competition's final round had been developing their ideas since February.
"Early-career employees have a lot to bring to the table," SRNS President and CEO Carol Johnson said. "The idea for LEAP into the Shark Tank came to me after thinking about the large number of recent graduates we're bringing into the company. The more we can tap into their creativity and innovative thinking, the more it will benefit the Savannah River Site as a whole."
In their five-minute presentations, the groups showed how their ideas apply to at least one of the SRNS strategic goals, which include delivering results safely and securely; meeting DOE national needs; advancing the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL); and making SRS a compelling place to work.
Each team answered questions from the judges, who evaluated presentations on the feasibility of the ideas for implementation, overall impact to SRNS, description of the project plan, creativity and originality of the ideas, and how the ideas apply to at least one of the SRNS strategic goals. The competition also required submissions to include budget estimates and demonstrate consultation with appropriate subject-matter experts.
The judges awarded first place to H Canyon Electrical/Instrumentation & Controls Engineer Jeff Bickley for his idea to deliver results safely and securely and meet DOE national needs by improving rotameters at H Canyon, which is the only hardened nuclear chemical separations plant still in operation in the U.S. The rotameters are instruments used to measure and control airflow into vessels to prevent hydrogen buildup.
Bickley proposed replacing the existing rotameters in H Canyon with high-volume rotameters. That change would reduce the number of worker hours spent maintaining the system that uses the rotameters by 75 percent and provide more flexibility in facility operations.
"To be given an opportunity like this to go before the company executives and show what kind of innovative ideas the young employees of this company can come up with was a great experience," Bickley said. "The judges took the ideas seriously, but had some fun with the contestants and with each other as well. Overall, it was a good event."
Receiving second place was Lindsey Sexton, senior scientist at SRNL, and Christopher Cable, associate quality assurance engineer, SRNL Quality Assurance, for their idea to provide employees with access to green spaces, including well-maintained outdoor areas and green buildings. The team proposed an initiative to make SRS a more compelling place to work through site-wide green spaces. An employee-driven program, "Project Greenspace" would strive to foster creativity, teamwork and pride in the SRS work environment.
Third place was awarded to Connie Yung, senior engineer at SRNL, and Jamie Thompson, tritium process engineer, who presented an idea to make SRNS a more compelling place to work by implementing a host program for job interview candidates. In their plan, an SRNS host would meet a candidate at the airport, provide a driving tour of Aiken, take the candidate to dinner at a local restaurant and provide transportation to the interview.
The judges included SRNS Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Eyler; Technical Services Senior Vice President Rick Sprague; K and L Area Facility Manager Janice Lawson; and SRNL Research Operations Director Freddie Grimm.
LEAP is a peer-led organization whose members are full-time employees at SRNS and have earned, at a minimum, an associate's degree within the past seven years. LEAP focuses on professional development and business awareness specific to SRS. In addition, it provides employees with career development tools through monthly lunch-and-learns, networking opportunities, increased visibility and overall engagement specifically within the company.
ORP employees Kelly Ebert, left, and Anne McCartney, recently earned their professional engineer licenses from the state of California.
RICHLAND, Wash. – Two EM Office of River Protection (ORP) engineers recently earned their professional engineer (PE) licenses from the state of California.
Kelly Ebert and Anne McCartney of ORP's Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant engineering division at the Hanford Site received the civil engineering PE license, which signifies both field experience and technical expertise in the profession.
According to the National Society of Professional Engineers, PE licensure is the engineering profession's highest standard of competence, a symbol of achievement and assurance of quality.
California's licensing requirements include three major exams totaling 13 hours in length, letters of recommendation from other professional engineers, and a set period of relevant experience in the field, depending on the degree.
Raman Venkata, an ORP structural safety system oversight engineer who was recently selected as an American Society of Civil Engineers fellow, earned the first of his two PE licenses in 1974. He said Ebert and McCartney should be very proud of their accomplishments.
"When you have the PE stamp, it assures excellence in their craft and total integrity," he said. "It personifies personal integrity to their profession, assures technical excellence, and when you stamp a particular document that you stand behind it."
Ebert and McCartney worked together over the past year to prepare for the exams.
"We kept each other on track and in line," said Ebert. "We worked hard developing study guides, getting books tabbed and sharing information."
McCartney said she spent seven months preparing for the testing, studying about six to eight hours a week.
The two described passing the test as a major personal and professional accomplishment.
"This gives you credibility [as an engineer] and opens up opportunities," McCartney said about the licensing.
"These two have worked very hard," said Venkata. He worked with Ebert and McCartney on their functional area qualification standard for ORP, which is set to be completed next month. The standard covered information necessary for their PE exams.
"They were very diligent. The exams are tough," he said.
"I'm glad I did it when I did it," said Ebert, who is married with two young children. She said it was hard to tell the kids that she had to go to the library and study on the weekends.
"It was definitely a big sacrifice on a personal level," Ebert said.
"I'm very relieved," said McCartney. "I now have a lot more free time."
CRESO Director John Byrd provides direction to students gathering data for their research on the region's box turtle. The organization's study of turtles is the largest in the world.
The organization is conducting the largest health study of box turtles in the world to learn how local human activity is impacting their health and habitat.
"Protecting the environment is a major component of our mission," said OREM Manager Sue Cange. "For more than 20 years, we have proudly supported this local organization that is truly making an impact and difference in our community by conducting valuable research and instilling students with the values and knowledge to become the next generation of environmental stewards."
Founded in 1989, CRESO promotes community outreach and provides middle and high school and undergraduate students opportunities for unique field research and experience in research design and protocols, data management and analysis, biology, resources conservation and management.
In addition to constructing and restoring wetlands, students monitor populations and activity patterns for select species of turtles, snakes, amphibians, and birds in the East Tennessee ecosystem.
"Our mission at CRESO is to give students opportunities to participate in field research and hands-on education in land management and resource conservation," said CRESO Director John Byrd. "With OREM's support, we are making a difference in the lives and careers of young people, and we are able to conduct research that allows us to learn more about our community's natural resources and wildlife so we can better protect them."
CRESO uses Boykin Spaniels to assist with turtle searches. South Carolina's state dog is known for its hunting ability. Boykins can swiftly find four to 12 turtles in an hour compared to the human ability of finding one every four hours. The Boykin's soft mouth and calm, easy temperament ensures the turtles are not harmed.
Dr. Matt Allender, a veterinarian and wildlife disease expert from the University of Illinois (middle), and CRESO Director John Byrd (right) discuss the day's research and field work objectives.
During the week's search for turtles, students worked with a unique partner, the Boykin Spaniel, a dog breed that has an uncanny ability to sniff out turtles. Boykins can swiftly find four to 12 turtles in an hour compared to the human ability of finding one every four hours. The Boykin's soft mouth and calm, easy temperament ensure the turtles are not harmed.
Each turtle was given a GPS location, weighed and measured by students, and received a complete health physical by Dr. Matt Allender, a veterinarian and wildlife disease expert from the University of Illinois. Their efforts will give researchers valuable data to help them determine population densities, age structure, and health status of the Eastern Box Turtle, and implement better land management practices.
Since 2006, CRESO has used this method to study the response of box turtles in areas following timber harvests. Their efforts resulted in proposals for new land management strategies that could potentially reduce stress on the species.
Students who participate in CRESO projects share their findings and conservation ideas at science fairs, professional meetings, in science journals, and through outreach workshops. Since the organization's inception, more than 500 students have served as primary researchers and hundreds more have experienced elements of the program as field assistants, visitors, or through outreach efforts. More than 95 percent of high school students who work for CRESO go on to enter STEM related paths after graduation.
SRR Engineers Austin Chandler (left) and Jeff Iaukea (right) use interactive games to make science fun for fourth graders at Hammond Hill Elementary.
AIKEN, S.C. – Two engineers with Savannah River Site's liquid waste contractor visited a local school to teach Newton's laws of motion to several fourth-grade classes.
By engaging the students at North Augusta's Hammond Hill Elementary School with interactive lessons and hands-on games, Savannah River Remediation (SRR) engineers Austin Chandler and Jeff Iaukea were not only able to maintain students' attention but also spark interest in gravity, force and acceleration.
Chandler and Iaukea showed the effects of gravity by using small toy cars on a racetrack and acceleration by rolling a skateboard with a ball on top. The engineers also allowed the students to hypothesize the rate of speed at which a steel ball and a ping pong ball would fall.
"The kids were excited to be engaged and active in the learning process," said Chandler. "They seemed especially interested in throwing the medicine ball, which showed Newton's third law in action."
One teacher, Robin Patterson, said that the students were enthralled by Chandler and Iaukea's presentation.
"By making the lab an exciting, hands-on experience, they were able to show the students that science is more than a page in a textbook," Patterson said. "They made science come alive."
The engineers said they felt a personal calling towards educational outreach through SRR's READY program, or Reaching Engineers at the Development Years, which is an introductory, two-year development program for engineers who are newly hired college graduates.
READY participants are empowered to become a more productive force for SRR by promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs among students in the Central Savannah River Area. SRR is a STEM-based company seeking to pique the interests of local students who represent the potential future workforce at SRS.
Chandler and Iaukea said that the ability to promote learning and a love of science is one of the most rewarding aspects of educational outreach. For Iaukea, the look on the children's faces when they are surprised by the results of an experiment, and then the ability to help them understand why that was the outcome, is one of the main reasons he participates in programs such as this.
"Sparking educational interest in a child can positively impact the rest of their lives," said Chandler.
Angela Benfield, Savannah River Site
Lynette Bennett, West Valley Demonstration Project
Jason Chudy, Hanford Site
Rob Davis, Savannah River Site
Lindsey Monbarren, Savannah River Site
Michael Nartker, EM Headquarters
Dylan Nichols, Paducah Site
Caroline Reppert, Savannah River Site
David Sheeley, EM Headquarters
Keaton Thurmond, Savannah River Site
Ben Williams, Oak Ridge Site
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