EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractors Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) and Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) recently teamed up to dive into some inspection and maintenance activities that were anything but routine.
Office of Environmental Management
April 20, 2021
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Diver John Lehto, right, receives final instructions from Carter Thomas before entering a 300,000-gallon water tank on the Hanford Site to examine and record current conditions and perform routine maintenance. Lehto and Thomas are employees of Hanford Site subcontractor Associated Underwater Services.
RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractors Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) and Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) recently teamed up to dive into some inspection and maintenance activities that were anything but routine.
The challenging project involved sending highly-trained divers with specialized equipment into two 300,000-gallon water tanks to inspect conditions, remove sediment and debris, and perform minor repairs.
View this video for sights and sounds from this unique project.
The tanks provide water for a portion of the Hanford Site. The National Fire Protection Association requires the inspections every five years.
Bryce Young with Hanford Mission Integration Solutions inspects scaffolding prior to divers scaling a large water tank and descending into the water on a ladder to inspect the tank’s interior. The success of the complex inspections involved teams from multiple contractors and crews, reinforcing the value of a collaborative approach.
The joint effort required extensive planning and close coordination among several teams. HMIS workers installed scaffolding to allow the divers and support crews to safely access the entry hatches at the top of the 50-foot-tall tanks. CPCCo managed the dive teams and coordinated the inspections, and the Hanford Fire Department stood ready to provide support in the event of an emergency.
After safety checks, divers climbed down ladders into the water, while workers monitored a video feed from cameras on the divers’ helmets nearby.
“I’m proud of our teams for the excellent organization and clear communications among multiple contractors and crews needed to safely complete this work,” said Mark French, EM project and facilities division director. “The success of complex projects, like this, reinforces the value of our collaborative approach; everyone is working together to accomplish the cleanup mission.”
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