A National Cleanup Workshop panel focused on the next phase of successes in the U.S. Department of Energy cleanup program shared exciting updates. Moderated by Jeff Avery, DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) principal deputy assistant secretary
Idaho Cleanup Project Citizens Advisory Board
October 9, 2024
minute read time
Reprinted from the ECA Update Special Edition Sep. 25, 2024
A National Cleanup Workshop panel focused on the next phase of successes in the U.S. Department of Energy cleanup program shared exciting updates. Moderated by Jeff Avery, DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) principal deputy assistant secretary, the panel of EM and contractor leadership from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, delivered presentations on what’s next at their cleanup sites.
Jay Mullis, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management manager, and Ken Rueter, UCOR president and CEO, discussed the recent completion of Vision 2024, the culmination of 20 years of cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, and how those accomplishments represent what is possible in the realm of reindustrialization and beneficial reuse for local communities. They pointed to strong partnerships and high performing teams as key drivers behind successes in this area and noted the same will be true for executing plans for new partnerships with the community and industry surrounding the site.
Matt Irwin, acting assistant manager for Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Project, and Brian Hartman, WTP project director, detailed the work that has gotten the plant to where it is today. Irwin noted it takes all parts of the site working in close partnership to achieve success in such a complicated mission. Hartman shared a video that walked the audience through the process for getting the plant’s two melters up to operational temperature and outlined some next steps as the site begins to shift to vitrification of liquid tank waste.
Jessica Kunkle, manager of the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office, and Brad Smith, president and general manager for legacy cleanup contractor Newport News Nuclear BWXT, highlighted a new technology aimed at improving the accuracy of waste classification processes. The Universal Drum Assay and Segregation System was developed in the United Kingdom and is now being tested at Los Alamos National Laboratory with exciting potential applications at other sites across the complex.