Nearly two years after a 20-by-20 foot portion of the Plutonium Uranium Extraction Plant’sTunnel 1 caved in, both it and its larger sibling, Tunnel 2, have been stabilized. On May 9, 2017, U.S.Department of Energy workers discovered the 20-foot collapse of Tunnel 1, after noticing a background increase in radiation levels....
The Plutonium Finishing Plantused to be called the Z Plant when the Hanford nuclear site produced plutoniumbecause it was the end of production of the radioactive material before it wasshipped to weapons production facilities. The PFP was a group of 60buildings, which began operating in 1949, where workers...
Round-the-clockstaffing is in place at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant asBechtel National Inc. prepares to process low-activity waste by 2023, butpossibly as soon as 2022. There hasn’t been 24/7 staffing at Hanford in morethan 20 years.Earlierthis year, the analytical laboratory at the plant entered its startup phase,marking the...
The U.S. Department of Energy’s prime contractors awarded nearly$785 million in subcontracts in fiscal 2018, a figure representing more than 30percent of Hanford’s roughly $2.4 billion budget that year, according to arecent Department of Energy report.While most of the prime contractors have aggressive small businesssubcontracting goals written into their contracts,...
Contracts worth tens of billions of dollars are beingsystematically awarded for work to be performed at Hanford, covering primeresponsibilities at the nuclear waste site and operating under new models. “It’s an important and critical time for collaboration,”said Mark Heeter, public affairs specialist at the U.S. Department of Energy’sRichland Operations Office....
Cleanup of the nuclear waste-contaminated Hanford site willcost another $323.2 billion to $677 billion and continue until at least 2078,according to the latest projections released by the U.S. Department of Energy.That’s why the Department of Energy is exploring newapproaches that could reduce both the timeline and costs associated with thecleanup...
There’s no question plenty of contamination remains at the Hanford site. But let’s pause a moment to reflect on how much has been cleaned up: 2,300 tons of spent nuclear fuel resting near the Columbia River moved to dry storage. 20 tons of leftover plutonium stabilized and shipped off site. More than 20 billion...
Hanford’s workforce is made up of more professional support staff than engineers, scientists or technicians. More than 9,000 people are directly employed with efforts at the Hanford site, based on recent U.S. Department of Energy data. That’s more than the individual population of three neighboring cities: Prosser numbers 6,125, Connell 5,460, and Benton City 3,405.
By Brian VanceA sense of urgency is building at the Hanford site as we get closer to delivering on our commitment to safely, efficiently and effectively treat tank waste and close Hanford tanks; continue to remediate waste sites and facilities; and reduce risk to our employees, the public and the...
Bechtel National Inc.’s radioactive waste treatment plant project has provided more than 330 internship opportunities for college students seeking real-world experience in their fields of study since 2006.From engineering, construction, procurement, environmental, safety, and information technology, to the human resources and public communications departments, interns receive unique opportunities to directly...
