Sustainability Support Bimonthly Conference Call Minutes from the 7/9/98 Conference Call
Introduction: Bob Fleming of DOE EM-44 hosted the call.
The call is held every other month to discuss pollution prevention
and waste minimization issues within the environmental restoration
program. A list of the call participants is noted at the end
of the minutes. If you would like a list of the Site Waste Minimization
Coordinators or a list of the call participants and/or a complete
contact list of Sustainability Support site contacts with e-mail addresses and
phone numbers, please e-mail Lisa at lallmon@itcrp.com or call
at 513-782-4686.
Bob began the call by mentioning that the document, Accelerating
Cleanup: Paths to Closure is now available for viewing or
downloading (with the Adobe Acrobat reader plug-in) from the DOE
Homepage; http://www.em.doe.gov/. The document outlines
the DOE's cleanup program
based upon site-developed, project-by-project forecasts of the
scope, schedule, and costs to complete the 353 projects that currently
define the cleanup program. Bob recommended that the document
be used to identify high priority projects which will generate
large quantities of regulated waste and push for the inclusion
of P2/WMin principles into the early planning stages of these
targeted projects.
A summary of the presentations and discussions from the remaining
agenda items follows.
Sustainability Support Web Site Re-structuring:
Lisa Allmon-Burns discussed the re-vamping of the Sustainability Support Homepage.
The re-designed Homepage should be available for viewing by the
end of July and is accessible at the following address: http://www.hss.energy.gov/sesa/sustainability/index.html.
The new page will feature more direct links to various Sustainability Support
topical areas and will provide the user with easy access to P2
in ER tools developed and being developed by DOE.
The major topical areas will include the following:
- Sustainability Support Guidance Document
- Sustainability Support Case Studies
- Conference Papers and Workshops
- Training
- Bi-monthly Conference Call Minutes
- P2 Experts
- Contract Language
- Sustainability Support Tools, Resources, and Links
This suite of information should assist ER project managers and
team members in employing P2/WMin techniques to help meet site
efficiency goals. We would welcome your comments and feedback
on the Web site over the next several months, especially on the
Tools, Resources, and Links site. We want the links to be current,
relevant, and appropriate for ER personnel and to do this, we
need your input. Thanks in advance!
Update on Sustainability Support Training Modules:
Bob was pleased to announce that the two Sustainability Support training modules
have been transmitted to the field and are ready to be implemented!
In early June, the training packages were sent to the site Assistant
Managers for Environmental Management (AMEM's)
with a recommendation from Jim Fiore, Acting DAS for Environmental
Restoration, to provide the training to ER project managers and
teams. Mr. Fiore requested that each site provide a summary report
at the year-end review on the status of the training being completed
at each site.
Bob stated that he feels that the training is an excellent method
for bringing P2/WMin awareness to ER project personnel. The training
modules can be modified to include site specific examples and
waste costs or issues. Please let Bob or Lisa know if you need
additional copies of the training Manual (Tony B. and Mike G.
have 3 copies on the way). Also, please let us know if you have
any questions regarding the marketing and/or delivery of the training.
We are anxious to hear your comments!
Bob also mentioned the fact that DOE HQ will be providing a laws
and regulations training course at various facilities around the
complex and the training organization wants to add a segment from
the Sustainability Support training modules to this course. So, we may see
more of the training material in the future.
Excess Chemical Reuse - How to "get
it done" during transition
and cleanup:
Greg LeBaron of B&W Hanford Company provided the callers with
a brief synopsis of a successful deactivation project which employed
P2/WMin principles to reduce waste and save dollars. Greg was
involved as a project engineer in the PUREX plant deactivation,
which is the project he discussed, and is currently working on
the B Plant deactivation. Both of these plants were large chemical
facilities and used large quantities of hazardous chemicals.
The PUREX plant deactivation team had to deal with 2 million
pounds of fresh raw chemicals; 200,000 gallons of contaminated
nitric acid; and 20,000 gallons of organic.
The team decided early in the project to approach the state and
federal regulators with the idea of recycle/reuse (by way of declaring
them excess chemicals) of some of these chemicals rather than
treatment and disposal. The regulators agreed. A CBD notice
was issued and most of the 2 million pounds of fresh, raw chemicals
were excessed and reused by other companies.
The 200,000 gallons of contaminated nitric acid was also reused.
A deal was negotiated with British Nuclear Fuels, PLC in Sellafield,
England to purchase and reuse the acid in their B-205 MAGNOX commercial
nuclear fuels reprocessing plant. This eliminated the need to
build new storage tanks and eventually process the material.
The shipping of the acid overseas was completed seven weeks ahead
of schedule. The project avoided the disposal of 1,665 cubic
meters of nitric acid (hazardous waste) and provided a projected
savings of $39,000,000 from the total PUREX deactivation costs.
The 20,000 gallons of organic were shipped to a waste treatment
plant which burned the waste and converted it to energy.
Greg's recommendation to other sites is to forecast deactivation projects early and eliminate the purchase of the excess chemicals. The savings from
early planning would be astronomical!
A case study from this project will be placed on the Web site in
the next few weeks. Be sure to take a look and see if you can
glean some good ideas from a successfully managed and implemented
project. Thanks, Greg, for sharing your insights!
Secondary Waste Reduction Goal and Draft Guidance Document:
Greg McBrien of EM-77 provided an update on the draft guidance
document being developed to assist sites in planning secondary
waste reduction activities and developing tracking mechanisms.
Greg stated that the preliminary draft guidance document went
out for comments on June 1 and numerous comments have been received.
A majority of the comments dealt with the limited or narrow definition
of secondary wastes in the draft document. The following definition
is currently included in the draft guidance document: added or
newly generated wastes that are not chemically related to the
treatment, remediation, or stabilization process for the primary
waste. Examples include: PPE; cleaning and decontamination wastes
from tools and equipment; sampling equipment, sampling containers,
well purge water, and laboratory waste; packaging and shipping
materials.
Greg is continuing to evaluate comments and plans on revising
the draft within the next couple of months. If you want to discuss
the draft guidance, please contact Greg at 301- 903-1385.
P2/WMin Users Guide for ER Projects at the Ohio Field Office
(OFO)
Neal Frink, a contractor supporting the OFO and a member of the
Users Guide Development Team, addressed the conference call on
the status of the Users Guide. The Users Guide was discussed
during our last conference call. The Users Guide is a tool developed
by the OFO designed to help project engineers/managers conducting
projects under the OFO to identify, evaluate and implement P2
opportunities in ER projects. It is a coordinating tool which
ties into already existing resources that are relevant to ER projects.
The Users Guide has worksheets that can be filled out online
to support assessment and documentation of the process. Some
final updating is still going on and additional links to case
studies and other resources are being added. Plans are to eventually
make the Users Guide available for use at other DOE sites.
The Users Guide can be publicly accessed on the Internet at the
following URL address:
Neal also discussed the upcoming OFO workshop August 11-13. The
workshop will focus on available tools/resources and development
strategies to integrate P2 into upcoming ER projects within the
OFO. Tools/resources which will be discussed include; Life
Cycle Assessment (ORNL's
Internet-based primer assessable at the URL address:
authorized release protocols, and the Users Guide. The workshop
will also facilitate working groups to address issues which cut
across projects such as implementing training for project teams
and managers, meeting the secondary waste reduction goal, including
P2 in contract language, and forming alliances on projects to
resolve issues and problems.
A draft agenda is attached to the minutes for review. If you
are interested in attending the workshop, please call Neal Frink
at 513-784-0576.
Sustainability Support Resources Available on the Internet:
Not to be redundant: Neal and Lisa both made requests
from the audience to review both the Sustainability Support Homepage and the
Users Guide Homepage (addresses provided above) and provide input.
Both sites want to make the resources and tools which are linked
to these sites specific to Sustainability Support. Remember that both sites
are also "works in progress" and require active input and feedback from the user groups. Thanks
for your help!
Site Updates/Comments:
The remainder of the call was used to discuss site-specific issues.
Jeff Weinrach from Benchmark Environmental Corporation which
supports LANL discussed the recent development of a P2 template
that is designed to be integrated into LANL Corrective Measure
Study (CMS) Plans. The template utilizes a set of decision-making
tools that LANL is promoting as a non-prescriptive approach for
identifying cost-effective P2 opportunities. The tools include
Activity-Based Costing and Root-Cause Analysis and have been primarily
applied to routine Lab operations. The integration of these decision
support tools into ER CMS plans will be piloted this summer for
a high-explosives ER project. If the integration proves to be
successful, LANL will integrate the P2 template into other LANL
CMS activities. Feel free to call Jeff with any questions or
a copy of the template at 505-672-3656. To view the tools mentioned,
please check-out the following internet site:
Tony Bindokas of Chicago Operations Office requested input on
what P2/WMin opportunities exist for lightly contaminated lead
(activated). Please give him a call with any ideas at 630-252-2692.
Doug DuVon of Bechtel Hanford stated that they have started to
utilize a hand-held gamma spectrometer for scanning soil during
small remediation projects. They are hoping to minimize the amount
of soil being placed into the ER Disposal Facility. You can call
Doug at 509-373-5463 with any questions.
Lisa requested assistance from everyone regarding the updating
of the Sustainability Support contact list. Within the next few weeks, the
list will be updated for the revised Sustainability Support guidance document
and for the Sustainability Support Homepage. You will be receiving a phone
call, fax or e-mail requesting updated information such as your
area of expertise, logistical information, and a request for additional
names to include on the list. Please respond quickly.
The conference call concluded with Bob thanking everyone for their
time and input. The next conference call will be scheduled for
the third week in September. An agenda will be sent out several
weeks prior to the call. Remember that the minutes from the calls
can be found on the Sustainability Support Homepage!
We will talk with you in a couple of months!
Call Participants:
Bob Fleming; DOE HQ, EM-44
Greg McBrien; DOE HQ,EM-77
Lisa Allmon-Burns; IT Corporation
Mike Sweitzer; DOE AL
Mike Gardipie; DOE AL, ER
Tony Bindokas; DOE CH
Keith Trychta; ANL
Courtney Manrod; Bechtel-Jacobs Oak Ridge
Lori Manus; DPRA, Oak Ridge
Scott Hope; Oak Ridge
Alisa Rhodes; FEMP
Tracy Wolfer; FEMP
Greg LeBaron; B&W Hanford
Jeff Weinrach; Benchmark Environmental, LANL
Doug DuVon; Bechtel Hanford Company
Jamie Zeisloft; DOE Richland
David Nichols; Hanford, Waste Management
Sandra MacLeod; DOE RFO
Steve Mackmull; DOE SRS
Send all comments, technical questions, and requests for password access to:
HSS User Support
P2Support@hq.doe.gov
(800) 473-4375
|
