Minutes from the 9/28/99 Conference Call

Ohio P2 Workshop - Michael Gresalfi (301-916-1136) i32@ornl.gov
Michael stated that the Ohio Operations Office has been hosting an annual P2 workshop for the last three years. The focus of this years workshop was to try and provide an internal mechanism for DOE Ohio personnel to cross-pollinate P2 ideas and strategies. This year, a good mix of site personnel were in attendance, including project managers. The Ohio Field Office introduced a new tool called the Environmental Management Baseline Evaluation Process (BEP) which is designed to support cleanup projects commitments to reduce waste through P2/WMin and technology deployment. The process evaluates life-cycle cost-saving opportunities related to P2/WMin and technology for a given project. The Ohio Field Office�s P2 Web site provides an excellent Fact Sheet detailing the BEP process and details of the workshop.  

Michael continued by saying that in FY 2000, the BEP process will be tested on the $250M Mound Hill Tritium Project. The BEP will focus on asset reutilization (equipment and materials from inside the three buildings).

Information on the Web site can be obtained by contacting Michael Kristich at 513-697-6682.

New Millennium - DOE P2 Goals - Greg McBrien (301-903-1385)
gregory.mcbrien@em.doe.gov
Greg provided an overview of the proposed Secretarial P2 Goals. There are 15 proposed goals; five in the area of waste reduction, one in affirmative procurement and nine in the areas of energy usage, ozone depleting substances, greenhouse gases, vehicle efficiencies and energy efficient fuels. The plan is to finalize the goals and have the Secretary himself announce them at the DOE P2 conference in Albuquerque in November.

Changes have been made to the goals since an initial meeting in Albuquerque several months ago. Dan Reicher wanted the goals to be more aggressive and in compliance with planned and/or emerging Executive Orders.

Greg stated that the Cleanup and Stabilization Goal (reduce waste from cleanup and stabilization activities by 10%) from FY 1999 was met as of the third quarter FY 1999 reporting period. Based upon this year�s performance, the FY 2000 goal may be higher.

All of these goals should be incorporated into each site�s P2 Plan which is due to be updated by May 2000.

Attached to these minutes are the draft/proposed goals for waste reduction and affirmative procurement. The chart contains the accomplishment year and the baseline year. Sites should use 1999 actuals, which will be reported in the Spring 2000 Annual P2 Report, as the baseline number.

Greg also discussed the new DOE P2 Outreach Document designed and prepared by Karin King of DOE Oakland. The document explains DOE�s P2 program, the benefits of the program and the accomplishments across the complex. The intent of the document is to provide stakeholders and community members an overview of the DOE�s P2 program. The Secretary has signed the document and it is currently in printing and should be available in the next two weeks. Greg asked for comments on the document and whether it will be useful to the sites.

LEHR Pilot P2 Implementation Study Update - Lisa Burns (513-782-4686)
lburns@theitgroup.com
Lisa discussed the continuing P2 assessments being conducted at various sites across the complex. The LEHR P2 Assessment Report has been finalized and will be available in the next few weeks from EM-77. Five project-specific opportunities were identified. Several dealing with concrete and asphalt scabbling in order to release as clean rubble and one for the cleaning of cobble/gravel for reuse onsite. The estimated cost savings from implementing these opportunities was $1.1M and the estimated reduction in low level waste volume was 2,900 cubic feet which is a 51 percent reduction in site-wide estimated low level waste volumes. Currently, the site is performing a pilot study (proof of concept) on the gravel washing technique to determine whether to move forward with this opportunity.

A P2 assessment was performed at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site on June 29/30. The selected project was the Hazard Removal Project at the Building 444 Cluster. The building 444 cluster is a large, 200,000 sq. ft. building complex. The building is contaminated with low levels of beryllium and uranium (mostly depleted uranium or DU). The hazards which eventually must be removed include combustibles, chemicals, sources (including 172,000 pounds of depleted uranium ingots), plus the removal of all equipment (clean and contaminated) located in the building.

The assessment focused on three primary areas; equipment dispositions (including reuse), DU reuse, and TRU waste oil treatments.

Only equipment from the "cold" or clean areas are being evaluated for potential resale due to the costs for decon (including beryllium decon and rad) and the cost to metal melt. A total of 32 pieces of potentially clean equipment are being evaluated by equipment vendors for potential value, potential markets, and the estimated time for sale of the equipment. A digitized photo was taken of each piece of equipment for use in obtaining a cost value. The goal is to develop a process for RFETS to use to evaluate potential value of equipment and materials during decommissioning activities.

The TRU oils and DU are discussed later in the minutes. The Rocky Flats assessment report should be in draft form in October. The next P2 assessment will be conducted on the Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor (BGRR) decommissioning project in late November or early December. This date coincides with the release of the Removal Action Alternatives Study for the project.

A bit of background on the BGRR, in 1950, the reactor was activated and operations commenced. The reactor was in operation from 1950 - 1969 when it was deactivated. The BGRR was used as a science museum from 1977 - 1997. The final decommissioning plan was begun in 1997.

The BGRR was a graphite moderated, thermal-neutron, air-cooled research reactor. The original fuel was natural uranium and was changed to enriched uranium fuel-elements in the late 1950s. Jim stated the power level of the reactor during the enriched fuel-loading was 20MWt. This reactor is a scale-up of Oak Ridge�s X-10 reactor.

The reactor is close to 50 years old and some degradation was found in the past. The canal facilities (where fuel-elements were shielded, stored, and prepared for shipment) had all of the radioactive equipment and piping removed and the contaminated water was pumped out, treated, and disposed. Loose contamination was also removed from accessible areas. Geo-membranes, soil grading, and paving of areas has been done in order to alleviate the spread of contamination. The decommissioning will be done to alleviate any spread of contamination.

It was clear that the P2 assessment should be done early in the planning phase of the BGRR in order to take advantage of the CERCLA process and stakeholder input. Materials and waste management will be one of the focus areas of the P2 assessment as well as segregation issues. Value engineering concepts will also be integral to the P2 assessment process. Cost/benefit analysis as well as a decision analysis (using criteria selected by the BGRR project team and assessment team) will be performed on each opportunity identified.

Expert team members will be identified and selected by mid-October and will potentially include experts in the area of research reactor D&D and radioactive materials management. The P2 assessment team will also coordinate with the Center for Risk Excellence (SY Chen) on issues of material release and RESRAD analysis.

Please call Lisa for more information or to suggest potential team members.

Uranium Management Center - Dale Jackson

Dale�s number; 423-576-0889 jacksonjd@oro.doe.gov

Dale was not on the call due to complications in scheduling but provided the following information via e-mail.

The mission of the Uranium Management Center (UMC) is to place strong emphasis on integrating uranium activities across the complex and providing a coordinated, cost-effective, and efficient program management structure for the nation�s uranium resources. The current UMC activities include the transfer of ~ 3,800 metric tons of usable uranium material from Fernald to Portsmouth and the retrieval of DOE material that was on loan to Seattle University. Future plans include the expected transfer of ~ 1,700 metric tons of usable uranium from Hanford and to continue working with universities to obtain their usable material. The UMC�s activities will provide an interim storage facility for usable, marketable uranium materials which will prevent these materials from requiring long-term storage or being disposed of as waste. Therefore, the UMC will be a support organization for DOE�s mission and goals for P2.

The 172,000 pounds of DU from Rocky Flats will be shipped to Y-12 and the UMC if RF can piggy back on the Environmental Assessment being conducted for the Hanford material. This will be cheaper for RF than disposing of the DU at NTS.

Waste Oil Treatment Technologies -  Chuck Pietsch (937-865-4056) chuckpiet@aol.com
Another project assessed during the Rocky Flats P2 assessment was the treatment of TRU-contaminated oils. Some of the oils had RCRA constituents and some had no RCRA constituents. The RCRA/TRU oils are contaminated with carbon tet and Trichloroethylene. Approximately 500 gallons of TRU oils are onsite at Rocky and must be treated to meet the WIPP WAC. A problem with storage of the TRU oils exist due to the possibility of hydrogen generation, so the site would like to treat and dispose of these wastes as soon as possible due to the high costs of storage.

Chuck Pietsch was along for the P2 assessment and provided an opportunity for the treatment of these oils. Chuck has been working on the RCRA oils at Mound as part of EM-50's Large Scale Technology Demonstration and has been testing the use of a polymer (NoChar Petrobond Absorbent Polymer) to solidify the oils in order to meet the NTS WAC. The polymer (a powder) is placed in a container and the oil is added. The oil is absorbed into the matrix. No stirring or agitation is required and there is no equipment to contaminate. The final product is a rubber-like material with no hydrogen gas emissions.

Chuck stated that the first test on contaminated oil went very well and passed TCLP. This resulted in a $100K savings to Mound over traditional oil treatment. The volume of oil is doubled with the polymer solidification process but traditional treatments result in 2-3 times more waste volume.

A Fact Sheet on this process (NoChar) will be forwarded.

1999 P2 Conference: P2 in Cleanup/Stabilization/Decommissioning (CSD) Focus Track - Courtney Manrod, Bechtel-Jacobs, Oak Ridge; 423-576-0146pce@ornl.gov

The 1999 P2 conference will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico November 15-19, 1999. The conference theme has been identified as "Moving Towards a Pollution-Free DOE". There are seven focus tracks which include; energy efficiency and P2, P2 during cleanup and deconstruction, waste reduction, affirmative procurement, P2 in design, water efficiency, and reduction in air emissions. Web site address is: http://p2.sandia.gov
Information is being added daily to the Web site - check it out!

Courtney Manrod and Bob Fleming are leading the development of the focus track on P2 in cleanup/stabilization/decommissioning. Courtney discussed the schedule for the P2 in CSD Focus Track which can be found on the conference web site. Panel sessions, workshops, discussions, and tours will be focused around the topical area on a daily basis and should lend itself to a more productive conference experience. Please feel free to call Courtney at 423-576-0146 or Bob Fleming at 301-903-7627 to discuss your ideas or to hear more about the conference and the P2 in CSD Focus Track.

Harish Sharma from DOE AL encouraged everyone to register early in October to be assured of government rates at the hotel.

Thanks for participating in the conference call. The minutes will be available on the Sustainability Support Web site at www.em.doe.gov/er We will schedule another call in late October or early November.

Call Participants:
Bob Fleming; EM-44
Greg McBrien; EM-77
Ana Gonzalez; DOE ORO
Anna Beard; DOE RL
Susan Fields; DOE OAK
Harish Sharma; DOE AL
Marvin Bennett; DOE ORO
Jamie Zeisloft; DOE RL
Carol Shelton; DOE Nevada
Lisa Allmon-Burns; IT Corp.
Courtney Manrod; Bechtel-Jacobs Oak Ridge
Alisa Rhodes; Fernald
Doug DuVon; Bechtel Hanford
Anne Ostergaard; IT Corporation
Christine Goddard; IT Corporation
Esther Sullivan; DPRA
Sandra Cannon; PNL
Rich Cellamare; SLAC
Mark Boylan; Wastren
Michael Kristich; EMS
Michael Gresalfi; LMES
Alisa Rhodes; Fernald
Tony Roybal; SNL/NM
Jan Watson; LANL
Cindy Lockwood; DOE NV
Chuck Pietsch; Chamberlain Group
Chuck Urland; GTS
Sheila Poligone; Oak Ridge

Send all comments, technical questions, and requests for password access to:
HSS User Support
P2Support@hq.doe.gov
(800) 473-4375