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Hanford News: Department of Energy faces huge cost increases

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:45:19 -0000

Cost increases and project delays continue to mount at the Department of Energy's 10 largest projects at nuclear weapons sites, five of them at Hanford, according to a Government Accountability Office report to Congress.

The GAO looked at changes to the cost and schedule estimates for major projects, reasons for the changes and what's hindering DOE's ability to manage the projects well.

Estimated costs for DOE's 10 largest cleanup projects have increased by a combined $25 billion over the past few years, with the largest increase in the cost to clean up and close Hanford's tank farms, where 53 million gallons of radioactive waste are held in underground tanks.

Tags: doe economics hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news wa

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford News: tool name close tool goes here Former claims examiner criticizes Hanford ill worker program

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:06:39 -0000

Arbitrary and capricious actions by the Department of Labor have led to claims by ill workers at Hanford and other nuclear sites being improperly denied or decisions delayed, a former claims examiner with the Department of Labor said Thursday.

"This program is not claimant friendly," said attorney Anne Block. "You've got people more interested in keeping their jobs than helping claimants."

She was at the open house before Hanford's annual Tri-City State of the Site meeting to discuss problems she saw with the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program.

Tags: compensation contamination doe dol hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news wa workers

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford News : Attorney to discuss ill Hanford workers issue

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:08:42 -0000

A former examiner with the Department of Labor program to compensate ill Hanford workers plans to bring her concerns to the Tri-Cities today.

Attorney Anne Block formerly worked in Seattle for the federal Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program and now is teaming with Hanford Challenge to help workers and their survivors receive compensation.

Tags: compensation contamination doe hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news wa workers

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford vit plant pigeon problem passes | Tri-City Herald

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:13:28 -0000

The pigeon problem at Hanford's vitrification plant is gone after contractor Bechtel National again called in Hanford's pest control service.

The birds were shot and killed with air rifles in early September after Bechtel could not find any other method it believed would be effective to reduce the problem of bird droppings fouling equipment and work areas of the plant, which is under construction.

Tags: doe hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news safety wa

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford News: Hanford workers about to dig up old burial grounds

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:13:04 -0000

Hanford workers are about to learn what was disposed of in one of the nuclear reservation's earliest burial grounds.

Work has started on digging up the 618-1 Burial Ground, which was used from 1945 -- the end of World War II -- through 1951 for debris from research and uranium fuel production. It was the first burial ground in the 300 Area, which is just upriver from Richland.

And it's also the only one there that ended up under a building as work at Hanford increased during the Cold War and more facilities were needed in the 300 Area.

Tags: contamination doe energy hanford n-waste nuclear nuke.news wa

Posted by: theenergynet

HANFORD: Litigation still possible to enforce cleanup - Breaking News | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:12:02 -0000

The state of Washington will go to court to enforce Hanford cleanup requirements only if it’s a better way to serve the state’s interests than any agreement it can negotiate with the federal government.

That’s what state Attorney General Rob McKenna told the Tri-City Development Council and the Hanford Communities in a reply to their letter of concern over the renegotiation of the Tri-Party Agreement.

Tags: cleanup doe fuel-cycle hanford lawsuit n-waste nuclear nuke.news wa

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford News: New Hanford contract protested

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:48:05 -0000

The award of Hanford's new $3 billion Mission Support Contract has been protested, the Department of Energy notified Hanford employees Monday evening.

DOE expects the Government Accountability Office to take up to 100 days to resolve the protest. In the meantime, work to transition to the new support services contract cannot begin.

The contract was awarded Sept. 3 to Mission Support Alliance, a team led by Lockheed Martin. Mission Support Alliance was told then that it would begin the transition from Fluor Hanford on Oct. 1 at the earliest and would assume full responsibility Jan. 1.

Tags: contract doe fluor gao hanford lockheed n-weapons nuclear nuke.news

Posted by: theenergynet

Department of Energy - DOE Cites Bechtel National Inc. for Price-Anderson Violations

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:06:06 -0000

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued a Preliminary Notice of Violation (PNOV) to Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) for a nuclear safety violation at DOE’s Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. BNI is the contractor responsible for the design and construction of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) at the Hanford Site in southeast Washington State.

Tags: bechtel doe fine hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news price-anderson wa

Posted by: theenergynet

Sophisticated monitoring array to address mystery of uranium plume | Eureka! Science News

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:45:58 -0000

Scientists have puzzled for years about why uranium contamination in groundwater continues to exceed drinking water standards in an area located at the south end of the Hanford Site. The Department of Energy wants answers to why the uranium persists. Now, an innovative system has been installed for field experiments to better understand this complex site and to support future cleanup decisions. The site is one of three Integrated Field Research Challenge, or IFRC, locations supported by DOE's Office of Science to investigate fundamental science issues important to contaminant transport and groundwater remediation. New insights may offer scientific advances in environmental cleanup beyond Hanford.

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Tags: doe hanford leak n-weapons nuclear nuke.news wa

Posted by: theenergynet

Bechtel faces fine over worker's layoff - Tri-City Herald

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:10:23 -0000

The Department of Energy plans to fine Bechtel National $41,250 for laying off an engineer after he raised concerns in 2005 related to the safety of Hanford's vitrification plant.

The DOE Office of Enforcement later concluded one of the employee's safety concerns, which were related to the software that will control the plant, was valid and issued a notice of violation to Bechtel about the issue in 2007.

Tags: bechtel doe energy fine hanford nuclear nuke.news scandal wa workers

Posted by: theenergynet

Legislation would expand benefits of ill Hanford workers | Tri-City Herald

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:56:52 -0000

More survivors of ill workers at Hanford and other nuclear sites could receive federal compensation under proposed legislation.

The proposed amendment to federal law is intended to ensure that compensation for sick former nuclear workers won't be taken away in cases in which a sick worker or a survivor who has filed a claim die before the claim is processed. Some ill workers have waited years for a claim to be processed.

Tags: compensation contamination doe hanford legislation n-weapons nuclear nuke.news wa workers

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford managers disciplined for alleged eavesdropping - Tri-City Herald

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:31:26 -0000

Bechtel National has taken disciplinary action against four managers at the Hanford vitrification plant for reportedly eavesdropping on a meeting between safety representatives and the Department of Energy.

An investigation was begun by Bechtel 12 days ago after an anonymous call was made to an employee concerns program.

Tags: bechtel doe hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news scandal wa

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford News: Lockheed Martin secures $3 billion for Hanford contract

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:19:27 -0000

A team led by Lockheed Martin Integrated Technology has won a $3 billion contract to provide support services at the Hanford nuclear reservation for up to a decade, the Department of Energy announced Wednesday.

The winning team, a limited liability company called Mission Support Alliance, also includes Jacobs Engineering Group and Wackenhut Services.

Tags: contract doe hanford lockheed n-weapons nuclear nuke.news was

Posted by: theenergynet

$4.8 million Hanford verdict award upheld

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:15:22 -0000

The state Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a $4.8 million verdict in favor of 11 pipefitters who claimed they were fired for raising safety concerns at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

The workers filed suit nine years ago against Fluor Federal Services of Richland, a contractor at the south-central Washington nuclear site. They claimed they were laid off after refusing orders to install a valve they believed was too weak for the job.

Tags: awards compensation contamination doe fuel-cycle hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news wa workers

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford News: Areva to add uranium recovery operation

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:31:41 -0000

Areva plans to add newly developed technology to its Richland plant to remove valuable enriched uranium from waste produced there and from waste shipped from other nuclear producers to the plant.

The new technology to recover enriched uranium is a "green process" that relies on a form of carbon dioxide, Areva said.

Tags: areva cleanup doe hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford employees fired over alleged fraud | Tri-City Herald

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:50:39 -0000

Fluor Hanford has fired three employees it believes are linked to the misuse of a federal government credit card issued for work at the Hanford nuclear reservation.

A single card was used to make fraudulent purchases over at least the past four years, according to a memo sent by Fluor Hanford President Con Murphy to employees Wednesday. Just one person was allowed to sign on the card.

The purchases included tools and electronic equipment, said Fluor spokeswoman Judy Connell.

Tags: crime doe fluor hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news scandal wa

Posted by: theenergynet

Hanford relieved, nuclear waste tank not leaking

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:46:09 -0000

A leak has been ruled out as the cause for a drop in the level of highly radioactive waste in a tank at the Hanford nuclear reservation.

Instead, Energy Department officials and contractors say, variations in the level of the liquid apparently are linked to the installation of a vertical pipe in Tank SX-104. The pipe was added in December to help measure waste levels in the huge tank.

Tags: doe fuel-cycle hanford hlw n-waste n-weapons nuclear nuke.news wa

Posted by: theenergynet

NRC: News Release - 2008-148 - NRC Releases Review of Doe’s Hanford Waste Treatment Plant

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:36:39 -0000

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has provided Congress and the Secretary of Energy its conclusion that the Department of Energy’s regulatory processes for its Waste Treatment Plant at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state, if properly implemented, are adequate to ensure public health and safety.

The conclusion is contained in a review delivered Aug. 6 to Congress and the Secretary of Energy and made public today on the NRC’s ADAMS online document system at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html by entering access code ML081150883. Congress required NRC’s review in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2008. The review was conducted with the full cooperation of DOE.

Tags: doe hanford investigation n-waste nrc safety wa

Posted by: theenergynet

DOE reaches deal on fines after missing 2 deadlines for waste shipment - Mid-Columbia News | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:12:19 -0000

The Department of Energy will pay a $25,000 fine and pay for a natural resource expert for Hanford after missing two deadlines for preparing radioactive waste to be shipped to New Mexico for disposal.

The resolution was reached in an agreement between DOE and the Washington State Department of Ecology, which regulates Hanford.

Tags: doe fines hanford n-waste n-weapons nuclear nuke.news nw-transport wa

Posted by: theenergynet

HANFORD: Interior secretary’s support sought for B Reactor - | Tri-City Herald

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:48:28 -0000

Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., Tuesday urged Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to designate Hanford’s B Reactor as a National Historic Landmark.

“Not only is it an engineering landmark, but it helps tell the story of Hanford’s role in ending World War II and providing nuclear deterrence during the Cold War,” Hastings wrote in a letter to Kempthorne.

Tags: developmnet doe hanford n-weapons nuclear nuke.news reactor wa

Posted by: theenergynet