Savannah River Remediation Completes Successful First Year
July 7, 2010
Savannah River Remediation (SRR) President and Project Manager Jim French (right) presents Congressman James Clyburn with a commemorative picture during SRR's first-year anniversary celebration held today at the Savannah River Site.
AIKEN, S.C. – Workers who safely disposition radioactive waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS) are among the best in the world at what they do, according to U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn.
Clyburn spoke to employees, stakeholders, community leaders and elected officials at the one-year anniversary celebration of Savannah River Remediation (SRR) beginning its work on the SRS liquid waste contract. The contract was awarded to SRR by the U.S. Department of Energy, and SRR began operations on July 1, 2009.
SRR became DOE's first dedicated liquid waste contract at SRS.
Clyburn praised the employees, company and DOE for working to safely disposition the highest risk material in South Carolina.
"You are making a critical investment in our nation's future by cleaning up some of the most hazardous materials in the state," Clyburn told the over 2,000 SRR employees and guests attending. "What you are doing plays an important role in our nation's future."
Clyburn also congratulated employees on the many accomplishments SRR has achieved during the year.
"You have 15 waste tanks in some form of closure and you have committed to closing 22 of these waste tanks in eight years," he said. "What's important is you are doing it safely, and you are on target."
Also recognizing employees were Jack Craig, DOE-Savannah River Operations Acting Manager; Jim French, SRR President and Project Manager; and Dave Pethick, URS Global Management and Operations Services General Manager.
Noting that SRR employees have continued the tradition of working safely during the first year, Craig said he was pleased with the progress SRR is making.
The first SRS waste tanks to be emptied and operationally closed, Tanks 17 and 20, were achieved in 1997, and SRR has now become the first DOE project to have 15 radioactive waste tanks in the closure process at one time. The next four tanks are scheduled for operational closure in 2012.
French told the group that he is looking forward to the work that will be accomplished.
"SRR is a world-class company, and we perform our work in a world-class way," French said. "You are the very best at what you do. It has been a privilege to be here with you as we work to complete our mission to clean and operationally close 22 waste tanks."
During the year, employees have produced 211 canisters of glassified waste through the Defense Waste Processing Facility, the world's largest glassification plant, outpacing its first year's projections by 18 canisters. The canisters are being safely stored in two on-site facilities until permanent disposition and storage offsite.
Also, employees have received and processed over one million gallons of salt waste during the year, utilizing the Interim Salt Distribution Facility, which began operations in 2008, and the Saltstone Production and Disposal Facilities, where low-level radioactive salt solution is mixed with grout and safely placed in concrete vaults for permanent storage.
Pethick noted that the employees have played key roles in accomplishing the work, and that the URS-led partnership is working well together.
"You have shown everyone from Aiken to San Francisco that you are the most qualified workforce to safely perform the kind of work that you do," Pethick said. "You have continued to distinguish yourself, not only since taking over the liquid waste contract as Savannah River Remediation, but for the last few decades by performing your work and doing it safely. For me and everyone at URS and our distinguished partners, it doesn't get any better than that."
SRS is owned by DOE. The SRS Liquid Waste contract is managed by SRR, a team of companies lead by URS Corp. with partners Bechtel National, CH2M Hill and Babcock & Wilcox. Critical subcontractors for the contract are AREVA, Energy Solutions and Washington Safety Management Solutions
Media Contact: Rick Kelley (803) 208-1707 rick.kelley@srs.gov