A power outage at the vitrification plant at the Hanford nuclear reservation that kept about 1,400 workers from going to work Monday is giving some of them another day off today.
Suzanne Heaston, a spokeswoman for project contractor Bechtel, said the outage that started over the weekend should be restored in a few days, and the cause still is being investigated.
The problem is believed to have occurred at a main junction on the Hanford site and required that all engineers and construction workers not come to the site. But Heaston said only the construction workers are being told to stay away today.
"Engineers and other support staff will be advised where to report," she said Monday evening. Some of those nonconstruction workers will be doing training at locations that are not involved in the vitrification project site or where the power outage occurred.
Bechtel's employee hotline, 373-3333, has the latest information about reporting to work at the site, Heaston said.
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Vit plant lays off about 200 in construction
Vit plant lays off about 200 in construction
The Hanford vitrification plant has laid off close to 200 construction workers this month, but also is hiring nonconstruction workers.
Employment on the project is expected to remain within the typical range of 3,200 to 3,400 workers, including construction and nonmanual workers.
Nine months ago, 1,064 construction workers were employed at the project, but because of hiring since then, the number of construction workers after the layoffs is slightly larger at about 1,100, said Bechtel National spokeswoman Suzanne Heaston.
Businesses don't see mass exodus from Hanford layoffs
Businesses don't see mass exodus from Hanford layoffs
The Tri-Cities is waiting to see exactly how the recent Hanford layoffs will affect the community, but so far there are no signs of a mass exodus out of town for newly unemployed workers.
There still are plenty of moving trucks available for rental -- even for a fast turnout this weekend -- and anyone looking for a place to stow their property while they figure out what to do next can find lots of available storage units around town.
But one storage unit manager said she has seen some units get emptied as people leave town, and RV park managers said some workers have pulled out the recreational vehicles they were living in.
154 construction workers laid off at Hanford vit plant
154 construction workers laid off at Hanford vit plant
Layoff notices were distributed to 154 construction workers Tuesday at the Hanford vitrification plant.
The layoffs were because of the mix of skills that will be needed this year at the
$12.2 billion plant, which is being built to turn radioactive waste left from past weapons plutonium production into a stable glass form for disposal.
Some of the layoffs will be offset with the hiring of more engineers and nuclear safety workers, said Suzanne Heaston, spokeswoman for Bechtel National. Bechtel must finish the design of the plant, which requires nonmanual workers, and also is working toward licensing the plant, which also requires nonmanual workers.
DOE taking further asbestos protection steps
DOE taking further asbestos protection steps
Steps are being taken to increase protection of Hanford workers from asbestos after many workers raised questions about their safety in central Hanford, according to the Department of Energy.
On Thursday, top Hanford and union officials sent a message to all Hanford employees describing additional actions to make sure workers are not exposed to asbestos.
At issue are asbestos-containing materials from facilities that have not yet been demolished as part of the environmental cleanup at Hanford and asbestos-containing materials that might remain after buildings have been demolished to ground level.
Contractor sues Energy Northwest
Contractor sues Energy Northwest
The contractor hired to replace the condenser at the Columbia Generating Station has sued, claiming it's Energy Northwest's fault that the work took far longer than scheduled.
Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy filed the breach of contract lawsuit in U.S. District Court. It claims that Energy Northwest failed to reveal important information about the work, costing B&W about $50 million.
"We have some differences of opinion regarding the facts," said Rochelle Olson, Energy Northwest spokeswoman. "We will defend our position in the best interests of the Northwest ratepayers."
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