Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeAs Fluor Hanford completes its 13 years of work at Hanford, it's important to note the company's many accomplishments, and congratulate the staff for their contributions to environmental cleanup and the Tri-City community.
Whether it was high-risk, high-visibility cleanup work, developing unique safety innovations or contributing to community projects, Fluor's workers delivered results during a pivotal time for Hanford.
Fluor's efforts to reduce and eliminate some of the highest risk materials from the Hanford site has put the cleanup on very good footing for the future.
Safety record
Safety continues to be the No. 1 priority at Hanford. During Fluor's tenure, the National Safety Council recognized the company's performance with the council's top international safety award in 2008.
Fluor won the prestigious Robert W. Campbell Award from the National Safety Council after rigorous assessments of the company's work practices. Fluor consistently involved employees at all levels of environmental health and safety initiatives.
Fluor's efforts made Hanford safer and contributed to safety improvements at other Department of Energy sites. Fluor brought leadership, research and education into its safety initiatives and made sure other people benefited too.
Missions accomplished
w Moved all 2,300 tons of spent nuclear fuel from the K Basins (along the Columbia River) into dry storage in central Hanford.
w Consolidated radioactive sludge at the K Basins; removed superstructure of K East Basin.
w Stabilized and packaged 20 tons of plutonium for shipment off the Hanford site and completed numerous shipments.
w Performed first open-air demolition of a plutonium-contaminated facility in the DOE complex.
w Decommissioned Fast Flux Test Facility to prepare it to go "cold and dark."
w Integrated ground water program across the site.
Community service
While Fluor accomplished a great deal for safety and for Hanford cleanup, their commitment to the local community was equally impressive. In fact, their service to the Tri-City area includes:
w Consistently being the region's largest contributor to United Way; from 1996 to 2008, Fluor contributed $9 million.
w Founding Pasco High School Home Construction Program, which won the National Civic Star Community partnership award for the program.
w Founding the Crystal Apple Teacher Awards Program - more than 130 teachers recognized since 1999.
w Founding and leading the program to donate 23 cameras to seven area law enforcement agencies for their patrol cars.
w Developing 300 community leaders through Leadership Tri-Cities.
w For 10 years, being the corporate sponsor for Books for Babies, which provided more than 4,000 baby books and literacy packages for all Tri-City newborns and parents.
w Contributing more than $10 million to community programs, agencies and service organizations through the Fluor Community Involvement Team, which benefited area youth, education, health and human services, the arts and economic development. Members of the team also volunteered more than 300,000 hoursof community service on 250 separate projects.
w Developing its Shell Building to recruit companies to the Tri-Cities in cooperation with the Tri-City Development Council, the city of Pasco and the Port of Pasco.
w Procuring $204 million in goods and services in 2008 under Fluor Hanford's Small-Business Program. About 49 percent - or nearly $102 million - were from small businesses, and 42 percent went to local businesses.
Transition and departure
Even in the final year of work at Hanford, Fluor continued to adapt its capabilities to the Department of Energy's needs. In the time before the Mission Support Contract was awarded, Fluor provided infrastructure services for the site and took over the sitewide safety programs until the Mission Support Alliance was selected to provide mission support services.
At the end of Fluor Hanford's time, management and staff have proved themselves as leaders in innovative safety programs.
In addition, they accomplished tremendous cleanup work at Hanford, which reduced risk to the Columbia River and to the entire region.
Fluor's 3,600 employees contributed to the Tri-City community with a wide array of programs, services and financial contributions.
They finish out their time as a Hanford prime contractor with many noble and noteworthy accomplishments for the nation, the state and the local community.
Congratulations for a job well done.
* David Brockman is manager of DOE's Richland Operations Office.
Editorials are the consensus of the Tri-City Herald editorial board.
Editorial board members are Rufus Friday, publisher; Chris Sivula, editorial page editor; Ken Robertson, executive editor; Matt Taylor, contributing editor; Lori Lancaster, editorial writer; Shelly Norman, editorial writer and Jack Briggs, retired publisher
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