Department of Ecology: Looking back on 2017 to see the path forward for 2018

Even more than usual, 2017 was a year of change for cleanup operations on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. A new federal administration and new leadership at two of the four major on-site players both promise new opportunities to improve working relationships critical to making meaningful progress on safe and effective cleanup.

The U.S. Department of Energy is charged with the actual cleanup work, which it accomplishes through two on-site divisions – the Office of River Protection and the Richland Operations Office. Our agency shares regulatory oversight responsibilities with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

During 2017, a new leader – Brian Vance – took the helm at river protection, and in early 2018, Dave Einan was named to manage EPA’s Hanford operations, replacing Dennis Faulk, who retired this fall. Meanwhile, I’ve been in my position just two years, about the same as Doug Shoop, manager of Richland operations. Together, we represent a new era of leadership for what has turned out to be a multi-generational cleanup at Hanford.

The new perspectives we bring give us an uncommon opening to examine how we have been doing our work, how we have been interacting and what our priorities are moving forward into a new year, possibly forging new and better paths for this critical mission.

The past year also reminded us how difficult this work can be, and of the many challenges remaining. We know many of the demands and have planned for them. Others, such as the partial collapse of the PUREX Tunnel 1 roof, are harder to foresee. Still others, such as the spread of contamination from demolition of the Plutonium Finishing Plant, are a reminder that even the best plans can be frustrated by Hanford’s difficult conditions and that we must always plan for contingencies.

The PUREX tunnel prompted us and other Hanford agencies to focus more directly on identifying potential hidden hazards and incorporating them into a revised integrated priority list. When finished, this list will give us new focus for our collective work and help ensure that we’re addressing issues in an order that reflects the potential hazards they represent.

A recent analysis, known as System Plan 8, took a close look at Hanford tank waste, examining how different approaches to tank waste cleanup would affect both the timeline and the cost of that cleanup. We’re using data from System Plan 8 to inform negotiations with DOE to reset tank waste cleanup priorities, with the goal of formulating a new set of milestones to govern that cleanup and keep it on track.

Under even the most optimistic scenario, we are still decades away from final cleanup of tank waste. Over such a long period, technologies and knowledge evolve, making it critically important to periodically reassess those cleanup plans and ensure they are aligned with current realities. These negotiations will impact the path forward on tank waste cleanup – which includes incorporating that waste into glass that will keep it stable for the hundreds and thousands of years it will remain radioactive.

I look forward to discovering the potential 2018 holds for fresh starts and renewed resolve at Hanford. I would love to end the year with reinvigorated working relationships among the agencies and contractors involved in this work, and seeing significant progress on cleanup as a result.

This story was originally published April 1, 2018 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Department of Ecology: Looking back on 2017 to see the path forward for 2018."