DOE EM Weekly Report - 02/09/01

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT WEEKLY REPORT - February 9, 2001

I	Schedule

2/15-16	Dr Huntoon will be at Florida International University (FIU) for
an environmental R&D review. Mr. Owendoff will be Acting Assistant
Secretary in her absence.

II	Key Departmental News

Status of Maxey Flats Disposal Site in Morehead, Kentucky:
Decommissioning of the leachate removal system piping and leachate
storage tanks was completed ahead of schedule by two months and 50
percent under budget ($500K).  This was partially due to the contractor
starting preparations for decommissioning last summer when leachate
levels had significantly diminished.  The contractor was able to
transition quickly into decommissioning once EPA issued its stop pumping
decision and made efficient use of its crews by blending decommissioning
with shutdown activities.  Kentucky's Finance Cabinet recently sent a
delegation to the site and as a result appears to have produced funding
for Kentucky to move forward on its project obligations. 
Media Interest:  None
Program Contact:  Paul Beam, 301-903-8133

Potential DOE Responsibility for Nuclear Weapons Accident Contamination
at U.S. Air Force (USAF) Bases:  Major William M. Pramenko, Headquarters
USAF Program Manager, Nuclear Energy Systems Radiological Safety,
visited with George Rael, Director, Albuquerque Operations Office
Environmental Restoration (ER) Division, on February 1.  The purpose of
the visit was to understand DOE's environmental restoration program and
determine DOE's involvement in remediating military sites with nuclear
weapons accident contamination.  It was apparent that the USAF believes
DOE is responsible for such cleanups.  The immediate concerns are at
Chennalt Air Force Base in LA and Medina Air Force Base in TX.  Mr. Rael
explained the ER Program and requested that Major Pramenko get in touch
with DOE Headquarters on any remediation efforts.
Media Interest:  None
Program Contact:  D. Mathes, 301-903-7222

DOE Requested to Participate in Congressional Site Visit to Medina Air
Force Base in TX:  In conjunction with the above item, Peter Tyler,
staffer for Congressman Nick Lampson, TX, called George Rael, Director,
Albuquerque Operations Office (AL) Environmental Restoration Division to
request DOE participation in a tour of the Medina site near San Antonio.
Mr. Tyler and a representative from Congressman Gonzales' office would
like to tour Medina sometime in February.  Mr. Rael contacted Lackland
Air Force Base for their coordination.  Colonel P. Fink, Lackland Air
Force Base, has asked that DOE participate because of the weapons
accident that occurred at one of the igloos in 1963 and to respond to
questions on the DOE operations at the site.  Health compensation
questions will also be a topic during the tour; therefore, staff from
the DOE Headquarters Office for Environment, Safety and Health will be
asked to participate.
Media Interest:  None
Program Contact:  D. Mathes, 301-903-7222

Rocky Flats Integrated Closure Project Baseline (ICPB) Development: 
There has been increasing external interest in the Rocky Flats ICPB,
including a letter from the DOE Office of Management and Administration
identifying the need to designate formal project management authority, a
similar recommendation from the General Accounting Office within the
recently issued report on Rocky Flats closure and inquiries from Senator
Allard's (CO) staff.  It is likely that the Senator will raise the topic
and the complex-wide value of such efforts to the Secretary during the
hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 8.  A Q&A
has been prepared by the Office of Integration and Disposition (EM-20). 
Media Interest:  None
Program Contact:  Christine Gelles, 301-903-1669

GAO Report on the Closure of Rocky Flats:  The General Accounting Office
has provided their follow-on report assessing the Department's progress
toward closure of the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site
(required by P.L. 106-65).  Rocky Flats Field Office and the Office of
Site Closure are working collaboratively to develop a formal response to
the report, which GAO has requested by February 9.  It is planned that
the response will be in the form of a joint letter signed by the
Manager, Rocky Flats Field Office, and the Assistant Secretary for
Environmental Management with an attachment detailing specific comments
and corrections.
Media Interest:  Congressional
Program Contact:  Christine Gelles, 301-903-1669

Contributions of the Deactivation and Decommissioning Focus Area (D&DFA)
Recognized in the "Decommissioning Technology Update" Newsletter:  In
the January 2001 edition of the "Decommissioning Technology Update"
newsletter published by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI),
the Office of Science and Technology's D&DFA is recognized for its
contribution to several technology demonstrations performed at shutdown
commercial nuclear power plants.  These include the demonstration of a
large bore pipe and structural steel decontamination system at Consumers
Energy's Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Station and demonstrations of a
concrete floor shaver, a concrete wall shaver, and an on-line
measurement system at Sacramento Municipal Utility District's Rancho
Seco Nuclear Power Station.  These demonstrations were conducted as part
of the activities of the Department of Energy (DOE)/Utility D&D
Consortium which was formed in December 1997 and consists of the D&DFA,
EPRI, and about 10 closed nuclear power plants collectively known as the
"dead plant society."  The consortium was formed to mutually benefit
both DOE  and the nuclear utilities because both share common problems
in decommissioning of radioactively-contaminated facilities.  Technical
exchange workshops and additional demonstrations are planned for future
activities.
Media Interest:  National
Program Contact:  Jerry Hyde, 301-903-7914

Star Status:  DynCorp Tri-Cities Services, the Fluor Hanford
subcontractor responsible for managing Hanford's landlord functions such
as utilities and maintenance, received the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration Voluntary Protection Program Star status.  Star
status represents the highest designation in the program.
Media Interest:  Local
Program Contact:  Bill Levitan, 202-586-7357

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Shipments:  As of February 6, WIPP
has received 145 shipments (17-LANL, 38?INEEL, 85-RFETS, and 5-Hanford)
since March 1999.  WIPP is scheduled to receive six shipments this week
from RFETS and INEEL.  Three shipments from RFETS and three from INEEL,
weather permitting.
Media Interest:  None
Program Contact:  Mary Bisesi, 301-903-7416 

III	Work on Secretarial Initiatives
IV	Press Inquiries
V	FOIA Requests
VI	Grants, Economic Announcements and Publications
VII	Climate Change
VIII	Disaster Assistance
-- 
.....................................................
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee
                       -----                       
A schedule of meetings on DOE issues is posted on our Web site
http://www.local-oversight.org/meetings.html - E-mail loc@icx.net
.....................................................
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