In a project update at the West Valley Citizen Task Force meeting held Wednesday, Sept. 23, Bryan Bower, Department of Energy director, said that it has been a year since the last reportable accident on site. “About two weeks ago we celebrated one year without a recordable injury and are now approaching 7 million hours with only one lost-time work injury,” he said.

Citing safety performance figures, Bower said that WVDP has gone two years and five months without a lost-time work injury; 1.8 million hours without a lost-time work injury and one year without a recordable injury. Comparing these numbers to 15 other environmental management plants and subcontractors, WVDP ranked first in safety, and, as Bower said, “Bragging about this is OK.”

Bower then gave an update on the impact of the Aug. 9 and 10 storm events, which he said had minimal impacts on the WVDP facilities. He said a culvert pipe under the roadway leading to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed Disposal Area was plugged and eroded; there was minor erosion on non-paved roadways which have now all been repaired, and a plugged laundry discharge line which may or may not have been related to the storm. With respect to lakes and dams, high water levels occurred with some surface erosion and brush has been cleared and grass cut on the face of the dams to facilitate weekly dam and spillway inspections. “We’re looking at how we can shift some money around to repair the spillways,” he said.

Bower also said the railroad repair at the Fox Valley Road landslide area is nearing completion and that drainage enhancements will be added to improve bank stability. Track is due to be installed in the next few weeks. Apparently a large amount of gravel was washed down stream but large boulders stayed where they were.

Other project updates cited by Bower were accomplished in the main plant, including isolating and decontaminating acid vessels which required a 200 ton crane to bring them out of the building. “It’s a pretty impressive operation to watch,” noted Bower. Once removed, the vessels were packed for off-site shipment and disposal.

Other work in the main plant included what Bower described as significant asbestos removal which has now been completed. “Just about everything done in the ’60s, we are trying to undo,” he said. “We also have to deal with a lot of hazardous waste.”

It is anticipated that all the work in the Acid Recovery Cell in the main plant will be completed mid-October.

Bower said that since June, there are 54 newly hired employees at the plant including site operators, supervisors, professional staff and janitors, all hired under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Finally, Bower noted that the Revised Draft Environment Impact Statement public comment period closed on Sept. 8, with a revised anticipated date for the final statement in Feb. 2010. The revised anticipated date for Record of Decision will be March 2010. The next regular meeting of the Citizen Task Force will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Ashford Office Complex in Ashford Hollow.