AMEM Corner

byStephen Mellington.........................................................................................................................Page 2

EM Site-Specific Advisory Boards Congregate in Las Vegas

byKelly Snyder.....................................................................................................................................Page 3

Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program Audit Overview

by Josh Dinsman.................................................................................................................................Pages 4-5

SHREDDING...a Novel Approach to Waste Disposal at the NTS

by John Myers.....................................................................................................................................Pages 6-7

EM PARTNER – National Security Technologies, LLC

by John Myers..................................................................................................................................Pages 8-9

From the High Seas to the High Desert: 

Admiral Talbot Takes Over as Manager of the Nevada Site Office

by Josh Dinsman..................................................................................................................... ............. . ..Page 10-11

Super Kukla: Teamwork At Its Finest!

by Nick Duhe......................................................................................................................................Page 12

Nevada Test Site Public Tours.......................................................................................................Page 13

ContactInformation.........................................................................................................................Page 14

Information Request.........................................................................................................................Page 15

DOE/NV--1197

Working Today To Protect Your Future

EM UPDATE

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Fall 20Spring 04 ed200 ition7
DOE/NV--1197 Back to First Page 2

EM Update Spring 2007

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AMEM Corner

by Stephen Mellington

All of us within the Environmental Management Program maintain a 

constant vigil to meet commitments to our stakeholders. One such 

commitment is the safe and responsible transportation of radioactive 

waste within the state of Nevada.

Last December, Nevada Site Office representatives briefed Las 

Vegas City Council members about on-going low-level and mixed 

low-level waste shipments to the Nevada Test Site, related disposal 

activities, regulatory drivers, and our dedication to safety and the 

community. During the meeting, Frank Di Sanza, the federal project 

director for Waste Management reiterated our commitment to communicate with the Council, other local agencies, and stakeholders – 

and to effectively follow up on any concerns or questions they may 

have. These efforts are in addition to the regular contact between the 

Nevada Site Office, the State of Nevada Divisions of Environmental 

Protection and Emergency Management, and emergency responders from several Nevada counties.

While the discussions with the Las Vegas City Council members 

were initiated from media coverage of our activities, it presented a 

welcome opportunity to explain our conservative approach to radioactive waste shipments as well as our procedures for the review and 

publication of related transportation data. The Nevada Site Office 

Environmental Management transportation webpage contains links 

to inbound shipment information and quarterly reports which are 

also disseminated to regional officials. In addition, Nevada Site 

Office Environmental Management representatives regularly brief 

the Community Advisory Board for Nevada Test Site Programs, a 

local stakeholder group.

Of course, the hard work and dedication of all Environmental Management personnel (federal and contractor alike) is required to meet 

our commitments. Jerry Talbot, the new Manager for the Nevada 

Site Office, leads by example and has infused a fresh approach to 

opportunities and challenges. Although the primary mission of the 

Nevada Site Office is stockpile stewardship, Jerry is very supportive 

of and committed to the success of our Environmental Management 

mission. As I see it, we are a cohesive team successfully working 

together to meet the needs of the U.S. Department of Energy Complex while ensuring the safety of the workers, the environment, and 

the public.

It is important to note that the commercial carriers of the radioactive waste 

must comply with U.S. Department of 

Transportation regulations (Title 49 

Code of Federal Regulations) and are 

legally bound by their contract with the 

waste generator. Therefore, generators are responsible for communicating 

Nevada Site Office routing preferences 

to the carrier and ensuring that the 

transportation of the waste is 

conducted in accordance with Section 

6.4 of the Nevada Test Site Waste 

Acceptance Criteria. The Nevada Site 

Office may suspend a generator’s 

shipments should the waste be 

transported in violation of the Criteria 

or if waste is not transported along one 

of the identified preferred routes.

In addition to route sensitivities, 

ongoing reviews of shipping 

campaigns and the associated 

disposal activities generate Lessons 

Learned. These areas of improvement 

are regularly communicated by 

Nevada Test Site Disposal Operations 

to the Radioactive Waste Acceptance 

Program. Upon completion of a 

detailed evaluation which considers 

factors such as safety and costeffectiveness, it may be determined 

that a revision to the Waste Acceptance Criteria is necessary. This was 

the case with intermodal containers 

used for 120 rail-truck shipments 

transferred in Cisco, Utah on its 

journey to the Nevada Test Site. 

Lessons Learned from this experience 

led to size and weight restrictions for 

the use of intermodal containers which 

are identified in Appendix F of the 

Nevada Test Site Waste Criteria.

Stephen Mellington, 

Assistant Manager for 

Environmental Management

(AMEM)
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EM Update Spring 2007

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EM Site-Specific Advisory Boards Congregate 

in Las Vegas

by Kelly Snyder 

With more than 50 people in attendance, citizens from communities 

located near seven U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites scattered throughout the country converged in Las Vegas, Nev. on 

March 28 – 29 to discuss and provide recommendations to the 

federal government on Environmental Management (EM) activities. 

Along with DOE Headquarters personnel, including the Assistant 

Secretary for EM, James Rispoli, advisory board members from 

each EM Site-Specific Advisory Board discussed a variety of issues 

including remote-handled transuranic waste, national technology 

development initiatives, and stakeholder participation in the federal 

government budget process.

The three day event kicked off with a full-day tour of the Nevada Test 

Site (NTS). A highlight for tour participants was the in-depth description and first-hand look at low-level radioactive waste disposal at the 

Radioactive Waste Management Complex. The tour also provided a 

glimpse into historical activities at the NTS, including a stop at 

Sedan Crater (location of an underground nuclear experiment which 

resulted in displacement of more than 12 million tons of soil), and the 

Apple II House, which was used as part of a Civil Defense exercise 

in 1955.

Jerry Talbot, the National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada 

Site Office Manager, opened the formal meeting by expressing his 

appreciation to participants for their volunteer efforts and went on to 

stress the importance of maintaining an EM program that is transparent and accountable. “It is our goal to have a cooperative relationship with the citizens that are near the Nevada Test Site. 

Ultimately, we are responsible for the area...but at the same time we 

know it is essential to include stakeholders in the process.”

With a very similar message, Assistant Secretary Rispoli offered the 

advisory boards the opportunity to further influence EM’s budget 

request to Congress by reviewing upcoming five-year budget projections. Mr. Rispoli underscored the importance of informing stakeholders of the budget process and invited their comments as to 

where federal dollars should be focused. 

The seven boards will continue discussions at a September 2007 

meeting that will be held at DOE’s Paducah, Ky. facility. To learn 

more about stakeholder involvement and Site-Specific Advisory 

Board activities, please log on to www.em.doe.gov.

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Boards were developed to involve stakeholders more 

directly in U.S. Department of Energy 

Environmental Management cleanup 

decisions. While only one Federal 

Advisory Committee Act-chartered 

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board exists, seven 

local Boards under the national charter 

have been organized at Hanford 

(Wash.), Idaho, Northern N.M., 

Nevada, Oak Ridge (Tenn.), Paducah 

(Ky.), and Savannah River (S.C.).
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EM Update Spring 2007

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Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program 

Audit Overview

by Josh Dinsman

When a normal household accumulates trash, getting rid of it is 

pretty easy: simply toss it in a dumpster or set it out by the curb on 

trash day, and that is the end of it. Disposing low-level radioactive 

waste, however, is – to say the least – a bit more involved.

For instance, when dealing with low-level radioactive waste, it is 

necessary to have some sort of framework to ensure that waste 

disposal is conducted in a safe and successful manner. At the 

Nevada Test Site (NTS), the Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program (RWAP) does just that. RWAP provides oversight for the 

twenty-nine approved generators that are spread across the U.S. 

Department of Energy (DOE) complex, located in fourteen different 

states from California to New York. As RWAP Manager Gary Pyles 

explains, “RWAP is responsible for both approving and monitoring 

generators to ensure that they are in compliance with the rules and 

regulations that have been established for waste disposal at the 

NTS.”

So what does one have to do to become an approved generator? 

According to Pyles, “Before RWAP gives its stamp of approval, a 

generator has to meet the requirements laid out in the Nevada Test 

Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC).” These criteria not only 

require generators to submit documentation, such as waste profiles 

and a Quality Assurance Program Plan, but also allow NTS RWAP 

personnel to conduct a thorough on-site facility evaluation.

Generators include both U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. 

Department of Defense-approved 

facilities that produce low-level or 

mixed low-level waste. The Nevada 

Test Site (NTS) currently accepts 

low-level and mixed low-level waste 

from 29 approved generators. Lowlevel waste disposed at the NTS 

generally consists of construction 

debris, trash, soil, and equipment that 

is radioactively contaminated, while 

mixed low-level waste consists of 

low-level waste “mixed” with a 

hazardous constituent. Hazardous 

wastes are materials that are toxic, 

corrosive, reactive, ignitable, or are 

specifically identified by the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency as 

“hazardous.” Generators must 

demonstrate that proposed waste 

meets established limitations on 

specific contents, including free 

liquids, particulates, compressed 

gases, disease-causing or infectious 

agents, or explosive material, as 

outlined in the Nevada Test Site 

Waste Acceptance Criteria.

1 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

2 Sandia National Laboratories - California

3 Boeing-Rocketdyne

4 General Atomics

5 National Security Technolologies, LLC

6 Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture

7 Idaho National Laboratory

8 Los Alamos National Labobatory

9 Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute

10 Scandia National Laboratories - New Mexico

11 Pantex Plant

12 Kansas City Plant

13 Argonne National Laboratory

14 Fermald

15 Portsmouth

15 West Valley Demonstration Project

17 Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

18 Aberdeen Proving Grounds

19 Paducah

20 Savannah River Site

21 Nuclear Fuel Service

22 Perma-Fix

23 Duratek

24 Foster-Wheeler

25 Oak Ridge National Laboratory

26 Oak Ridge Reservation

27 BWXT Y-12

28 Brookhaven National Laboratoty

29 Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Facility

Continued on next page
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Once a generator has been approved for waste shipment and disposal, it is then subject to periodic 

planned and unannounced facility evaluations. If auditors discover a problem during an on-site inspection, they have the authority to suspend the generator’s approval to send waste to the NTS for permanent 

disposal. When this occurs, the generator must resolve the problem and then request further review and 

approval before the NTS will again accept waste shipments.

During a facility evaluation, auditors inspect all stages of a generator’s waste management program, 

including generation, characterization, packaging, and shipment. An audit team, which usually consists 

of four members who are trained in at least one of four specific areas - quality assurance, traceability of 

waste, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) characterization, and radiological characterization - is responsible for conducting these on-site inspections. 

When an RWAP audit takes place, one of the most important members of the audit team is the Audit 

Team Lead (ATL). According to Pyles, “This is the individual that organizes, directs, and coordinates an 

audit.” For example, to start the audit process, the ATL holds a pre-audit team meeting to brief team 

members on the scope of the audit, assign areas of responsibility, provide checklists, and ensure that 

pertinent information needed for the audit is available.

Next, the ATL conducts an entrance meeting with the generator’s management team to review the audit 

plan, introduce audit team members, discuss the audit process, and establish channels of communication. Then the real work begins....

During the actual audit, team members review a generator’s program to verify that it complies with the 

NTSWAC. According to Pyles, “RWAP critiques a generator’s program by watching personnel go about 

their daily tasks, such as analyzing jars of soil or preparing waste for shipment.” If deficiencies are 

discovered, the RWAP team issues a Corrective Action Request (CAR). CARs require the generator to 

document a root cause, establish a corrective action, and implement steps to preclude occurrence. If a 

generator fails to respond to a CAR, penalties such as a suspension of shipping and disposal of specific 

waste streams are imposed.

Once the audit is complete, the ATL meets with fellow team members to ensure that all activities have 

been completed, to identify deficiencies and observations, and to reach consensus on the generator’s 

programmatic compliance. Finally, the audit concludes with an exit meeting where the ATL discusses the 

overall results of the audit with the generator’s management team, presents CAR conditions, provides a 

draft audit summary, and discusses the actions required to complete the audit. 

Audits are considered to be closed once the ATL issues an audit report, completes an audit checklist and 

Memorandum for the Record (MFR), and updates the facility evaluation log. Once the audit is complete, 

ATLs continue to track any CARs that were issued during the original audit until they are closed. 

Although it is a detailed and exhaustive procedure, Pyles notes that “the RWAP audit process is critical 

in determining if a generator’s waste certification program is adequately documented, implemented, and 

in compliance with the NTSWAC.” Through their hard work, ATLs and the rest of the RWAP team facilitate the management of low-level radioactive waste in a safe and compliant manner, while ensuring the 

integrity of the Nevada Test Site disposal operations and the protection of the workers, the public, and 

the environment.
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EM Update Spring 2007

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SHREDDING...

a Novel Approach to Waste Disposal at the NTS

by John Myers

The Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture (SNJV) Industrial Sites team has 

been addressing a big challenge: characterizing and disposing 

nearly 80,000 containers of soil and vegetation samples that are 

stored at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). To further complicate matters, 

the samples are in containers ranging in size from 0.5-liter bottles to 

5-gallon metal buckets. Working closely with the U.S. Department of 

Energy, the team took a look at the task and came up with an innovative approach that will not only provide for appropriate sampling of 

the container contents to ensure that they meet the NTS Waste 

Acceptance Criteria – but will also ensure the safest approach to 

human health and the environment. Believe it or not, the method 

selected is something akin to what is now a common household 

object -- a shredder. 

Needless to say, the team envisioned a shredder somewhat larger 

and more powerful than the household version that jams when more 

than a few pieces of paper are fed through the slot! After more than 

a year of planning, and a three-month procurement process, an 

industrial-sized shredder -- measuring 7’ high x 7’ wide x 2.5’ long -- 

is now on-site. 

This massive unit is designed to process approximately 200 containers per hour. Once everything is in place, the 80,000 containers will 

be individually placed on a covered conveyor belt and fed directly 

into the shredder. As each container is shredded, it drops directly 

into a large metal box that can then be safely disposed at the Radioactive Waste Management Site at the NTS. Instead of opening each 

individual container to assess its contents, representative samples 

will be taken as each box is filled with the shredded material. 

This novel approach to waste consolidation is faster, more cost 

effective, and reduces risks as low as reasonably achievable for 

those involved in disposal activities. Yet another advantage to this 

approach is that the volume of waste will be drastically reduced. 

Similar to crushing empty plastic bottles and aluminum cans to save 

space in the recycling bin, the industrial shredder will compact the 

containers to maximize disposal efficiency. It is estimated that the 

disposal volume will be reduced by 50-65 percent from the original 

container volume, and the required sampling of the containers will 

be reduced by 80-90 percent. It is estimated it will take 10 weeks to 

shred the samples. 

Samples contain soil and 

vegetation collected subsequent to historical testing 

activities conducted in the 

1950s, 1960s and 1970s at 

the Nevada Test Site (NTS) 

and islands throughout the 

south Pacific.

 

Thousands of samples were 

taken during the 1970s and 

1980s to support historic 

studies at the NTS.

The samples have been 

stored in Area 26 of the NTS 

since the mid-1970s.

Continued on next page
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EM Update Spring 2007

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The resulting volume and sampling cost efficiencies far outweigh the $80,000 initial price of the industrial 

shredder, but one of the most important benefits to using the shredder cannot be expressed in dollars. 

Since some samples may be radioactive, it is important to reduce potential hazards to workers. Reducing 

handling time is an integral part to reducing possible exposure. Workers will only handle the samples a 

short distance from their shelves and place them on the covered conveyor belt, which will then feed the 

shredding mechanism situated approximately 10-15 feet away from workers. Additionally, to minimize 

flying debris and airborne particles, the shredder operates at a steady, low speed. As a further precaution, 

respiratory protection is part of the required personal protective equipment, and the proper air permits will 

be obtained before any shredding activities begin.

The benefits of the shredder may not end here! Upon completion of this project, the shredder will be 

dismantled and decontaminated, so that it will be available for future projects at the NTS.
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EM PARTNER – 

National Security Technologies, LLC

by John Myers

Nestled away in a remote area of the Nevada Test Site, a crew works 

day after day disposing waste from across the country. But this is not 

just any waste; nor is this just any crew. This is low-level radioactive 

waste and this crew is a group of workers who have chosen to work 

together as a family.

Merl Schwartzwalter, the NSTec Low-Level Waste Supervisor, says 

this “family of highly dedicated individuals, works together in many 

different conditions to accomplish one goal: to get the job done 

safely.” The key to this goal, according to Schwartzwalter, is a positive attitude. With a track record of more than 304,000 work hours 

without a lost time accident, it appears this family is doing something 

right in its quest to meet the most important goal of NSTec: to complete every task safely while complying with all regulations and 

agreements.

This close-knit group embodies the dedication and teamwork of 

NSTec, the Management and Operating contractor for the U.S. 

Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration 

Nevada Site Office (NSO) since 2006. But not all of the programs 

that NSTec supports are located on the Nevada Test Site, or even in 

Las Vegas. NSTec provides applied science and engineering support to Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. NSTec scientists 

also have a presence at the Special Technologies Laboratory in California and the Remote Sensing Laboratory near Washington, D.C. 

However, more than two-thirds of NSTec’s employees can be found 

at the Nevada Test Site and the Las Vegas and North Las Vegas 

facilities. NSTec provides necessary services to the entire Nevada 

Test Site Complex and the NSO. Services include project management, engineering, facility and infrastructure management, construction, maintenance, utilities, emergency management and rescue, 

and site services. A wide range of activities including administration, 

national security operations, defense experimentation, stockpile 

stewardship, and environmental management also take place. 

Northrop Grumman

Corporation, AECOM,

CH2M Hill, and Nuclear

Fuel Services formed 

NSTec in 2005.

Each parent company 

brings different backgrounds 

and experiences to the 

table.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leader in 

advanced defense technologies, with experience in the 

management of complex 

operations.

AECOM, the world’s largest 

architecture and 

engineering firm, has 

decades of experience 

working on the Nevada Test 

Site as Holmes and Narver. 

CH2M Hill provides revolutionary ideas in environmental and waste management.

Nuclear Fuel Services brings 

extensive experience in 

nuclear operations as the 

provider of nuclear fuel for 

the US Navy.

Continued on next page
DOE/NV--1197 Back to First Page 9

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A major focus of NSTec’s Environmental Management mission is the safe handling and management of 

transuranic and low-level and mixed low-level waste. A significant difference between these two activities 

is that all transuranic waste is destined for permanent disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near 

Carlsbad, New Mexico; while low-level and mixed low-level waste is accepted from approved federal generator sites across the United States for disposal at the Nevada Test Site. NSTec is responsible for ensuring that all waste types undergo proper characterization, size reduction, and repackaging in the safest and 

most cost-effective manner. In the case of low-level and mixed low-level waste, NSTec actively communicates and supports generator efforts to complete the rigorous certification and approval process required 

prior to the shipment of waste to the Nevada Test Site for disposal. “This proactive communication, along 

with increased efficiencies in the waste profile review process, has promoted a more open relationship 

between NSTec and waste generators and ultimately saves tax-payer dollars through a reduction of overall disposal costs,” adds Greg Geisinger, Manager of NSTec’s Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program. 

The second major aspect of NSTec’s Environmental Management activities is the remediation of legacy 

environmental contamination remaining at the Nevada Test Site from years of nuclear research and testing. Potential contamination of the groundwater resulting from the 828 historic underground nuclear tests 

at the Nevada Test Site is investigated by scientists within the Underground Test Area sub-project. NSTec 

is involved in the planning, engineering, management and construction of groundwater wells to obtain 

water and soil samples which are analyzed. The data compiled from the laboratory analyses is used to 

identify where the groundwater is located and how it moves, which is essential to establishing a long-term 

groundwater monitoring network. 

In addition to groundwater contamination, surface contamination is also a concern on the Nevada Test 

Site. The Industrial Sites sub-project is tasked with remediating areas located at the Nevada Test Site and 

the Nevada Test and Training Range that were used to support past nuclear testing operations. NSTec 

supports these remediation efforts by providing technical expertise, union labor force, heavy equipment, 

and any construction support needed. NSTec also manages any waste generated during the activities. 

One notable task in progress is the decontamination and decommissioning of the Area 27 Super Kukla 

Facility. NSTec and the NSO’s Architectural and Engineering contractor are interfacing to close the facility 

this year. (To learn more about this joint effort, take a look at the article entitled “Super Kukla: Teamwork 

At Its Finest!”) 

Although all of the initiatives described above bring a unique set of challenges, NSTec’s overarching priority is to complete every task safely while complying with all regulations and agreements. Needless to say, 

they are off to a great start, and we’ll keep you updated on this family’s accomplishments in future editions 

of the EM Update.
DOE/NV--1197 Back to First Page 10

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From the High Seas to the High Desert: 

Admiral Talbot Takes Over as Manager of the 

Nevada Site Office

by Josh Dinsman

After a stellar 35-year career in the United States Navy, most of us 

would probably opt for retirement, perhaps to a place far from the 

sea, where the weather is sunny, warm, and, well – dry! However, 

for Rear Admiral Gerald L. Talbot, Jr., moving to Las Vegas, Nev. 

after his retirement from the U.S. Navy had little to do the city’s 

inland location or its desert climate. Instead, this move offered Talbot 

an opportunity to start a new chapter in his distinguished career in 

public service by assuming the role of Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration 

(NNSA) Nevada Site Office (NSO). 

As of January 2007, responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the approximately 1,375-square-mile Nevada Test Site 

(NTS) and its associated sites and facilities rests with Talbot. In his 

new position, Talbot oversees and implements NNSA initiatives 

related to stockpile stewardship and management, nuclear test 

readiness, crisis management, nuclear nonproliferation, environmental management and stewardship, alternative energy, and 

science and technology development.

But why take on such a demanding role at this stage in one’s career? 

For Talbot, the answer is simple... “After retiring from the Navy, I 

wanted something different, but I also still wanted to contribute.” In 

his new role, Talbot is putting his leadership experience to use by 

ensuring that work at the NTS is conducted effectively and efficiently. 

As Talbot explains, “The government is often saddled with the reputation of being a resource consumer. We want to change that image. 

We want to understand the business aspects of what we do here. 

We want to really understand the product we deliver so that we can 

provide it to the public at the best value. That requires leadership.”

And leadership experience is exactly what Talbot brings to the NTS. 

Before retiring from the U.S. Navy, Talbot served as the Director of 

the Military Personnel Plans and Policy Division – a $25 billion 

program designed to plan and execute all Navy policies that govern 

the accession and career management of 360,000 officer and 

enlisted personnel. Earlier in his career, Talbot commenced sea duty 

on the USS Silversides after one year of naval nuclear training. His 

other sea assignments included Weapons Officer on the USS Sunfish, Chief Engineer of the USS James K. Polk, Executive Officer 

aboard the USS Aspro, Commanding Officer of the USS Tautog, and 

Commander of Submarine Squadron Eight.

Rear Admiral 

Gerald L. Talbot, Jr.

Continued on next page
DOE/NV--1197 Back to First Page 11

EM Update Spring 2007

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Talbot’s shore tours began with the DOE’s Naval Reactors Programs as a special assistant to the Director. 

From this assignment he served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel as the Nuclear Enlisted Program Manager. Talbot also served as the Executive Assistant Chief of Naval Operations (Undersea Warfare); Deputy 

Secretary, Joint Staff; Director of the Submarine/Nuclear Power Distribution Division; and as the Nuclear 

Propulsion Program Manager at the Bureau of Naval Personnel. 

Despite his wealth of experience and his new leadership role as Manager of the NSO, Talbot wants his 

employees to know that he is still approachable. “I want people to know that I have made my separation 

from the Navy. I’m Jerry now, not The Admiral. Basically, I am just another employee.” 

Having been an employee of the NSO for a couple of months now, what does Talbot think of his latest 

career decision? As he himself states, “Professionally, the people are great. At every level of management, 

whether it’s in the office or out at the site, these are really just good people and great Americans. I’m 

impressed with their focus on safety and security, but also on getting the job done.” 

Personally, Talbot is also happy with the decision he has made. “Having spent 35 years in the Navy, being 

on submarines, away from home for months at a time, it is nice to be able to come home every night to my 

wife and enjoy the typical American home setting. Definitely, there have been no disappointments.”
DOE/NV--1197 Back to First Page 12

EM Update Spring 2007

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Super Kukla: Teamwork At Its Finest!

by Nick Duhe

When last we left the Super Kukla (Super K) project in the Winter 

2006 EM Update, the Industrial Sites Sub-Project was in Phase 

One of a six-step process to decontaminate and decommission the 

site (see “It’s a Bird; It’s a Plane, No! It’s Super K!”) 

 

Since that time, much has been accomplished at the Super K site. 

Samples have been collected, surveys conducted, and air monitoring established; but the real highlight was demolition and removal 

of the Reactor High Bay building. Although I tried to capture what 

actually took place that cold day in January, I just couldn’t do the 

event justice, so instead I made a video. Take a few minutes to

check it out. 

When asked about the reactor high bay demolition, Stoller-Navarro 

Joint Venture (SNJV) Project Task Manager Mark Burmeister had 

high words of praise for everyone involved from both the SNJV and 

NSTec teams. “The experience and skill of the operators working 

the Hydraulic Shears and the front loader made taking down the 

building and removing the waste look easy,” said Burmeister. 

As if that were not enough, team members also successfully packaged and shipped waste oil containing polychlorinated biphenyls 

(PCBs) and low-level radionuclides to the Toxic Substance Control 

Act (TSCA) incinerator operating at the U.S. Department of 

Energy’s facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The bottom line is that effective planning, teamwork and communication all ensured that Super Kukla decontamination and decommissioning is ahead of schedule and under budget. Field work was 

completed in March and the final closure report is due to the State 

of Nevada in September 2007.

The Toxic Substances Control Act 

(TSCA) became law on October 11, 

1976 to become effective on January 

1, 1977, except Section 4 (f) which 

took effect two years later. The Act 

authorized the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency to secure information on all new and existing chemical 

substances, as well as to control any 

of the substances that were 

determined to cause unreasonable 

risk to public health or the environment. Congress later added 

additional titles to the Act, with this 

original part designated at Title I - 

Control of Hazardous Substances. 

For more information on TSCA 

click here for the EPA website.
DOE/NV--1197 13

EM Update Spring 2007

May 30, 2007

July 11, 2007

June 21, 2007

August 22, 2007

September 18, 2007

October 23, 2007

November 20, 2007

December 20, 2007

Tour participants will visit historic nuclear test locations, such as Sedan Crater, as well as observe areas

where work activities are currently taking place, like the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. The

tour covers approximately 250 miles. Call (702) 295-0944 for more information.

Nevada Test Site Public Tours

2007 Schedule

Radioactive Waste

Management Complex

Sedan Crater

Railroad Bridge

Apple II House

Back to First Page
DOE/NV--1197 14

EM Update Spring 2007

Questions should be directed to:

Office of Public Affairs

702-295-3521

U.S. Department of Energy

National Nuclear Security Administration

Nevada Site Office

Office of Environmental Management

P.O. Box 98518

Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518

EM Update is published by:

Office of Environmental Management

Nevada Site Office

Editor:

Carla Sanda

Layout:

Craig Jordan

Back to First Page
15

EM Update Spring 2007

To request information on Environmental Management

activities, including the Community Advisory Board,

e-mail your request to envmgt@nv.doe.gov.

Include your name, address, phone number

and information request.

If you would like to be added to the Environmental

Management mailing list and receive electronic news

regarding Environmental Management activities please e-mail

us at envmgt@nv.doe.gov.

DOE/NV--1197 Back to First Page