WORKING TODAY TO PROTECT YOUR FUTURE

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 

EM UPDATE

Transuranic Waste Leaves NTS for WIPP 

“...it’s good to see our hard work finally paying off.” 

On January 7, 2004, the Nevada Test 

Site (NTS) made its first shipment of transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot 

Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. 

Throughout the remainder of 2004, approximately 60 shipments are planned to 

be made from Nevada to this underground 

repository for permanent disposal. 

“The successful shipping of the NTS 

legacy transuranic waste to WIPP is due to 

the efforts of many individuals involved in 

the project over the years,” said Angela 

Colarusso, transuranic waste project manager. “As we begin our shipping campaign, 

it is good to see our hard work finally paying off.” 

Shipments were originally scheduled to 

leave the NTS in July of 2003 but were suspended when routing negotiations with the 

state of California stalled. NTS waste personnel, who had spent months – even yearspreparing for shipment, were eager and ready 

to ship when the Western Governors’ Association, the state of California, and the Secretary of Energy negotiated to allow shipments to proceed on California State Route 

127. 

Before shipments could proceed, waste 

personnel were charged with the arduous 

task of incorporating extensive safety measures and formal certifications into the program. “Our goal is to work safely and be as 

efficient as possible. At the end of December 

2003, more than 123,000 hours were worked 

without a lost-time accident,” said Colarusso. 

“This statistic is significant considering what 

goes into preparing for a shipment and overall 

waste management operations.” 

Prior to Shipment, How is the 

Waste Screened? 

For transuranic waste to be eligible for shipment to WIPP, each 55-gallon drum must undergo an extensive screening process. The Central Characterization Project (CCP), which is deployed from WIPP to the Nevada Test Site, conducts a three part-analysis which includes: 

(continued on page 5) 

Nevada Highway Patrol escorts transuranic waste shipment to Nevada border. 

Approximately 23,700 cubic feet of 

transuranic waste was received at the 

Nevada Test Site (NTS) between 1974 

and 1990. The waste is contained in 

metal drums and boxes and is housed 

in a steel-framed, fabric-covered 

building at the NTS’s Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex 

awaiting shipment to WIPP. Most of 

the waste was generated as part of a 

United States nuclear weapons 

research and development program at 

the Lawrence Livermore National 

Laboratory near Oakland, California. 

February 2004 
2 EM Update 

AMEM Corner

by Carl Gertz 

the help of our contractors, customers, and stakeholders: 

In terms of national impacts, 

low-level radioactive waste 

Carl Gertz is the Assistant Manager of 

Environmental Management (AMEM) 

It certainly doesn’t seem possible — but we 

are already several months into fiscal year (FY) 

2004 Environmental Management activities. 

Headquarters is still in the process of determining budgets for the individual EM offices 

because of a delay in funding approval by Congress. We anticipate that our budget will be 

close to the FY 2003 allocation of $90 million. 

Needless to say, our project work plans are in 

place and our waste management and environmental restoration activities are well underway. 

However, before FY 2003 fades too far into 

the past, I want to take a moment to recap some 

of the phenomenal milestones achieved with 

management remained at the forefront of our 

services to 25 generators throughout the Department of Energy complex. In fact, more 

than 3.2 million cubic feet of waste was received and disposed at the Nevada Test Site 

without incident. More than 2,000 shipments 

safely arrived at our gate in total compliance 

with state of Nevada routing agreements. It’s 

likely that FY 2004 shipments will also approach the same number, so we are committed 

to maintain that level of excellence to ensure 

that Department of Energy sites throughout the 

country can continue down the road of accelerated cleanup and closure. A tremendous 

amount of work has also taken place on our 

low-level mixed waste permit application with 

the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. In the months ahead, it’s likely that the 

State will sponsor a public information meeting to seek out comments to the permit application, so I encourage you to become involved 

in that process. We’re also pleased with the 

progress of our transuranic waste program. In 

early January, the Nevada Test Site sent its first 

transuranic waste shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. I commend 

the team for continuing to work diligently and 

safely throughout this process and encourage 

them to keep up the good work as they prepare approximately 60 more shipments to go 

out over the course of this year. 

Not to be outdone by the waste management side of the house, Environmental Restoration activities continued along at a quick 

clip in 2003: 

• The Underground Test Area (UGTA) 

project completed drilling five wells in 

Yucca Flat – followed by development 

and testing efforts. In addition, we began work on the groundwater flow model 

for Pahute Mesa – this effort will provide much-needed information to better 

understand groundwater flow paths in the 

Pahute Mesa region. 

• As most of you know, the Industrial Sites 

project has always “chalked up” some 

phenomenal accomplishments – and this 

year was no exception. The project team 

completed 126 assessments – 110 

remediations – and the deactivation and 

decommissioning of the Reactor Maintenance Assembly and Disassembly facility. 

• A key initiative in the Offsites project was 

ongoing stakeholder involvement on the 

Amchitka Island, Alaska project – sev 

(continued on page 4) 

Also Inside this Issue... 

Industrial Sites Project Cleans Up for Less.................. 3 

UGTA Project Makes Plans for Coming Year................ 4 

NTS Helps Accelerate Cleanup by Disposing Record 

Levels of Low-Level Waste ......................................... 5

The Federal Budget Process... In a Nutshell............... 6

EM Employees of the Month........................................ 6

A New Student Forum Gets to Work............................ 7

EM Welcomed Fall at the Pahrump Fall Festival......... 7
EM Update 3 

Industrial Sites Project Cleans Up for Less 

Heavy equipment 

known as Hydraulic 

Shears were used at 

the R-MAD decontamination facility to 

safely dismantle the 

structure. 

Ordnance found in waste disposal 

trenches at the Tonopah Test Range 

had to be removed. 

Throughout the past year the Environmental Management’s (EM) Industrial Sites 

group has continuously implemented ways 

to safely and successfully carry out cleanup 

activities while saving taxpayer’s money. 

The cost savings on the following two recent projects amounts to a staggering $1.15 

million. 

In April of 2003, the Industrial Sites team 

successfully deactivated and decommissioned the Reactor Maintenance, Assembly, 

and Disassembly (R-MAD) facility at the 

Nevada Test Site in preparation for future 

demolition or reuse. Built in 1961, the massive three-story facility was originally used 

for the development of nuclear rocket technology. Once deactivation and decommissioning was complete, the Industrial Sites 

team enlisted the help of the Waste Minimization group to recycle more than 90,000 

pounds of lead, primarily in the form of solid 

shielding, bricks, and shielding doors. If not 

recycled, the material would have required 

costly handling and disposal. In total, the recycling effort saved the project $250,000. 

Also recycled were several observation windows containing leaded glass as well as fifteen, 55-gallon drums of mineral oil. 

In September 2003, the Industrial Sites 

group completed a challenging project that 

involved the remediation of several waste 

disposal trenches at the Tonopah Test Range, 

235 miles north of the Nevada Test Site. 

Test Site was considerable); and finally 

• Utilizing Sandia National Laboratories existing contractor (Westinghouse) facilities 

at the range at almost no cost rather than 

paying to bring in trailers and office equipment. Westinghouse also supplied heavy 

equipment and other services at minimal 

or no charge. 

Clearly, the cooperation of the U.S Air Force 

played a significant role in the success of this 

effort, and the Industrial Sites team would like 

to thank them again for their assistance. The 

team also thanks Sandia and Westinghouse 

for their continued support. Their cooperation over the past ten years has helped make 

the TTR Industrial Sites program a definitive 

success. 

Working alongside the U.S. Air Force, who 

maintains oversight of the range, the Industrial Sites group found innovative ways to save 

time and money—$900,000 to be exact. Here 

are some ways the Industrial Sites group 

achieved this dramatic savings: 

• Streamlining the stages of remediation 

and related documents (i.e., one report 

was developed instead of three); 

• Utilizing on-site Air Force resources and 

personnel at no cost to remove and dispose of all ordnance rather than bringing 

in costly labor; 

• Disposing sanitary waste at the Air Force 

landfill versus shipping the waste to the 

Nevada Test Site for disposal; 

• Using the Air Force construction landfill 

to dispose hundreds of cubic yards of 

excavated soil that contained construction debris and remnants from burn pits 

(the cost to ship this soil to the Nevada 

Waste Disposal Trenches at the Tonopah Test Range 

R-MAD 
4 EM Update 

eral stakeholder meetings were conducted to update the community on accomplishments and the path forward. 

In fact, we are making excellent 

progress on completion of the Record 

of Decision related to closure of the 

surface at Amchitka. 

In closing, on behalf of the entire Environmental Management program, I’d like 

to express my appreciation for the months 

of volunteer work provided by members 

of the Community Advisory Board for 

Nevada Test Site Programs (CAB). The 

CAB reached a milestone with its ten years 

of operation – and when I look at where 

we started versus where we’ve come, I 

credit the support and input of the CAB for 

our ability to move the Environmental 

Management program forward. The CAB 

Newsletter is enclosed here, and I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it 

and become familiar with this valued team 

of volunteers. In FY 2003, the CAB has 

worked tirelessly to provide some focused 

feedback on future UGTA activities, they 

have represented our site at several national 

events, and they have untiringly supported 

our budget prioritization and waste management activities. Please join me in expressing our appreciation to the CAB for 

their ten years of work – and extend our 

best wishes to them as we move into 2004 

and beyond. 

(AMEM Corner... continued from page 2) 

“the Industrial Sites project has 

always ‘chalked up’ some 

phenomenal accomplishments 

– and this year was no exception.” 

UGTA Project Makes Plans for 

the Coming Year 

Members of the Underground Test 

Area (UGTA) Project met in late October of 

2003 to discuss findings from the previous 

year and outline plans for the coming year. 

From month to month, project members work 

on a variety of separate tasks relating to the 

project (e.g., groundwater modeling, well development, sampling, etc.). October’s meeting gave members the opportunity to meet in 

one location and provide a detailed year-end 

status to the entire group. 

Under the U.S. Department of Energy’s 

lead, the UGTA team combines the talents of 

experts from a variety of entities, such as the 

Desert Research Institute, the U.S. Geological Survey, Lawrence Livermore National 

Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 

Bechtel Nevada, and Stoller-Navarro. These 

groups work toward the common goal of understanding the complex behavior of groundwater at the Nevada Test Site. 

The meeting, held at the National Atomic 

Testing History Institute, began with a Technical Working Group Poster Session. At this 

time poster stations were established to visually demonstrate progress and/or new findings. Formal presentations followed detailing planned activities for 2004 and how 

these activities fit into the overall UGTA 

approach. 

In addition to members of the UGTA 

team, representatives from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and 

several members from the volunteer-based 

Community Advisory Board were also in 

attendance. 

UGTA gets to work in the field: 

crew runs submersible pump in a well. 

2004 Schedule 

2/18/2004 9/28/2004

3/23/2004 10/20/2004 

4/07/2004 11/23/2004 

5/26/2004 12/14/2004

6/22/2004 

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 Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Sites. The tour 

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

Nevada Test Site 

Public Tours 
EM Update 5 

THE LATEST... IN WASTE 

NTS Helps Accelerate Cleanup by Disposing 

Record Levels of Low-Level Waste 

The numbers for fiscal year 2003 are in, 

and records indicate that the Nevada Test Site 

(NTS) disposed an unprecedented amount of 

low-level waste for the year. Waste management personnel report that from October 2002 

to October 2003, NTS accepted more than 3.2 

million cubic feet of low-level waste – making it the largest quantity in NTS history. 

Over the past several years, waste management personnel have seen steady increases 

in low-level waste disposal volumes. From 

2000 to 2001, volumes nearly doubled from 

645 thousand cubic feet to over 1.2 million 

cubic feet. And in 2002, those totals jumped 

significantly to 2.3 million cubic feet. 

(Waste to WIPP... continued from page 1) 

• a visual examination by x-ray (non-destructive examination) to ensure the 

drum does not contain any prohibited 

items such as free liquids; 

• a measurement of the radiological isotopes to assure that no drum exceeds 

established maximum levels (non-destructive assay); and 

• a screening of the gas in the drum to 

determine the presence or levels of volatile organic compounds (headspace gas 

sampling). 

In addition to this three step non-invasive analysis, Bechtel Nevada conducts visual examination on a percentage of drums 

to confirm the results of the non-invasive 

analysis. Also, if any of the drums characterized by CCP are found to have prohibited items, Bechtel Nevada removes the 

items inside a designated contained area and 

repackages the remainder of the contents in 

a new drum. 

generator’s disposal fee goes toward 

emergency preparedness training for 

Nevada counties through which waste 

shipments travel. Although there have 

never been any reports of radioactive 

releases associated with shipments, the 

NTS believes this money is an important aspect of its Good Neighbor 

Policy. 

Fifty cents per square foot of the 

This is good news for the 25 waste generators across the U.S. Department of Energy 

complex who rely on the NTS to dispose of 

the low-level waste that is generated through 

their environmental cleanup efforts. For approximately 20 years, the NTS’ state-of-the-art 

radioactive waste management facility has provided a safe, reliable disposal option for these 

generators. Recent increases in disposal activity are evidence that sites across the complex 

are moving closer to their cleanup goals. 

In order to accommodate increasing waste 

volumes, the NTS continues to expand its disposal operations. Waste personnel are in the 

process of constructing a new disposal cell for 

low-level waste drums. Plans are also underway to build three additional disposal cells in 

the future. 

How is the Waste Packed and 

Loaded for Shipment? 

Preparing the transuranic waste for shipment is the next step in the process. Bechtel 

Nevada and CCP personnel must load the 

transuranic waste drums into special large, 

cylindrical containers known as TRUPACTIIs. These containers, which are approved 

and certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission, can hold up to fourteen 55-gallon drums or two standard waste boxes. 

Packing these containers can be time-consuming and requires focused attention on 

safety: loading one container can take approximately three hours, and one trailer can 

hold up to three containers. Prior to loading 

the TRUPACT-II container, personnel build 

the 14 drum payload and shrink wrap the 

drums. Protection within the container is provided by honeycomb impact limiters and 10 

inch-thick interior foam. Before securing the 

TRUPACT-II lid, a leak inspection is conTRUPACT-IIs are loaded for shipment. 

ducted. 

Prior to leaving the NTS, the Nevada State 

Health Division, Nevada Highway Patrol 

(NHP), and California Highway Patrol (CHP) 

conduct radiological surveys and mechanical 

inspections on the semi-truck, trailer, and 

TRUPACT-IIs. NHP and CHP then escort the 

shipment to their respective state borders. 

For further information on transuranic 

waste please visit our website at 

http://www.nv.doe.gov. 
6 EM Update 

The Federal Budget Process

 ... In a Nutshell 

EM Employees 

of the Month 

Description 

Federal budget planning is a multi-year process conducted in several phases. At any given 

time the U.S. Department of Energy is creating, reviewing, or implementing budgets for 

three different fiscal years (FY). The fiscal year 

begins October 

1st and ends 

September 

30th. For example, in FY 

2004, DOE will simultaneously create budget 

plans for FY 2006 (referred to as the 

Budget Year), refine previously created 

plans for FY 2005 (referred to as the Current Year plus one or CY+1), and execute 

the approved budget plan for FY 2004 (referred 

to as the Current Year). 

Three Phases of the Budget 

Process 

In Phase I of budget planning, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 

assists the President in preparing budget 

directions for each federal agency for the 

Current Year. In Phase II, agencies like 

DOE receive proposed budgets and must 

determine how to distribute 

funds to individual sites, such 

as Nevada, for CY+1. In 

Phase III, OMB forwards 

the final budget recommendations to Congress for consideration—a process that often involves months of hearings prior to approval—for the Budget 

Year. 

2003 

2003 

2003 

2003 

Janet AppenzellerWing 

Industrial Sites Project 

Bill Wilborn 

Underground Test Area Project 

John Jones 

Technology Division 

Sabine Curtis 

Industrial Sites Project

 Angela Colarusso & 

Joni Norton 

Transuranic Waste Project 

Chris Baker 

Program Integration 

2003 

2003 
EM Update 7 

A New Student Forum Gets to Work

The Environmental Management 

(EM) project is happy to welcome the new 

members of this year’s Student Forum. 

While the six new high school members— 

all students from Advanced Technologies 

Academy—represent a variety of disciplines, including engineering, computer scithese products clear? are the images appealing? is this product the best way to express 

the messages? Student responses have been 

candid and insightful, sometimes resulting in 

significant changes in the direction of products. 

This year, the Forum has been tasked to 

create a multi-media CD-ROM that focuses 

on EM’s Environmental Restoration program. 

In addition to other activities, CD users may 

be able to take a tour of actual sites that are 

currently being studied and/or remediated at 

the Nevada Test Site. A similar product featuring EM’s waste management sites is already 

ence, graphics, and law, the 

Student Forum gives them 

the opportunity to pool their 

talents and work as a team 

on a common project. 

Two years ago, EM created the Student Forum to 

have continuous access to 

the perspectives of creative 

students concerning its 

communications products, 

like fact sheets, posters, 

videos, etc. The questions 

students were asked included: are the messages in 

In December 2003, 

several members of 

the Student Forum 

toured the Nevada 

Test Site. Shown 

here are (from left to 

right) Getachew 

Abebe, Lindsey 

Alipio, Kitty Lee, 

Seth Erwin, and 

Rycel Uy. 

available. 

This year’s Student Forum is 

following in the talented footsteps of last year’s group, who 

are credited with developing 

EM’s highly acclaimed Kids 

Display. This mammoth effort 

involved designing all of the 

child-friendly graphics and text 

for an 11 X 9-foot display. EM 

is already looking forward to see 

what this year’s forum has in 

store. 

EM Welcomed Fall at the Pahrump Fall Festival

To kick off the fall season, folks from 

all over Nye and Clark counties came together to celebrate the 38th Annual Pahrump 

Fall Festival in Pahrump, Nevada. The 

three-day event, held October 4 through 6, 

featured a variety of arts and crafts booths 

and information exhibits as well as entertainment, games, competitions, and all the 

food one could possible eat. 

Festival-goers had their work cut out for 

them as they made their way to the more 

than 200 booths. One stop was the U.S. 

Department of Energy’s Environmental 

Management’s (EM) Kid’s Display, which 

features whimsical, easy-to-understand visuals that describe the components of enviEM takes time to participate in the festival 

to talk to individuals who are interested in 

the environmental cleanup and low-level 

waste disposal activities that are safely taking place every day at the Nevada Test Site, 

some 40 miles north of Pahrump. The Kid’s 

Display was designed so that children as well 

as adults can understand and appreciate all 

of the work that is being accomplished. 

Other attractions of the festival included 

the annual rodeo, a pie eating contest, a mule 

shoe-throwing contest, and a carnival. The 

festival’s down-home flavor would not be 

complete, of course, without the highly anticipated annual parade featuring floats, 

clowns, equestrian units, and marching 

Festival-goers used special glasses to 

find solutions to questions located inside 

the EM Kid’s Display. 

ronmental management projects. Each year bands. 2004 here we come! 
EM Update is published by: 

U.S. Department of Energy 

Office of Environmental Management 

P.O. Box 98518 

Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518 

Questions and requests for information 

should be directed 

to Office of Public Affairs, 

telephone (702) 295-3521. 

Story Editor / Layout: 

Angela Ramsey 

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Please send me the latest fact sheets covering the topics 

that are checked below: 

Kelly Kozeliski 

Environmental Management 

U.S. Department of Energy 

P.O. Box 98518 

Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-8518 

To: 

DOE/NV--946 

Environmental Restoration 

Waste Management 

EM Update 

U.S. Department of Energy

P.O. Box 98518

Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-8518