DOE GETS MORE TIME FOR TANK AY-102 PLAN
WC Monitor
2/14/2014
The Washington State Department of Ecology has extended its deadline for the Department of Energy to provide a plan to empty Hanford’s Tank AY-102. The tank, which is Hanford’s oldest double-shell tank, is leaking waste between its inner and outer shell. The state demanded in January that DOE produce a plan by Feb. 15 to pump waste from the tank, but at a request from DOE, the state has extended the due date to March 7. Tank AY-102 was discovered to have an interior leak more than a year ago and DOE’s delay in taking action has been “unacceptable,” according to the state. State regulations require DOE to inspect the tank to determine the cause of the leak, including removing as much of the waste as necessary to allow for the inspection, within 24 hours or as early as possible.
BECHTEL NATIONAL TO HOLD WTP JOBS FAIR
WC Monitor
2/14/2014
The Hanford Waste Treatment Plant project is looking for at least 200 new employees now that Department of Energy funding is more stable. Bechtel National and URS Corp. have scheduled a career fair for Feb. 21 in Richland, Wash., to fill positions in the Hanford area and at Bechtel’s Reston, Va., office where engineering work is done for the vitrification plant. Bechtel plans to hire about 150 workers for jobs in engineering, construction, project controls, procurement and other support positions, with half of those workers based in the Hanford area. URS is hiring about 50 workers to be based in the Hanford area for commissioning, operations and plant engineering work. Job descriptions are posted at www.vitplantjobs.com. The career fair is planned 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott. And candidates should bring electronic and hard copy resumes to the career fair and be prepared to talk with managers. Bechtel and URS expect a good turnout of well qualified candidates, said Bechtel spokeswoman Suzanne Heaston.
Federal funding for the project is stable after Congress passed a budget last month for the remainder of fiscal 2014 that includes $690 million for the vitrification plant, but last year the project was in flux. Sequestration, the federal government shutdown, possible furloughs and a continuing resolution that assigned spending to facilities where it was not needed at the plant caused uncertainty. Bechtel is making a push now to complete work on facilities not impacted by technical issues at the plant. The Analytical Laboratory is close to completion and the Low Activity Waste Facility could be completed next year. Work also is being done to get support facilities ready and infrastructure in place and to prepare for the startup of facilities soon to be completed.
