The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board wants improvement in emergency response preparation at tank waste pretreatment facility at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site in Washington state.
Amentum-led Washington River Protection Solutions went through a simulated tornado drill last month at the Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s onsite inspector found the performance subpar.
“The resident inspector notes that response activities in the contamination reduction zone were not effectively managed and personnel assigned to work in this zone did not have appropriate personal protective equipment for the radiological contamination levels simulated,” the board said in a staff report dated Oct. 20.
Some key equipment was also not available onsite and that hindered the quality of the drill, the safety board said.
“The deficiencies resulted in an inefficient and inadequate radiological response,” the board said. Although these deficiencies are routinely noted by the drill team, there does not appear to be an improving performance trend.”
A DOE spokesperson said by email Tuesday Washington River Protection Solutions is working on shortcomings identified through the drills.
“Four drills conducted since June identified ten corrective actions,” the spokesperson said, adding the contractor has fixed some already through improving training and replacing faulty equipment. DOE will continue to oversee the contractor’s progress on the emergency preparation, the spokesperson said.
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board does not regulate DOE, but it may lawfully provide safety advice and recommendations to the agency, to which the secretary of energy must publicly respond.
