Staff Reports
WC Monitor
12/18/2015
The construction quality at the Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment Plant was satisfactory for the areas reviewed in an on-site visit in September, but some concerns remain, the Department of Energy Office of Enterprise Assessments said last week. The office reviews construction quality at the vitrification plant each quarter, varying the focus of each assessment. The latest review found pressure testing of piping, electrical cable pulling, structural concrete, and welding inspections satisfactory. But it raised continuing issues with electrical construction, plus a potential conflict of interest with Bechtel National’s dual roles as the electrical authority on the project and also the electrical designer and contractor.
As the electrical authority, Bechtel determines if its own design and construction methods comply with the National Electrical Code. “This defeats the intent of the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) function,” the Office of Enterprise Assessments report says. Similarly, when Underwriters Laboratories came on-site to review equipment shipped to the site prior to receiving Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory review, Underwriters Laboratories was acting as a Bechtel subcontractor, according to the report. UL based its evaluation on data supplied by Bechtel rather than generating its own data, which would have provided a more thorough and independent check of electrical safety. Elsewhere at Hanford, the electrical AHJ function is provided by the Hanford Site Electrical Safety Committee. The committee has representatives from each of the other major Hanford contractors and representatives from the DOE Richland Operations Office and Office of River Protection, but no Bechtel representative. If a question is raised on code compliance or interpretation, it is evaluated by the committee.
Progress remains slow in addressing deficiencies in some aspects of WTP electrical construction, the report says. This includes inconsistencies in labeling of some electrical cabinets, possible incorrect sizing of breakers, and the adequacy of cable support between the cable trays and cabinets. The Office of Enterprise Assessments also identified several deficiencies in the records and reports that document evaluation of the electrical equipment.
Bechtel continues to identify deficiencies in equipment and hardware, with a number of the problems found in equipment that was manufactured and delivered to the vitrification plant between five and 10 years ago, the report says. Some of the equipment was supplied by vendors or manufacturers that are no longer in business. “The number and variety of procurement deficiencies has required Design Engineering to dedicate a large number of personnel and resources to resolve the identified problems,” the Office of Enterprise Assessments found.
The report lists just one recommendation: The Office of River Protection should consider retaining an independent subcontractor to serve as the AHJ for electrical work to ensure the final decision on electrical issues is independent of Bechtel, the designer and contractor. Recommendations are offered only for consideration and do not require formal resolution through a corrective action process. The Office of Enterprise Assessments also will continue to follow up on other issues, including reviewing records documenting evaluation of electrical equipment.
