CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co. and the Washington state Department of Ecology have reached a settlement agreement over waste storage that waives a $50,000 penalty against the Hanford Site cleanup contractor. The state had accused CH2M in August 2016 of breaching requirements for the storage of five containers of waste at Hanford’s T Plant, including identifying waste and making records available to inspectors.
The accusation was based on a November 2015 inspection, but state records showed it was the fifth inspection at which questions were raised about similar issues at T Plant, a former chemical processing plant now used for sampling, treating, and repackaging waste and for equipment repair.
The state ordered the Department of Energy and CH2M last year to obtain detailed analysis of waste before storing it at T Plant and to maintain records properly. As part of the settlement agreement, CH2M will establish a temporary holding area for waste that has not been analyzed. It also will meet Ecology’s request for enhanced storage and record-keeping moving forward. The contractor has until Sept. 27 to make both improvements or it could face another fine of up to $25,000, according to the settlement agreement filed with the Washington state Pollution Control Hearings Board.
The waste at issue included batteries, paint chips and concrete pieces, and grease. Some of the waste was from floor scrapings and could include low levels of radioactive contamination. The state said last year it was concerned that if Hanford officials were not following the rules on common wastes, such as batteries, the former plutonium production site could have more serious issues related to storing more complex wastes.
The Department of Energy said in August 2016 the issue might have resulted from miscommunication and denied the waste was not properly identified and designated. The state said then that it made repeated requests for records and based the violations on the documentation it received.
DOE and CH2M had no comment on the settlement agreement announced Friday. Jared Mathey, an Ecology compliance inspector, said “it is important to make sure that their cleanup work complies with regulatory requirements in order to make the site safer for people and to reduce environmental threats.”
The settlement agreement was reached through court mediation after CH2M appealed the state’s August 2016 penalty and order.
