CHG080403 EMISIG'1

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Hanford Tank Farm Spill Continuous Improvement
in Emergency Preparedness
Presented By Tony Jennings, Manager Emergency
Management CH2M HILL Hanford
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Where we are Located
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Tank Farms

• Most complex environmental cleanup in the nation
• 177 underground storage tanks
• 149 are interim stabilized single-shell tanks
• S Farm single-shell tanks are 750,000 gallons
  each

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Hazardous Waste

• The interstitial liquids were removed as part of
  Interim Stabilization
• What is left is sludge and salt cake
• Our current mission is to retrieve the sludge and
  salt cake using the best available technology

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Our Missions Unique Emergency Management
Challenges

• The retrieval mission requires continuing changes
  to our operational configuration and safety
  controls
• Changes continue to challenge our Emergency
  Preparedness Hazard Assessment requiring a close
  tie between Nuclear Safety and Licensing and
  Emergency Management
• These changes require more intensive training and
  exercises for our Emergency Response
  Organizations

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Error Precursors in Emergency Management
Pump Motor

• When the extraordinary becomes ordinary
• EM becomes a program driven by requirement
  without a focus on operational excellence
• Changes in facility operations and configuration
  are occurring rapidly
• Practice and performance become less of a
  priority

Riser Extension (shield box)
(Connects to Water Distribution Skid)
Dilution Supply Line (raw water)
Hose-in-hose Transfer Line
Transfer Line
Ground Level
12 Riser
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Tank Waste
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Pump Inlet
Tank Bottom
Not Shown to Scale
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Tank S-102 Detail
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S102 Overview

• During retrieval of waste from S-102 a spill of
  approximately 85 gallons occurred
• There were several Conduct of Operations and
  radiological control weaknesses
• There were weaknesses with our personnel
  accountability and site interface performance
• These were Emergency Management Programmatic
  issues

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Emergency Management Improvements

• Incorporated a process for hazard analysis that
  interfaces Engineering with Emergency Management
• Evaluate high probability, low consequence
  hazards in our Hazard Assessment
• We have an improved perspective of what is in our
  Hazard Survey and Emergency Preparedness Hazard
  Analysis for Tank Farms

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Continuous Improvement

• The complexity of multiple procedures during
  abnormal events is being challenged
• Emergency Management should use exercises and
  drills for training and evaluating not just
  evaluation
• Emergency Management must focus on the details
  (conduct of operations, site resource integration
  and communications, etc.)

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What Weve Done

• Moved Emergency Management into Operations
• Brought in expertise both as full-time personnel
  and as sub-contractors supporting Hazard
  Assessment improvements
• Shifting our focus from just meeting requirements
  to meeting operational needs
• Focused on improving operational performance
  through smaller training sessions and operational
  drills

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