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River Corridor Project reaches 5 million safe hours

09.15.2011

RICHLAND, Wash.—Washington Closure Hanford and subcontractor employees working on the River Corridor Closure Project have worked 5 million hours without a lost work day injury for the first time since the project started in August 2005.

“We have achieved this record because of the strong safety culture of our employees and their commitment to the safe, execution of river corridor cleanup activities each and every day,” said Carol Johnson, Washington Closure president and project manager. “Their commitment to safety is the reason the River Corridor Closure Project is 11 percent ahead of schedule and $238 million under budget.”

Washington Closure manages the $2.3 billion River Corridor Closure Project – the nation’s largest environmental cleanup closure project – at the U.S. Department of Energy’s 586-square-mile Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state.

More than 1,350 Washington Closure and subcontractor employees work on the project. It took the team about two years to reach the 5-million-hour milestone.

Washington Closure is a limited liability company owned by URS, Bechtel National and CH2M Hill. The company is responsible for protecting the Columbia River by cleaning up 560 waste sites, demolishing 328 contaminated buildings, placing two reactors and one nuclear facility in interim safe storage, and managing the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. The project is on track for completion in 2015.

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