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River Corridor team reaches 3 million safe hours

02.07.2011

RICHLAND, Wash.—The employees and subcontractors of Washington Closure Hanford have worked over 3 million hours – over an 18-month period – without a lost-work-day accident.

“This is the first time the team has reached the 3-million-hour mark,” said Washington Closure President Neil Brosee. “Their commitment to working safely and watching out for their coworkers, all the while getting the job done, is part of our safety culture.”

Washington Closure manages Hanford’s River Corridor Closure Project, the nation’s largest environmental cleanup closure project, for the U.S. Department of Energy. The River Corridor Closure Project team includes 900 Washington Closure Hanford and Eberline Services Hanford employees, as well as about 400 subcontractor employees.

“We are more than halfway through the 10-year, $2.4 billion cleanup project,” said Brosee. “The last year in particular has seen the completion of a lot of challenging, high-risk work, including removal of hot cells from the 327 Building, explosive demolition of several 300 Area buildings, starting remediation of the 118-K-1 Burial Grounds and expansion and enhancements at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility.

“While achieving these accomplishments, our employee and subcontractor teams have been focused on getting work done safely. Disciplined operations and safety will be even more important as we begin cleanup at the 618-10 Burial Ground and demolition of reactor support structures along the Columbia River,” said Brosee.

The River Corridor Closure team has worked since July 2009 without a lost-work-day accident.

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 396 waste sites, demolishing 486 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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