In newsletter Q&A, Brian Vance describes his first six weeks at the helm of EM's Office of River Protection (ORP) at the Hanford Site, lays out challenges facing the workforce, and discusses opportunities for near-term success, among other things.
You've been manager of ORP, which oversees some of the most complex work in EM, for about six weeks now. What have been your initial impressions?
It’s been a busy six weeks, although I’m learning that is pretty much the pace of work at ORP. We have a very talented and capable team and I’ve been working with them to get up to speed on our tank farms and Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) projects, both at the technical level and the historic and strategic level going forward. ORP is poised to achieve some very important progress milestones and I’m excited to be here as we achieve these. We have a team of people who come to work every day, focused on how we are going to start treating waste, and that’s a great attitude. As I’ve walked down work in the field, I’ve been impressed by the state of the progress that’s already been made as well as the work that is underway, in the tank farms as well as WTP. I think many of our external stakeholders who do not visit the site regularly would be surprised to see how much work has actually been completed, and how close we really are to treating waste.
What do you see as the main challenges facing ORP? How does your background help prepare you to tackle these challenges?
ORP is entering a crucial phase of its mission, and we will start making glass in just a few years. At the tank farms, we need to be able to provide waste feed to the WTP when it becomes operational, and right now we are looking at the best options to make that happen via our Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) and possibly a demonstration treatment alternative. At the WTP, we need to shift our mindset from designing and building to starting up and commissioning the facilities needed to begin low-activity waste (LAW) treatment. That’s a big change in the mindset of an established workforce, many of whom have been on the project for more than a decade. And it is a different mindset, when you move into startup and commissioning. That’s one of the things I can offer the team given my experience as a submarine officer and participating in a couple of transitions during my career on ships coming out of, and also going into, shipyard maintenance periods where mindset was critical to success. Beyond my operational time, as a submarine force acquisition professional I was responsible for the development and delivery of key shipboard systems and the transformation process to the operators was an area of focus every day. Finally, during my time beyond the Navy industry, I also gained additional insights from my observations of the transitions that were taking place at sites as new plant projects progressed toward startup and commissioning, as well as through my previous work at Hanford, as the project manager for Hanford’s 300-296 work.
You've arrived at ORP at a key point in the Hanford WTP project - one of EM's largest efforts. What is your view of the project, and what is needed now to keep it on track for successful completion?
We have a talented team, focused on achieving direct feed of low-activity waste (DFLAW) by the end of 2021. For a long time, the team has been focused on the design and construction necessary to achieve that approach. We now have to shift our mindset from design-build, to startup and commissioning. We’re at a point on the WTP project where we should not be looking at how we can change things, but how we can best complete what we have designed. As we are bringing systems and facilities online we need to shift our engineering efforts to the field. We also have to enhance our strong and collaborative relationships with regulators, Tribal Nations, stakeholders and Congress. That means we need to work transparently and cooperatively, and stay connected as the pace of operations accelerates to maintain appropriate engagement and support going forward.
With retrieval activities wrapping up at the C Tank Farm, what are the next planned efforts at the Hanford tank farms?
We are preparing to begin tank waste retrievals at the A/AX farm, with much of the necessary retrieval infrastructure already in place. Our tank integrity programs are critical. We have to remain vigilant, stay engaged, and actively oversee the tank conditions to prevent any further contamination to the environment, ensure that the tank farms are safely and effectively maintained, and that we are ready to support tank waste treatment when the WTP is ready.
Where do you see opportunities for near-term success at ORP? What do you hope to achieve during your tenure as manager?
I’m joining the ORP team at a momentous point in its history. Thanks to leadership before me, we have several opportunities for near-term success. At WTP, we will complete construction of the LAW Facility and nearly all of the Balance of Facilities, and we will continue our startup and commissioning of systems and facilities needed to operate the LAW Facility. Having recently completed field work on the last C Farm tank, we could soon be closing the first Hanford tank farm, and are looking at options that could allow us to treat and dispose of some tank waste that may be transuranic.
During my tenure I want to further our relationships with the regulators, Tribal Nations, Congress, stakeholders and the workforce. We won’t be successful in our mission if we don’t have strong and collaborative relationships. We also have to continue working collaboratively with the Richland Operations Office (RL). Hanford is one site with two environmental management offices, each of which has appropriately managed its work relatively independently and under separate priority lists. We will all benefit from achieving an understanding of cleanup priorities from a site perspective, with input from our regulators, Tribal Nations, and stakeholders. ORP and RL have already started discussions about developing a Hanford Site Integrated Priority List, and I expect this is something we will implement during my tenure.
Finally, the most important contribution that I can make is to build on the strong team and organizational culture that is already in place and strengthen and enhance the teamwork that we’ll need to have in place when we complete the transition to operations. Starting up the WTP is not a future activity for someone else, it is near term and it will be this team. Our ability to deliver the objective that many have worked so hard to achieve is exciting and I’m glad to be here.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
