Crews at ORNL’s Transuranic (TRU) Waste Operations recently coordinated with UT-Battelle (UT-B) to pick up and store 17 containers from the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC). The process began several weeks in advance and involved numerous support groups, including waste acceptance, transportation, planning, radiological protection, safety, operations, and UT-B. Originally, the plan was to complete three shipments over a two-day period; however, due to an unforeseen mechanical issue, the shipments had to be performed in one day to meet the needs of UT-B. These needs included making room in REDC’s waste staging areas for more inventory and placing specific Resource Conservation and Recovery Act containers into compliant storage before approaching due dates.
“I am proud of the team for their perpetual commitment to doing work safely and ongoing dedication to our customers,” said Stan Titov, TRU Waste Operations Manager. “The work leading up to shipment and the crew’s effort day of made sure that REDC’s operations remained uninterrupted.”
The 17 containers involved were drums and cask overpacks, which required different hauling and rigging equipment for transportation. Changing this equipment takes additional time, but the team came together to accomplish the mission.
“We are truly grateful for UCOR’s support and the dedication that you guys put forth to making this operation a success,” said Jeff Shelton, UT-B Director of the Transportation and Waste Management Division. “Your hard work and attention to detail were key to ensuring everything proceeded efficiently, and we appreciate the effort you put in to accommodating our schedule.”
