Over the weekend, UCOR crews responded quickly to repair the White Oak Creek Embayment Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) near ORNL after a routine monthly inspection indicated that heavy rains had washed away a localized, exterior portion of the structure. The SRS was built in 1992 to contain historically contaminated sediment within the lower reaches of White Oak Creek from being transported into the Clinch River. While the exterior portion was damaged, the entire retention structure remained intact and functioning as designed.
The response team installed gabion baskets to the washed-out area of the SRS where the sediment screen that held the rocks in place failed.
The placement of gabion baskets (pictured above) will assist in retaining the position of the rock inside like the original SRS design. Additional stones were placed next to the baskets to help fill the void.
Thanks to the response team, which included a cross-section team from Operations, Engineering, Nuclear Operations, Safety, Environmental Programs and Stewardship, Supply Chain, Work Control, Construction Management Organization, and Waste Management, for making this timely response possible. They worked in coordination with the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management over a holiday weekend and under challenging weather conditions to ensure the work was accomplished safely and successfully.
This repair will keep the SRS in a stable condition until a permanent solution is developed.
