LLW Forum Spring Meeting Park City Utah April 2016 US Ecology Overview Our Mission To protect and improve our environment by safely providing reliable environmental and industrial service solutions to commercial industrial and government customers ID: 811110
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Slide1
Beatty LLRW Site Event
LLW Forum Spring Meeting
Park City, Utah
April 2016
Slide2US Ecology Overview
Our Mission
To
protect and improve our environment by safely providing reliable environmental and industrial service solutions to commercial, industrial and government customers.
Boise, ID based company with over 1,500 employees.
Founded in 1952
Publicly traded (NASDAQ – Ticker ‘ECOL’)
Acquired The Environmental Quality Co. (EQ) in June 2014
Slide3Beatty LLRW Site History
LLRW facility operated from 1962-1992
USE operated site for State of Nevada
License transferred to State in 1997Regular cap inspections performed by NDHHS - periodic cap subsidence repairs done
as required
Located adjacent to USE’s RCRA-permitted hazardous waste treatment & disposal facilities.
Slide4Beatty LLRW Event
Incident occurred on Sunday, 10/18/15
Site security personnel heard “popping noises” from inside restricted area
Local USE personnel responded and captured cell phone video from secure area.State Dept of Health Notified immediately
Slide5US Ecology Video
Slide6Beatty LLRW Event
Fire started in base of crater.
A
llowed to burn out without intervention Total Event Time: ~12 hrsGovernor Sandoval initiated Nevada emergency response
Rapid response teams deployed to site (State, Federal, and USE)
US Hwy 95 closed for nearly 48 hours
Slide7Beatty LLRW EventPhoto courtesy of NDPS
Slide8Initial Response
No gamma dose rates >BKG observed (surface & DOE RML flyovers)
No alpha or beta contamination measured around crater or from expelled waste
Samples from expelled waste showed high pH =13Offsite lab analysis of samples
C-14: 131
pCi
/g (max)
200,000+ ppm sodium
Slide9Annotated Site Map
Figure courtesy of NDPS
N
Slide10Root Cause Analysis
Nevada DPS led investigation
Water infiltration and reaction with Na cited as root cause
Confirmed that Na was received at Beatty from Bureau of MinesWater intrusion due to cap subsidence (1.86” Oct rainfall vs 0.28”
avg
)
1000
yr
event!
Burn pattern consistent with Na reaction and fire
Slide11Beatty LLRW Event
Crater
Photo courtesy of NDPS
Subsidence
Slide12Trench 14 Subsidence
US Ecology Photo
Slide13Next Steps
Site temporarily restored. Exhumed waste placed back in trench and covered.
NDHHS developing Long-Term Action Plan
Research into landfill receipts and contentCap design and construction improvements (in consultation with NRC, DOE, and US Ecology)
Enhanced landfill surveillance and measurements
Slide14Interim Site Restoration
Steel support beams and 80-mil liner over crater with sandbags (Trench 14)
Photos courtesy of NPDS and NDHS
Slide15Interim Site RestorationOverpack drum support and 80-mil liner over Trench 14 subsidence
Photos courtesy of NPDS and NDHS
Slide16Trench 14 Crater RepairsPhotos courtesy of NPDS and NDHS
Slide17Trench 14 Subsidence RepairsPhotos courtesy of NPDS and NDHS
Slide18Contact InformationJoseph J. Weismann, CHPVice President, Radiological Programs
(208) 319-1634
Joe.Weismann@Usecology.com