Los Alamos National Laboratory organizations earn seven out of 13 NNSA Pollution Prevention awards

Contact: Hildi Kelsey, hkelsey@lanl.gov, (505) 665-8040 (05-008)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Feb. 9, 2005 -- Los Alamos National Laboratory received seven, or more than half, of the 2005 Pollution Prevention (P2) Environmental Stewardship Awards given nationally by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The awards are based on a Department of Energy complex wide competition that acknowledges pollution prevention, recycling and affirmative procurement accomplishments.

"These projects represent another example of the commitment of Lab [Los Alamos National Laboratory] staff to eliminate waste and invoke cost-effective process improvements," said Denny Hjeresen, team leader in Los Alamos' Pollution Prevention/Sustainability group.

The following seven Laboratory projects won Pollution Prevention (P2) Environmental Stewardship Awards:

Reusable Containment Structures, Nuclear Materials Technology; Facilities Management; Health, Safety and Radiation Protection divisions and KSL

This project involved replacing custom-built wood and plastic sheet structures in the Plutonium Facility with reusable plastic tents with aluminum-pole frames. The tent structures prevent the generation of approximately 200 cubic meters of low-level waste annually, and they can be assembled and taken down in about 90 percent less time than the wood structures.

Radioactive Liquid Waste Generator Set-Aside Fund Program, Environmental Stewardship, Nuclear Waste and Infrastructure Services divisions and Shaw Environmental

By collecting a small tax on the quantity of liquid radioactive waste produced by generators, this program is expected to collect approximately $528,000 in funds during the first year that will be invested in upstream process improvements to reduce the amount of liquid radioactive waste that must be treated.

Los Alamos National Laboratory Integrated Work Management Process and Job Hazard Analysis Tool implementation, Environmental Stewardship and Health, Safety and Radiation Protection divisions

The Laboratory is the first site in the weapons complex to integrate safety, security and environment at the work activity level. Tools developed to support the system will save approximately $500,000 per year in avoided subject matter expert review time. The system also ensures that environmental and pollution prevention measures are in place at the work planning stage.

Redesigning a Weapons Component to Eliminate Beryllium Use, Engineering Sciences and Applications Division

ESA's-Gas Transfers Group successfully redesigned a weapons component to eliminate beryllium. Estimated cost savings are $850,000 a year for a total project savings of $3.2 million through 2007. This is the first time NNSA issued an award to a classified project where the nature of the work could not be fully described in the application but the safety, environmental benefits and cost savings could be illustrated.

Oil-Free Vacuum Pumps, Applied Theoretical and Computational Physics, Chemistry and Los Alamos Neutron Science Center divisions

Los Alamos has switched to oil-free vacuum pumps for many applications. Using oil-free vacuum pumps saves time because employees do not need to change the oil in the pumps, ship any waste, or complete any disposal paperwork. Each oil-free vacuum pump in use saves thousands of dollars annually on labor, sample analysis, and waste disposal.

Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) Effluent Reuse/Recycle, Nuclear Waste and Infrastructure Services Division

Personnel at the RLWTF recognized that some of the industrial water supplied by the Lab's potable water system could be replaced with recycled effluent. This project reduced industrial water use by approximately 550,000 gallons annually.

Oversized Transuranic (TRU) Waste Volume Reductions at the Decontamination and Volume Reduction Systems Project, Nuclear Waste and Infrastructure Services; Health, Safety and Radiation Protection; Engineering Sciences and Applications divisions and Shaw Environmental

The Laboratory reduced oversized legacy TRU waste in storage by 39 percent through sorting, segregation and volume reduction. Approximately 22 cubic meters of waste were removed from the TRU inventory, reducing the overall TRU waste management lifecycle cost by roughly $500,000.

"In addition to the estimated savings of approximately $2.7 million this year, most of these projects will continue to generate savings well into the future," Hjeresen said. "For example, the Radioactive Liquid Waste Generator Set-aside Fund Program sets a small fee per unit of liquid radioactive waste to provide funds for future waste elimination projects that will prevent waste and save time and money."

Additionally, NNSA submitted four of the seven Laboratory projects to the White House Closing the Circle P2 Awards Program, a national pollution prevention competition among all federal agencies.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos develops and applies science and technology to ensure the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent; reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction, proliferation and terrorism; and solve national problems in defense, energy, environment and infrastructure.

Additional news releases related to Awards

Additional news releases from the Risk Reduction and Environmental Stewardship (RRES) Division