The adopted efficiencies can be categorized into four different types of improvements: Programmatic, Regulatory, Procedural, and Material.
Programmatic Improvements
Program improvements since 2010 reduce costs while continuing to protect human health and the environment.
In 2011, wells were installed to supplant annual drilling of temporary wells at two locations for the next 10 years, based on remedy projections in 2011.
- The environmental monitoring team suggested elevations program modifications, adopted in 2012, that reduce the number of wells used to collect data by 32 percent.
- In 2013, an agreement was secured from state regulators to discontinue stream flow monitoring, citing that enough reliable data had been collected.
- These one-time and recurring efficiencies in environmental monitoring programs have resulted in real and projected savings of $173,568.
Regulatory Improvements
The team has worked closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ohio EPA to streamline sample programs while continuing to meet regulatory requirements for monitoring present and past activities at the Fernald Preserve.
- In 2013, the team successfully negotiated an abbreviated constituent list during the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit review process, based on historical data and changed field conditions.
- For the 2015 NPDES permit renewal the team was able to secure an agreement to further reduce the constituents.
- During the 2015 negotiation, regulators agreed to abbreviate sample constituents and sampling frequency regarding non-permit, surface water program sampling.
These negotiated reductions enable the team to focus sampling efforts on the constituents that are most relevant to the present and past activities at the Fernald Preserve. The associated cost savings to date and until the 2020 permit and program revision is required total $50,000.
Also of note, new agreements with EPA and Ohio EPA for additional reductions in the frequency and number of accumulation data reports and sampled constituents at the On-Site Disposal Facility (OSDF) will result in significant savings in the future. Total monetary savings have not been assessed for these cutbacks, though it is expected to be significant.
Several procedural improvements have promoted efficiency and saved operational costs. The environmental monitoring team self-performed many technical activities that once relied on sub-contracted drilling and consulting. The team has made the following procedural improvements at the Fernald Preserve:
- Self-performed well installations and well abandonments using an LM-owned Geoprobe® drilling machine.
- In 2012, an innovation was developed and proceduralized for investigative sampling of the Converted Advanced Waste Water Treatment (CAWWT) plant process tanks that eliminates the need to purchase/rent new equipment and train sampling technicians.
Savings in training, oversight, labor, and equipment costs over the past four years total $10,000.
Material Use Improvements
The environmental monitoring team is always looking to minimize materials usage and eliminate generated wastes. Estimating the proper amount of needed materials is essential to ensure that bulk purchases are appropriate and adequate, while not leaving large and burdensome stocks of left-over items. These best-practice purchasing methods are difficult to precisely measure in dollars saved, but do result in efficiency, cost savings, and environmental/energy conservation. Below are some specific materials savings made to field operations during the past 5 years:
- The LM-owned Geoprobe® drilling machine that was purchased in 2002 during clean up and closure efforts at the Fernald Preserve (now used at other sites to support LM activities) was scheduled for replacement in 2010. Though its use had expanded to include sites and projects beyond groundwater and soil sampling at the Fernald Preserve, environmental monitoring team members opted to have the manufacturer refurbish the old machine rather than replace it with a new drilling machine. Refurbishment extended the life of the machine by at least 5 years, saving costs and delaying the need to purchase new equipment.
- Through the reuse program, a stock of unused sample tubing was acquired from the Weldon Spring, Missouri, Site and is used during sampling activities.
- Team members recognized that desiccant used for technical equipment could be dried and reused bi-annually rather than relying on disposal and purchase of new desiccant.
- Technicians adjusted sampling techniques to reduce the use of costly disposable filters during annual sampling activities.
These documented improvements result in a savings of $51,000.
Material use improvements notwithstanding, many LTS&M activities continue to generate waste. Fernald Preserve employees actively pursue a variety of recycling or reuse activities to reduce waste volumes. Since early 2011, Fernald has recycled approximately 46,000 pounds of assorted metals that have passed required screening processes, including aluminum, copper wiring, iron, steel, and stainless steel. Most of the materials have come from fence removal and obsolete equipment. These recycling efforts have generated a cash flow of approximately $7,000, which the Fernald Preserve has sent to the
U.S. Treasury Department.
The environmental monitoring team members have sought changes, made improvements, and promoted conservation to realize cost savings of over $286,000 while continuing to protect human health and the environment through their work. The team continually strives for quality, innovation, and efficiency. Value added from these examples of continual improvement is amassed technical skill and knowledge, improved schedule, and reduced long-term surveillance and maintenance costs.