An EM contractor at the Savannah River Site is the recipient of an award presented by a regional commission for low-level radioactive waste management
Office of Environmental Management
December 17, 2019
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AIKEN, S.C. – An EM contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is the recipient of an award presented by a regional commission for low-level radioactive waste management.
Savannah River Remediation (SRR), EM’s liquid waste contractor at SRS, was awarded the 2020 Richard S. Hodes, M.D. Honor Lecture Award from the Southeast Compact Commission (SCC). The six-state group helps ensure low-level radioactive waste generated in the southeast region of the U.S. can be safely managed in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner.
SCC presents the award annually in honor of its late chairman, who was a strong proponent of innovative approaches to improve the management of low-level radioactive waste in the U.S.
The award is given to an individual, company, or organization that contributes in a significant way to improving the technology, policy, or practices of low-level radioactive waste management in the U.S.
SRR innovations, particularly in the areas of salt waste processing, contributed to this award. SRR successfully operated first-of-its-kind, pilot salt processing facilities for 11 years. These facilities, called the Actinide Removal Process/Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (ARP/MCU), treated 7 million gallons of salt waste and proved the technology to be used in future operations of a new EM facility, the Salt Waste Processing Facility. In 2015, SRR implemented a unique and more effective solvent in ARP/MCU operations, which significantly reduced the contamination in the waste stream.
“Savannah River Remediation has proven itself as a leader in the field of radioactive waste management,” said Ted Buckner, SCC executive director. “We thank SRR for being a strong proponent and a key player in continuing to drive this mission forward.”
Tom Foster, SRR president and project manager, said it’s a privilege to be recognized for the important work SRR employees complete in support of Cold War legacy cleanup.
“I am pleased that Savannah River Remediation has been honored by the Southeast Compact Commission for our leadership and innovative regulatory, technical, and engineering solutions to remediate what state regulators have identified as the single greatest environmental risk to the state of South Carolina,” Foster said.