The 222-S Laboratory plays an important role in analyzing radioactive tank waste at the Hanford Site — so when crews needed to shut down the facility’s power for a full week to complete infrastructure upgrades, timing and precision were everything.
Office of Environmental Management
May 13, 2025
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At the 222-S Laboratory, the Navarro-ATL team tests sensor readings on a programmable logic controller at the substation. This testing ensures the system can manage and restore the normal power distribution.
RICHLAND, Wash. — The 222-S Laboratory plays an important role in analyzing radioactive tank waste at the Hanford Site — so when crews needed to shut down the facility’s power for a full week to complete infrastructure upgrades, timing and precision were everything.
In April, Navarro-ATL's operations and maintenance team, in partnership with the lab's analytical operations group, successfully completed the planned outage that improved safety, reliability and performance at the more than 70-year-old facility. Navarro-ATL is the Hanford contractor that manages the lab.
"The maintenance team did an amazing job with this outage,” said Mark Hughey, chief operations officer at Navarro-ATL. "Their meticulous planning and commitment ensured that critical upgrades and improvements were implemented seamlessly. It also supports the safety and efficiency of our operations, paving the way for future advancements. I’m grateful to the team for their invaluable contributions to our continued success."
Lance Gimlin, a health physics technician with Navarro-ATL, replaces a portable radioactive air emissions unit at the 219-S facility during the planned outage.
Key improvements included restoring the programmable logic controller, which operates the tie breaker in the substation, enabling automatic power transfers. Additionally, crews installed two new air compressors, replacing outdated units, and conducted extensive inspections and cleaning of breakers and disconnects, ensuring dependable and uninterrupted power for future projects.
Another notable achievement was flushing out the lab’s industrial cooling system. Maintaining stable temperatures is vital for accurate sample analysis and proper instrument calibration, especially in warmer months.
“These improvements are important for safely and efficiently analyzing tank waste samples,” said Jeff Cheadle, 222-S program manager with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Hanford Field Office. “The lab’s work directly supports ongoing efforts to advance the tank-waste treatment mission.”
Completing the outage required close coordination with other Hanford Site contractors, Hanford Mission and Integration Solutions, Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure and Central Plateau Cleanup Company. The collaboration kept sample shipments on schedule and helped shape future maintenance and operational strategies at the 222-S Laboratory.
-Contributor: Tracie Arnold
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