LATA Sharp Bethel Valley Remediation Project

Fluor was a subcontractor to LATA Sharp Remediation Services (LSRS) on a task order to perform environmental management (EM) on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory site.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued the task order as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The scope of work included removal and disposal activities on approximately 26,000 cubic yards of hot-spot soil contamination. LATA also hydraulically isolated two major sources of contaminant releases in Bethel Valley.

Client's Challenge

LSRS is a small business firm that was awarded a nationwide multiple award indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract to perform EM work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. LSRS was tasked with performing removal and disposal activities on the site. LSRS also hydraulically isolated two major sources of contaminant releases in Bethel Valley: Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) No. 1 and SWSA No. 3.

The burial grounds were used for disposal of radioactive wastes from 1943 to 1951. The scope of work was based on the selected remedy presented in the Bethel Valley Watershed Interim Record of Decision.

Bethel Valley Project Removal and Disposal Activities

Fluor's Solution

Fluor served as a subcontractor to support LSRS efforts for removal and disposal activities on the Bethel Valley project.

The SWSA No.1 burial ground was closed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). SWSA No. 1 was a source of contaminant release to groundwater in Bethel Valley at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site. The closure design consisted of placing a low permeability, multi-layer hydrologic isolation cap over waste areas to minimize generation of contaminated ground water from waste.

Additionally, soil covers were installed at the Former Waste Pile Area (FWPA) and Nonradioactive Wastewater Treatment Plant (NRWTP) Debris Pile.

Additional scope included the removal and disposal of hot-spot contaminated soil and the closure of SWSA No. 3 in accordance with CERCLA requirements. This closure included placing a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)-type cap over SWSA No. 3, the adjacent closed scrap metal area and soil contamination areas; installing a low permeability, multiple layer hydrologic isolation cap up-gradient from the waste areas; and constructing up-gradient surface water ditches and French drains to divert clean surface waters and shallow groundwater away from waste. The installation of a soil cover at the contractor's landfill in accordance with CERCLA requirements was included.

Contaminated Soil Removal and Legacy Waste Isolation at Site

Conclusion

Fluor supported LSRS, a small business, in the completion of the Bethel Valley task order.

The project was completed in September 2011, and DOE's Oak Ridge Environmental Chief John Eschenberg stated, "Our employees were able to remove contaminated soil and further isolate legacy waste at the site, translating into a safer workplace and surrounding community."