Donna S. Merry
Waste Management Federal Services of Hanford, Inc.

The Hanford Site cleanup activity is an immense and challenging undertaking, which includes characterization and decommissioning of 149 single-shell storage tanks, treating waste stored in 28 double-shell tanks, safely disposing of over 2,100 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel stored onsite, removing thousands of structures, and dealing with significant solid waste, groundwater, and land restoration issues.

The Pollution Prevention/Waste Minimization (P2/WMin) Program supports the Hanford Site mission to safely clean up and manage legacy waste and to develop and deploy science and technology in many ways. Once such way is through implementing and documenting over 231 waste reduction projects during the past five years, resulting in over $93 million in cost savings/avoidances. These savings/avoidances allowed other high priority cleanup work to be performed. Another way is by exceeding the Secretary of Energy's waste reduction goals over two years ahead of schedule, thus reducing the amount of waste to be stored, treated and disposed. Six key elements are the foundation for these sustained P2/WMin results.

The Hanford Site cleanup activity is an immense and challenging undertaking, which includes characterization and decommissioning of 149 single-shell storage tanks, treating waste stored in 28 double-shell tanks, safely disposing of over 2,100 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel stored onsite (approximately 80 percent of inventory currently stored across the national Department of Energy {DOE} complex), removing thousands of structures, and dealing with significant solid waste, groundwater, and land restoration issues.

The way business is done at the Hanford Site is changing. The Hanford Site recently transitioned from a management and operations contract to a management and integration (M&I) or performance based contract arrangement. P2/WMin has emerged even stronger through this transition and continues to demonstrate sustained results. Six key elements are the foundation for this sustained success.

The Hanford Site has been very successful in implementing P2/WMin initiatives. Over the last five years, the P2/WMin Program has accounted for $93.7 million in savings and avoidances from 231 documented initiatives. For example, waste minimization practices were used in the cleanup effort to deactivate the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction Facility by redeploying 719,228 liters of radioactively contaminated nitric acid to be reprocessed at British Nuclear Fuels Limited in Sellafield, England, and redeploying 1,360,777 kilograms of chemicals to the private sector. In fiscal year (FY) 1997, 56 successes were achieved, generating cost savings/avoidances of over $14 million, reducing over 1,500 cubic meters of radioactive and mixed waste, over 5,000 metric tons of sanitary waste, and over 28 metric tons of hazardous waste.

Operations and activities on the Hanford Site are managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) through four prime contractors and numerous subcontractors.

	Management and Integration Contractor (Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc.)
RL	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Battelle Memorial Institute)
	Hanford Environmental Health Foundation
	Environmental Restoration Contractor (Bechtel Hanford, Inc.)

The M&I contractor has the lead role in coordinating the Hanford Site P2/WMin Program. This Program foundation is built on six key elements:

Budget --	Dedicating resources for P2/WMin implementation
Planning --	Incorporating P2/WMin into 'mainline' documents
Guidance--	Developing challenging sitewide goals
Assessments--	Prioritizing and selecting opportunities for P2/WMin
Implementation--	Aggressively implementing P2/WMin Projects
Reporting--	Providing feedback on project/program results.

The Hanford Site P2/WMin Program is funded through the Office of Pollution Prevention, a National Program. This allows the funding to be isolated from other onsite funding to ensure the program activities are not impacted by other competing needs on the Hanford Site. The annual budget is developed through a FY Work Plan and basis of estimates, using an activity- based costing methodology. Funding for FY 1997 and 1998 was over $3 million each year. Part of this funding is allocated for high return on investment projects available to all Hanford Site prime contractors. The other prime contractor's P2/WMin activities are funded through separate project baseline summaries funded through EM-30 and EM-40. Other M&I major subcontractors P2/WMin activities are funded through their respective Deputy Assistant Secretarial Offices (e.g., EM-30, EM-60).

A hierarchial planning approach was developed in 1993 and remains today. A streamlined approach to meeting Hanford Site plan requirements was instituted that eliminated the requirement for individual generators to maintain separate P2/WMin plans. In conjunction with RL, the Hanford Site Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Program Awareness Program Plan is reviewed annually and updated at least every three years. This plan provides the overall requirements for the contractors to follow. Each prime contractor issues an Implementation Plan stating how they intend to meet the site P2/WMin requirements. The last tier includes each generator or generator group maintaining documentation that demonstrates they are implementing P2/WMin. The generator documentation consists of budget dedicated, establishment of goals, P2/WMin assessments, and reporting.

P2/WMin also was integrated into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. A strategy white paper was prepared outlining integration of pollution prevention in the NEPA process. The recommended integration was approved by the M&I contractor and implemented. The pollution prevention NEPA checklists developed at the U.S. Department of Energy, Headquarters (DOE-HQ) were added to the Hanford Site pollution prevention homepage to assist in the NEPA evaluation process.

In addition to this foundation of planning, P2/WMin requirements are part of the Hanford Site specifications requirements documents. The requirements also are specified in a number of environmental procedures.

These requirements are communicated through issuance of planning documents and through awareness activities. Awareness activities include electronic communications through a site pollution prevention network. The network includes pollution prevention points of contact from each of the major contractors and generators onsite. Quarterly, onsite pollution prevention meetings are held to discuss requirements, new technologies, and share best management practices with the onsite pollution prevention network. The overall population is targeted through articles published in the Hanford Site newspaper. A pollution prevention training segment is provided in the Hanford General Employee Training and is contained in other onsite training courses such as Core Waste Management, Hazardous Waste Training, and others. Tailored training was developed for the Environmental Restoration Contractor activities, laboratory, and deactivation activities.

The next element is developing challenging sitewide goals. In May 1996, the Secretary of Energy established waste reduction, sanitary waste recycling, affirmative procurement, and toxic chemical release goals for the DOE Complex. Achievement of the goals is measured against Calendar Year 1993 baseline. The goals are to be met by December 31, 1999.

A historical evaluation of waste generation was performed. From this evaluation, a strategy and plan for meeting the Secretarial goals was developed. FY 1997 Hanford Site goals were issued to contractor senior management through RL. One waste reduction goal of concern was routine mixed waste. A strategy for reducing mixed waste was developed. The top three generators of mixed waste were targeted, as these generators represented approximately 80 percent of the routine mixed waste generation. First, the categorization of waste was evaluated to ensure the generators were properly categorizing the waste as routine versus non-routine; and a waste stream and chemical analysis action plan was prepared, evaluating the largest steams and largest quantities of hazardous substances used. Recommendations for reduction are continuously evaluated and implemented. Goal progress is reported to RL and contractor senior management quarterly.

Table I provides progress against the Secretarial goals. The low level waste, mixed low level waste, hazardous, and sanitary waste reduction, sanitary waste recycling, and toxic release goals have been exceeded, two years ahead of schedule. Currently, the Hanford Site is achieving over 80 percent affirmative procurement purchases for the 24 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated items.

The Hanford Site has continued to significantly reduce routine solid waste volumes by focusing efforts on large-volume waste streams and source reduction as seen in Figure 1.

Formal pollution prevention opportunity assessments (P2OAs) are performed on high priority, Site strategic activities. Site strategic applies to multiple contractors or it is the largest generator of a waste type. A total of seven site strategic P2OAs were conducted in FY 1997. Two P2OAs were performed on routine mixed waste (one in the 222-S Analytical Laboratory and one in the Tank Waste Remediation System). Two P2OAs were performed on routine low level waste in those same programs. Two hazardous P2OAs were performed; one on absorbents used and another on lamps and ballasts. One P2OA was performed for onsite recycling activities. Some opportunities were implemented immediately. Return on Investment (ROI) proposal funding requests were prepared for others. The ROI process is discussed in the Implementation Section. In addition to Site Strategic P2OAs, generators prepare formal and informal evaluations on their priority waste streams.

A tracking system of completed P2OAs was developed and placed on the P2 homepage. The system provides search capabilities, a summary abstract, and if the viewer chooses, the assessment electronic file can be downloaded. This allows generators to review opportunities already identified for similar waste streams being evaluated.

The assessment technique was transferred to the private sector to foster sustainable economic development for small businesses in the community. A partnership was built with the federal and local governments and academia. P2OAs were conducted for small businesses in the surrounding community. Businesses ranged from a winery to a medical clinic. P2/WMin opportunities were identified for the small businesses that reduced utilities, raw materials, and waste management costs. Implementation of the P2/WMin opportunities provides a means for small businesses to reduce costs and allows them to be environmentally competitive, as well as reducing pollution.

Assessments for the out years include focusing on waste analysis by physical profile targeting plastics, metals, etc., to achieve greater, more wide-spread reductions. Specific campaigns to analyze waste steams in this manner are, and will be, part of the current year and out year efforts. Moreover, the non-routine (cleanup/stabilization) waste generation trends will continue to rise (see Figure 2.). Priority focus will be increased on environmental restoration and cleanup projects as well.

RL has a strong P2/WMin ROI program. The generators are knowledgeable in the ROI thought process, and have identified, and implemented numerous cost savings projects. A thorough training process along with a comprehensive program guide, complete with site-specific avoidable waste management unit costs and selection criteria, was developed. Technical assistance is provided to help generators identify projects that meet the selection criteria and for proposal preparation. The ROI program for RL provides a mechanism to fund projects that are typically below the management concern threshold ($5,000-$80,000 range, but can be funded up to $500,000) and have a high ROI. Approximately $2.5 million was allocated to over 20 projects in FY 1997. The estimated annual cost savings for these projects is over $10 million. The one-time savings are estimated at approximately $2 million. The overall return on the initial investment is greater than 400 percent.

Part of the reason the ROI program has been successful is the formation of a review team comprised of RL personnel. This team meets periodically to review proposals for project funding. For the funded projects, the RL Program Manager holds monthly reviews to evaluate project progress. Each project must have a RL sponsor to be eligible for funding, giving each project a sense of accountability and pride of ownership.

The Hanford Site DOE and regulatory P2/WMin reports are compiled and prepared, including the Hanford Site Annual Report, the RL Operations Office P2 Quarterly Reports, input to the Land Disposal Restrictions Report, Emergency Planning Community Right to Know Act, Annual Hanford Site Environmental Report, Groundwater-Monitoring Requirements, and others.

In addition, the Hanford Site Pollution Prevention Accomplishments Book has been issued for the past five years, documenting the over $93 million in cost savings/avoidances for over 230 P2/WMin initiatives.

The Hanford Site is one of the largest and most challenging sites in the DOE complex with its vast programmatic missions. Along with this, the Hanford Site has moved to a new contracting arrangement. The Hanford Site P2/WMin Program has emerged even stronger through this transition and continues to demonstrate sustained results. The six elements provide the foundation of the P2/WMin strategy for sustainability.

The Hanford Site has met the Secretarial waste reduction goals more than two years ahead of schedule. In addition, the annual goals set for Affirmative Procurement have been exceeded.

The Hanford Site has demonstrated downward trends for routine solid waste generation, and at the same time, achieved significant cost savings/avoidances. However, the cleanup/stabilization activities will continue to increase and provide continued challenges for the P2/WMin Program at the Hanford Site.

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