Although the maintenance program at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site tank farms and liquid waste facilities is satisfactory, there are a couple of issues that demand attention, according to a recent DOE report.
The facilities at the complex are overseen by BWX Technologies-led contractor Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C), which needs to improve training and certain procedures, according to the report released last month by DOE’s Office of Enterprise Assessments.
The Office of Enterprise Assessments review, done during March, included two “findings” that are defined as “deficiencies that warrant a high level of attention from management,” DOE said in the report.
“In summary, the nuclear maintenance management program at Hanford Site tank waste facilities is adequately designed and generally adequately implemented,” DOE said.
“However, two findings were identified related to the inadequate quality of work instructions being released to the field and the training and qualification of maintenance craft,” the DOE office said.
“Until the concerns identified in this report are addressed or effective mitigations are put in place, some risk remains in the continued reliable performance of structures, systems, and components that are part of the facility safety bases,” the Office of Enterprise Assessments went on to say.
Sometimes, “H2C does not validate that all maintenance procedures and instructions include adequate direction to correctly accomplish work and can be performed as written,” the DOE report said.
Also, H2C does not ensure workers are “adequately trained on all SSCs [structures, systems and components] on which they may perform work and has not developed a two-year fixed continuing training program for craft personnel to maintain their qualifications,” DOE said.
An H2C spokesperson said the contractor is resolving the issues.
“Shortly after starting our contract in February 2025, H2C began a thorough review of our Maintenance organization, with training as one area to strengthen,” the H2C spokesperson said. “By October 2025, improved training was underway, with additional phases completed or under development. H2C has also developed and implemented corrective actions to ensure work instructions and procedures provide more effective direction for the craft to perform the work and accomplish the tasks safely and successfully.”