It’s been about two years since Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration LLC (HLMI) took over as a new prime contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in April 2021. To support DOE’s Hanford cleanup mission, HLMI assumed sole responsibility for the operation of the 222-S Laboratory, a full-service accredited analytical radiochemical laboratory.

The laboratory is in the center of the Hanford site and has served the Hanford mission for more than 70 years. Its original purpose was to provide process control analytical services in support of Hanford’s plutonium production mission. It then transitioned in the 1980s to the primary radiochemical lab supporting the Hanford site cleanup mission.

New workforce

The lab has been modernized over the years through multiple infrastructure upgrades; however, many more renovations are needed and are planned over the next five to 10 years. Many of the 222-S staff are also new, as workforce attrition has resulted in a turnover of nearly 40% of our staff. 

To address this unprecedented transition in the workforce, HLMI has incorporated rigorous new employee training programs to ensure the staff is fully qualified to safely handle the highly radioactive materials the lab is responsible for analyzing.

HLMI is a limited liability corporation formed by two small businesses, Navarro Research and Engineering Inc., and Advanced Technologies and Laboratories International Inc. The combination of these companies provides HLMI with the human resources and capital to ensure we consistently provide high-quality data to other Hanford contractors in support of the site cleanup mission.

222-S Lab updates

HLMI is committed to continuing to make updates to the 222-S Laboratory, so that it is available to support the Direct-Feed Low Activity Waste (DFLAW) Program to treat and dispose of tank waste, a sitewide mission and top DOE priority. The laboratory must also be ready and able to support the overall High-Level Waste (HLW) cleanup mission for at least the next 50 years. 

To be ready for these challenges, we are planning several capital improvement projects and facility renovations that will allow the laboratory to continue to provide state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to the scientists and technicians that provide these vital analytical services. 

We plan on retrofitting the 11A hot cells (shielded nuclear radiation containment chambers) with new glass, providing improvements in maintainability, visual acuity and reliability.

 HLMI is also revamping laboratory spaces to improve safety and operability, and to provide chemists with state-of-the-art infrastructure to do their work.

In addition, new advanced analytical measurement equipment will be installed and purchased, which will upgrade the lab to the latest technology and will increase reliability and availability.

The Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), the data collection and management workhorse of the operation, will be replaced this coming year with a modernized data management system. 

Finally, infrastructure systems (e.g., electrical distribution, HVAC) will continue to be updated to ensure reliable operations continue at the 222-S Laboratory.

Since contract inception, HLMI has supported critical Hanford operations with timely laboratory analysis and reporting, operated the facility in full compliance with environmental regulatory and permit requirements, and implemented improvements and efficiencies in waste minimization processes that have resulted in cost savings and reduced worker and environmental risks.

HLMI looks forward to continuing to support the DOE cleanup mission and is proud to be a part of the One Hanford team.

Ray Geimer is general manager for Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration LLC.