SRNS and SRR Environmental Management Systems Deemed “Robust”
Tuesday, July 6th, 2021
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the Savannah River Site’s (SRS) Management and Operations contractor and Savannah River Remediation (SRR), SRS’ Liquid Waste Contractor, recently completed an independent audit of their Environmental Management System (EMS), which determined the contractors meet the standards set forth by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
The audit team, led by third-party independent evaluators from DOE Headquarters and an Exemplar Global Certified ISO Lead Auditor, conducted an extensive evaluation of SRNS’ and SRR’s envi- ronmental programs, including environmental regulatory compliance, direct environmental opera- tions and significant environmental
protection and remediation projects and activities.
The final audit report to the con- tractors concluded that the SRNS and SRR EMS conforms to ISO Standards outlined in 14001:2015, as well as both organizations’ envi- ronmental protection requirements set forth by DOE and other regula- tory agencies. The report describes the contractor’s programs as “ro- bust” and states that all focus areas “appear to be professionally managed, well-coordinated, and operationally effective.”
“SRNS is proud of our environmen- tal program that strives to restore and protect the land, water and air at SRS and our surrounding com- munities. The audit findings verify
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions mechanic Todd Cockrell, Engineer John Bradley and Project Manager Joao Cardoso-Neto plan the removal and dismantlement of a high-vacuum soil vapor extraction unit at the Savannah River Site’s M Area.
Patricia Allen, SRR Director, Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality and Contractor Assurance, said this audit report shows the liquid waste work conducted by SRR is being handled safely while demonstrating adherence to all policies and procedures designed to protect people, the environment, and the plant.
“Cleaning and closing waste tanks is a mammoth-sized job that SRR understands and executes well,” Allen said. “This independent audit highlights how seriously we take our work, particularly how well we pro- tect workers, the community, and the environment. And that’s the way it should be. We live here, too.”
The ISO 14001:2015 Standard helps an organization achieve the intended outcomes of its environmen- tal management system, which provide value for the environment, the organization itself and interested parties. Consistent with the organization’s environmental policy, the intended outcomes of an EMS include enhancement of environmental performance, fulfilment of compliance obligations and achieve- ment of environmental objectives (www.iso.org).
In addition to achieving conformance with ISO 14001:2015, the successful completion of the audit ensures that the SRNS and SRR EMS meets DOE expectations outlined in DOE Order 436.1, which requires that contractors develop and implement an EMS that is certified to, or conforms with, the ISO 14001:2015 standard.
“Despite our ability to sustain a “robust” EMS, the desired outcome of any third-party evaluation is to identify opportunities to continuously improve. SRNS is a learning organization that appreciates the feed- back provided by independent experts. The auditors provided four opportunities for improvement, and we look forward to implementing their suggestions to further strengthen our EMS posture,” said Sprague.
The ISO 14001:2015 EMS audit is performed tri-annually for SRNS and SRR. It is conducted both on- site and in remote locations and consists of inspections, personnel interviews and facility visits.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor-led company with Newport News Nuclear and Honeywell, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, including the Savannah River National Laboratory, located near Aiken, South Carolina.
