Expertise of the doe -legacy management for rifle orgle cell pores -Wasser extraction project

The multidisciplinary approach ensured the success of the installation of the evaporation ponds

Rifle photo 1

Rifle photo 2

Rifle, Colorado, May 5, 2025 (Globe Newswire) -As the US Ministry of Energy Ministry (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) recently faced an operational challenge for the Rifle relaxation location in Colorado.

The 71-hectare disposal cell was built in 1996 to be known to uranium milling components and mill developments from two former areas with uranium and vanadium processing locations, known as Old Rifle and New Rifle, near the city of Rifle, Colorado. The disposal cell is a Tailing Tailing Radiation Control Act (Contra).

From 2001, water accumulated in the disposal cell and had to be pumped into a nearby evaporation area. With the system of the system, the environmental remedy could not keep up with the rapidly rising water level and threaten the structural stability of the system. As a result, LM priorified in 2024 the development and execution of a new network of strategically placed, solar -powered extraction fountains and evaporation ponds to tackle the problem.

“After we have found that our existing infrastructure did not keep up with the rising water level, the first approach was to examine the change in operating parameters to maximize the pump rate,” said Paul Kerl. “We have developed existing fountains and freezed the existing infrastructure to maximize the term and all year round. Unfortunately, this was not sufficient. The water levels continued to rise and evaluated the risks that were connected to the saturation of the side inclination of the disposal cell. A project to take these risks quickly.

After the site team informed the situation, it quickly collected all the support that was necessary for a successful project execution and risk reduction. The team coordinated the communication and support throughout the organization, including the management of leadership, finance, regulations, planning, design and construction teams, IT, communication, asset management, environmental conformity, project management, radiation security, measurement, contract and subordinate, security and data management. Everyone involved dealt with this project with high priority, recognized the risks and carried out the project as the top priority of the organization.

“This was an all-in effort,” said Kerl, “and the dedication and professionalism of the common LM LMS team paid dividends and drive.”

A large number of challenges had to be addressed before work on the website, e.g. The Environmental Compliance team evaluated the potential effects of the project on land, air, wild animals, water and plants.
LM has completed a comprehensive review of the disposal of cell construction and water accumulation in order to determine how many new extraction fountains were required and what placement the wells for maximum efficiency are. In order to hit the milling materials not to be buried during the drilling, hydrogeologists were dependent on a geophysical examination and found the best place to place the new wells.

“In order to simulate how the water levels in the cell would change through pumps, we have developed a numerical groundwater flow model. In the past, what we knew about the cell came from three locations: the two points of view with 30 years of water level recordings and one that was dry. -Hydrogeologist -pet -Schill.

“In order to take into account the uncertainty, we developed an ensemble approach and calibrated 223 numerical groundwater flow models. With this ensemble we have selected a design strategy that worked for all models in the ensemble,” said Schillig.

After LM had completed the planning phase, the work began at the location in June 2024. Despite a compressed schedule, the team seamlessly managed parallel tasks and subcontractors.

The project team has set up bores on the disposal cell. In order to avoid the existing Riprap coverage layer, the workers made a temporary road surface with interlocking, high-ranking construction mats. After building a path, LM brought in a drilling device and equipment on site. LM used “great sacks” to store drills, including tailor -made material, outside the construction area. Once filled, every sack was brought into a radiation control area and blocked off with radiological hazard signs. During the drilling, the provisional paths were moved and repositioned to absorb every drilling area. These mats made safe, stable surfaces available to the workers.

During the entire drilling process, LMSP used a lidar or a light detection and level, a system to scan the disposal cell and to fix the concern for maintaining the integrity of the disposal cells during the drill.

“Lidar sends a single luminous beam to a point or points on the floor on the front slope of the cell. If this is the case, the light jumps back to the instrument and the instrument knows its location and orientation,” said LMSP Surveyor Services Manager from Jeff Schaaf.

Using the Lidar system, LM confirmed that no movement of the cell occurred, while equipment and employees carried out the work.

As soon as all preparations were completed, the holes began. The goal was to drill 10 additional extraction fountains and actively pull water out of the cell. Another four surveillance fountains were drilled to measure the water level in the cell. During the most important drilling work, other workers constructed the modular evaporation ponds.

The LMSP survey -Technician Josh Helmick shows how the Lidar scan is set up, while LM team Wil Burns and LM Site Manager Sara Woods listen.

The introduction of new wells and more infrastructure meant that additional performance was required for the operation of the system. As soon as the holes in the disposal cell were completed, the new solar power systems as well as system operation and analysis were used at distant areas (soars) to provide the performance. The Soar's system enables LM to operate and monitor the new water extraction system remote.

After the components for the soar systems were completed and the pipeline from the fountain was attached to the modular evaporation ponds, the extraction rates of pore water – the water that infiltrated the small rooms between floor and sand grains – were tested. The first test showed steady 2.5 gallons per minute. When the first fountain began with the production of water from the cell, the remaining fountain was brought online.

The additional water removal also meant more evaporation capacity.

“The website was originally built with a small evaporation pond, but we had to support two additional modular evaporation ponds with a hectare of a pore water volume that is to be extracted from the cell,” said Mary Young, LM location manager, Mary Young.

Construction and engineering teams worked together to secure a plan for the two modular evaporation ponds. The procurement rationalized the recording of the equipment and continued to play a key role in solving pension issues when they were created.

After the maintenance efforts for the disposal cell were completed, it was time to restore the surrounding country before the start of work. The workers initially achieved the ground to help native plants fulfill roots. After that, local plant seeds were planted to re -control the area and stabilize the disturbed soil.

The work on the website has now been completed and the wells work as expected and extract pore water that is required to maintain cell integrity. The location monitoring using data collected and transmitted by the Soars stations and compliance with the long-term surveillance plan will continue to protect human health and the environment.

“This project required personnel with specialist knowledge in many areas,” said Young. “We have completed this complex project with a comprehensive approach that enabled us to maintain the integrity of the disposal cell.”

Kerl agreed and said that the joint efforts and the result of the project were a success in all measures.

“I am very proud of the team's commitment, professionalism, the long hours and Esprit de Corps During the execution of this important priority project, Kerl said.

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Contact: Rick Greene Us Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (740) 547-9059 Rick.Greene@lm.doe.gov.gov