Niagara Falls IWCS A-E Design

Project Physical Characteristics: The NFSS is a federally-owned, 191-acre property located at 1397 Pletcher Road in Lewiston, New York. The main feature of the site is the 10-acre Interim Waste Containment Structure (IWCS) that is surrounded by paved access roads and chain-link security fencing. Other site features include a couple of small buildings, former building foundations, and large concrete tank cradles, all surrounded by a variety of flora. The main drainage feature on the property, the Central Drainage Ditch, is situated immediately east of the IWCS and runs in a south-north direction through the site. The entire site is fenced and entry onto the site is restricted to one locked main gate. Land use immediately surrounding the NFSS is a hazardous waste disposal facility (CWM Chemical Services, LLC) to the north and northeast, a solid waste disposal facility (Modern Landfill, Inc.) to the east and south, and a transmission corridor (National Grid) to the west. Project Description: The purpose of the project is to remediate the site and remove future human health hazards posed by the presence of radiological and chemical contaminants. These contaminants are the wastes and by-products from uranium ore processing for the nation’s early nuclear weapons programs. For engineering purposes the site is divided into three “operable units” which include the IWCS operable unit, the Balance of Plant operable unit (contaminated soils outside the footprint of the IWCS, and the Groundwater operable unit (also located outside the IWCS footprint). The project strategy is to safely excavate, process, package, transport and dispose of contaminated materials to permanent disposal facilities located outside New York State. The most hazardous component of the project is the remediation of high- activity K-65 wastes buried within the IWCS operable unit. The K-65 wastes in the IWCS operable unit represent 1% of the waste volume but pose over 90% of the radioactive risk. The remaining buried wastes located in the IWCS and in the BOP operable units are low-activity wastes typical of other FUSRAP sites. The overall project strategy is to remove the highly hazardous K-65 wastes from the IWCS operable unit first then remediate the less hazardous contaminated soil and groundwater located in the IWCS and Groundwater operable units. The project requires extensive engineering and design support to construct and operate the infrastructure necessary to remove the wastes. The most complex and critical infrastructure is the K-65 radon control structure (RCS) and the K-65 waste processing plant. These elements of the infrastructure are unique to the K-65 remediation and are not needed to remediate the balance of the site wastes. This project requires specialized staff, procedures, equipment and infrastructure (not required at other FUSRAP sites) to ensure the safety of the workforce and the surrounding community. In accordance with the IWCS Record of Decision (USACE 2018), the entire contents of the IWCS will be removed, partially treated, and disposed off-site. The IWCS contains approximately 278,072 cubic yards (yd3) of radiologically and chemically contaminated material. This includes approximately 6,030 yd3 of highly radioactive material (e.g., K-65 residues) that will require cement solidification and stabilization prior to transport and disposal. The disposition of soil beneath the IWCS will not be known until the material in the IWCS is removed, allowing access and assessment of subsurface conditions. The A-E will assist the USACE by developing plans to implement the work. The A-E will propose the work breakdown structure and sequence, ensuring that the work is performed in a logical and cost-effective manner. The A-E will propose and assist in the preparation of individual contract bid packages for future construction and remediation contracts. The A-E will assist the USACE in construction management tasks including answering contractor requests for information (RFI), change management, construction quality assurance oversight, and cost and schedule control through Earned Value Management.