Volume V, Issue 11 • November 2023 |
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Plan to join meeting with CEO next month |
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VNSFS CEO Steve Moore will host a meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, to share with employees about the company's strategic direction and future path.
The event will take place at noon EST (9 a.m. Pacific Time) on Microsoft Teams. All employees of VNSFS, including Alaron, will receive an invitation to join.
Employees on the East Coast are invited to "listen over lunch" while those out west can "call in over coffee." Steve will talk for 15-20 minutes and then answer questions that employees post in the Teams chat feature.
VNS CEO Christine Lucas-Lamouroux will host an online meeting that same week to discuss the VNS strategic plan. The session for U.S. participants will be Thursday, Dec. 7 at 10 am EST (7 am Pacific). An invitation to join this event will be sent soon to all VNSFS employees.
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As we do each year, VNSFS recently sent to employees a special salute to our veterans, each of whom were also given a gift - a Veolia-branded utility tote made from recycled materials. VNSFS is extremely proud to have 27 veterans of the U.S. military working for the company. If you missed the 2023 Salute to Veterans, you can view it by clicking here. |
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PVU team earns exceptional scores once again |
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The VNSFS team that operates the Paradox Valley Unit (PVU) desalination project in Colorado for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation once again received exceptional ratings on its most recent evaluation.
PVU received "exceptional" ratings in three of the four areas covered in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) assessment completed Oct. 30. VNSFS has been performing operations & maintenance (O&M) at PVU since 2014.
The evaluation period was from July 26, 2022, through July 25, 2023, and the categories were: Quality, Management, Safety, and Small Business Subcontracting. The VNSFS team at PVU received exceptional marks in the first three categories, and satisfactory in the latter.
“During the evaluation period, VNSFS performance met all contractual requirements and exceeded many to the Government's benefit,” wrote Dwane Esplin, Contracting Officer for the Bureau of Reclamation. “Project management continues to work aggressively promoting a strong partnering relationship with Reclamation. Joint meetings continue to be open and honest discussions of current conditions and issues affecting the site. This relationship provides the means for continuous improvement in communications, work methods, and ensures safety and quality service."
The assessment includes an extensive list of projects on which Esplin said VNSFS took the initiative to identify and remedy.
In terms of safety, “VNSFS continues to provide an exceptional level of service for its focus on the safety program which consistently results in an exceptional safety record, and other trainings programs to be in compliance with Reclamation's safety requirements,” Esplin said.
In the small business subcontracting category, the satisfactory ranking is due primarily to the fact that many HUBZone, veteran-owned and disabled veteran-owned small businesses that could perform work at PVU do not register with the U.S. Small Business Administration, said PVU Project Manager John Adams. VNSFS “demonstrated a good faith effort to meet all subcontracting goals and exceeded in two,” Esplin wrote in his assessment.
Adams said the CPARS report is evidence of "the great partnership and relationship trust we've built with our customer."
PVU operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to prevent up to 100,000 tons of salt per year from entering the Delores and Colorado rivers in this remote area of western Colorado. It does this by extracting brine groundwater and injecting it into a deep injection well. Saline concentrations of this naturally occurring brine groundwater have measured in excess of 250,000 milligrams per liter - about eight times saltier than seawater. PVU is part of the broader Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program.
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Who are the members of the VNSFS Board and what do they do? The Board consists of three Outside Directors (who have no ties to Veolia) and two Inside Directors (who have ties to Veolia). The Outside Directors also serve as members of the VNSFS Government Security Committee, which works to ensure that our company complies with Special Security Agreement we have with the U.S. Department of Energy. The Board and GSC each meet quarterly. Over the next several months, the VNSFS Voice will include profiles of our board members. Our second profile is Outside Director Pete Diakun.
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Meet Pete: retired energy VP, board member and Pop-Pop |
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Peter (Pete) Diakun has been a member of the VNSFS Board of Directors since our company began in 2018. He is also currently chairman of the board’s Government Security Committee (GSC) and has served on the board’s Compensation and Governance committees.
Pete brings a wealth of knowledge and experience into his roles on the board and GSC. Pete retired in 2017 after his 32nd year at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) as Vice President of Energy Programs, a role which included running four subsidiaries supporting both government and commercial customers (nuclear power plant NQA-1 manufacturing & construction, nuclear environmental remediation, nuclear site management & operation, and wind energy design and installation). Previous assignments included NNS Chief Technology Officer, Aircraft Carrier warfare and networks integration, and Submarine design and construction.
“I bring a (U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Defense) nuclear business, strategy and technology experiential background to the board to complement and round out the other board member’s strengths,” Pete said. “This background has served well during the formulative and growing years of VNSFS from a DOE small business-centric organization to becoming and competing as a major operations and technology provider to DOE and other government customers.”
As chairman of the GSC, Pete is a U.S. government representative tasked with overseeing national security concerns of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) in the best interests and operation of VNSFS.
Pete is a native of Buffalo, New York, but moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1969, where he currently lives with Connie, his wife of 39 years. The Diakuns have two grown children and relish their roles as Pop-Pop and Nay-Nay to two grandchildren.
Pete earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in business administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has served on many other boards over the years, including DOE-related corporate and industry boards, technical boards, education boards and community boards.
In his free time, Pete enjoys golfing, kayaking, fishing, landscaping, 3D printing, woodworking and the family’s two Havanese fur babies, Stella and Jet.
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ERDF disposal tops 19 million tons |
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Hey, Nineteen isn't just a hit by Steely Dan. The number also represents the tons of waste disposed at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) cleanup of the Hanford Site.
VNSFS has managed operations at ERDF since 2013. In January of this year, Hanford Prime Contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) awarded the contract to manage ERDF and the Integrated Disposal Facility at Hanford to the VNSFS joint venture with CTI and Associates, called CTI-VNSFS Environmental, LLC (CVE).
The 19-million-ton-milestone was recently highlighted in DOE's weekly Environmental Management (EM) Update newsletter.
Workers at the 107-acre facility have disposed of demolition material from more than 800 facilities and solid material and soil from 1,300 waste sites since the facility’s operations began in 1996. The facility consistently receives an average of 10,000 to 15,000 tons of waste per month.
“The disposal facility and the people who operate it continue to play a critical role in the site’s risk-reduction mission, as they have done for more than 25 years,” said Heather Dale, assistant manager for River and Plateau for EM Hanford.
ERDF can hold 21 million tons of waste distributed across 10 large disposal cells, enough to support site cleanup work for a few more years. By 2025, CPCCo will begin construction of an eleventh cell that will provide capacity for about another 20 years of disposal of cleanup debris. “I’m proud of the role our experienced crews play in supporting cleanup progress across the Hanford Site,” said CPCCo ERDF manager Craig Larson. “Our team remains committed to safe and efficient operations and environmental protection.”
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The VNSFS monthly newsletter features profiles of our company's leadership, people and projects, as well as those from the broader VNS and Veolia, to help everyone better understand who we are and what we do. In this issue, we look at the ongoing VNS series profiling members of the company's CODIR, Veolia's upcoming 170th birthday as well as The Group's strong earnings in the recently ended third quarter. If you have a suggestion for a Veolia, VNS or VNSFS profile, please send it to news@vnsfs.com. |
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Introducing VNS General Counsel Corinne Jamot |
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Veolia Nuclear Solutions (VNS) recently released the latest in a series of videos profiling members of its Board of Directors - referred to as the Comité de Direction, or CODIR.
You can watch all the CODIR member videos by going to the Videos folder of our What We Do SharePoint site. You will also find all kinds of other useful materials on the What We Do site, including marketing materials, logos and past newsletters - so please bookmark the site and go back whenever you need to!
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Happy 170th anniversary, Veolia! |
On Dec. 14, Veolia will celebrate its 170th anniversary. The company began as Compagnie Générale des Eaux (General Water Company), at the heart of the first Industrial Revolution in 1853. It was authorized by Emperor Napoleon III. Over the years, waste and energy were added to the company's services. More information about Veolia's birthday with be shared in the coming months.
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Veolia reports strong third quarter results |
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The Veolia Group continued its string of strong quarterly earnings in the third quarter of 2023.
Revenue for Veolia for the first nine months of 2023 was 33.16 million euros - or $35.9 million, up 10.7 percent from the same period in 2022.
“After an excellent first half with strong growth, Veolia continued its momentum in the third quarter with solid growth in activity and earnings, at rates comparable to those seen in the first half of the year. EBITDA at 30 September was up by 7.7 percent and current EBIT by 14.2 percent," said Veolia CEO Estelle Brachlianoff. "This very strong performance is underpinned by solid fundamentals such as our resistance to inflation, thanks to the indexation of 70 percent of our contracts to cost increases, our very low exposure to macroeconomic conditions, and our geographical positioning, with close to 40 percent of sales outside Europe, including almost $5 billion on a yearly basis in the United States."
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Bolen helps write questions for national safety exam |
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VNSFS Corporate Health & Safety Manager Henry Bolen recently traveled to Indianapolis to work with a team that developed more than 100 new exam items for the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). The questions are used for Associate Safety Professional (ASP) certification.
Bolen, who volunteered for the BCSP group on his own time, called the experience "challenging and rewarding." He is pictured at right (in the blue shirt, fifth from right) with the other members of the BCSP exam group.
Christy Uden, Chief Executive Officer of the BCSP, said the work of Bolen and the others in the exam writing group, is extremely valuable to the group. "We depend on the expertise of subject matter expert (SME) panels representing a diversity of industries, geographic locations, and years of experience," she wrote in a letter thanking Bolen. Th experience also helped Bolen and the others strengthen their safety and training skills and provided the opportunity to interact with other SMEs from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.
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VNSFS team members who scored the highest on September's Health & Safety Week quiz were awarded a special ceramic blade safety knife. The photos below show four of the five winners (the fifth, John Boughner, is now shown). |
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Bruce Weible and Fred Heacker |
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VNSFS Health & Safety recently issued a safety alert for a finger injury that occurred Oct. 11 at Alaron Nuclear Services in Pennsylvania. An employee's finger got caught in a pinch point during a loading operation. The injury required stitches, but the employee was able to return to work. Click here to download the safety bulletin. |
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Did you remember to change the batteries? |
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By now, most of us have recovered from the Nov. 5 Daylight Saving Time change, when our clocks all fell back an hour (if you missed it, that may explain why you have been running late for more than a week!). But did you remember to change the batteries in your home's smoke detectors at the same time?
At the same time you adjust your clock twice a year, safety experts say it's also a good idea to refresh your smoke alarms. The long-standing “Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries” campaign encourages people to change their smoke alarm batteries when turning their clocks back or forward.
Working smoke alarms are a critical element of home fire safety., However, today’s smoke alarms are not all designed the same, making battery messaging more nuanced. Smoke alarms with non-replaceable 10-year batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years. If the alarm chirps, warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away. Smoke alarms with any other type of battery need a new battery at least once a year. If that alarm chirps, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
So, even if you missed it earlier this month, it's a good idea to do it now!
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Take steps to keep your Thanksgiving a safe one |
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Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude and celebrate with your loved ones. However, it is also a time to be careful and mindful of the potential hazards that may arise from preparing and enjoying a festive meal. To reduce the risk of food poisoning, fire, or injury, here are some tips to celebrate Thanksgiving safely this year:
- Follow the food safety guidelines and recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding handling, cooking, and storing turkey and other foods.
- Use a food thermometer to make sure your turkey is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing. Do not rely on the color or appearance of the turkey to determine its doneness.
- Refrigerate or freeze your leftovers within two hours of serving. Divide large portions of food into smaller containers and label them with the date. Use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days or frozen leftovers within two to six months.
- If you decide to deep-fry your turkey, follow the safety tips from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to prevent fire or injury. Those include: set up the turkey fryer more than 10 feet away from your home and keep children and pets away; never leave the fryer unattended; use a multipurpose, dry-powder fire extinguisher and never use water to put out a grease fire; use a thawed and dry turkey (extra water will cause the oil to bubble furiously and spill over); use the right amount of oil - test the amount of oil you need by filling your fryer with water, placing your turkey in the pot and making sure the water doesn’t get too close to the top; monitor the temperature of the oil, using a kitchen thermometer that attaches to the side of the pot. IF the grease catches fire, use a multipurpose dry-powder extinguisher (never water) to put out a grease fire.
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The VNSFS Human Resources Department provides information each month on company benefits, new hires, birthdays, birth announcements, etc. If you have something you would like included, please contact Amanda Spriggs-Rhea. |
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Use those remaining FSA funds this year |
If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), remember that you need to use the funds before the end of 2023. The VNSFS plan does not allow for any of the FSA funds to carry over into 2024, but employees do have the first three months of the new year to submit any expenses incurred by Dec. 31, 2023.
You can use funds in your FSA to pay for certain medical and dental expenses for you, your spouse if you’re married, and your dependents. You can spend FSA funds to pay deductibles and copayments, but not for insurance premiums.
You can also spend FSA funds on prescription medications, as well as over-the-counter medicines with a doctor's prescription. Reimbursements for insulin are allowed without a prescription. FSAs may also be used to cover costs of medical equipment like crutches, supplies like bandages, and diagnostic devices like blood sugar test kits.
Need to spend a little money in the next few weeks? The FSA Store offers more than 4,000 eligible FSA items. Click here to shop.
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The following folks joined the VNSFS team in the past month. Welcome to the VNSFS team!
- Anthony Day, Radiation Protection Supervisor, Alaron
- Preston Sutherland, General Maintenance Worker, Paradox Valley
- James Kleinow, Container Maintenance Field Work Supervisor, ERDF
- Matthew Bradley, Teamster, PCS Washington
- Heidi Schuette, Engineering Manager / Sr. Project Manager, Richland
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The VNSFS Service Awards Program recognizes employees’ service dates in increments of five years. Our vendor, Point Recognition, sends eligible employees an email with a username and password. Employees may then choose a gift or gifts that will be sent directly to their home.
Congratulations to those with service awards this month!
Brian Ramey, 10 years
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Here's wishing a very happy birthday to all the VNSFS folks celebrating this month. Hope it is (was) a great day!
John Adams, Tami Call, Tyler Currey, Zachery Deleplancque, Arden Gill, Fred Heacker, Sam Lagunas, Duane McLane, Bob Miklos, Brian Ramey, Ashley Stewart, Barry Willamson, Mary Wilson and Steven Woosley.
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