SWM, O&M, DDD, EHS, EMS, FIRE SAFETY, RISK
Confirmed & Invited Speakers | Track G
This Track provides presentations on current technologies and strategies for decommissioning of power plants, boiler optimization, project finance, risk management, EHS, EMS in the energy industry.
Advisory Board
G1
DDD | EHS | EMS | FIRE SAFETY | RISK
Utility Operations and Managing Environmental Risk
H4.1 Utility Operations and Managing Environmental Risk
Nick Steinke – Olsson
Utility environmental managers face an increasingly complex and changing landscape of risks and requirements while having limited resources available to effectively manage their responsibilities. A formal environmental management system (EMS) approach can help the organization to: identify, prioritize, and reduce risks; improve compliance with environmental requirements; encourage stakeholder engagement; and support the overall sustainability of the organization. This presentation will include: an overview of ISO 14001 for EMS; the benefits of a management system approach, including the use of audits to manage risks; implementation strategies and challenges; information management strategies; and an application of this approach at a Utility (pending confirmation).
Screening Coal-Fired Power Plants for New Gen Technologies
Screening Coal-Fired Power Plants for New Generation Technologies
Lea Millet – Senior Technical Leader – EPRI
As economic, regulatory, and carbon reduction goals evolve, the viability and desirability of operating coal-fueled generating assets continue to decline. Utilities are evaluating former coal-fired plant sites for opportunities to add low- or no-carbon generation, and operating or recently retired coal-fired power plants have many assets with the potential to reduce the time and cost of developing new generation. Evaluating the conversion of an existing coal-fired fleet can be performed by systematically creating an inventory of the existing site infrastructure, characteristics, permits, and other attributes, and correlating it with the needs of the evolving energy system with attention to maximizing useful service for the utility and the local community. EPRI evaluated the assets typically available at coal-fired power plants and developed a screening tool that correlates those assets with the needs of low- and no-carbon generation. The screening tool allows users to input information about individual sites and quickly identify generation technologies that may be feasible for an individual site or for an entire fleet. The baseline tool provides a standardized methodology for the industry, allowing comparison across disparate sites regardless of location or individual site characteristics to understand what generation technologies are more likely to be technologically feasible at each location. Employing a standardized method for the initial evaluations provides a starting point for discussion of repowering options with internal and external stakeholders, while the flexibility to customize the method for company needs and priorities allows utilities to adapt the baseline model for internal evaluations.
Community Air Monitoring During Demolition and Management for Environmental Justice
H1.3 Community Air Monitoring During Demolition and Management for Environmental Justice
Melissa McLaughlin – AECOM
AECOM has been designing, installing and operating perimeter ambient air quality and meteorological programs for over 40 years. AECOM’s more recent experience includes numerous perimeter monitoring programs around hazardous waste sites, landfill excavation projects, former MGP site remediation projects, and dredging and sediment processing projects. The same guidelines and approaches apply to dust generated during demolition projects, especially for power plants that have known metals, asbestos, PCB, and crystalline silica impacted building materials. This presentation will focus on the past, present and future of fenceline air monitoring and how environmental justice is creating change.
Safety Considerations for Plant Decommissioning & Demolition
H4.4 Safety Considerations for Plant Decommissioning & Demolition
Jeff Pope – Burns & McDonnell
The demolition of a power plant presents a unique challenge to utilities. It is important to understand the steps involved in order to conduct abatement and demolition work safely. Demolition of a power plant is different from constructing a new facility in that the dropping and removal of equipment can be unpredictable, therefore safe and controlled methods must be employed. Proper planning is necessary to implement demolition for these plants so that the work can be conducted safely, reduce overall cost and the utility will have a clean, reusable site.
This presentation provides a description of some of the key items required to safely plan and implement a successful demolition project. Different types of demolition methods will be described along with several steps to be considered to plan a safe project.
Co-Author: Donald Barris, III, Burns and McDonnell Engineering Co., Inc.
Synergizing EHS and ESG: Strategies for Optimizing Organizational Performance
Synergizing EHS and ESG: Strategies for Optimizing Organizational Performance
Khaled Fustok – ERM
The primary aim of this presentation is to showcase the optimal strategies for harnessing Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) management systems to facilitate a robust and impactful Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. Emphasizing the pivotal role of mature data processes within this context, the presentation will explore the convergence of EHS and ESG objectives, demonstrating how well-integrated management systems can yield tangible benefits for organizations. By spotlighting best practices, real-world case studies, and the symbiotic relationship between comprehensive EHS frameworks and successful ESG outcomes, the presentation seeks to equip attendees with actionable insights to drive performance in their organizations.
Decommissioning & Demolition for Power Plants
H1.4 Planning and Implementation of Decommissioning & Demolition for Power Plants
Jeff Pope – Burns McDonnell
With the impending closure of fossil fuel-fired power plants around the country due to cheaper natural gas and environmental regulations, utilities are planning for decommissioning & demolition (D&D) of these plants. The D&D process presents a unique challenge to utilities to conduct the work safely, minimizing cost and concluding with a potentially reusable site.
Planning and implementation of the D&D of these facilities requires upfront planning and coordination with utilities’ operations, environmental, security, safety, management and other stakeholders to successfully complete the project. Upfront identification of permitting issues involving waste disposal, working within a floodplain, demolition permitting, asbestos abatement and isolation of common services at the plant prior to demolition is imperative to manage project expectations and minimize change orders due to technical requirements of any required permits.
This presentation provides a description of some of the key items required to plan and implement D&D process. Several recent project examples will be summarized identifying the actual activities undertaken and the resulting lessons learned.