- Environmental remediation of radiation waste including site characterization, sampling, laboratory analyses and data management, excavation support, worker protection, contamination control, shipping and disposal, and MARSSIM surveys (via GPS NaI walkovers).
- Transport, set-up, and operation of gamma spectroscopy laboratory in support of remediation activities demanding short turnaround times for remediation guidance.
- Development and oversight of a Radiation Protection Program. This includes all facets of a program such as procedure development, program audits, personnel training, and radiological controls for source receipt and handling, and dosimetry support.
- Effluent sampling and monitoring while performing chemical and radiological risk assessments. Developing the Derived Concentration Guidelines Level (DCGL) for different radionuclides in support of risk assessment activities. Management of comprehensive air monitoring programs for site-conceptual modeling, dose assessments, development of engineering controls and conducting air quality analysis for permit applications.
- Preparing various types of compliance reporting such as discharge monitoring reports, dose reporting, permit applications, feasibility studies, five year reviews, records of decision, post-remedial action reports, site close-out implementation plans, environmental site assessments, remedial investigations, risk assessments, and engineering evaluations.
- Radiological safety support to refueling outages, power plant shut-downs, decommissioning activities.
- Evaluating new instructions for programmatic enhancements while calibrating and maintaining all instrumentation.
- Dose reconstruction and risk assessment – The staff at AVESI has extensive specific experience with internal and external dose reconstruction associated with probability of causations in support of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for claimants under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
A geographic information system (GIS) is the combination of computer hardware, software, and data that is used to capture, manage, analyze, and display all forms of geographically related information. Much more than a simple “map-making” program, a GIS can fully integrate geographical data with almost limitless other attributes (for example, environmental, population, or topographical data) to create powerful analysis tools for a wide variety of client needs.
AVESI specialists have a proven track record of developing and implementing GIS technology that serves as an efficient management tool throughout the life cycle of client projects. For example, AVESI scientists utilize GIS to manage, analyze, and display soil radioactivity data generated during investigations of potentially radioactive sites. GIS software is used to create color-coded maps of radiation levels across the site. The color-coded maps allow AVESI scientists and other decision-makers to visualize, analyze and interpret areas of elevated radioactivity in order to focus subsequent efforts on the specific zones needing additional investigation. Three-dimensional soil contamination modeling can be used to aid scientists and engineers in determining soil area and volume that require excavation.
Although the applications of GIS technology are nearly limitless, examples include:
- Analysis and mapping of environmental soil, groundwater, surface water, and air data
- 3-D modeling of environmental soil, groundwater, surface water, and air data
- Development of remedial soil volume estimates
- Demographic analyses for siting studies and market analysis
- Mapping and analysis of area topography for watershed studies
Three-dimensional representation of area topography:
- Mapping and analysis of area vegetation for forestry studies
- Mapping, analysis, and display of social data (for example, crime data)
- Analysis and display of agricultural data to improve crop yields
- Managing and displaying locations of utility locations such as subsurface electric, gas, and water lines
- Analysis and interpretation of satellite aerial photography
- Emergency management applications (e.g., street address mapping and route planning)
Three-dimensional contamination model
AVESI is involved in numerous procurement contracts, here are some examples:
- As a formal distributor for Fisher Scientific, AVESI can supply chemicals as well as laboratory supplies and equipment at discounted rates. Currently AVESI supplies chemicals for the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) lab in St. Louis, Missouri through the prime contractor (Science Applications International Corporation) to the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
- In the fall of 2006, AVESI completed the procurement of two laboratory refrigerators and one freezer for the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) in Cape Canaveral, Florida through SAIC.
- In April of 2006, AVESI completed a procurement contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs at Fort Detrick AFB. The contract required AVESI to manufacture and deliver 13 custom FIDLER (Field Instrument for the Detection of Low Energy Radiation) probes to Brooks AFB in Texas.
- To date, AVESI has been awarded numerous procurement contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis Missouri supporting the VA Medical Center Employee Education Services Departments in Northport, NY; Little Rock, AR; and St. Louis MO.
- AVESI is also a distributor for Office Depot supplying clients like State of Illinois agencies with various office products and office equipment.
Radiation Health Physics
The AVESI team has vast experience in the health physics field related to environmental, nuclear power, nuclear medicine, and radiological engineering. The staff at AVESI has provided comprehensive engineering and consulting services during their careers. Our key consulting positions include the following:
- David Lyerla, Vice President
- Certified Health Physicist (CHP)
- Director of Technical Services, NRRPT, RSO
- Corporate Safety Manager, CSP
AVESI Vice President David Lyerla has extensive field experience with planning, conducting and overseeing MARSSIM Final Status Surveys at the FUSRAP St. Louis Sites. He has supported radiological cleanup operations for various sites including the CVNPA Parr Reactor Site Decommissioning, the Harshaw FUSRAP Site, Westinghouse Electric Company, the Niagara Falls Storage Site, the Madison Site Extrusion Building, as well as the DOE Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project. In the role of Radiation Protection Manager his responsibilities include reviewing radiological surveys, writing survey plans and reports, training of personnel, writing Health and Safety Work Permits (HSWPs), procedure development (including USACE procedures), design implementation of MARSSIM sampling and surveying strategies, statistical data evaluations, MARSSIM Final Status Survey Plan development, radiological survey and removal action oversight.
In addition, Mr. Lyerla has designed and implemented investigational radiological gamma walkover/drive-over surveys including GPS/GIS data collection, evaluation and management.
Our CHP has over fourteen years of health physics experience in environmental, nuclear power, nuclear medicine, and university health physics. In the course of his distinguished career he has been involved in business development, project management and supervisory and field experience. He has specialized experience in dosimetry, environmental remediation, radiological waste management, shipping, criticality, shielding and emergency planning.
Our Radiation Safety Supervisor has over 16 years of experience in the field of health physics. He spent several years working with naval and commercial power reactors and the last nine years in decommissioning, characterization, and MARSSIM final status survey design and implementation.
The Corporate Safety Manager for AVESI is a qualified, experienced Safety Professional. He is knowledgeable in the Construction, and Environmental industries. He is responsible for implementation of all Health, Safety, and Environmental Programs for AVESI. He assists in maintaining compliance with local, state, OSHA, MSHA, EPA, DNR, and other regulatory agencies. The Corporate Safety Manager is prepared to perform accident and incident investigation and associated OSHA and MSHA record keeping if and when required.
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