Vit Plant donates toys and $35,000 to Toys for Tots

RICHLAND, Washington — Employees at the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, also known as the Vit Plant, donated thousands of toys and more than $35,000 to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots campaign at the construction site.

“Since I have been coordinator, I have been amazed by the generosity of the Vit Plant employees, Bechtel and URS,” said Glen Carter, local Toys for Tots coordinator. “Their contribution to our local Toys for Tots organization helps us meet the community’s needs year after year.”

Vit Plant employees designated $19,000 of the total donation to the Local 598 pipefitters’ annual Bikes for Tikes campaign. This year, the pipefitters are purchasing and assembling 750 bicycles and helmets for Toys for Tots.

“Vit Plant employees take a lot of pride in giving back to their community, and they really rally around this event because it’s an opportunity to show their support for the Marines and their Toys for Tots program,” said Bryan Kerr, Vit Plant manager of construction.

“This year, Bechtel is also recognizing Vit Plant employees’ outstanding safety performance and commitment to safety with a special $5,000 donation to the Local 598 pipefitters’ Bikes for Tikes campaign.”

In 2015, Vit Plant employees and parent companies Bechtel and URS donated more than $590,000 to community organizations and charities. Recipients included the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, Second Harvest, Junior Achievement, March of Dimes, and others.

Local businesses Griggs/Ace Hardware and Vintners Logistics also contributed to the Vit Plant’s efforts. Griggs/Ace Hardware ensured the bicycle orders were fulfilled in time for Christmas delivery. Vintners Logistics will provide delivery for the toys and bikes.

About Bechtel:

Bechtel National, Inc. is designing and building the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant for the U.S. Department of Energy at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. The Waste Treatment Plant, also known as the Vit Plant, will use a process called vitrification to solidify the radioactive liquid waste stored in 177 underground tanks.

Vitrification involves blending the waste with glass-forming materials and heating it to high temperatures. The molten mixture is then poured into stainless steel canisters to cool and solidify. In this glass form, the waste is stable and impervious to the environment, and its radioactivity will dissipate over hundreds to thousands of years.

The Vit Plant will cover 65 acres with four major facilities – Pretreatment, Low-Activity Waste Vitrification, High-Level Waste Vitrification, and Analytical Laboratory – as well as operations and maintenance buildings, utilities, other support facilities, and office space.