MSA team triumphs over challenges on Rattlesnake Mountain

As a part of the ongoing cleanup and reduction of the Hanford Site, Mission Support Alliance's (MSA) Electrical Utilities (EU) team collaborated with CHPRC (CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company) to wrap up a project at Rattlesnake Mountain on the Arid Land Ecology (ALE) Reserve earlier this year.

Considering the team's area of expertise, EU linemen were tapped to remove abandoned power lines and about 70 wooden utility poles from the mountain. Although the linemen were prepared to remove the actual power lines, additional EU workers and teamsters joined the project to assist with the labor-intensive process of clearing the legacy utility poles that once were part of Hanford's infrastructure.

At over 3,500 feet tall - 200 feet higher than Snoqualmie Pass - and with recorded wind gusts in excess of 100 mph, Rattlesnake Mountain presented various challenges throughout the project.

Blowing debris contributed to poor visibility and risks to eye safety; rugged terrain affected mobility and made access portions of the unused infrastructure arduous; and ecological and cultural concerns on Rattlesnake Mountain limited work strategies.

In overcoming the myriad worksite challenges, workers focused on efficient, creative, and cautious solutions such as bringing eyewash stations to the site and traveling on pre-existing trails when possible. Beyond improving safety and concentrating the team's efforts, these decisions helped minimize the impact to this valuable area.

The team also relied on inventive, yet old-fashioned techniques to accomplish tasks that otherwise would have been unsafe or impractical given the conditions. For example, workers adopted a bucket brigade-style system to transport pole segments down the mountainside.

Thanks to the team's dedication to conscientious and safe work, MSA and CHPRC were able to move the mission forward without needlessly risking employee and environmental safety.